May 2011.
Jac woke up at the crack of dawn. She opened her eyes, and turned over on her back, still lying in bed. She looked on her left, to see the other side of the bed, empty.
She still felt odd, waking up on her own every day, after getting used to seeing Joseph first thing when she opens her eyes for four whole months.
She tried to shake the thought out of her head and got out of bed, ready to go back to what she really loves.
She took a shower and got herself dressed for her first day back at the hospital.
…
"Ms Naylor… I knew you'd be back in less than six months… so what changed your mind?" Mr Hanssen asked Jac as she stood in front of his desk, already in deep blue scrubs, as Hanssen sat behind his desk.
"Nothing relevant… all that matters is that you need me, I'm here… so if Connie's job is still on offer-" Jac said but Hanssen cut her off.
"It is a pleasure having you back, part of our team... but there's just one problem…" Hanssen said calmly.
"Which is?" Jac asked narrowing her eyes.
…
'It's good to be back,' Jac thought as the lift doors opened and she stepped onto Darwin.
"Jac!" Elliot exclaimed, standing by the main desk. He was talking to a nurse, and easily brought his conversation to a halt, when he saw Jac's face. The nurse wandered off.
"Elliot…" Jac said with a smile.
"Ah it's so great to see you again!" Elliot exclaimed as he gave her a hug, "are you back? You are wearing the scrubs for a reason…" he added as they pulled apart.
"Yes I am back…" Jac said smiling.
"Ah that's marvellous! But wait… what about Joseph? Is he back too?" Elliot asked, confused.
"No… we've split up…" Jac said, looking at the floor, at the mention of Joseph's name.
"Oh, that's sad to hear… you know I thought you were made for each other… there seemed like nothing holding you back this time… what happened?" Elliot asked her.
"It's a long story Elliot… and there's something I have to do right now…" Jac told him.
"Right, you carry on then… but fit me in for a chat over a coffee…" Elliot said with a smile, as Jac started making a few steps away.
"I will do that.." Jac smiled, as she turned to walk away.
Jac made her way down the corridor, past the staffroom and the locker room and arrived at the nurses' station to see Greg Douglas seated on the desk, as he usually did.
Greg thought he recognised the ginger hair when Jac walked past him.
"Hey Jac! What brings you back here? My Irish charm?" Greg told her, smiling, as he stood up and walked up to her.
"Ughh, I think I missed you least of all…" Jac made a face. She couldn't stand his flirty comments, "I am going to need a pager, by the way…" Jac asked as she looked around.
"I take that as a compliment… in there, top drawer…" Greg told her, pointing to the cabinet beside the nurses' station. Jac walked to it and opened the drawer to take out a pager, but she froze as soon as she read the label on it, Joseph Byrne. She rubbed her finger over it and put it back, and took out another one.
"So how is Mr Byrne?" Greg asked her, as she walked away, and he walked with her, "he's the stay-at-home daddy is he, while mummy goes to work?" he added.
"I am not mummy!" she snapped. Jac ignored his comment, referring to Joseph and asked him, "have you met the new consultant?" as she stopped in front of the consultant's office.
"Indeed I have… and oh my, she is something…" Greg replied with a smirk, as he stood in front of her.
"She?!" Jac widened her eyes at his detail.
"Yeah… see for yourself…" Greg told her with a smile.
Without saying anything else, Jac turned around and without knocking opened the consultant's office door, to see a young brunette seated behind the desk, which used to be Connie's. The woman looked up from her notes when she heard the door opening.
"Don't you knock?" the woman asked Jac.
Jac still standing in the doorway, ignored her comment and added, "I'm sorry, who are you?" she asked her bluntly.
The woman stood up from her chair and walked around the desk. She noticed Jac in scrubs.
"I haven't seen you around here either… " the woman asked her as she approached Jac.
Greg was seeing everything from outside.
"Jac Naylor, cardiothoracic registrar… I've been here before and now I'm back… you are?" Jac asked her again, as she folded her arms across her chest.
"Ah Jac Naylor… Mr Hanssen has told me so much about you and your return… welcome aboard… I'm Sahira Shah, Cardiothoracic Consultant…" the brunette said with a smile, "Now I have to run, if you need anything just come knock on my door and ask, okay?" she told Jac with a smile. Jac just stood there.
Sahira walked out of the office, and past Greg while both Jac and Greg turned their heads around to observe her walking away, Greg observing her behind from head to toe.
"Told ya," Greg told Jac, with a smile, as he ran up to Sahira and left Jac in front of the office.
Jac just stood there, looking at Sahira from a distance, while she was talking to Greg at the end of the corridor, already devising a plan to get back the job which was originally meant for her.
THE END
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