The first thing she became aware of was the gentle hum of the ward coming to life. Letting out a yawn Sahira opened her eyes to see Elliot beaming down at her. "Morning." He said cheerfully.
"Morning Elliot." She replied, gently getting up off the bed to as to not disturb a sleeping Henrik Hanssen. "What?" She asked, noting the cheeky expression on the other surgeon's face.
"Oh nothing, just the way you two were lying there. I swear I could see almost a smile on Hanssen's face." He laughed, "It's nice to see sometimes."
Sahira just smiled back at him, not wanting to reveal what had happened last night. "Oh shit!" She exclaimed look at the clock. "My shift was meant to begin half an hour ago."
Elliot just smiled and shook his head. "Greg's covering for you. He saw you sleeping with Hanssen and decided to let you sleep a little while longer." Sahira smiled, Greg on the lookout yet again. "Unfortunately Ms Naylor saw you as well." Elliot said as he walked off.
Sahira's face dropped as she set off to the changing rooms. Great, she thought to herself, that's all I need. Again the changing rooms were thankfully empty, allowing her to shower and change without any unwanted questions from the like of Jac. After she changed into a new set of scrubs she went back to the ward, there at the nurses' station was the dreaded Ms Naylor. One look said it all, don't go there. Ignoring Jac, she swept past her and straight into HDU where Hanssen was just coming to. With kind eyes, she smiled down at him. "Good morning Henrik."
"Morning." He mumbled as he attempted to sit up causing him to hiss with pain.
Sahira moved to his bedside to support him. "Don't try and get up." She said, aware of how cliché that sentence sounded. In any case Hanssen ignored her and painfully manoeuvred himself so he was sitting upright. He looked up into her eyes and that's when the pangs of regret started to charge through him.
"Sahira, about last night," he began slowly as she looked down at him, giving him all of his attention. After knowing him for so long she knew what was coming. "I apologise. I was selfish and in my actions I showed no regard for your marriage. Of course I will completely understand if you wish me to keep my distance."
Sighing, she looked him straight in the eye."There's nothing to apologise for. I'm getting a divorce." His eyes widened and his mouth dropped.
"I'm so sorry, I never knew." He said, shocked.
Putting down his chart, she just smiled back. "I'm not. We have both agreed to go our separate ways amicably and as time went on it became amazingly clear that I had," she paused momentarily before continuing, "that I had married the wrong man." Caught off guard, he just stared back, what was she trying to say? "It became that every time I was with him, I was thinking of you. What it would be like if I was with you not him. Every kiss, every quiet evening I just imagined how different it all would be with you. Just imagining it was more than I had ever had with him. I love Raffi, just not in that way anymore."
For the first time Hanssen was completely speechless."Well I..."
"Nice to see you Mr Hanssen and you Miss Shah." Both doctors jumped a little as Sir Fraser entered the room. "If you wouldn't mind I would like a word with Mr Hanssen alone." He said, gesturing Sahira to leave. Once she had left Sir Fraser sat down beside Hanssen's bed. "I hope you are recovering well."
"As well as can be expected." Hanssen replied, knowing that it was highly doubtful that the Chief Exec of the SHA had just popped round to discuss his health.
"My wife wanted me to give you these." Sir Fraser said putting a box of chocolates and a card on the table. "It seems you have racked up quite a fan club, the local media have been hailing you as a hero."
Hanssen just scoffed. "Why ever do they think that?"
"Oh I don't know. Maybe it's because you saved a fellow member of staff?" Sir Fraser replied sarcastically.
"Any person would have done that." Came the reply.
"No. Not everybody." Moving swiftly on to the reason for his visit, Sir Fraser produced some papers from his briefcase. Hanssen eyed them suspiciously. "Firstly, we have drawn up a press statement on recent events for you to make when you are back on your feet. Secondly, the 'turnaround' team's improvement plan came through so I will leave it with you for you to deal with."
He put the papers on the table and Hanssen then picked the statement up to read it. Outside Elliot had been keeping a close eye on the two men in HDU. He distrusted Sir Fraser, understandable after he nearly destroyed Darwin. Now he began to see red, forcing Hanssen to even consider work just a day after a near fatal stabbing was stupid and very close to heartless. "I cannot believe the nerve of that man." He whispered furiously to Greg as he marched into HDU. "Excuse me Sir Fraser, but Mr Hanssen is recovering from a stab wound and major surgery. Can work perhaps wait until my patient has at the very least, half recovered?" He asked in the politest yet firmest tone he could muster.
"Mr Hope," Hanssen began, trying to give his most authoritative tone but failing to disguise the weariness in his voice. "There's no need really."
"Yes I would say you're being a bit overprotective. Mr Hanssen here seems capable to read through a few sheets of paperwork" Sir Fraser piped up.
Elliot stood his ground firm. "Oh really. So by what medical experience to you make this judgement hmm? Or is it the need to have him back as soon as possible so it looks good for the FT application? Well Sir Fraser I know what wouldn't look good, a surgeon who is now being called a hero dying due to his boss placing too much strain on him a day after surgery. He's had a flipping aortic transection for goodness sake! "
"I don't know what that is, but I think you are a exaggerating a bit." Sir Fraser retorted.
"Look at him." Elliot growled, gesturing to his patient. "He looks like death warmed up. Like this I wouldn't even let him lose with a bandage. Sorry Sir Fraser but my patient comes first."
"Fine." Sir Fraser spat. He nodded to Hanssen as he left. "Get well soon." Once they were out of HDU he turned on Elliot. "What was that all about?"
"In all fairness do you know how much that man does? Not just for you but for all of us." Elliot asked. "He works like a mad man to keep this place afloat. I can't even begin to imagine the weight on his shoulders. None of us really appreciate it, instead we complain and moan about him, yet I bet none of us could do his job. I didn't realise it until yesterday, but we owe a hell of a lot to him. He would rather throw himself in front of a knife than see anyone come to harm, he very nearly died protecting the hospital and its staff. That's the kind of man he is."
Sir Fraser just looked back at him, his furious features beginning to soften. "How ill is he?"
"He's still critical, but stable. Of course he'll need careful monitoring and to avoid stress like the plague." Elliot answered sincerely. "I know with him out of action, the FT application might suffer, but it would be wrecked if he died."
Sir Fraser rubbed his neck awkwardly. "I see, well I'm sorry for contradicting you, I wasn't in possession of all the facts." Looking over to Hanssen in HDU, he patted Elliot on the arm. "Just make sure he lives." With that he left.
Greg shot him a puzzling look to which Elliot could only shrug his shoulders in reply. He went back into HDU to take the flack for disobeying Sir Fraser. "I know what you're going to say." Elliot said entering the room. "You think I shouldn't have stood up to Sir Fraser."
Hanssen just sighed, too tired to argue. "You would have done it regardless of what I thought."
"Yes I suppose I would have." Elliot said, surprised at the lack of the expected Hanssen-esque backside kicking. "Right you've have ruptured your aorta which is when..." Elliot began, "of course you know what it is."
"I severely hope so Mr Hope." His patient replied with a half hearted laugh.
Elliot just smiled in return. "Neither Greg or I were available for theatre so Miss Shah had to do an emergency repair single handed." Hanssen's eyes widened. Sahira had never been able to successfully complete the operation without intervention. "It was a complete success."
"Well congratulate Miss Shah when you see her next and give her my thanks please." Hanssen requested, quite, but pleasantly, shocked.
Elliot looked out of the windows in HDU and saw Sahira at the nurses' station. He gave Hanssen a cheeky look. "You can tell her yourself." Putting away the chart he turned to face his patient. "Is there anyone we can call?"
Hanssen had been dreading this question. It was surprising how one question could say so much about a person. As a surgeon, he had seen them all and he knew from each and every answer what sort of life a person had. Now he had to answer it, he had to admit that apart from Sahira, he had no one. "No. Thank you Mr Hope."
Elliot just nodded and left. "How's he doing?" Greg asked, swivelling as usual on a chair at the nurses' station.
"His BP is ok, but his output is a bit sluggish." Elliot answered, the BP was showing the sleeve was holding, but the output was certainly a cause for concern. "Up his obs to every 10." He added as he left to deal with his other patients.
"So, you still don't think anything is going between Sahira and Hanssen then?" Greg jumped a little and swung round to find Jac standing there with a smug smile on her face. "Don't pretend you didn't see what I saw. Lying next to him, almost like a faithful partner." She said with a smirk.
Greg sighed. "She cares about him, so what?"
"Cares about him? Oh I think it is a bit more than that." Jac scoffed as Greg glared at her. "Y'know there are rumours that a nurse on the ward saw them kiss. We have always known he's been head over heels with her, maybe she's fallen for him as well. Though I can't see why since he is basically medicines answer to Dracula."
"First of all, leave off Hanssen. O.K?" Greg threw her a frustrated look. "He's just risked his life for somebody else. Secondly, Sahira is married, she wouldn't throw that away."
Patting him on the shoulder Jac whispered in his ear. "You know what I think; you're just ignoring what you see because she chose Hanssen over you." With that she left with a satisfied smirk.
It was late before Sahira's shift finished. She made her way to HDU to say goodnight to Hanssen. "Hey, how are you feeling?" She asked as she took her seat beside him.
"As to be expected." Sahira noted he looked awful, tired and grey. Looking to his BP it was a little low but his output was even worse as was his pulse. "Are you ok?" He asked noting her frown.
Sahira sighed. "You're not doing as well as I'd hoped."
"I'm here, aren't I?" Hanssen smiled. "I hear I needed an aortic repair and that you did it successfully single handed." She blushed a bit. "Thank you, I know it can't have been easy."
"It wasn't." She confirmed as she looked at her watch. "I have to go, I promised I'd be home in time to tuck the kid in for bed."
Hanssen inwardly smiled. Even though the children got in the way of Sahira's career, he often thought that it was the part of Sahira that was a mother was the part he liked best of all. "Of course. I'll see you tomorrow."
Sahira nodded. "You will. Now try and get some sleep."
"I will. Good night Sahira."
"Good night Henrik."
He was being dragged down the stairs by his collar. Knowing by now not to put up a fight, he let a pair of strong malicious hands push him into a room. Now he was cornered by two drunk men that were edging towards him, he knew what was going to happen. Quickly one man landed a punch straight across his face, causing him to fall to the floor. The other growled at him, forced him to get up, turn around and brace himself against a fire place. He closed his eyes and whispered one name to give him strength for what was about to happen, "Sahira." Then all went black.