"Ah, Chantelle, is my patient prepped for theatre?" Serena smiled at the nurse.
"Oh," Chantelle looked confused as she saw Serena. "Ms Campbell, you're supposed to be in theatre. Miss Patterson is already in…" By the phrase 'already in' Serena's smile had slipped off her face and a scowl appeared. She stormed off in the direction she had come, knowing someone had taken her patient.
Serena stormed into Keller's theatre room. Whoever thought they had a right to take over her operation was about to pay. Tying up her scrub-cap, she banged the door open with much more force than she intended, causing it to bang loudly. Silently cursing herself, she looked at the patient on the table, recognising him as her patient. Anger building up in her, she turned to face the surgeon who thought they could take her patient.
"Ah, Ms Campbell. It's nice to see you again." Serena gasped as she looked into the all-so familiar face of the DOS and CEO. Well, surely the former CEO and DOS of Holby Hospital since he decided to disappear of the face of the Earth? Shocked by the scene before her, she was speechless. She looked at tall, slim body of Mr Hanssen who was operating on her patient in her operating theatre. Realising she hadn't said a word since her dramatic entrance, she turned on her heel and stormed out of theatre, ripping off the scrub-cap she had just managed to get into place.
"Suction," Hanssen said. He tried to concentrate on the operation he was doing, but he was finding it more and more difficult. Anytime now the "CEO" would come barging through the door demanding to know who was doing her operation.
"Ok, Clips please," He glanced down at the tray of instruments as the scrub-nurse passed him the clips.
"And could you line those up please?" He asked, his OCD side kicking in when he noticed that some of the instruments were wonky on the tray.
He looked up sharply when he heard the door bang open. Just as he had predicted an angry Serena came barging into the room, tying up her scrub-cap. He smirked when he saw her wince slightly at the amount of force she used to open the door.
"Ah, Ms Campbell. It's nice to see you again." He smirked again when she gasped. He was about to say something else when she turned on her heel and stormed out of theatre.
"Mr Cunningham!" The Chairman of the Holby City NHS Foundation Trust turned at the mention of his name to face a very angry Serena.
"Oh… I see that you've already seen him."
"Yes, thank you very much for informing me, the acting CEO, that the CEO and Director of Surgery has returned to Holby! Or is it former CEO?"
"No, now he has returned, he is again the CEO and DOS of Holby City hospital. Also, he has only been back for…"
"I don't care! He disappeared of the face of the Earth for weeks, leaves this hospital in the lurch, then reappears as it suits him, acting all high and mighty! Right damn good leader he is!"
Anger rapidly building up in her, Serena looked at his face, waiting for a response. Noticing his gaze seemed to be fixed on something over her shoulder. She turned to see what had captured his interest. Her stomach dropped and her heart sank as she looked into the familiar face of Henrik Hanssen, still in his scarlet scrubs. Acting as if he hadn't heard this comment, he walked straight past her, showing no emotion what so ever.
Wishing that the conversation – well if you could call it that – had gone better with Serena, Hanssen headed out into the corridor after finishing the operation. As he turned into the corridor, he saw Serena and Cunningham in a very fiery conversation. Well, Serena doing the shouting and Cunningham looking like a rabbit caught in headlights. Smiling slightly at the thought of how useless the Chairman is, he decided to save the poor man.
""Yes, thank you very much for informing me, the acting CEO, that the CEO and Director of Surgery has returned to Holby! Or is it former CEO?"
Hanssen stopped in his tracks, deciding not to pass the chance to know what Serena Campbell thought of him.
"No, now he has returned, he is again the CEO and DOS of Holby City hospital. Also, he has only been back for…"
"I don't care! He disappeared of the face of the Earth for weeks, leaves this hospital in the lurch, then reappears as it suits him, acting all high and mighty! Right damn good leader he is!"
Hanssen felt Cunningham's eyes boring into him but he barely noticed. He drew up to his tallest height as Serena turned to see him. He looked at her, a picture-perfect look of shock etched on her face. He would have found that look amusing had he not just heard her comment. Not sure of what to do, he just walked past her, choosing to pretend, the one thing he was good at.
Serena watched, speechless, as Hanssen swept past her, in the elegant fashion only he can muster. Glaring at Cunningham for lack of support, she quickly went after Hanssen.
"Ughh!" She checked her pager which had just gone off. She glanced wistfully at the door Hanssen had just gone through before hurrying off to Keller.
"Charging 360! Clear!" She was frantically trying to save Ric's patient. "Nothing. Ok, try again. Charging 360! Clear!" She glanced at the screen which was still blank.
"Come on," She mumbled. "Page Mr Griffin, now!"
"Do not page Mr Griffin," A smooth voice said from behind her. She turned around to see a tall figure discarding his jacket on the visitor's chair next to the patient's bed.
"Ms Campbell please step aside." She shifted to the side so Hanssen could get to the patient but kept her hands on the paddles, she was reluctant to show she was incapable. Hanssen reached for the paddles before she could move her hands out of the way, causing them to brush slightly. She jumped and quickly backed away from the patient and the tall, slim Swede treating him. Serena turned and half-ran to her shared office with Ric. She sank into her chair, her head buried in her hands. How could he do it? He definitely heard the comment, she knew that much. How could he pretend he didn't? Hearing the door open, she looked up sharply. Unconsciously, she half-hoped that she would be greeted by a tall, slim figure. Instead, she found herself looking at Ric. He walked in and went to sit at his desk, giving Serena a strange look.
"Are you OK?" He asked tentively.
"What? Yes, of course…why?"
"No reason!" He said cheerfully, smiling at her. Serena sighed quietly. Was it that obvious? She gazed absent-mindedly out of the window. The first thing that crossed her mind was Hanssen. The way he had been there to help her just now, the way he had been so perfectly doing her operation this morning, the way his face had been so expressionless as he heard her comment… Her laptop pinged, making her jump out of her trance.
1 NEW MESSAGE
Sighing, she went into her inbox and selected the new message. Seeing it was from Ric, she glanced at him suspiciously. However, he was innocently checking his own emails. A smile crossed her face as she read,
Are you sure you're ok? I hope you aren't daydreaming about me! You have that look on your face people only get when they think about someone they Lurve!
Tell me his name!
Your friend,
Ric
She quickly sent off a reply,
My friend Ric,
I'm fine! Trust me, I wasn't daydreaming about anyone, men or otherwise. However, had I been, you'd definitely be high up in the list! Just a certain boss messing me around…
Serena.x
Ric quickly scanned over her reply and started to type.
"Oh God!"
Serena looked up, wondering what had made him say that. He shot an apologetic glance back at her.
"What?" She asked, dreading the answer.
"Oh, er… nothing."
"Don't give me that! What?"
"My reply. I sent it to Hanssen by accident!"
"YOU IDIOT!" She jumped up and ran over next to Ric.
"Show me the message, NOW!" Ric went into his outbox and reluctantly clicked the most recent message he sent. Serena felt her heart sink as she read.
My admirer, Serena,
Thank you; I am honoured to be "high up in your list". A certain boss, indeed?! Would he be of the tall, slim, Swedish type? Serena Campbell, admit it, you have the special feelings for our Mr Hanssen! You dark horse, you!
For the record, you would be high up in my list too! Shame you're already taken…
Your always broken-hearted,
She stared at the message.
"You idiot!" She repeated.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to, it's just I was thinking about Hanssen and…" Ric trailed off.
"Oh, whatever." She started laughing as she pictured Hanssen's face as he read this email. Ric, who clearly had the same image in his head, started laughing too.
"It's not funny!" She said, trying to keep a straight face.
"It will all sort it's self out. Maybe it's a good thing I sent it…"
She glared at him, daring to say another word. But she couldn't help but think…