Cullen meanwhile had seen all these events unfold, even in his drunken state he could tell the girl sitting on the steps was upset. Their was something familiar about her. He noticed her look his way, before turning her head away. She then seemed to struggle to get up, then when she did, she was about to close the door, when curiosity got the better of her. She started walking towards him, holding up her arms to show she meant no harm. He was covered in mud and grime, and looked very cold, not one of Holby's better months for weather Maddy thought dryly.

"Hey, shouldn't you be at home?" She asked gently

"My wife's dead, It's not home" He said before thinking

"I'm sorry..." She replied then startled. She leant towards him, something in her manner made him stay still, She wiped away the dirt from his face to be met with brown eyes that would normally have glasses over them.

"Dr. Cullen??" She almost whispered, shocked and a little worried.

"Linden is my name" He said, again before his brain engaged

"OK Linden, do you know who I am?" She needed to see how drunk he was and if he had any other problems

"Some fit doctor I work with" Again he replied without thinking, cursing himself inwardly, he would drink this much again. Maddy however smiled

"Your obviously very drunk to pay me such a lovely compliment, come on, lets get you inside and dry" She said with a smile.

She lent down beside him helping him up. Unselfconsciously he allowed her to help him. She then guided him towards her house. She helped him upstairs. As she got there she led him to the bathroom. He let her sit him down, she took a cold damp cloth and wiped the mud from his face. She gave him some water and he started to sober up a little, the alcohol no longer made him feel good or numb, in fact it made him feel really depressed. She then led him over to the sofa were she sat down with him handing him a glass of water. His hand started shaking, Maddy noticed, put it down to cold and took the glass off him and set it on the table. He sat on the sofa and started crying. This startled Maddy, who never had much success helping people when they cried, this made her feel very uncomfortable but yet she still had this motherly urge to comfort him.

"I killed my wife, I killed her and my child. I killed them" This startled Maddy 'and I thought was having a bad day' she thought. She was surprised, he'd never really spoken to her about his family, and when it came up she got to tongue tied to say the right thing.

"Don't talk like that." She said coaxingly "It wasn't your fault"

"I wasn't driving, I killed them" He continued, like he didn't hear her.

Maddy sat beside him, she pulled him into her, trying to ignore the smell of vomit on his breath and his clothes, like bringing work home with you she thought dimly remembering how she had, had to wash her clothes after someone threw up on her.

"Hush now, rest, Maddy's got you. She's not going to let you go" She said quietly, unsure if she should say or do anything further, though this simple gesture seemed to calm him a little. He was drowsy, she led him over to her bed and started undressing him. He started giggling like a girl. Maddy smiled in spite of herself. She pulled an old concert t-shirt and a pair of shorts she was about to send to the charity shop that had been left by Dan. She helped him dress before helping him into bed, tucking him in and putting the bin by the bed in case he was sick.

She then turned off the flat lights and got into bed next to him, she lay beside him, gently stroking his hair, she spoke softly to him

"Feeling better?" She asked quietly

"Yes, Maddy why did you turn me down? Don't you like me?" He sounded hurt, like a child, Maddy felt guilty, he had reached out an olive branch to her, she had refused it.

"I'm sorry. I turned you down for a jackass, a top consultant who got me a job at that hospital, just decided to break my heart further and mess me up more. Tonight I was meant to start afresh, finish it all but well his not so easy to get over. He never was easy to finish with."

She had tears gently rolling down her cheeks, then she heard a gently snore. Smiling in spite of herself she gently got up and out his clothes on a quick wash. She used lots of powder. He hadn't been sick on his clothes but they had smelt nasty. While they washed she lay beside him, watching his sleeping form, in his deep alcohol induced sleep. She saw how his face was tense even in sleep, his mouth like he was concentrating on something. She heard the machine say it had finished the washing, she straightened it and hung it in a cloak room with a radiator. She then went to bed, just as she was about to sleep a black furry thing landed on her

"Livy. You've been fed, now go" She glared at the cat

But Livy snuggled between her and Linden. She smiled

"Fine, stay, but don't dig you claws in, got it?" She said to Livy as she curled up to sleep.

Maddy was about to turn over when Linden started to toss and turn, Livy looked at him, then at Maddy almost saying 'Well what you going to do'. She got up and went round his side of the be, she sat next to him and tried to sooth him

"It's alright, shhh,Stop" She said soothingly. He then screamed. Poor Livy was gone, she flew out the door like lightning

"Olivia NOOOOOOO!" Startling the hell out of Maddy, he started up suddenly, Maddy had her arms open and he met a warm body, he didn't care whose. He clung to her crying not wanting to let go. Maddy did what she could, she made soothing circles on his back and spoke softly to him

"It's alright, It's alright. I'm here" she tried to sooth him. She had to admit she was a little scarred by this Linden, who seemed so out of control and so upset from the uptight guy she had to deal with.
"Don't go" He pleaded hanging on tighter to her

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying" she continued to hug him till his sobbing had subsided. She then lowered him gently on the bed, slowly letting go of him. She tucked him in.

"I'm so scarred, I don't want to lose you Olivia, please don't go" He said to her, his eyes glazed over, not knowing who he was speaking to. Maddy didn't know what to say to this, should she lie? Should she tell the truth? In the end she compromised

"I will always be with you, I will never leave you, As long as you love me, you'll keep me alive" She said softly. She was inches away from his, he lifted his head and gently kissed her, before pulling her down on the bed, deepening the kiss. Maddy reciprocated after the surprise and felt she could get lost but drew away from him before things got too far.

"Sleep my angel" She kissed his forehead tenderly, unsure as to what had come over her. He smiled before falling to sleep. She noticed his sleep seemed more restful now.

She lay on the other side of the bed, she gently put a hand to her lips he had kissed minutes ago. She knew he thought she was Olivia, but still, She had all these mixed feelings swirling round her head. She was confused, cursing Linden for doing this she rolled over, checked her alarm and fell into a fitful sleep dreaming of the dark hair doctor and his soft, lushes lips.