Bella slopped into the staffroom clutching a large Americano. She hadn't had a hangover like this in years. Charlie was on the phone to Louis. She ignored his disapproving look as she pulled out an aspirin.

Charlie finished his call. "Bella you look like-"
Bella finished her coffee. "Shut up. I'm just dehydrated. You guys coming to the footie tonight?"

Charlie nodded.

"And Louis?"

"No idea."

"Teenage boys, eh?"

Jay was the next to arrive. He didn't look to good either. Bella assumed that he wasn't taking the Ruth thing too well.

Bella chucked her coffee cup in the bin. "I'm going to hook up to an IV saline line." She smiled at the look on Charlie's face. "Joke mate, joke."

.

.

Bella was casually flicking through one of the F2's medical dictionaries, trying to avoid having to treat patients. Noisy patients. Not that sitting on the nurses station was doing her headache much good either. Ruth was giving May yet another dressing down. "Why are you giving Mr Davis unnecessary radiation?"

"It looked like he had a fractured rib."

"And is proving or disproving this diagnosis going to change your treatment in any way?"

May hesitated. "No."

"No. Then don't send people for unnecessary X-Rays."

Bella rolled her eyes at Zoe. "I'll talk to her."

"Rather you than me." Zoe looked around. "Where's the third musketeer?"

Lenny shrugged.

Zoe smiled. "Pathetic. I thought F2's were supposed to work hard and play even harder."

Bella frowned. "Was he with us last night?"
"Only for a little bit. Do you not-" Zoe smiled. "To be honest I'm not surprised. You had enough to wipe anyone's memory."

"It's not like Yuki."

"When I was an F2 I lived on 3 hours of sleep a day."

Nick joined the conversation. "Clearly not the case now." Nick had been reinstated as doctor.

Bella backed Zoe up. "At least she has a social life."

Nick frowned at Bella. "Are you okay?"

"Not you too. I've drunk more before, and I'm pretty sure you have too."

Nick shook his head. Bella noticed Adam walking through the E.D. He looked worse than she did. She jogged to catch up with him. "Adam, how's Jess?"

He shrugged. "Why don't you go and see for yourself, I'm sure she'd appreciate visitors."

Bella frowned. "Adam?" But he was in a world of his own. Bella shrugged. Jessica. She needed to see Jessica.

.

.

Bella was just about to ask Nick if it would be possible for her to take a break when she heard some raised voices coming from resus. It sounded like Ruth and May.

Nick frowned. "I'm busy right now, can you sort that?"

Bella nodded and pulled open the door, just in time to hear the end of their shouting match.

"I know you're only and F2 and you're still learning, but I have serious concerns about you Dr Phelps, you are way behind where you should be, now I am trying to mentor-"

Bella was just about to intervene when May finally snapped. Not that Bella blamed her, but in resus and in front of a patient was probably not the best place for it.

"Mentor me? Are you kidding? You may be a good doctor but you are completely cold hearted cow who gets a kick out of putting other people down."

A couple of months ago and Bella probably would have been agreeing with May, but Bella understood Ruth better now, perhaps even liked her. "May-"

"No. It's no wonder she doesn't have a boyfriend or a life outside this place. You're a freak-"

Bella winced. "May that's enough-"

"You're a controlling, repressed freak."

Bella stepped between them. "May that's enough. Take five or whatever, just cool off. Now." May gave one last scathing glare at Ruth before marching out. "Ruth. Go and get a coffee and then come back and sort out the shoulder. You need a break too."

"Bella-"

"Ruth, go please."

Ruth looked like she was going to say something, but left quietly instead.

Bella gave a quick assessment of the patient, he seemed stable. "Tess can you give the patient 10mls of medazilam diluted in normal saline and draw up 10mg of morphine, also diluted in saline. Dr Winters will be back to reset the shoulder. I've got somewhere to be? Can we get the oxygen and the monitoring on?"

Tess nodded.

Bella frowned. She was worried about Ruth.

.

.

.

It seemed like a long wait in the lift before Bella reached the ward which held Jessica. She waited at the door, summoning the courage to go in. She scolded herself, who was she kidding, Jess was her friend. She sat down and squeezed Jess's hand. "Jess."

"Bella..."

They sat in silence for a while.

"It's awful isn't it, waking up and finding out that life moves on."

Jess nodded. "You look like you've had one of those days."
"And one of those nights. You hardly look like ** yourself."

"What happened then?"
"Well, Ruth and May had a bitch fight and somehow I ended up being the referee."
"Oh."
"Yeah..."

"Are you okay? Sorry. That was a stupid question. I'm really sorry about- about Harry."

Jess gave Bella a vacant look. "I'm tired."

Bella nodded. "I'll come back later then."

Jess turned away. Bella didn't blame her. Bella didn't blame her one bit.