Zoe walked a few steps behind Dylan into work the next morning, unsure exactly what she was walking in to. As he walked through the entrance, Dylan glanced over his shoulder at her and tilted his head towards Max, who was stood with his back to them.
"Go and talk to him." He urged.
"I can't."
"If what you told me really happened, then you can."
"Are you calling me a liar?" Zoe folded her arms.
Dylan rolled his eyes. "Stop procrastinating."
As Zoe opened her mouth to reply, Charlie appeared. "Zoe! It's good to have you back. How was it? I hope my flowers arrived."
Suddenly several people descended on her at once, asking her about America and the funeral, and the people Nick worked with. Zoe turned to Dylan and then looked with dismay at his retreating back. As she opened her mouth to reply, someone moved to stand in front of her, forcing everyone else to step back.
"Alright, alright! Give her some air, she's not on a bloody game show. Yes, Charlie, your flowers arrived; no we did not go sight seeing because we were there for a funeral, and the funeral was as good as any funeral ever is. Don't you lot have some work to do?"
As his colleagues began to drift back to their jobs, Max turned to Zoe with a grin. "I was just thinking I could get a job with security, but then I realised I'm too pretty to get hit. Got you this."
When Max held out a coffee to her, instead of taking it, Zoe wrapped her arms around him tightly, and after a moment he hugged her back with his free arm. The hug was only brief, and when Zoe pulled away she accepted the coffee, not noticing Robyn watching them from afar with a frown. "Thank you."
"Well, I did steal it from a patient, so…" Max began.
Zoe finally smiled and hit his chest gently. "Go back to work."
"Yes, Dr Hanna."
….
"Did I just see what I think I saw?" Robyn asked as she pushed open the door to Max's office.
"Robyn…"
"Why have you let her worm her way back in after what she did to you?!"
Max stood and shut the door. "She didn't worm her way back in, Robyn. It was me doing the worming."
"Yeah, as usual, because Zoe Hanna would never degrade herself like that."
"Are you done?! What she did, she did to me. I appreciate that you were angry on my behalf, but if I choose to forgive her, that's on me and you should respect my choice."
"So you have forgiven her, then? You're just going to...start married life as though nothing happened, like she didn't sleep with someone the night before your wedding?"
"It's not that simple, and you know it."
"She's just going to hurt you again, Max. She-"
"She had a miscarriage."
Robyn paused now and looked up at her brother for a moment before asking, "Are you sure?"
Max nodded, his Adams apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed, trying to keep his emotions at bay.
"But-" Robyn began, stopping when Max raised a hand.
"She wanted to tell me she was pregnant on our wedding night, but my mother guessed and asked her about it. When Zoe lost the… she told my mother again, and you know what Greta said? She said it was probably for the best." When Max looked up at his sister, he saw realisation dawning on her face. "What?"
"…I think I walked in on the end of that conversation. Zoe was crying, I thought it was because of the gift Greta gave her."
"Well now you know. I need to get back to work."
As Max walked towards the door, Robyn grabbed his arm. "But that doesn't excuse what she did, Max."
"…She didn't think she could have children. She told me on the night I proposed, and I told her that she was more than enough for me. But she never thought she was."
…
"Doctor Hanna?"
Midway through her shift, Zoe looked up warily at the sound of Robyn's voice.
"I was wondering if you wanted to come out tonight? For Big Mac's birthday. A group of us are going bowling."
"Ha!" A dry laugh came from Dylan as he walked past. "Can you imagine Zoe in bowling shoes."
"Actually, I'd love to come, Robyn. Thank you."
"Right, I'll put your name down." Robyn went to turn away, but suddenly remembering she wasn't supposed to know about Zoe and Max yet, she added, "Ah, Max has said he'll go, will that be ok?"
"I'm sure it will be fine."
…
"I thought tonight was supposed to be date night?" Zoe asked when Max joined her in their old smoking area half an hour later.
"And miss the chance of seeing you in bowling shoes? Never." Max pulled the cigarette from Zoe's lips, and she felt a surge of happiness at the once familiar gesture.
"You won't be smiling when I beat you."
Max drew on the cigarette then passed it back to Zoe before walking backwards towards the ED entrance. "If you're going bowling in that dress, I will probably end up bowling in the wrong lane anyway."
As Max disappeared inside, Zoe smiled to herself and rested back against the wall.