Part 1 of 11.

So the plan was to update this daily, but I think it's going to be every second day now - well at the very least for the first four or so chapters - because I need to catch up with myself.

But, I'm almost certain I've been driving Meggi and Callie mad with the plans for this - and it kept expanding on me - and neither of them having been feeling fantastic recently, so this is my vague attempt at making them feel a little better. Love you both.

This chapter didn't initially exist the way it is now, and not much happens really but it does set everything up for chapter two quite nicely; which is pretty much it's sole purpose.

She slammed the file down onto the ledge in Resus, tears of frustration filling her eyes, and watched as what seemed like a blurry Zoe began to walk towards her, concern evident across her face, as she did so. She blinked furiously trying to clear the cloudiness from her eyes, before Zoe got any closer to her and began to question her actions. Cautiously, she picked the file back up and stared at, noting almost at once the words blurred again, making it impossible for her read.

Zoe's voice penetrated her thoughts and she was forced to look up at her: "Alright Sam?" she nodded briefly, before raising her hand to her head, realising that the motion had simply aggravated the headache which had been threatening to overwhelm her all morning. "Do you want me to take that?" She could still see the uncertainty in Zoe's eyes as she extended her hand to take the file from her. She handed it over quickly. "Sure you're okay?"

Learning from her previous mistake, she refrained from nodding her head and began to speak: "Yeah, yeah headache, I'm just going to get some Paracetamol." She established she really had to get of the room and away from Zoe's watchful eye. She closed her eyes and attempted to stop the pounding in her head; the crashing of the Resus doors as they wheeled the patient to theatre, forced her to open them again. She noticed Zoe looking at her curiously when she did, she felt Zoe's hand touch her arm, but as hard as she tried she couldn't make Zoe out as anything more than a blurred figure.

Feeling herself sway, she wasn't aware of how she remained on her feet, until she heard Zoe speak: "Sam?"

She blinked, relieved when her vision became clearer briefly. "Yeah?" She stood watching Zoe intently as she waited on her expanding on whatever she was going to say next.

"I think you need to have a little rest." She agreed, but she really didn't want to admit that, because she feared being asked to explain what was going on, and she honestly didn't want to do that because her symptoms simply terrified her. "Alright?" The older medic looked back at her when she asked the next question, seemingly reluctant to let go of her until she was certain she would be steady on her own two feet. She squeezed her eyes shut, as her head continued to pound violently, she clasped her hand to her mouth as she felt nausea swirl dangerously in her stomach, something which obviously did not escape Zoe's noticed because she simply guided her to the nearest bed and helped her up onto it. "Feeling sick?" She failed to answer, purely because she didn't think she could speak in the state she was in and didn't even consider trying to nod her head. Zoe disappeared from her side for moments, before she returned a card bowl in her hands, she held it in front of her, and her stomach swirled again and she found herself retching before being violently sick. She felt Zoe rubbing her back gently, murmuring reassurances, as she was sick again.

She took the tissue which Zoe had offered her gratefully, and wiped her mouth slowly, before turning to face her colleague, aware that her eyes were swimming with tears. "Sorry." She mumbled weakly, as she felt tears leak down her cheeks having escaped their confines as she struggled to watch Zoe look at her so pityingly.

"Hey, no need for that." She reached her hand to Sam's face, frowning when she realised that the younger woman hadn't even noticed the hand which was in front of her face, and wiped at the tears which had begun to spill down her cheeks. "No need for them either, is there?" She watched as the blonde tried to smile but didn't quite manage it. "Let's go have a sit down, yeah? Come on." She walked away to dispose of the card dish, and almost sighed in relief when Sam slipped down from the bed, and nodded her head briefly, before following her out of Resus.

They sat down in the staff room, and she could sense Zoe's eagerness to begin questioning her before she did, and that was totally what she had wanted to avoid. "Not feeling great, are you?" She shook her head weakly, hoping that Zoe would accept that as a legitimate answer. "Do you want something for your head?" She could tell that Zoe was trying to get her to open up, and as much as she did wish she could take something for her head, she knew that painkillers weren't making any difference, so she shook her head once again, mutely. "What about Dylan, can I get you Dylan?" She let the tears slide down her cheeks, aware that Zoe could see them, and bit her lip trying to refrain from audibly sobbing at the mere mention of her husbands name. Zoe moved to sit next to her and she felt her small frame being enveloped in Zoe's embrace as her body shook with choked sobs, unable to understand why.

She had being murmuring words of comfort into Sam's hair, when she heard the door open to reveal a frantic looking Lloyd. "Dr Hanna, they need you in Resus…" He trailed off shooting Zoe an apologetic look, as Sam caught his attention for the briefest of moments before he turned away quickly. She nodded and smiled as Lloyd pulled the door half closed before heading back to Resus. She pulled away from Sam, and surveyed the distressed girl, before she raised her hands and placed one on either side of her face - afraid that the blonde wouldn't be able to see her, again, she shook that thought from her mind for the time being. "I need to go, Sam, will you be okay?" She watched as the blonde nodded, dropping her gaze to the floor. She stood quickly, taking one of Sam's hands and squeezing it in reassurance as she did so. She had reached the door before she turned to look at her again: "Don't go anywhere, I'll be back in a bit." She closed the door behind herself, inwardly sighing and hoping that no one would disturb Sam until she was back.

He had been standing at the desk in the middle of the cubicles, waiting somewhat patiently on the return of test results, tapping his pen idly against the counter, when he felt someone stop behind him, he was just about to turn around and demand to know why whoever was behind him was so intent on violating his personal space, when he heard Zoe began to speak quietly: "Have you seen Sam?" The mention of his wife's name, he turned quickly face the brunette doctor, shaking his head and waiting for her to expand: "I don't think she's very well." He took in her words and blinked, indicating his confusion.

With a slight bob of her head, Zoe indicated it would be safer to discuss this in the staff room, and he followed her only seconds later, closing the door behind himself as he entered. She had sat on the sofa nearest the door, and he opted for leaning against the sink, facing her. "What's going on?" When he spoke, he could feel how dry his mouth was and concern was flooding through his veins following Zoe's previous statement.

Zoe put her head in her hands sighing deeply as she tried to find the simplest, yet less frightening way to explain what she observed earlier in the day, when working with Sam. The fact that she hadn't seen the obviously unwell blonde since had sent her to countless possible scenarios, and didn't quench the feeling of fear that had gripped her since she'd witnessed Sam's difficulty to see the chart she was trying to read. "She…" She begun confidently, and suddenly she realised couldn't find a sensitive way to explain this, particularly to Dylan - who would probably assume it was all part of some life threatening illness that no-one else had heard of, he was watching her curiously and she found herself having to tell him. "It looked like she was struggling to see, she couldn't read the chart very quickly and she was really quite hesitant about lifting things, like she wasn't sure she actually had a hold of them." She paused and considered closing her eyes so she didn't have to see the look of complete horror which had crossed Dylan's face, yet he stood there, waiting for further information. "She was sick and she did complain of a headache. Have you seen her today? She's awful pale…"

He sunk down into the sofa next to her, hands covering his face, and she turned to look at him not sure what to say or do; she realised that she was the closest to showing emotion Dylan had ever seemed. She reached out and placed a hand on his arm, expecting it to be immediately shaken off, she frowned when it wasn't and instead she heard him, mumble words into his hands: "Where is she?" She shook her head, despite the fact that she knew he couldn't see her.

"I thought she might've gone to you." She closed her eyes for the briefest of seconds, sighing deeply, remembering the obvious agitation Sam had shown when her vision appeared to be letting her down. She fought back tears as she recalled the devastating consequences these symptoms could have and the painful memories of watching someone so ill came flooding to the surface. She opened her eyes and turn to look at Dylan, who was now looking fairly sick himself. "She was upsetting herself." She wasn't even certain why she had said it, she had considered saying it briefly if Dylan did seem concerned enough, but he did so why the words had slipped from her lips she was unsure.

He was staring off out the staff room window, probably searching for Sam, when he spoke again: "Do you realise what that could mean?" She nodded briefly, and considered reaching over to take his hand, to show some form of support but she decided against it. "We need to find her." He had spoken again, and she wasn't certain if it was to her or to himself but nodded regardless and stood up preparing to leave the staff room and head out to look for the young doctor.

So yes, the same time (well probably a little later) and place on Friday morning!

Anny x