The following morning, Zosia awoke on the sofa. Colette had left her there, as she finally fell asleep and she daren't disturb her. Zosia crept quietly to her room, where she dressed herself and tried to put on a brave face. By the time she was up, Colette was also up and eating breakfast.
"Zosia!" She exclaimed. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to work, if I don't people will get suspicious and find out, I can't hide away." She said.
"You are in no fit state to. You are still in shock and you need to come to terms with what has happened, not try to pretend anything ever did."
"I'm going to walk, I need to clear my head." She told her simply, before walking out, shutting the door behind her. Colette knew that it was no good going after her, she would never listen.
"Morning Zoshie!" Dom called mockingly, as he approached the station where Zosia was clumsily staring at the papers in front of her. To his surprise, she did not react. He knew very well that being called 'Zoshie' irritated her and it always got some kind of reaction but today, not even a sigh or rolling of the eyes. "Earth to Zosia!" He called, waving his hand ridiculously in front of her face.
"Can you not just give it a rest for once?!" She responded angrily, slamming her hand down hard onto the desk in front of her.
"Whoa! Calm down! Who's wound you up?" He never gave up. This time, he did get The Glare. Usually, Dom would keep pushing it but he had an instinct that this really was not a good day for wind-ups.
"Are you okay Zosia?" Arthur asked genuinely, coming up behind the F1, promptly making her jump and frustrating her even more.
"Yes I am fine; I just wish people would leave me alone and stop trying to wind me up!" She retorted bitterly, "Anyway, I thought you would be home."
"There's been a major incident so we have to work a double shift." He informed her.
"Zosia, a patient for you. Josh Weller, twenty five years old, involved in the bus crash. He doesn't have any physical injuries but ED sent him up for a psych assessment. I must warn you, he is very drunk." Zosia looked at the man from across the ward, she froze. "Do you think you can manage?" Sacha Levy finished.
"Why wouldn't I?" She snapped quickly in reply, leaving Arthur and Mr Levy rather taken aback. Sacha shook his head and handed over the file.
Zosia cautiously made her way over to the patient.
"Josh Weller?" She asked, desperately attempting to mask the terror she felt.
"Yeah." The patient answered, slurring his words. "Can I just get out of this place?" He asked, a little too loudly.
"Just as soon as we have established what is wrong with you." She told him.
"Look love, nothing is wrong with me." He started, sitting up. Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist.
"Let go of me!" Zosia demanded in fright. Josh clumsily stood up, walking Zosia into the wall. She closed her eyes. "Let go of me." She tried again. All of a sudden, Sacha appeared from nowhere and yanked the patient off of Zosia. Before anyone could speak, the young doctor ran off into the staffroom as quickly as she could. She slammed the door shut and leant against it, as if to stop anyone else entering. Sacha followed her and knocked on the door.
"Zosia, let me in please." He asked. "It's okay, he just gave you a fright, I understand, it has happened to all of us." She opened the door and the surgeon entered.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"I've just had enough of difficult patients these past couple of days." She told him flatly.
"That's alright. I'm putting him in a side room so he can't bother anyone else and I have assigned you to Charlotte Jones; eight years old, suspected broken leg. She won't cause you any trouble." He grinned, holding up another file. Reluctantly, Zosia took it and tried again.
"Are you Charlotte Jones?" She asked, approaching a young, fair-haired girl. The child's face instantly lit up and she nodded. "Right, I'm Dr March and I am going to make you better okay?" Another cheeky nod.
"Why are you sad?" Asked Charlotte openly.
"What?" Zosia stiffened.
"You look sad, you're not smiling." She observed.
"It's just a bad time, that's all, anyway, we need to put a cannula in your arm. It's like a big needle but it will only hurt a little bit for a few seconds." She explained. The girl accepted it. At least she's cooperative. Zosia tore the needle from its packet, her hands shaking wildly. She tried to steady her breathing and focus, but it didn't work. As she brought the needle near to the child's arm, she stopped and stared in a panic.
"Dr March." She heard a voice. Colette. She spun around.
"Yes?" She responded sharply.
"Can I have a word please?" Unwillingly, Zosia stepped to the other side of the curtain for another of Colette's lectures. "You should not be here." She told her. "You cannot do your job in this state, Sacha told me that you lost it when a drunken patient got violent and there is no way you can carry on with that cannula. That child is eight years old."
"I think I know how to do my job." Zosia told her harshly.
"I don't doubt that but last night I was this close to phoning your father and telling him what had happened, if you make a mistake, he will find out and the truth will come out you know that!"
To that, Zosia lost it.
"And he will only ask questions if I suddenly take time off! He won't leave me alone and neither will you!" She shouted, hot, angry tears streaming down her pale cheeks.
"You were raped! He could never blame you for that!" Colette responded in an equal tone. The whole ward came to a sudden stop. Now they all knew. Zosia shot Colette a cold, angry and fierce glance before storming off.