Author's Note: Thank you all very much for your kind words and feedback so here is the second chapter, this isn't the last one, you'd lynch me if it was (you'll know what I mean when you get to the end) but there will only be one or maybe two (probably two) more chapters to go. :-)

No, Edward is not dead but it is he is the reason for the Police visit so congrats to those who guessed :)

And no, neither Ric or Hanssen were anywhere near at the time. Sorry! ;)

…...

"May we come in?"

Serena reflexively opens her mouth to demand more information before her brain engages and she decides that judging by the grim expressions on the faces of her visitors, this isn't a conversation she wants to have on the doorstep, in full view of the street. A quick glance past the two police officers reveals that they've arrived in an unmarked car at least and she wordlessly steps aside, allowing them into the hall, glad to shut the door behind them – it's a cold night.

"What's happened?" Serena finds her voice and warily regards the two who stare back at her, doing their best to channel Henrik Hanssen at his most inscrutable. "I'm sure it's not a social visit at gone 11 on Christmas Eve. What's happened?" Serena is far too independent to turn into the woman from the Poseidon Adventure, all shrill uselessness and no brains but she's aware that she isn't in as much control as she would like to be and that her voice may be betraying that.

"Mrs. Campbell, your husband, Mr. Edward Campbell..." The man answers and Serena exhales, feeling most of the tension leave her; her ex-husband is probably spending Christmas Eve at a police station for being drunk and disorderly. The younger woman, PC Harvey looks curiously at Serena's response but she isn't surprised that they're here about Edward, she's just relieved it isn't Adrienne or Eleanor.

"He's not my husband, we're divorced." She interrupts, answering tersely, her relief giving way to annoyance. "What has he gone and done now?"

"Perhaps we could have this chat somewhere a little more comfortable?" The man, Serena has forgotten his name already speaks again, giving nothing away. She makes a show of looking at her watch, reminding them that it's late before she concedes, leading the two of them down the hall, conscious of her attire.

She steps into the living room before she remembers the empty glass of wine on the coffee table and grimacing, Serena realises that she can't hide it in the kitchen, the two police officers are blocking her path. She takes a deep breath, determined to appear outwardly unconcerned, after all it's Christmas and even if it wasn't, a glass of wine isn't a crime. Serena takes the armchair and the two visitors perch on the sofa, failing to look relaxed in their uniforms. She deliberately doesn't offer any tea or coffee and after glancing at her watch again, the man speaks, apparently taking the hint.

"You work with Mr. Campbell?" He asks and Serena frowns, it wasn't what she was expecting him to say.

"Yes." Her answer is succinct and the man nods distractedly and Serena gets the impression that he was already aware of the fact.

"What's your relationship at work with Mr. Campbell?"

"I hardly see the necessity of this. What's he gone and done now?" Serena asks, not entirely bothered by whatever Edward has done or been caught doing; in fact, she'd much rather just go to bed than have to stay up and deal with Edward's almost certainly drunken stupidity. The man repeats his question and after a few second of staring at each other, Serena huffs. She won't get rid of these two by just staring at them and she concedes, wanting to get it over with so she can go to bed. "Mr. Campbell and I are colleagues at Holby General Hospital," she starts, keeping it formal. "He was a locum consultant anaesthetist for General Surgery and Acute Admissions wards. I am a consultant general surgeon and so we would sometimes work together in theatre." She decides not to mention her role as Executive CEO, tonight it would probably be more trouble than it's worth to mention.

"Was a locum anaesthetist?" The man makes a note and asks without looking up which Serena finds rather rude.

"He still is. Technically." She adds the last bit under breath so the police can't hear. "Mr. Campbell is currently subject to an internal disciplinary investigation which I am not willing to discuss." Her silence is more than Edward deserves, considering his treatment of her but it definitely isn't the police's business. The policeman looks up and his expression indicates that he wants to argue but Serena summons her finest glare and he seems to reconsider, dropping the unasked question.

"I see." The man makes a show of checking something in his notepad and Serena rolls her eyes. "And you are currently in a relationship with Mr. Campbell?" The question was unexpected but years of dealing with difficult colleagues, patients and Eleanor have allowed her to mask her surprise.

"Divorced." She repeats in a tone she reserves for F1s. "For 13 years now." Serena adds, pausing for a moment as she realises that she has now been divorced for as long as she was married and that she's been a Campbell for 4 or 5 years longer than she was ever a McKinnie. She looks up to find the silent female PC watching her and Serena meets her gaze, staring until the other woman looks away.

"So you said," the man, Frances – Serena suddenly recalls his name – responds in a slightly patronising tone of voice. "However, we were under the impression that you and Mr. Campbell had resumed your relationship?" Serena frowns, wondering how the man had discovered that information or even how it's relevant to their visit tonight.

"No."

"You are listed as his next of kin..."

Serena amends her answer, elaborating as the man looks up from his notepad with a frown. "Not any more. We had been seeing each other but not any more – our relationship ended this evening." That's more than enough of her personal life being discussed with strangers and Serena is rapidly losing what little patience she had to start with. "Listen, I have had a busy day at work and I'm really quite tired so please explain why you're here or leave – I should like to go to bed sometime before breakfast."

"Very well." The man sits forward, the notepad perched on his knee temporarily forgotten. "Mr. Campbell was attacked earlier this evening."

"What?" Serena asks, mouth open in surprise but she knows that she didn't mishear. "Where? When? Is he okay?" She knows that the questions are in the wrong order and she runs a hand through her hair as she attempts to absorb the information.

"Mr. Campbell suffered a stab wound to the upper torso, however, his condition is said to be stable but critical." The man explains gently and Serena immediately determines that Edward will be somewhere on Darwin, in the capable hands of Jac Naylor or Elliot Hope and she breathes a small sigh of relief.

"When did this happen? I was only speaking to him a couple of hours ago."

"On the hospital grounds." Her eyebrows raise involuntarily as she realises that Edward hadn't even made it off the hospital site before being attacked. "He was found by a nurse and a doctor coming off shift."

"Do you know who did this?"

"We are still trying to establish what happened." Serena can picture her ex-husband striding along, looking completely relaxed as she drove past him and part of her wishes that she had offered him a lift. She wonders whether it was Dr. Tressler and Nurse Carter who found him, but whoever it was, it won't have done their Christmas Eve any favours.

Serena nods distractedly, she is weighing up the pros and cons of telling Eleanor and Adrienne sooner rather than later. Edward has already had too much of a negative impact this year and Serena is loathe to let this news ruin their Christmas but on the other hand, when Eleanor finds out that Serena already knew – especially if the worst should happen – her daughter may never forgive her. She puts her head in her hands, suddenly feeling rather queasy.

No matter how angry she was at Edward several hours earlier, Serena wouldn't ever genuinely wish him any harm and the thought that she had been fast asleep on her sofa whilst he'd been wheeled into theatre was rather sobering and leaves her feeling conflicted. Serena hears the female PC finally speak, offering to get her a glass of water; she nearly quips that she'd prefer a glass of wine but holds her tongue, now isn't the time for flippant humour and she nods meekly.

"Thank you." A minute or so later, a glass tumbler is pushed into her hands and Serena looks up, catching the quick glance between the two police officers. She watches them walk into the kitchen but she barely pays it any notice as the day starts to replay itself and Serena attempts to work out who could have stabbed Edward as she sips at her drink.

She can't help the part of her which wonders if she might have been too hasty to ditch Edward; he might be Holby's biggest moron (in fact, he could well be the world's biggest moron) but she does still love him and Serena hates the fact that despite everything he has done to her and Eleanor, she still loves him.

Unbidden the memories of Edward confessing to an affair with Mary-Claire; Edward swearing blind that he hadn't been drinking; Edward confessing that he had had a drink begin to replay and it's the push Serena needs to remind herself that she cannot allow herself to associate with Edward Campbell any more. It's the same old pattern repeating itself, Edward getting himself into trouble and trying to drag Serena down with him, ever since their wedding and she knows that she was right to get rid of him.

Realising that she's finished her drink, Serena looks around, unaware that she was still alone in the living room and she stands, picking up her wine glass in the other hand; she can hear one of the police officers making a call in the kitchen but she can't hear what they're saying and she walks through anyway, wondering if they have an update on Edward's situation.

"Do you know if..." Serena walks into the kitchen, halfway through asking whether they know anything more about Edward when she trails off as her brain catches up and she takes in the scene in font of her.

The female police officer had been on her phone but hangs up when Serena enters the room and she frowns when she spots the woman wearing disposable gloves. Her initial attention is drawn to the woman's sombre face before her gaze travels down to the worktop surface next to her.

Serena sees what looks like her shirt in a see-through plastic bag and automatically looks to the washing machine; the door is open and it's empty – the shirt had been the only item in it. She takes another step or two further into the kitchen, depositing her glasses down on the island in the middle of the room and she realises that there is a second bag next to her blood-stained shirt.

Containing the kitchen knife she cut herself on earlier in the evening which she hadn't cleaned.

"Hang on." Serena's stomach lurches as she realises what they're thinking. "Whatever you're thinking-"

"Mrs. Campbell," Serena spins around to see the other police officer behind her. "I am arresting you on suspicion of the attempted murder of Edward Campbell..."

… …

AN: Expecting that?