"Is she okay?" Max asked, stepping back from Zoe but reaching for her hand instead.
"The foster mother is here and she's asking for you Zoe." Tess told her. "Also the test results are back."
"Okay, I'll be there in a minute." She told her friend before turning back to Max. "She'll be okay Max, don't worry. I love you and I'll work on the fear."
"No, we'll work on it together." He paused slightly, she could tell that there was something he wanted to say and yet he wouldn't say it.
"Go on..."
Can I see Maddie?" He asked, he felt sick with worry for the little girl. He loved Maddie, his insides felt knotted as he knew little of what was going on.
"Yeah, come on."
As soon as she Max, Maddie held up her arms, tears beginning to shine in her eyes as her bottom lip wobbled. Gently, he took her from Joanna and held her close, shutting his eyes for a moment as Maddie snuggled into him and began sucking her thumb again.
"Zoe?" Tess held out the test results hesitantly, unsure if Zoe should be treating the girl.
Zoe glanced at Joanna, then at Max before she took the results and studied them.
"Well?" Max asked, cuddling the little girl closer.
"Like I said, it's not just a cold. Maddie has a chest infection, don't worry though, it's nothing that a course of antibiotics shouldn't fix."
"Are you sure?" Max asked, as the little girl began to cry.
"Yeah, Tess could you go to the pharmacy and sort that for me please?"
"Yeah, I won't be long." Tess smiled.
Max sat on the bed with Maddie in his arms, whilst Zoe and Joanna stood just outside the door.
"I should have taken her to a doctor sooner." Joanna cried to Zoe.
"Don't blame yourself, they often start with the same symptoms of a cold."
"I'm glad you came over, I've never seen her like that with anyone new." Joanna complimented.
From the other side of the cubicle they could hear Max talking to Maddie. "See I told you I had a stunning wife, I know you've seen pictures but seeing her in real life is a lot different. Zoe's lovely, she's doing all she can to make you feel better, and if that doesn't scream nice person then I don't know what does." Maddie started to cry again. "No, none of that. You're okay Mads. I love you." Max said and cuddled Maddie a little closer.
"Zoo?"
Max hesitated. She's said that too him the day before, but he wasn't sure what she meant. He wondered now if it was Zoe. "...Do you want Zoe?"
"Zoo." Maddie confirmed.
Max glanced towards the cubicle curtain, then back at Maddie before he pulled it open, surprised to find Zoe still stood there. "I think she wants you."
Zoe couldn't meet Max's eye. Hearing him talk to Maddie that way pained her, aware that he was prepared to give something like that up because he loved her. Reaching out, she took Maddie from him and settled on the bed with her.
"Can I just leave her with you for a moment? I need to ring David and tell him what's going on and see how the boys are doing." Joanna asked.
"Yeah, course Jo." Max replied, not turning to face her as he couldn't keep his eyes of Zoe who was singing gently to Maddie who was slowly falling asleep in her arms. Without saying anything else he took his phone out and took a photo of the scene in front of him. "Is she asleep?" Max asked quietly.
"I think so." Zoe replied, turning briefly to look at Max before laying Maddie down on the bed and standing up. "I can't let you give her up for me Max."
"I'm not giving you up Zoe."
"That's not what I meant, what if you didn't have to give either of us up?"
"What do you mean?" Max asked warily.
"...Maybe we could take her in, look after her-"
"Zoe, I don't want you to say this because you think it's what I want."
"Maybe it's what I want, too."
As Max looked into Zoe's eyes, Robyn entered. "I noticed she forgot her favourite toy, so I went and got her a teddy." She held out the fluffy toy hesitantly.
