A train sped along the tracks heading from London to Holby. The windows rattled as the April rain pounded against the windows, and the air was cold. The day was miserable, as it had been for the past few days. The train passed through multiple fields, past rivers and small towns with people running to just get out of the rain. No one on the train showed any interest, there were a few men reading newspapers; screaming babies being comforted by their families, excited children running through the carriages all whilst the rain got heavier. Suddenly, the breaks screeched, people screamed as they were knocked out of their seats; the front of the carriage gave way; the lights were extinguished and- silence.

A Hotel Somewhere in Holby

Dripping in sweat, Marina woke up shaking. The same, recurring nightmare had crept its way into her dreams once again, but this time… it was worse. Never before had she seen the faces of the people within the carriage, and they were eerily familiar. Fumbling for her phone, Marina decided to ring Ollie, he would probably be able to advise her on why the nightmares were becoming more vivid.

"Ollie, I need to speak to you, it's about the nightmares, they're getting worse."

"Worse how?"

"I saw the faces, of the people. How long is it going to be, until I see her die in the dream? How long Ollie?"

"I don't know," Ollie muttered. "But maybe this wasn't a good idea. Clearly being at Holby is bringing back memories of Penny that you have fought so hard to try and control. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Ollie hung up. He had chickened out of a messy situation, yet again. But he had an element of truth to what he had been saying, perhaps a place like Holby wasn't the best place to go to try and deal with the loss of Penny Valentine.

AAU

Xavier Duval rolled his eyes. He was having relationship problems with Donna, and she appeared to be cold shouldering him. This shift was clearly going to be difficult for him, especially with the dead weight student on work experience shadowing him. Reluctantly, he had taken a rather cheerful phone call from Jac Naylor, who was convinced that the student wouldn't be so enthused about medicine after a day in the AAU. In the words of Jac, "she loved her day on Darwin, and I don't like that." So, Zav was stuck with her all day, and whilst trying to win back Donna, maybe he could try and convince the student to help him with his multiple plans.

"Mr Duval?" The sparkly silver eye makeup and lipstick alongside the bright pink hair was a sight for Zav, she didn't look quite as easy to manipulate as he first thought.

"Miss Valentine," Zav grinned sheepishly. "Welcome."

Marina nodded in acknowledgement; the AAU was a place she really wanted to visit. Penny had spent her last days working on this unit, as part of 'Team Spence' and it seemed the right place for Marina to spend her final day of work experience. Zav's first patient was a young woman, who had apparently fell down the stairs. Her right leg was evidently fractured, with the bone protruding from the skin, and she appeared to have severe bruising to her left leg. Zav promised Marina they would be able to look at the CT scans together, so she could try and work out where the fracture in the leg was, and any other potential injuries.

"There is evidently an open fracture of the tibia. As given by the bone fragments sticking from the skin, alongside symptoms such as the shortening of the right leg compared to left, alongside the bruising and swelling. This is a concern due to the risk of infection this type of fracture has. And, I may be wrong, but the CT appears to show that there is comminuted fracture of the fibula…" Marina looked nervously at Zav for his opinion.

He simply nodded, "Alright Dr Valentine, where did you learn all of this from?"

Marina laughed at him, he seemed alright, and a lot less scary than Jac. Zav looked nervously over to the other side of the room, where Donna was standing chatting to some other nurses.

"Anyway, better get theatre prepped, if you want to observe that is?"

"Sure," grinned Marina, "I'd like that."

Zav sheepishly turned to look at Donna, but she was still ignoring him. He had messed up big time, but why was she being so inconsiderate of his choices? His parents were his major priority that week, surely, she would have understood that, but apparently not. Clearly, she would have to take some winning over, she was definitely the most difficult woman to win over that he had dated. Maybe, he would ask Marina, she seemed as though she wasn't hostile towards him like most young adults were, perhaps she had some good advice to give him.

"Marina, I was wondering whether you had any good knowledge in the relationship crisis department?"

"Depends on what type of relationship you mean."

"Well, you see I had a bit of a family incident last week. My parents had both been admitted to hospital, I needed to look after them, and well I may have cut Donna off for a week. And now she's mad, she cried and everything. But why, I just didn't reply to her texts. No big deal, right?"

Nervously, Zav waited for a response from Marina, as she tapped her pen on her desk and tried to make it look like she was thinking hard. Zav had acted in the best intentions of his parents, but it was evident he hadn't considered the consequences that lack of communication has on people.

"Well Mr Duval, I will be honest with you. You were right to look after your parents. However, I have little experience of parents in that matter, but from what my friends have told me, it's what you do. You care for family, "she hastened as Zav looked triumphant. "But you should have never cut off Donna like that. It's scary. You get all these fears in your mind. Have I done something? Do they mock me? Do they love me? Donna definitely has right to be upset about it. And before you demand a second opinion, trust me, I have been ignored like that before and it's awful."

Clutching onto the desk for support, Marina looked up to observe the AAU department. She felt certain that she may have said too much to Zav, the last thing she wanted was him to start counselling her family problems. Perhaps he'd gossip about her to other doctor members, the doctor with the auburn hair in the corner looked like she would happily gossip with him about the stupid work experience student and her family problems. Or perhaps she was just overreacting. But as Marina stared out into AAU, she noticed the woman she saw earlier walking towards her. That woman was familiar.

"Penny?"

Nine years previously

"Penny?" Frieda was curious as the English beauty walked towards her, looking triumphant.

"Patient with the mysterious illness has received a diagnosis!" Penny grinned and rested on the desk. "Feels good to successfully treat new diseases."

Frieda nodded and continued flicking through the patient notes she was looking at. As annoying as Penny was, Frieda was secretly crushing on her, and it irritated her greatly. Why was she in love with the hospital's most infuriatingly nosy doctor?

"So you are extremely sure you don't want to train to be a doctor?" Penny flirted, waving some forms in Frieda's face.

Yes, definitely nosy.

"No," Frieda yelled. The whole of AAU turned and looked at her. Frieda glared at them all and stormed off. She had messed up once again. There was not a chance that Penny reciprocated feelings back for her, she was clearly fighting a losing battle. Angrily kicking the vending machine, Frieda knocked loose a chocolate bar, which she angrily picked out of the machine and turned around to face Penny.

"Frieda I am so sorry," Penny panted, clearly upset. "I just want what's best for you."

Frieda's heart fluttered. Not many people ever said that. Maybe Penny did feel the same. But Frieda was probably just fantasising, no one she ever fancied liked her back, such as Ollie. Frieda realised she was still staring at Penny, and nervously diverted her eyes down to the floor. She had seen correctly, there definitely was some sort of compassion in Penny's eyes. Maybe she did like her back.

"I know," Frieda began, kicking some dust on the floor and still avoiding eye contact. "Thanks. Want to meet for drink after work, I want to say thanks for some reason."

Frieda raised her head to look Penny in the eye and met Penny's blushing face.

"Of course, Frieda."

Smirking, Frieda turned on her heel and turned to head back to the AAU. Meeting Penny Valentine after a shift? Try telling Frieda that a few months back.

Present Day

"Penny who?" Zav was confused.

"What?" Marina snapped back to her senses.

"Penny. You were talking about how it was bad to cut Donna off, mentioned how you had been ignored before and then cried out the name Penny. It was like you had seen a ghost. Did she do something to you?"

"No, it's not that," Marina sighed. "Can we just get to theatre, please?"

But as Zav walked away, Marina realised she was scared. She could have sworn she saw Penny.

Theatre

Donna Jackson glared at Zav. He still hadn't apologised to her, and was showing no remorse for his actions. As she prepped the equipment, she distractedly muttered to Marina the procedure they were carrying out and why. Marina seemed to understand every word, but kept flicking nervous glances between Donna and Zav. There was a minor complication in surgery, in which the patient's blood pressure dropped too low, and Marina was ordered to the side. But the team of staff scrambled together to correct the complication, and Marina admired them for it. Penny probably performed procedures like this in the same theatre regularly.

"That was amazing," she praised Zav whilst they were washing their hands. "Now go and be amazing and try and apologise to Donna. I know you are sorry for what you did. And it's in your best intentions."

Zav turned and looked at Marina, and met her gaze before nodding and practically running out of theatre. Marina did not chase after him, she accompanied the patient back to AAU. There was something that had been annoying her. She just couldn't understand how a fall down the stairs could result in a fracture that bad. Her study of Physics suggested that the fall couldn't in theory gain enough momentum for the woman's leg to fracture. Nothing was impossible, but it didn't make sense.

"How did the surgery go?" The woman croaked from behind Marina's back.

"Fine," Marina nodded, but refused to turn around as she had just spotted sight of Jac Naylor walking towards her.

"How's it going?" Jac asked, her eyes glinting. "Struggling"

"Quite the contrary. In fact- "

"Spider!" Screamed the patient, cowering in fear.

"Where?" Asked Jac abruptly, "I don't see one."

"There is a huge, black and hairy spider on that girl's back," cried the patient, pointing a trembling finger at Marina's back.

"There isn't," Jac said, confused at the patient's hallucination. "I'm going to call psych team," she whispered in Marina's ear.

Marina turned confused, and grabbed the patient's medical notes and flicked through.

"What are you doing?" Hissed Jac angrily, snatching the file away from Marina.

But Marina had seen what she wanted to see.

"Miss Smith, it says in your medical files that you have macular degeneration, you are aware of this?"

The patient nodded timidly. "My eyesight is extremely poor, yes."

Jac looked furiously at Marina, what was she trying to achieve?

"Don't call psych Jac, I think it might be Charles Bonnet syndrome."

Jac stared at Marina. "Why? I have only heard of it being very rare. I myself have little knowledge of it."

"It's something to do with patients who have macular degeneration. I believe they can receive vivid hallucinations that make them believe something is actually there when it isn't."

Marina handed her phone to Jac. "Look!"

Jac silently read the facts. Marina may be right. A cold wave swept over her. How did she know this?

"What did you see before you fell down the stairs Miss Smith," Marina asked the patient.

"There was a walkway. A platform. I am sure of it. And then I stepped onto it, and it was gone. Why did it go?"

Locking eyes with Marina, Jac nodded. It appeared Marina may be right. Sighing with relief, Marina gave the patient's hand a reassuring squeeze. At least they had worked out why the patient's fracture was so bad. Zav had just entered the ward, and Marina tried to catch his attention. But he was disinterested, and got down on one knee in order to propose to Donna. Marina wasn't sure this was the right idea for Zav to reconcile their relationship, and as Donna furiously took him outside. Marina felt embarrassed that Zav had just been rejected. At least she wouldn't see him again.

"Valentine, my office now." Jac hissed angrily.

Jac's Office: Darwin Ward

"So first you flick through a patient's files, then you diagnose them without consent and then you diagnose them correctly?" Jac screamed. She was furious, mainly due to the latter one. An 18 year- old had beat her to a diagnosis. "What I want to know is why? Why do you know this much?"

Marina shrugged her shoulders. "Well living with the Valentines meant you heard it all really. I could probably tell you every procedure."

"You're lying." Jac said. "And I know you will refuse to tell me the truth. However, as angry as I am. I am impressed. If you want, we could make this position a permanent weekly work experience position if you want it?"

Nodding, Marina smiled at Jac. "I'd like that Jac. I'm sorry that I am lying to you, I just don't think you are ready to hear the truth off me. Not just yet, it's not dodgy or anything. It'll just result in me breaking some promises with some people."

A tear shed down Marina's cheek as she turned to leave Jac's office.

And as Marina walked out, for the first time, Jac noticed the limp Marina had.