That morning, Rita woke up before her alarm - a rare occurrence. Her mind whirred as she sat up in bed. She had to do something about Connie, but what?
Grabbing her dressing gown, she padded down the stairs and flicked on the kettle putting two slices of bread in the toaster. As far as Connie was concerned, her and Iain were an item. If she could get Connie to come to her instead of the other way around, appeal to her sense of jealousy, then maybe this could work.
'Playing with fire here Freeman' her conscience warned.
She got dressed and ate the toast on the way out of the door. Being early could only help - good impressions and all that. Rounding the corner into the ED car park, Rita noticed Connie's car was already parked in its usual spot. The door opened abruptly and Connie herself got out. Rita, unprepared for the confrontation, stopped in her tracks like a rabbit in headlights. Catching sight of her, Connie smirked.
She gestured to Rita's top, she had toast crumbs all down her front.
"You appear to have half your breakfast down your front," Connie stated matter-of-factly. She internally berated herself, she hadn't meant for her tone to sound so patronising.
Rita couldn't talk through her mouthful of toast so opted for a nod and brushed off the crumbs. Connie fell into step with her as they went towards the entrance.
"No Iain this morning then?"
Rita's eyes narrowed in response to Connie's sarcastic tone. Two could play at that game.
"No I opted for an early night last night. Had an early shift and he's just so...energetic. Keeps going for ages, tires me right out."
Connie blushed in embarrassment, the tips of her ears going pink. Rita grinned devilishly.
They parted at reception. Rita went towards the locker room to change and Connie towards her office.
Rita didn't stop grinning until she was changed and organising the Nurse's station.
"What's that smile for? Just happy to see me?" Cal slid along the desk until he was facing Rita.
"Don't flatter yourself." Rita smirked.
Connie opened her office door sharply and marched towards Rita with a handful of files. She dropped them inelegantly in front of Rita.
"These four patients are about to go into breach time. Sort it out." Spinning around and shooting Cal an unimpressed look, she marched off towards cubicles.
"Pleases and thank you's really elude that woman don't they" Rita muttered.
"Well I think it's hot" Cal offered admiring Connie's figure as she walked away.
"That says a lot." Rita shook her head and walked off towards cubicles to deal with the patients.
Taking bloods from Dylan's patient in cubicle 3, Rita felt eyes boring into the back of her. Trying harder to concentrate, she noticed the tell tale pair of red-bottomed heels at the bedside. Connie placed a hand on the small of Rita's back as she shuffled past through the small gap between Rita and the wall. Rita's breath hitched and she nearly dropped the syringe of blood she had just collected. Connie shone a torch in the patient's eyes and studied the notes. Frowning, Rita moved out of the space. She looked Connie up and down but she had her full concentration trained on the patient notes. Rita took a moment to appreciate how good she looked in that grey skirt and blouse before returning to the desk. As soon as her back was turned, Connie's gaze snapped straight back up to Rita. She imagined kissing that jaw, running her hand up her neck and into that hair...
"Last time I checked this was my patient." Dylan's voice cut through the air, bringing her sharply back down to Earth. He stood with his hands on his hips impatiently. Connie shook her head slightly and put the notes back at the end of the bed, her gaze flicking between him and Rita.
"Just keeping a check on the work of my doctors, keep it up."
Connie walked away before he could protest. In truth there was no reason for her to check on Dylan's work, despite his consistent negative attitude she trusted his judgement completely as a doctor, it was the nurse assigned to the case that had captured her attention.
"Nurse Freeman a word please in my office."
Rita rolled her eyes and sighed audibly. She traipsed behind Connie to her office.
"Shut the door."
"It has been brought to my attention that the store cupboard is in dire need of resorting. We cannot continue to operate when agency staff can't locate any of the equipment they need. It makes for poor quality patient care."
"That's if agency nurses have any brain cells in the first place..." Rita muttered.
Connie ignored her comment.
"I am leaving this job in your capable hands."
"You want me to do it?" Rita crossed her arms defiantly. "Why do I get lumbered with the shit jobs?"
Connie raised an eyebrow in response to Rita's language. "If you want a job done, do it properly."
Rita started at Connie incredulously but she didn't falter.
"Unbelievable." Rita shook her head and left the room heading straight for the store cupboard.
Unlocking the door, she groped around on the wall for the light switch. The room was illuminated. Connie was right. It was a mess.
"Swear to god dusting shelves is not in my job description," Rita grumbled to herself as she began to stack boxes of gloves and fresh syringes on the correct shelves.
"Rita what are you doing?"
Robyn was stood in the doorway.
"Beauchamp's got me stacking shelves as some kind of twisted punishment for god knows what."
"Oh these bloods are due to the lab." Robyn rushed off.
Rita carried on stacking, hoping to get the job done as quickly as possible so she could return to treating patients, the job she was actually paid to do. She was interrupted by sniggering from the doorway.
"Wow is that what Nurse's are paid for nowadays?"
Rita didn't even look round. "Shove off Cal. Don't you have patients to treat?"
"Why, may I ask, are you stacking shelves?" He asked between chuckles.
"Because 'her Majesty' has decided she gets kicks from giving out punishments now. Like she's running a bloody prison camp or something. I swear to god when I'm done here I'll give her a piece of my mind..."
"Will you now?"
Connie appeared suddenly in the doorway. Her arms were crossed, an smirk on her face. Cal quickly made himself scarce. Rita narrowed her eyes in Connie's direction, she turned around and continued to stack not giving Connie the satisfaction of a response.
Connie's shadow didn't leave the doorway.
"What are you still doing here? Isn't the thought of me actually stacking shelves enough for you?"
Connie's gaze dropped to the floor, her smirk growing.
"Just admiring the view."
Rita wheeled around, not expecting that response. But Connie was gone.
