Serena's fingers trembled, her breathing wobbling as she fought not to cry. Shaking out of her own thoughts she turned to see Ric had been speaking to her whilst they made their way from the boardroom. "Erm… sorry?"
"Do you want me to speak to her?" Ric smiled, his face showing recognition of her distress after the long board meeting in which she'd failed to convince the board that agreeing that seconding Bernie to their sister hospital on the other side of the Trust would be detrimental to the hospital.
"No. No, it should be me." Serena smiled sadly, her fingers worrying at her engagement ring.
"It's only 12 weeks." He tried to reassure her. A comforting hand coming to rest on her shoulder.
"12 weeks is a very long time to not be with her Ric. Especially when we've already spent so much time apart." Tears beginning to pool in her eyes, she excused herself, thankfully making it to her office before the tears began to fall.
"Ms Wolfe, Ms Campbell needs to see you when you have a moment. She's in her office." A young nurse called to Bernie as she re-entered the ward having been in theatre most of the afternoon repairing a damaged spleen. Nodding in acknowledgement she scanned the ward, checking they could do without her for a few minutes before heading up to Serena's office.
Knocking gently on the door, she pushed it open carefully when Serena called for her to enter. A smile spreading across her face when her eyes settled on Serena. The soft evening light casting on her face through the window, giving her an ethereal glow. "Hello beautiful. I hear you required my attention." Perching herself on the arm of a chair she gave Serena a winning smile. "Whilst finishing up in theatre, I was thinking about the venue we visited last weekend… I know we said it was quite pricey for the type of wedding we want, but you're worth it… and the way your eyes lit up when we walked into the ceremony room… I think that's where we should get married." Bernie's eyes danced with excitement, before the look on Serena's face extinguished them. "Darling?"
"We can talk about the wedding when we get home." She tried to smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "For now, I need to talk to you as CEO…" casting her eyes down she took a deep breath, steeling herself before looking back to her partner. "As you know the board met this afternoon alongside some representatives of the Trust." Bernie nodded, although Serena could see she was currently a little distracted by the way her eyes were flitting around, concern for Serena showing on her face. "Following the successful opening of our Trauma Unit, the Trust have decided to open another unit down at St Helier's to service the entirety of the West Country."
"That's sensible, better trauma facilities there would be so beneficial, especially when you think of how remote some of the areas are down there. Reducing the time taken to reach a trauma centre will save countless lives."
"Quite. And whilst this is not a decision I myself agree with, the Trust have decided to utilise your skills and experience in setting up Trauma Units." Serena couldn't bare the look Bernie was now giving her. "The board have asked me to inform you that they will temporarily be transferring your contract to St Helier's for a 12-week period, starting on the first of next month."
"What?!" Bernie looked horrified. "Don't I get a say in this?"
Serena took a deep intake of breath, shaking her head in resignation. "I've checked. Your new contract stipulates that you work for the Trust not specifically for the hospital. So long as certain conditions are met they can move you around."
"Right…" Bernie clasped her fingers around her engagement ring. Her mind working overtime to calculate the journey time between Holby and Cornwall, remembering them researching the distance when they were looking at booking a cottage near St Austall for a weekend getaway. "St Helier's is what, at least 150 miles away… a 300-mile round trip… I can't do that daily plus set up a trauma unit."
"No, I quite agree. It would be dangerous. I wouldn't want you driving that much. I was reassured that comfortable accommodation has been arranged for you."
"Oh…" Bernie felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, the realisation that Serena understood that she would be away for three months. Looking at Serena old doubts and demons crept into her head. The same thoughts that drove her away from Holby in the direction of Kiev all those years ago. Perhaps this was what Serena wanted. Maybe she'd realised now they were together all the time that it was too much. What if this was her way of getting rid of her long enough to work out how to call off the engagement? Work out how to let her down gently.
"Bernie? Talk to me…" Serena could see the cogs turning in Bernie's brain. Suddenly she was shocked to see Bernie stand, mutter something about checking on her patient before running out the door. Running out into the corridor all Serena could do was yell after her, the blonde running down the corridor as fast as her legs would carry her.
Taking a deep breath Bernie knocked back another whiskey, grateful that Dom hadn't so far questioned the volume of the amber liquid she'd consumed that evening. She'd descended on his flat in quite a state, her face streaked with tears and her whole-body trembling. He hadn't asked any questions, just welcomed her in, allowed her to warm up before he fed her and then became a listening ear as she drank. "I love her enough to let her go. If that's what she wants." Desperately trying to stop her lip trembling she bit it hard. The tears pooling in her eyes betraying the stoic façade she was trying to put on. It was the most vulnerable Dom had ever seen her, wrapping his arm around her he pulled her into him. Keeping her close as he allowed her to cry.