Max found himself watching his wife closely for signs of sadness. She'd just lost two patients in quick succession, and he was sure she would soon get misty eyed. Knowing her so well, Max knew that if he approached too soon, Zoe would snap at him and likely not seek him out when she did eventually give in to her tears, but if he left it too late, sometimes her tears lasted even longer.

She was currently in the relative's room trying to explain to a man why the wife who had come in with a suspected broken arm would now never be returning home. Though he was resting against a desk several feet away, Max could see his wife through the window of the door, and he knew she could see him too, for when it finally became too much, she turned her head to plead silently with him.

Max immediately stood straighter, approaching the room with the cup of sweet tea he'd made. Silently, he put the cup into the man's hands and sat beside him as Zoe ran a shaking hand through his hair.

"Is there anyone I can call for you?"

The man glanced up at Max and then at Zoe again before giving a slight shrug. "I don't know, I can't think."

"That's okay." Max responded, looking up to his wife to indicate she could leave now.

Zoe offered him a relieved smile and slipped from the room, making her way immediately to reception, intending to slip outside for a cigarette.

It wasn't until late that night that Zoe finally gave in to her tears. Max had fallen asleep long ago, but the darkness seemed to overwhelm Zoe and made her feel stifled, and she was unable to sleep, scared she wouldn't wake up.

The tears had come on suddenly, surprising Zoe when she felt the warm droplets fall onto the hands that clasped her knees to her chest. Once she realised she was crying, she couldn't stop and it grew louder and more painful until it finally woke Max up.

"Zoe?" Max asked sleepily into the darkness.

"I can't breathe," Zoe spoke in a strained voice, unable to draw in a proper breath through her sobs. "I can't breathe and I'm so tired but I'm scared I will die if I go to sleep!"

"It's okay," Max tried to soothe as he pushed himself up and pulled Zoe into his arms. "Just try and slow down your breath."

"I can't! There's not enough air in here. I can't breathe!"

After a moments thought, Max slipped from the bed, flicking on the main light as he collected Zoe's jacket and draped it around her shoulders. "Come on."

Trusting her husband, Zoe allowed Max to help her from the bed, and she didn't question him when he led her outside and away from their building. Still gulping for breath, she clung to him so tightly her knuckles were white, and she noticed neither the breeze nor the grass beneath her toes until Max suddenly stopped her and pulled her to sit on the ground.

"Open your eyes."

Zoe shook her head.

"Open them, Zo. Look."

Zoe finally, slowly, opened her eyes, her face still partially buried in the thin t-shirt Max had worn to bed with boxer shorts.

"Enough air for us both to breathe forever, and bright stars to chase away the dark," Max murmured in his wife's ear.

Slowly, Zoe moved her head so she could take in their surroundings. They were sat on top of the hill behind their apartment building, and the night was so clear the stars were shining brightly. The air she drew into her lungs felt crisp and new, like no one had ever breathed it before.

Zoe soon found her breathing had slowed and her heart was no longer racing, as though the cool wind had blown away all the pain of her day.

"Okay?" Max asked softly, his hand rubbing Zoe's arm.

She replied with a nod, turning her face to kiss his cheek. "How did you know what to do?"

"I know you." Max replied simply, dropping a kiss to Zoe's hair as she snuggled into his side again.

"I love you," Zoe mumbled into his side, shutting her eyes again, this time peacefully.

"You know what this is, don't you?"

Zoe smiled now. "Time to make love?"

"Close, but not what I was thinking about for once. This is number 27."

"But I haven't done anything to show you how much I love you," Zoe yawned, smiling again when Max's arms tightened around her.

"You let me lead you outside with no shoes on in the middle of the night without asking where I was taking you or why," Max pointed out.

Zoe's smile grew now and she lifted her head to smile at the man before her, "I love you," She repeated, capturing his lips.