Chapter 1

Why did it have to rain? Today, of all days? It was the early hours of the morning, and the sun was beginning to rise over the river. Alyssa had woken at 4.30am, had a shower, washed her hair. As she did every morning. And like every other morning, she had decided to go for a run, through the wooded path that snaked along the river. It was a gorgeous run, full of nature, and it was Alyssa's way of destressing and waking up, to begin a new day. However, today, unlike every other day, was the beginning of her new job. She sighed as she ran, music pounding in her ears. Would he be there today? She scowled to herself, and ran a few meters more, before stopping to lean against a very wet tree. She was reluctant to admit to herself the reason why she chose this particular route along the river. The river had several sets of moorings, and it was common for her to see random boats and barges tied up, the residents having stopped over for the night. One morning, however, a new boat had arrived, and hadn't left. That had been over a month ago.

Alyssa wiped her brow; rain and sweat were dripping down her face. "Thank God my makeup is waterproof" she thought to herself. She never had enough time to get ready when she got home from her runs, and she would often get changed when she got to work. Today she had allowed herself half an hour to freshen up at home before making the journey to her new job, however, she had not bargained on the unexpected rain fall. She fiddled with the wires of her headphones. She was nervous about today. It had been her idea, it had taken a lot of persuasion to get the Trust Board to accept her proposal. She had to make a good first impression. She just had to.

Taking a deep breath, Alyssa carried on running. After a few more minutes, she slowed. Placing one hand to brace herself against a tree, she pretended to look at her shoe laces, to make sure they were tied, whilst also looking sneakily out at the river. Sure enough, there he was, standing on his boat, watching the early morning sun rise. She blushed and leaned against the tree. She couldn't understand her attraction to this man she had never met or spoken to. She didn't even know if he noticed her, running past his home every day. He turned towards the trees, and Alyssa hastily fixed her gaze on the river, turning slowly gold in the light. It was very beautiful. She smiled to herself, and prepared to run home, like every other day, casual spying over with.

But today was not like every other day.

As Alyssa pushed off from the tree, the man looked directly at her, and half-smiled. Her heart thumped with a wildness that had nothing to do with the run, and for a moment she was stunned. Without thinking of the treacherous slope down to the river, without remembering that the ground was slick with rain, Alyssa took a step forward, to wave. Her foot slid out from under her, and she heard a shout from the direction of the river. She landed hard on her side, and she felt her breath leave her body. She bumped down the hill, and she felt a stab of fear – the slope ran right to the edge of the river. She flung out an arm, trying to catch hold of anything that she could use to stop herself. She was vaguely aware of the man, disembarking his boat, coming towards her.

The stump of a tree appeared out of nowhere, breaking her fall, and possibly one of her ribs. She crashed into it and felt a sharp crack in her side. She screamed out in pain. Just breathing felt like a thousand white-hot needles were stabbing her. She tried to stand, but her leg refused to co-operate. She went down again, this time hitting her head. Hard.

The last thing Alyssa remembered was a voice. Shouting, telling her to stay awake. The pain in her side intensified and shoved her further towards the inky black that had enveloped her eyesight. One last breath in, and she surrendered to sleep.

Alyssa meandered in and out of consciousness the whole journey back to the hospital. The man had obviously called an ambulance, as she had first woken to a haze of green above her, beeping, and the sensation of moving. She had tried to sit up, but she had been horrified to discover that they had strapped her in. Her wounds weren't that bad. Every bump in the road caused new waves of nausea and blackness to wash over her, and eventually she had given up trying to stay awake.

At the hospital, she was vaguely aware of the paramedics stating her vital signs, her approximate age, to the doctor who had been waiting. Alyssa briefly saw the words Holby Emergency Department, and she had scolded herself internally. What a day to end up in A&E! The paramedics swiftly wheeled her into a large room, after the doctor called "Straight into Resus, please!". She tried to tell them this really wasn't necessary, all she needed was an x-ray to confirm her broken ribs, some pain medication and then she could leave. No one bothered to listen to her.

"Right, let's order a head CT and some bloods please. If someone could also call x-ray…" The voice faded slightly as it moved away from her. "On my 3, please, 1, 2, 3!". Her body shifted, and the board under her disappeared. The sudden movement jarred her side, and she grunted in pain. Someone also removed the brace around her neck. "Okay, keep very still for me okay? My name is Dr Hardy, I'm just going to check you over." Alyssa raised her head slightly, to look at the doctor unzipping her hoodie. He was young, and blonde, and very handsome. She winced as his hands gently probed her side, and he smiled apologetically. She decided she liked him. "Is this going to take long, Doctor? I have an appointment that I really need to get to…" He looked over at her and smiled again. "I'm fairly certain you will be here for at least a few hours yet, I'm afraid. We need to run some tests, make sure you're all okay before I discharge you. I need to get your head seen to as well." Alyssa grinned at him. "Why, because I went for a run on a Monday morning at a ridiculously early time, in the rain?" Dr Hardy laughed, and grinned back at her. "Well, that is rather mad!"

The light banter was interrupted by the large doors swinging open. Alyssa immediately wished she was not hooked up to a heart monitor. The cute doctor looked at the screen in concern as her heart rate shot up. The man from the boat had just walked into the room, and he did not look happy. "Where is her neck brace? She can't have had her CT already. Is she stable? Did Iain tell you she lost consciousness several times?" His voice was rough, and deep. A perfect fit for the rough, almost haggard face. For a moment, she was glad she was lying down; no one could see her blush. "Dr Keogh, she's doing fine. I was just about to send her up for her CT, but there really doesn't appear to be any damage. I've ordered an x-ray for her ribs, and I was just finishing off her obs." So, Boat Man was a Doctor? At this ED, no less. Alyssa quietly wished the ground would just swallow her up now. Could this get any worse?

"Dr Hardy, we've got an incoming RTC, and we are a man down. You're needed out here. Dr Keogh, you're here early. Help Dr Monroe clear cubicles. We need the beds. Also, we have someone new starting today, so make sure you're both free to welcome her. Although, saying that, she is late already." The voice sounded abrupt, and annoyed, and very much like the woman who had called her to offer her her new job. Alyssa tried to sit up, to apologise that she would, obviously, not be showing up for work, but the doors were banging shut by the time she managed to twist to sit up. Her side felt like it was on fire, and she whimpered.

"Please, lie back down. You need to stay still until we know how much damage there is." Alyssa raised her eyes, to finally meet the gaze of her saviour. "It would be useful to know your name as well." Dr Hardy was the perfect excuse to pull her eyes away from Dr Keogh. "I'm interested in that myself actually" Dr Keogh's voice became soft, meant only for his own ears. Alyssa blushed deeply. "My name is Alyssa. Alyssa Winters." Talking hurt, and immediately Dr Keogh ordered for her to be given pain relief. "I'm sorry, I have to go check on a few things. I will come back in a little while to check on you, after you've had your CT and X-ray." Dr Hardy smiled kindly at her before walking away, looking back curiously at the other doctor when he made no move to leave. "Dylan? I think Connie meant you, as well." Dylan Keogh. The name suited him. He looked into Alyssa's eyes one last time and walked away. As she was breathing a sigh of relief that she could quietly blush in private, he half-turned towards her. "If you need anything, get a nurse to fetch me." And then he was gone.