"It looks just the same."
"Well, it would. You haven't been gone that long."
"Weird without that shiny gold plaque outside the door."
"Jesus, don't start on about that damn plaque again! It's all you talk about!" Slapping him gently on the arm, she grinned and turned him to face her. Suddenly serious: "are you-"
"For the hundredth time. Yes, I am sure. Yes, I want to see it again. No, you don't have to look so worried." She rolled her eyes.
"I'm not worried about you, I'm worried that the shock of seeing you is going to send everyone into a blind panic. We all thought we'd finally got rid of you!" Realising her unfortunate choice of words, she grimaced and apologized.
"Will you stop. Come on, let's get on with it." As she reached out, he stopped her: "No. I can do it myself."
It had taken a long time for Zoe to find him again. He hadn't been answering his emails, so she'd had to ring around, and had eventually flown out there, scouring hospitals until he had turned up at her hotel one evening with that same arrogant smile, knowing that she had been looking for him. His unflappable self assurance infuriated her: that smug grin and raised eyebrows had so often set her teeth on edge, and yet it had been one of the things that had drawn her to him. She had no time for whimpering boys or men who needed constant reassurance that they were still attractive, still funny, still good in bed. Jordan knew these things, knew that he could turn any head, not because of his looks or his money, but because of his ego. Although she would never ever admit it, not even to herself, it still made her girlishly happy that he had chosen her out of all the others so long ago.
"Are you sure that you want to go back in? Now that Connie's on the throne?" He asked her seriously. He knew that stepping down from Clinical Lead, although what she had wanted, had meant swallowing a lot of pride, and that she was dreading seeing it in the hands of someone else, especially Connie Beauchamp.
She paused. "Yes. I am. I do belong there, but as a doctor, not sitting behind a desk with the bureaucrats in one hand and my staff in the other. Connie can deal with all that crap if she really wants." She meant it. "Now will you stop looking at me like that! We both have our demons to face, Nick."
He looked down. "Right. Let's just get on with it then, Doctor Hanna."
A familiar smile stretching across her face, she nods and puts a hand on his shoulder. He brings his hand up to meet hers and squeezes her fingers.
"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more."
"Oh, Nick, please don't start quoting Shakespeare at me." Chuckling to himself, he headed towards the entrance.
As she followed him, she felt a sudden pang of- almost pride. Although he was smaller and more vulnerable, not even his wheelchair could quite deaden those waves of confidence.
Hope you liked the twist at the end ;) If you have a minute/ want to, I would love to know what you thought, good or bad... xxx