The Holiday

Bernie

Bernie had found almost everything written about love to be true. Each Shakespearian quote, each well-known cliché, all represented and seen in everyday life. Bernie had fallen victim to the cruellest kind however. Unrequited love. The kind where she was head over heels for another, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Sat in her office, she signed off her last patient, and sighed. Tonight was the unofficial Holby Christmas party… A night she had been dreading. A knock on her door broke Bernie out of her reverie, and as she turned she felt her insides constrict slightly. There she was. The subject of her unrequited devotion.

'How is it that when everyone else is enjoying themselves and getting pissed, you are here, diligently working away, saving the world?' Dressed in all black, Alex made Bernie's heart skip.

'Ha, not quite saving the world. Just sorting through the mountain of paperwork I seem to constantly have.' Bernie chuckled slightly, closing down her computer. 'While I have you, I know we said we wouldn't do gifts this year, but I've been working on this for a while, I actually have a copy for myself too. Merry Christmas.' She reached into her desk drawer, and handed over a rather haphazardly wrapped gift. She watched with a held breath as Alex tore into the wrapping.

'Oh Bernie.' Alex looked towards her, emotion pouring from her eyes. For in her hands lay a canvas filled with photographs and words. Nicknames, battalion numbers, dog tags, and other meaningful words surrounded a regiment photograph. Tears pooled in her eyes as she recognised those they'd lost in their last tour together. 'This is perfect. Thank you.' She gave Bernie a small smile. 'Right you! Time to get pissed! Grab your coat and let's head to the bar.'

This was the last thing Bernie wanted to do, she wanted to stay in her office, perhaps open the bottle of whisky gifted to her by Fletch earlier in the day. Alas, she rose from her chair, shrugged on her khaki jacket, and trailed after Alex, head bent slightly, as if in mourning for the night she'd lost.

Albie's was suitably merry when they entered, Bernie noted the new Italian doctor was prancing about in a Father Christmas costume, and it seemed all her companions had already made use of the bar. Waving hello to her fellow colleagues, she grabbed herself a glass of red wine and sat herself down.

'What's the story with you two again?' Bernie's thoughts were interrupted by an eager fletch, eyeing Alex across the room. Bernie sighed again. Goodness she'd been sighing a lot lately. Like a lovesick teenager.

'We toured together. Fell in love.' She tilted her head into her glass and took another swig of her wine. 'Or at least I did. She left partway through the tour on a different deployment, and then I was blown up. She turned up here, a few months down the line, and I suppose you could say she helped me decide I needed to end my marriage. That's it really.'

'Do you still love her?'

'I don't think I'll ever stop.'

'Well then what's stopping you? Perfect excuse tonight, Christmas cheer, plenty of mistletoe, what's the worst that could happen?' With his trademark cheeky grin, Fletch was off. Leaving Bernie to collect her thoughts.

'Excuse me ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make.' Their esteemed interim leader, Ric Griffin, called for silence. 'Now this concerns Miss Wolfe, where are you?' Bernie gave a wave, brows furrowing in confusion. 'Ah Bernie there you are. Now I'm very sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I must inform you that a member of your team will not be returning in the New Year. It seems our excellent anaesthetist will be moving on to bigger and brighter things! After a very successful application, Miss Dawson has been accepted onto a training programme in the land down under starting immediately.'

Bernie was sure if anyone was listening carefully enough they would hear her heart shatter. However, everyone was too busy congratulating Alex. Everyone except Fletch. He could see how hurt Bernie looked, the fake smile quickly plastered across her face, hiding the pure heartbreak beneath.

Jac

'Did you sleep with her?'

'Jac, look. This isn't-'

'It's a simple enough question. Did you sleep with her or not?'

'We were on the night shift! It wasn't just us! Honestly you're paranoid.'

Jac stared incredulously at the man behind her through the mirror. She pulled her hair into a tight ponytail, and stood to face him.

'You see, this is why I said we shouldn't get married. This is why I made you keep your flat. I knew something like this would happen.' She threw her hands up in defeat and grabbed a duffel bag. Pulling Jonny's shirts from their hangers and shoving them in.

'For the last time! We didn't sleep together!'

'Okay, swear on my life that you did not sleep with her.' Silence. 'You really are an arse Jonny.' She stormed down the stairs, Jonny trailing behind, almost like a lost puppy. Pulling open the front door, she chucked his bag out. 'I will send you the rest of your things.' Jac slammed the door in his face and headed back to her bedroom, throwing herself across her unmade bed.

'Honestly Jac, I think you're overreacting! You've blown this way out of proportion and to tell you the truth I don't think this is entirely my fault. You are never here anymore! You've performed how many operations in the past twelve months?'

'Don't you dare try and turn this around on me!' Jac screamed from her balcony, acutely aware her gardener was silently observing their argument. 'I've been saving lives. You knew I put my work first when we met. Just tell me please. Did you sleep with her?' She stared him down from where she stood, hands curled around the railing, standing firm and strong.

'Fine.' Jonny conceded. 'Yes, I slept with her. Feel better?'

Seconds later Jac was stood in front of him.

'Did you just ask me if I felt better?' She stared at him incredulously, hands on hips, absolutely fuming.

'Look I think you need to take a good long look at yourself. You've got to be the only person I know that doesn't shed a tear when her boyfriend breaks up with her. When was the last time you cried? Plus, don't even talk to me about the sex. I can't actually remember the last time we did it.' Crack. Jac's palm whipped across his cheek, leaving a pink sting across it. 'What the hell are you doing?' Jonny's eyes went wide. She followed up with a punch to the nose, leaving him sprawled across their lawn.

'For the record, let it be stated that I broke up with you. Merry Christmas you complete and utter twat.' For the second time that morning, Jac found herself slamming her own front door.

Bernie

Bernie loved her home. Some would describe it as small, she preferred the term cosy. A cosy cottage in the outskirts of Holby. Isolated, surrounded by green. Perfect. Pulling off her coat, she let the tears finally spill from her eyes. She'd been holding in all the emotion she was feeling for the entire evening. She waited a suitable amount of time before making her excuses, and then took a brisk walk home. Bernie had avoided Alex's searching eyes for the rest of the evening. She'd sat with Fletch and consumed a rather large amount of Shiraz.

She switched on her stove and filled her kettle. For a moment, she hesitated when holding the match ready to light the hob. Here she was, a fifty year old divorcee, with no offspring, no partner and no hope. What was the point? As Bernie inhaled the poisonous gas, her thought process was interrupted by a notification alert on her laptop.

'Shit! What the shit am I doing? Pull yourself together Bernie.' She switched off her stove and threw open a window, breathing in the fresh air.

Jac

Sat at her desk, Jac willed herself to cry. Just one tear. One measly tear was all she needed, but nothing. Perhaps Jonny just didn't mean that much to her? Or maybe she really did have a stone for a heart. Jac opened her emails and groaned at the amount of unopened ones lining her inbox.

'I need a holiday.' She mumbled to herself. She needed a break from the monotonous cycle of work and life.

A google search led her to a website.

Location.

Well, she didn't want a language barrier, so English speaking would be good. Her skin needed a break from the Los Angeles sun. England! Perfect! Although she wouldn't care to admit it, it might be nice to return to her home country. She didn't want London, somewhere somewhat isolated would be nice. Where she could spend time with her own thoughts. Scrolling through the pages her eyes were drawn to one place in particular. The write up sounded perfect.

'A cosy cottage in an idyllic setting, on the outskirts of Holby, a quiet but quirky city found in the south of the country. Snuggle up by the fire, read a good book and forget about the world outside. Just be with you.'

Jac held her breath and she typed out a message to the owner.

Jac: Hi, I don't know if your house is still available, I know it is short notice, but I am looking for somewhere to stay over Christmas, and your house looks perfect.

Bernie: Hi there, my house is still available, however it is only vacant in the event of a house swap.

Jac: I'm unfamiliar with that term, what does that entail?

Bernie: We switch houses. You stay in mine, I stay in yours. We switch houses, cars, everything really. Are you still interested?

Jac: That sounds perfect. I'm Jac by the way.

Bernie: Brilliant! I'm Berenice, but everyone knows me as Bernie. Where are you living currently?

Jac: L.A.

Bernie: Oh, I've always wanted to visit California. What is your house like?

Jac: Well, it's a little bigger than yours, well looked after.

Bernie: It's not hard to be bigger than my little cottage! When would you be looking to fly over?

Jac: Is tomorrow too soon?

Bernie: Tomorrow is perfect. J

Jac: Can I ask one question?

Bernie: Shoot!

Jac: Are there any men where you are?

Bernie: In the very limited experience I have had with them, there are, but they won't bother you, if you don't want them too. Very polite.

Jac: Sounds like exactly what I need. Thank you!

Bernie

She couldn't believe it! This was just what she needed. A break from her life, in L.A. of all places! She couldn't wait! Bernie needed to get a move on and pack, because tomorrow she was finally going on a well-deserved holiday!