Together
A/N
Set in a world where everything is perfect, Zax wise. This fic will include a lot of Holby characters, as it's my dream for Zoe to cross over to Holby- and Max too, of course- just for a few episodes or so, though!
Timelines wise, this is set in early September :)
Told most frequently from Zoe's point of view, I might occasionally switch to Max or one of the other characters.
Reviews welcome,
Laura xxx
Max and I are having a break away from the ED. After the fire at our wedding, and all the stress that came with it afterwards, Max and I really could do with a change of scenery.
For the next 3-4 months or so, I'm going to rotate between three wards- AAU, Darwin, and Keller.
Connie is actually okay with it, and if the ED is at full capacity and they're really struggling, I'm going to go back there to help out, just for a couple of hours.
"Do I look okay?" I ask my husband. I'm dressed in my scrubs, my hair is down, but I've put some bobbles in my bag- it's very likely that I'll be going in to theatre. My makeup is toned down- I'm not confident in new situations, but I need to get out of my comfort zone. I assess myself in the mirror- maybe I should tie my hair back after all?
"Zoe, you look stunning." He assures me, his arms sliding around my waist and his head resting on my shoulder. "You're short without your heels."
"Hmm." I grumble.
"You'll be fine."
"I do hope so." I sigh, shivering slightly at his breath on my neck.
"I love you, Zoe."
"I love you too." I smile, regretfully stepping out of his warm embrace. "Let's get some breakfast-also we're a little early, how about a stop at Costa to get a drink?"
"That sounds good." He smiles, and gives me a kiss. "You'll be fine, you know. I won't be far away if you get anxious or anything."
"I know." I smile at him.
A while later…
Max and I arrive at the hospital. I park my car on the other side of the ED, near what's called the Wyvern wing. I smile slightly- there's a sign for that wing of the hospital near Max and I's smoking spot.
"Ready?" He asks as I take the keys out of the ignition.
"As I'll ever be."
"It's okay, Zoe."
"I know." I smile. Since the fire, since the wedding, I've become quite anxious-I'm afraid of new things in case they go wrong- Max has been my rock.
"I'm looking forward to seeing Fletch." Max says as we step out of the car. AAU is our first stop.
"Me too." I grin. "Apparently, I have to report to someone called Serena Campbell."
"Oh, she's the deputy CEO, isn't she?"
"Uh-huh." I nod as we enter the hospital.
There's a café, full to the brim with staff getting their morning coffee, and relatives of patients. The queue is huge- I'm glad that we chose to go to Costa!
"Aha-AAU- down this corridor and to the left." I spot a sign above some double doors.
Max and I make our way down the corridor and turn left.
The ward that we enter is busy-not as busy as the ED.
"Hello, can I help you?" A blonde nurse with an Irish lilt smiles at us.
"Yes, I'm Zoe Hanna, here on rotation. I'm a consultant at the ED." I smile back at her, shaking her hand and showing her my ID. "I need to see Serena Campbell..?"
"Hello, my name's Cara Martinez." She smiles. She looks at Max. "Are you two together?"
"Yes, we got married last month." Max grins. "I'm Max, and I'm a porter here."
"Hi" Cara smiles, shaking his hand. "Zoe, Ms Campbell's office is this way, follow me."
"I'd better go and report to the head porter- I'll see you later." Max gives me a kiss on the cheek. "I'm just a text or phone call away if you need me."
"I know, love you." I smile.
"And you." He smiles tenderly back, then he's off.
"A consultant and a porter, that's unusual." Cara observes.
"It is, but we love each other immensely, as you can see." I smile simply.
"I do. How long have you been together?" The other woman asks.
"Well, we were on and off for a bit last year, but in February this year things got serious. And the rest is history."
"That sounds lovely. Right, here's Serena's office- her bark is worse than her bite, trust me. I've been through some difficulties myself recently, and without the help of everyone here, including her, I wouldn't have got through it." She admits.
"Oh, that's good." I smile nervously, not knowing what to say.
"Right, I'd better get on. See you later." Cara smiles.
"Bye." I reply, and knock on Serena's door.
After a minute or so, it's opened. A tall woman with short brunette hair answers it.
"Zoe Hanna, I assume?"
I nod.
She gives me a small smile. "Come in- I won't bite, I promise."
After a quick talk with Serena about rules, regulations, and whatnot, I've come to the conclusion that she's quite nice, but I'd better not argue with her, because she'll win, hands down! I hate conflict of any sort unless it's something that I really believe in or absolutely have to stand up for though, so it shouldn't be a problem.
"Why did you want to come and work with us?" Serena asks me as we make our way back to the nurses' station.
"I just fancied a change of scenery- and there's someone that I've missed." I smile as I spot Fletch. "Hello stranger!"
"Zoe!" He smiles. "What're you doing up here?"
"Needed a break. Max is here too- have you seen him yet?"
"No, don't think so." Says my old friend. "How was the wedding?"
"You haven't heard?" I ask delicately.
"No, there was a fire and Max got himself into a punch up with Charlie's son." I say, standing next to him, waiting for Serena to gather her staff together.
"Oh 'eck- you're both okay now though?"
"Yes thanks." I respond. I'm about to ask him how his children are, but then Serena raises her voice. Here we go.
"Right, as some of you may have noticed, we have a new face amongst us. Zoe, come and stand at the front, please."
I obey, feeling like a naughty child in school.
"This is Doctor Zoe Hanna-" Serena begins.
"No, Zoe Walker." I decide. I catch sight of Max, and we exchange a happy smile.
"Zoe Walker, then. She's visiting us from the ED for a while, I expect you all to give her a warm welcome. That's it, off to work." Serena instructs.
"Right Zoe, these are the two Doctors that you'll work most frequently with, apart from myself." My superior introduces me to Arthur Digby and Morven Shreve, two trainee doctors. Arthur just nods at me and Morven gives me a friendly smile.
"Also, Raf Di Lucca. He's off today." Fletch adds.
"Yes, he will be in tomorrow. Right, off to work." Serena says.
"Er, a word about Morven- she has this Shakespeare tourettes thing when she gets nervous or scared. She's very intelligent but very eager, and sensitive." Says Cara.
"Okay, I'll bear that in mind. She seems lovely, though."
"She is, bless her. I joined AAU first- she was the newbie that needed looking after, not me!" Cara says.
"Aw. Right, what have we got?" I ask.
A few hours later...
"Zoe, emergency lung transplant. Fancy scrubbing in?" Fletch asks.
"Yes please, am I observing or assisting?"
"Assisting, Morven is observing and Arthur is carrying it out."
"Okay, can I go and scrub in?" I ask.
"Yes, definitely. I'm going to be in there as well."
I make my way to theatre, adrenaline surging through me.
I tie my hair back and put a scrub cap on. I look at my reflection in the glass- I look like I did at uni- nervous, prettier, and raring to go.
"Doctor Hanna." Morven greets me as I'm drying my hands.
"Hi Morven. Are you okay?"
"Yes thank you. Bit nervous."
"Going into theatre, even if you're observing can be nerve wracking." I smile. She has talent- she diagnosed a bowel problem in one of my patients before I'd even thought of it!
"At last, someone who gets it!"
I smile at this. "I remember being your age. It's difficult to try to prove yourself."
Morven nods. "Exactly."
Arthur and I carry out the procedure with ease- I must say that I've missed theatre, I don't often get to perform proper operations in the ED.
"That was amazing! The adrenaline, the buzz!" Morven enthuses as we're walking back onto the ward.
"It was! I really enjoyed myself!" I agree. "I know that Arthur doesn't like your chatter, but I was impressed by how much you knew about the procedure. Keep it up."
"Thank you!" she grins- I can tell that it means a lot to her.
"Zoe, go and have your lunch." Fletch orders me as Morven and I arrive back at the nurses' station. "Max is waiting outside with a cigarette and a sandwich for you."
"Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Er, you've both got 30 minutes. Go and have a proper break."
"Okay!" I grin. I admit that AAU is very quiet, but in the ED, I barely get 10 minutes to eat my dinner.
"Hey you." I surprise Max with a kiss on the cheek, he's sitting on a bench in front of the hospital.
"Hello, startled me!" he says.
"Sorry." I sit next to him, and kiss him.
"I've barely seen you all morning, it's been quite busy! How're you finding it?"
"Great! I just assisted with an emergency lung transplant, it was good to be back in theatre again." I smile as he hands me one of my favourite meals: ham and cheese panini, toasty warm.
"Good. You know, about being Mrs Walker... Are you going to get your name changed officially and everything?" my husband asks, his free hand finding my own and squeezing it slightly.
"Yes. I love you, so much, and I want to be Mrs Walker. Doctor Walker. Zoe Walker." I smile.
He smiles. "I love you too, Mrs Walker."