Chapter 10 – Inspection from hell

It was late and Zoe was preparing the department for the inspection that they had the next day. "I know it's late but before you all go there is something I just wanted to say. Tomorrow's the inspection, so please everyone here on time and acting professionally from the moment you're in the building. We've just got Hansen off our backs and I'd quite like to keep it that way!" Zoe hated having to crack down on the staff because they all did everything they could every day anyway. "Let's make sure everything is done correctly and that there is nothing we can be called out on. I trust that each of you will do your best as you do all of the time, so you're all welcome to go now." Zoe turned to walk into her office but was stopped by Dylan.

"Zoe about tomorrow, I won't be working." She looked a little confused at what he was saying because it was unlike Dylan to say something like that. "And why not Dr Keogh? I don't remember you being in charge of when you do or don't turn up for work." Zoe continued walking to her office and he followed "Well I'm part of the inspection team so I'll be here just not working as such." Zoe stopped where she was sighing, she had completely forgotten he was part of the team for inspections. From the look on his face he hated the idea as much as she did. "It's not something I wanted to do but I didn't get a choice in the matter." Zoe shook her head "It's fine Dylan, don't worry. I'll see you tomorrow then." She went into her office, closed the door and sat down at her desk.

Outside Lofty and Max were arguing still over everything with Robyn. "You could have told me I was giving you advice on how to dump a girl which just so happened to be my sister." Lofty rubbed his hands down his face "Look Max I didn't mean to upset anyone-" "Don't seem that way. Look just stay away from me and Robyn alright?" With that he turned and walked away.

Charlie and Tess were having troubles of their own realising that they could turn out short staffed tomorrow due to several members being off sick. "We have to tell Zoe, she needs to know." Charlie didn't want to add any extra pressure to her but knew it could turn out worse if she didn't know. "I'll speak to her in a bit, let's just see what we can do first with the staff we do have?"

Dylan was about to leave the ED when he saw Rita sitting at the nurses' station. She was leaning forward with her head in her hands and looked like she had been crying. He turned back and went over to where she was sitting, she didn't even react when he got to where she was. "I'd ask if everything was okay but I think it'd be a stupid question right now." Dylan moved around to the same side of the desk that she was on and put an arm around her shoulders making her lean back. "Come on I'll take you home. You need some sleep before tomorrow." Rita looked up at Dylan and tried to smile a little. "What's wrong Rita because you've been quiet all day." She finally took a deep breath before putting her arm around Dylan hugging him. "Can we just go home, I don't want to talk about it here." He nodded before letting her get up to get her things.

Zoe was sitting in her office when there was a knock on the door. "Hey, it's only me" Charlie walked in and stood opposite Zoe. "I don't mean to stress you out, but we're going to be short on nurses tomorrow because of the number who are ill. We've changed rotas around so we have enough to cover the day but it is a stretch." Zoe nodded her head and was about to answer when there was another knock on the door. "Come in!" Big Mac walked in followed by Max and Lofty who both looked like they'd been dragged through a bush. "Sorry to interrupt but I found these two outside knocking bells out of each other. Thought you'd like to sort them out yourself." Big Mac turned and walked out of the office and left the door slightly open. "Seriously!? You two want to act like a pair of children today of all days?" Zoe took a deep breath before turning back to Charlie.

"Thank you Charlie for letting me know, don't worry about it. You've done what you can, please let Tess know I'm really grateful for that." Charlie nodded and turned to walk out of the office but stopped at the doorway as Zoe snapped. "What is the problem with you both? Had an argument over something pathetic again? I have had just about enough of all the stupidity within this department between staff like you! Grow up and stop acting like you're at school. Now get out of my sight before I do something I'm going to really regret." She turned around to face the wall as she could feel herself getting angrier and angrier. Charlie walked out of the office and Lofty began to follow before turning back "I'm sorry Dr Hanna-" "Just go." He turned and walked out with Charlie who looked like he could swing for Lofty himself.

"Zoe, are you okay?" She turned now finally having enough of everything that day. "Really? You're going to ask if I'm okay after you've decided to start a fight with another member of staff on hospital property! I really don't know what I'm more offended by, the way you think you can do what you want around here all because of an immature argument or whether you now try and act like you care." Max had never meant for it to come to this "Zo you know I care about you. Look I know you're stressed about this inspection tomorrow but-" "But nothing Max. I cannot deal with this right now. I've got no choice but to suspend you after starting a fight… I think it's best if you just leave now." Max couldn't believe she was doing this. "You're suspending me!?" Zoe walked around to the same side of the desk Max was on and went straight past him to the door opening it. "Like I said, you gave me no choice. Thanks for making tomorrow so much easier for me Max." He tried to protest but Zoe just shut the door and walked away, leaving him facing it on the other side. Everyone had been watching as they heard the shouting. Max hit the wall before leaving the department alone.

Rita and Dylan were walking home when they noticed someone ahead of them sitting on a bench. It wasn't hard to guess who it was as they both recognised him straight away. Rita moved away from Dylan and sat down next to Max on the bench. "She suspended me and let Lofty carry on working. It wasn't even my fault, if he hadn't been such a dick to my sister…" Rita tried comforting Max a little "I thought I meant more to her than that-" "You know she had to do something, she's your boss at the end of the day." Max nodded "Don't I know it." Rita made Max get up and they walked him back home because she was worried he'd sit there all night otherwise. Dylan tried not to say too much as he didn't like getting involved in others business much. Of course they both knew that Zoe and Max had been seeing each other but they very rarely mentioned it. Dylan was planning on going home but instead he stayed at Rita's after seeing how upset she was earlier, he didn't want to leave her alone again tonight.

Zoe was sitting at her desk still wandering how everything had gone so wrong in the space of a few hours. First Dylan not working but being an inspector, then not having the staff, Lofty and Max starting a fight and having Max think she didn't care. There was no way things could physically get any worse… Tomorrow was going to be dreadful and there was nothing she could do to stop it.