Tyler's vision had tunnelled since she'd got out of theatre and her hearing was patchy as well. When was the last time she had properly slept? For any length of time? Not for at least a week, she was sure, but maybe longer. It seemed insane to think that she had only been at Holby General for a week. To her, it felt like one, infinitely long day. It was only when Mr Valentine stopped speaking that she realised he had been talking at all.

'Sorry, what?' she said, turning back to look at Mr Valentine. Then, she blinked and looked again. If she wasn't very much mistaken, the expression on his face was not anger, confusion or malice. Instead, she realised with a jolt of embarrassment, it was sympathy. Her eyes narrowed. What had Zosia said?

'I said, how is your father?' Tyler blinked again.

'Fine. I mean, surgery went well and Mr Rossini patched up the ventricular rupture. For a stabbing, it seems almost too good to be true. I could hardly believe my eyes.' Too late, Tyler realised she'd said too much and turned her back on Mr Valentine. The last thing she wanted was him to suspect she'd been here all night. She began to walk quickly towards the Nurses' Station to drown herself in work. He caught up with her with ease.

'What do you mean, Ty?' he said. She almost stopped. "Ty"? Only Fletch had called her that. This was almost a medical breakthrough- the great Valentine melted! She shook her head.

'I read the report this morning.' Vague- but certainly true. She leant against the counter top at the Station and peered down onto the pile of folders. A pair of hands took them out of her way.

'If I'm not going to get any more than that, Tyler, you can do obs.' Yes, she thought. Finally, the real surgeon returns. Mr Valentine dropped the tottering pile of folders into her hands. They were no heavier than usual, but for some reason, she couldn't- hold- them-

The pile spilt over the floor in a rush of blue and white. Tyler dropped frantically to her knees and called desperate apologies to the cries of despair from other doctors.

'I'm sorry,' she shouted, to the room at large. 'I didn't mean to. They're heavier than I expected.' She braced herself and lifted, trying to hide the shakes in her muscles as she struggled with the weight. Not long. Not long and then the caffeine will kick in and everything will be just fine.

As she struggled away to begin work, she looked back and found the icy blue eyes of Valentine glued inextricably to her back, an expression of deep thought on his face.

Tyler kept herself busy all morning. This was getting harder. Coffee was having less and less effect and the pain in her ribs and head was starting to be matched with aches in her neck and shoulders. It was with a sense of relief that she dropped onto the sofa in the staffroom at lunch time. Until she caught a glimpse through the glass panel of the door of the patient white board. Theodore Tyler, written at the top. She realised, with a sickening lurch of guilt, that she hadn't seen him properly at all. He'd been unconscious when she had seen him in his side room, and in surgery. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but, as she thought, old habits really do die hard.

He was asleep when she came in. He was off his ventilator- early for a bloke of his age- early for most in fact. Tyler picked up the folder from the end of the bed. That way, even if anyone came in, she could kid she was just checking up on him. No one came in. No one rescued her. Tyler lifted her eyes from the folder briefly and almost took a step back.

Two brown eyes stared back.

Theodore Tyler would have been impressive if he stood up, well over six feet, and lithe an strong. The brown hair that had once been the same hazelnut colour as Tyler's was now streaked with white and grey as was the shirt beard that highlighted his chiselled jaw. Tyler always wondered if he had been handsome once. Maybe that was why her mother had overlooked certain other aspects of his character. He was looking at her now as if no time had passed since their last meeting and as if Tyler was still only sixteen-years old.

'So, you did become a doctor, Anna,' he rasped. Tyler blinked. Theodore's voice had always been rich and full, even in the height of passion. Especially in the height of passion. To hear his greatest asset brought down made a slight warmth trickle through her clammy skin.

'I did, sir,' she answered, her own voice, she realised, with a slight frown, barely above a whisper. 'I'd worked hard enough for it.'

'What do you know,' said Theodore, an old sneer twisting his Grecian features. 'Daddy really did know best.'

'Not quite,' Tyler replied, lightly, returning the folder. 'I almost became an engineer. I didn't really want to follow in your footsteps.' Tyler fought back a flinch, but stayed strong. She knew this was dangerous ground. She had never spoken to her father this way, but, then again, she had never been in a better position.

'What's that supposed to mean, Anna?' Theodore's voice was returning, and the forceful Home Counties accent echoed a little down the corridor. Tyler checked over her shoulder and saw a nurse looking curiously into the room. Tyler came closer to her father as if checking up on him, when in reality, she would rather get closer to a starving killer whale. Or even Mr Valentine after a meeting with Jac Naylor.

'It's supposed to mean that I never wanted to see you again. After-' she broke off, but he didn't fill in the gap. His dark eyes seemed to be boring into her head wound, making it burn worse than ever. 'After the last time I saw you, I swore I'd never speak to you again!'

'You always were a liar, Anna,' Theodore rumbled. Tyler felt her wrist seized in an iron grip through her t-shirt. Right over where Mr Valentine had grabbed her yesterday. But, this was far harder, and frighteningly familiar.

'I never told you what you didn't want to hear,' she hissed. 'You left me no choice. You were a monster!'

The vice-like hold yanked her and all of a sudden, she was inches from her father's face, off-balance and scared.

Powerless.

Yet again, thank you for the support you have shown my story by reading it. Please leave a review- it really helps me guide the story. A special thank you to those who do regularly- it's a great boost of morale!