Hi people! So, I said I would wait to have more written before publishing, but there you go, I couldn't help sharing my first chapter, just to see what you think. I'm sorry this story may not be very distracting from real life, but now I have it in my head so I have to get it out. Hope you enjoy it anyway. Let me know!

December 22nd, 2019

8:15am

York Royal University Hospital, Intensive Care Unit

- And last of all, Mr Phillips, 46 years-old, admitted three day ago for a septic shock from prostatic infection. Good response to double antibiotherapy and IV fluids, has been going without vasopressive amins for twelve hours. If things continue that way I think he'll be fit to be moved to conventional ward tomorrow.

Dr Anna Smith was sitting in her scruffy scrubs, nursing a cup of coffee in the ICU staff room, summarizing her night shift to her fellow doctor who was taking the following day shift.

- Alright, concluded Ed, all noted. So all in all, they were quite well behaved for you?

- You could say that, Anna chuckled. I even managed to get about three hours sleep between two and five. Although I spent about forty minutes on the phone with Mrs Jenning's husband. He's having a hard time understanding his wife's situation, and trust what we're doing. He might call again today, to check that you agree with me. You know, since you're a "man" doctor, she sneered.

For some of the older patients or family, dealing with a woman doctor in the ICU was still something hard to accept. The technical part being over, the ICU crew enjoyed a few minutes coffee break, talking about this and that, before the night crew left and the day crew set to work. Sipping on her mug of tea, Gwen Dawson, one of the unit's nurses, started:

- Hey, guys, have you heard about that new virus in China? Saw it on the news, seems like they're putting a whole city under lock-down… Apparently causes acute respiratory failure.

- Yeah, read some articles about that… sighed Ed. Don't know how serious it is though. There's not much information available. Let's hope it stays local and doesn't blow up.

- We should hope so, added Anna, because I don't see how the NHS as it stands will be able to bear a widespread epidemic… We're already stretched thin as it is.

- That's true… said Gwen.

- Anyway, stated Anna, putting both hands flat on the table, I'm now officially on holiday, for an unimaginable period of seven whole days, so, I'm off, guys! Enjoy yourselves while I'm away.

- Go home, Dr Smith! playfully scolded Ed.

x x x x

Anna was riding her bike home, looking forward to her week's break. The holiday season was always reason for a fight among the team when it came to awarding days off, as everyone wanted to have time with their family and friends over Christmas and New Year. Therefore, it was not every year that Anna was able to secure a whole week off, moreover including Christmas Eve and Christmas day. So she was very much thrilled to have quality time ahead with her four year-old son Timothy and with Charles and Elsie Carson, who were the closest thing she had to a family. Right now, she longed for her flat, for a shower and then three more hours sleep before she got up and went to the Carson's house to pick up Timmy. Being a single mother to a preschool child and ICU doctor was not an easy life, but Anna found it rewarding, if exhausting. Critical care medicine had been her goal since she had entered med school. She was in her last year before graduation when Timmy had come, and she had decided not to let motherhood hinder her career plans. Still, balancing a small kid with a job that called on her nights and week-ends was quite an equilibrist's task. Timmy was enrolled into a preschool, and she was paying a nanny out of her sole salary to watch him before and after preschool hours when she was on call. She was very grateful to the Carsons for taking time out of their retirement to watch Timmy on her nights and week-ends shifts. She wouldn't be able to afford child care around the clock.

When she had parked her bike in her building's bike shed, she made her way to the lift, checking her phone while waiting for it. Mary Crawley, her best friend, had sent her a video of her five year-old son George riding his bike for the first time, and she was inviting her to drop by that afternoon with Timmy at her place to enjoy some pre-Christmas activity. Mary had been her best friend since high school, even though they had chosen different career paths. As she had gone to med school, Mary had headed to law school, where she had met her husband Matthew. She was now working with her father, managing the Downton Estate. The Crawleys were by far the wealthiest family in the area, but Mary was an outgoing girl, and she had never made Anna feel less worthy for her lack of personal fortune. She had been very supportive around the time of Anna's pregnancy and Timmy's birth, despite being herself a new mother to George. Anna smiled at the cute video, and typed back: "Alright, great, we'll be there around 3. Kudos to George!". Timmy wasn't much of a napper any more anyway, so she would ride to Mary's straight after lunch with the Carsons. She let out a relieved sigh when she closed her flat's door behind her, let her backpack fall on the floor and headed straight to the shower.

x x x x

In another part of York, John Bates was finishing getting ready for his last day of work before the holiday break. While the touristic part of Downton Estate stayed open during Christmas time, the administrative services, in which he worked as an accountant, closed for a week between Christmas and New Year. While he was washing his breakfast dishes, John had his phone ear-set in his ears and discussed with his mother:

- Yes, Ma', I'll be there on Christmas Eve, as I promised you. What about Christmas Day, do you want me to come too?

- No, I'm meeting some friends for Christmas lunch. But you, what plans do you have?

- Well, Rob and Cora Crawley have invited me over for Christmas lunch, so don't worry, I'll be fed and watered.

Margaret Bates chuckled at the other end of the line. John asked:

- Who are you meeting then?

- Oh just Edna and Rose, we're going to a concert.

- Oh? What kind of concert?

- Scottish music.

- Oh, right. I should have known, teased John.

Margaret Bates held a deep passion for her home country of Scotland, although she had lived in York for about fifty years now.

- Hey, asked John, did you get your flu shot this year?

- Of course I did, more than a month ago! My GP and my cardio wouldn't let me walk in peace if I hadn't, what with my heart issues and all.

- Alright, good. I thought so, but I just wanted to be sure. So, Ma', sorry but I have to go to work. See you the day after tomorrow.

- Fine, m'boy, replied Margaret. Have a good day. I love you.

- I love you too Ma'.

John smiled as he hung up the phone. He had always been close to his mother, and they had been even more so since he had finally divorced his wife of ten years, Vera, five years ago, and his mother had been there for him, patiently helping him to pick up the pieces of his heart, without judgement. Since then, she regularly hinted that he should go out more and find himself a nice girl, because she would quite like to be a grandmother one day. But John had been rather marked by his bad experience with Vera, and didn't feel at all up to taking some risks with his heart again.

x x x x

At half past noon, Anna was riding her way to the Carsons' house. Bicycle riding was one of her favourite activities. Living in the city, not far from the hospital, Timmy's preschool, the Carsons' and Mary's houses, virtually all her daily travels were done cycling. She didn't mind the English weather, as she had a wide collection of riding outfits for every weather. On her days off, she would often take Timmy on longer rides, in a bike trailer, or, now that he was a bit older, on a ride-along bike. It was also a way for her to get enough daily exercise, in a hectic life that didn't allow her much time to go to the gym. After a fifteen minutes ride, her cheeks were bright red but she felt wide awake when she parked her bike in the Carsons' garage. She knocked and entered the house without waiting for an answer.

- Hey there! she called out in the hallway.

Immediately, she heard little feet running towards her, and Timmy threw himself in her arms.

- Mummy! yelled the little boy.

- Hello sweetheart! she said, taking him into a close hug. Were you good to Charlie and Elsie this morning?

- Yes! said the boy, beaming. I did cooking with Elsie!

- Oh, nice! praised Anna. And it smells very good! Come on and show me what you have cooked!

Timmy took her hand and dragged her to the kitchen, where Elsie Carson was finishing to wrap up lunch.

- Hi Auntie Elsie, said Anna.

- Hello dear, replied the older woman, with her light Scottish lilt.

The two women hugged each other.

- Did everything go well with Timmy last night?

- Perfect! He's a darling boy, that one, cheered Elsie.

- Where's Uncle Charlie? asked Anna.

- Oh, he's gone out this morning, met his friends from the bridge club. Although I expect he'll be back any minute now. He knows better than to be late for lunch!

Anna chuckled. For five years now, since Anna had fallen out with her own parents, Charles and Elsie Carson had acted as some kind of foster parents to her, and grand-parents to Timmy. She sometimes felt bad putting that weight on them, just when they could finally rest in their early years of retirement, but they kept repeating her that they were thrilled to look after the little boy. They had no children of their own.

Just as Elsie had predicted, a few minutes later, Anna heard the front door open, and Charles's voice booming:

- So, my girl, how has the hospital been treating you last night?

- Fine, fine, Uncle Charlie, answered Anna.

- So, let's sit down for lunch before my roast-beef gets burnt, called Elsie from the kitchen.

When they were all seated in front of a well-garnished plate, conversation started flowing again.

- So, Anna, as a critical care doctor, what do you think of these reports from China, what do they call it, "Coronovirus"?

- Coronavirus… sighed Anna. Well, not much right now… I searched the medical journals a bit, but there really isn't much reliable information available at the moment. It might become something of a worry though. We'll have to see how it goes.

- Hey, what if we talked about something happier, suggested Elsie. Like, Christmas perhaps, she added, eyeing at Timmy.

- Yay! I wanna stay awake all night and see Santa!

Anna laughed at her son's eagerness. She didn't know yet what the future had in store for them, but she did intend to make the most of the next week with Timmy and all the people she loved.

So? What do you think? Wanna know more?