This is just going to be a one-shot based on this week's episode 'Second Coming', which I wrote to cheer myself up after a truly awful week. Hope you enjoy, and please review.
Disclaimer: I do not own Holby City.
Henrik Hanssen let out a long sigh as he sat down in his chair. It had been one of the most stressful days he had had yet at the hospital; not only had he had to complete a hemihepatectomy, he had had to do so with the knowledge that failure would mean the end of his work at Holby. Henrik had seen for himself the esteem in which Ric Griffin was held by staff and patients alike, and he knew there would have been uproar had Ric died on his table. Fortunately, the operation had been a success, but the strain had taken its toll. Even convincing Ric to consent to the operation had been a battle, and the stress of the operation had left him completely drained.
Reluctantly, Henrik forced himself to concentrate. The complexity of Ric's operation had forced him to spend hours preparing, and the procedure itself had taken most of the afternoon. As a result, he now had several hours of paperwork to catch up on. He sighed again. Director of Surgery was an impressive title, but it carried with it an equally impressive workload. Normally it was manageable, but today… Henrik shook his head sharply. The work had to be done; there was no point to further procrastination. Grimly, he pulled the first file towards him.
He worked steadily for the next two hours before allowing himself a break. Glancing at his watch, he was surprised by how much time had gone by. A quick calculation told him that Ric would be awake by now, and probably meeting his new grandson. The Swede smiled slightly. He was well aware that Ric had only consented to the operation for the child's sake; in a way, Jake Griffin had saved his life. And Jess of course. Ric was very lucky he had a daughter who was as stubborn as he was.
At that moment, Henrik's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his telephone.
"Hanssen," he said calmly.
"Mr. Hanssen, its Sister Williams on the ICU. Mr. Griffin is awake and asking for you." Henrik frowned.
"Is he having difficulty?" he asked in concern.
"No, he just wants to talk," she replied. Henrik sighed.
"Very well, I'll be there in a few minutes." He set the phone down and rubbed his eyes. He really did need to be getting on with his work, but the last thing he wanted was Ric getting agitated. Wearily, he got to his feet. For a moment, the office seemed to spin, and he shook his head angrily to clear it. He had too much to do to even think of getting some rest yet.
As he left the office, he could not help but wonder why Ric was so adamant to see him. They had never been on the best of terms, and the recent clash over transferring patients to St. James had only caused matters to deteriorate. As a result, Henrik knew that many people had questioned his motives for offering to perform the operation, but the truth was simple. Without the operation, Ric would have been dead in months, and, as a doctor, Henrik could not simply stand by and allow it to happen. He had the ability to do something about it, and his conscience would not have allowed him to do otherwise. That had been his main consideration when he made the offer, but a part of could not help but hope that his actions had also convinced Ric, Elliot and the others that he did have the best interests of the hospital at heart. He was sick of having to constantly fight to get his policies accepted.
A few minutes later, he arrived at the ICU. Chrissie Williams was waiting for him outside.
"I'm sorry about this," she said quietly as he approached. "I did suggest he wait until morning." Henrik waved the apology away.
"No need to explain Sister Williams." Chrissie nodded in relief.
"Jess and the baby are still in there too," she told him. Henrik nodded.
"Hopefully, this will only be a brief visit." Some of his weariness must have carried in his voice, for a frown appeared on Chrissie's face.
"Are you alright, Mr. Hanssen?" she asked. The consultant nodded.
"Quite alright, thank you." Seeing Chrissie looked unconvinced, he continued quickly. "Now, if you will excuse me?" Reluctantly, the nurse stepped aside, and Henrik pushed open the door.
The lights in the ICU were turned down, but Henrik could still make out Ric lying in the bed, his grandson held protectively in his arms. Seated in a wheelchair next to the bed was Jess, a mixture of love and pride on her face as she watched them. Both glanced round as Henrik entered the room. Jess' face immediately broke into a warm smile, and her father gave a nod of greeting.
"Mr. Hanssen," he said. His face twisted into a pained grimace, and Henrik moved quickly to his side.
"Are you alright?" he asked. Ric nodded gingerly.
"As well as can be expected," he murmured. There was grudging respect in his gaze as he looked at the tall Swede. "I have to say, I wasn't sure you'd be able to do it." Henrik smiled slightly.
"I did tell you so," he said quietly. "Although you were quite correct in your estimation of the risk." Ric nodded.
"Elliot told me what happened," he said. He paused for a moment. "He said I nearly died."
Henrik dropped his gaze. Those few minutes where Ric's life hung in the balance were burned into his brain. He knew that without Elliot's assistance, there was a good chance Ric would have bled to death. The other consultant seemed to read his mind.
"He also told me how you proceeded to remove a tumour the size of my foot." He fixed Henrik with a piercing stare. "A tumour that would have killed me in a matter of months." Henrik nodded slowly.
"There was no alternative," he said. He turned to Jess. "I must also thank you." Jess looked startled.
"You thank me?" she asked. "If anything it should be the other way round." Henrik shook his head.
"You persuaded Mr. Hope to join me. Ms Naylor would not have been able to do what he did." He smiled slightly. "Although it seems she made herself useful." Jess laughed.
"She certainly did." Her gaze softened as she looked at the sleeping baby. "Isn't he perfect?" Henrik nodded.
"He favours you," he murmured. Ric looked down at Jake fondly.
"He does, doesn't he?" He glanced up at the consultant. "Would you like to hold him?" he asked. He chuckled as Henrik's face betrayed his surprise. Jess nodded encouragement.
"I think I can trust you not to drop him," she grinned. Ric sat up gingerly and held out the tiny bundle.
"Go on." Carefully, Henrik took the boy and settled him in his arms. Jake shifted slightly at the disturbance and his eyes flickered open. He lay there quite quietly, staring up at the Swede with a pair of chocolate brown eyes. Henrik smiled. This brought back memories. His smile widened as Jake caught his finger and held it tightly in his chubby little hand. Glancing up, he realised that Ric and Jess were grinning broadly at him, and he schooled his expression back into its customary remoteness.
"As you say, perfect," he said as he handed the baby back to his mother. Jess beamed at him.
"Thank you." Henrik nodded.
"Now, if you will excuse me, I have some work to finish." Ric frowned at him.
"You're still working? Henrik, it's nearly midnight." Henrik shrugged.
"If I do not complete it tonight, it will have to be done tomorrow, and I have a full theatre schedule." Jess was studying him in concern.
"You look exhausted," she noted accusingly. "Have you taken a break at all today?" Henrik grimaced.
"In between preparing for a hemihepatectomy, getting consent, finding an assistant and completing the procedure? No." Jess' eyes glinted.
"You need to go home," she said firmly. Henrik shook his head, but she continued before he could argue. "If you're anything like dad, and I think you are, you haven't eaten much all day, you're completely drained, and you're only on your feet through some misplaced sense of duty. If you're going to function at your best, you need to look after yourself." Henrik raised an eyebrow, but there was a spark of amusement in his eyes as he glanced at Ric.
"You have a very stubborn daughter, Mr. Griffin," he commented dryly. Ric smiled.
"She gets it from her mother," he joked. After a moment, his face turned serious. "Although this time she has a point. You've just completed a three and a half hour operation for goodness' sake. I'm sure Sacha and Michael can cover your list tomorrow if necessary."
Henrik glanced from one Griffin to the other. Neither looked like they were going to back down, and he shook his head regretfully.
"Unfortunately, I cannot." Jess looked like she was about to protest, but a glance from Ric warned her to keep quiet. Henrik's frown softened. "But I appreciate your concern." He glanced at Ric. "I will be back in the morning to see how you're getting on." Ric nodded, and he turned to Jess. "It was a pleasure to meet you Miss Griffin." She grinned at him.
"Please, it's Jess. Thank you for what you did today." Henrik returned the smile.
"It was my pleasure." With that, he turned to leave the room.
"Henrik." The consultant paused at the door and glanced back. Ric smiled.
"Thank you for giving me the chance to meet my grandson," he said. Henrik nodded at him.
"You're welcome." He frowned at them. "You two should get some rest too." Ric nodded.
"We will in a few minutes." He smirked. "Maybe you should take your own advice." Henrik shook his head in amusement.
"I think not. Good night both of you."
"Good night, Mr. Hanssen."
Henrik let out a deep breath as he left the ICU. It was good to know that Ric would recover. Henrik had struggled himself with the risks involved in the procedure, but he knew now that he had made the right decision. Ric would be a good grandfather to baby Jake, and Jess would also need his support. He shook his head sharply. He still had too much to do to be standing idle. The Griffins might not be pleased, but there was nothing else to be done. Still, their concern was touching. And unexpected. It had been a long time since someone had been worried about him. He pushed the thought away as he sat down at his desk. A daunting amount of paperwork remained, but it was with a lighter heart that Henrik returned to it. Maybe now that he had shown he was not the enemy, Ric and Elliot would be less inclined to dispute every decision he made. He sighed. It wasn't likely, but he had done his best. Hopefully, it would be enough.
Sorry about the ending, I couldn't think of a good way to finish. Please review x