So sorry this has been a while. Truth was, I lost all motivation, but I do aim to finish this story, it will just take me a bit longer than what I originally expected it too. So, can I ask you all to please be patient with me? I promise all the prompts will get down as well, it will just take me some time.

Rated T for a tiny bit of swearing, near the end of the chapter.

is - There - Somewhere- x: Thank you for the review, I miss Jessica as well.


The Secret Life Of Casualty.

Chapter 303.

Zoe checked she had everything she needed to met Rita, before she grabbed her jacket and left the flat, locking up behind her. She unlocked her car and got comfortable behind the wheel, before putting her keys in to the ignition and driving off. The café was only a short distance away so it didn't take long for Zoe to get there and soon she had arrived, unbuckling her belt and opened the door.

Zoe stood by her car, lighting a cig, and taking a drag while she waited for her old friend.

Zoe dropped the ciggie, crushing it under her heel, as she heard a bubbly voice call out.

"Hiya Zoe" Rita said as she stood near her.

"Rita" Zoe replied as she hugged her friend. The two of them walked in to the cafe and sat down at one of the wooden tables which were decorated with

"There's something else isn't there?" Rita asked.

"Yeah" Zoe nodded. "A friend has returned to the ED, but she's acting strange"

"What's her name?" Rita asked, tapping her nails on the table.

"Jessica Harrison. "

"How is Jessica being strange?"

"She's locking Lily and Ethan in cupboards, disappearing in the middle of her shift. " Zoe paused, "But she was involved in a serious accident a few years ago, "

"This accident could be why she's changed, " Rita said, knowing from her alcohol issues from when she worked in the ED: she'd turn up late, having scrubbed her teeth in a bid to get the smell of alcohol off her breath, she'd lash out at Ash, Zoe, Tess, whenever they attempted to ask her about her it. Or lock herself away in her office, she was now working in a hospital, just outside Holby, as a staff nurse.

"No, it's more than that, she came to see the ED while visiting her estranged husband and she seemed fine then" Zoe replied, getting her phone out and loading up the internet. She typed in a few words, before handing Rita her phone. On the phone was an article.

Baby Dies In Ice Horror.

"A 9 - month- old - baby, named as Harry, has, died in a car crash. It was a special day for the family, as it was the babies parents wedding, but it soon turned in to a nightmare. The child's father, who was driving the car, swerved to avoid another vehicle, but he lost control and they landed on to ice. Remaining trapped for a few minutes, they realised they had to start getting out. They freed the nurses older children from the vehicle, before Adam tried to help his wife, who was holding their child. But the movement caused the doors to jam and the ice to crack. "

"The car sunk in to the ice, as water began filling up the car as the child's father tried desperately to free his wife and child. He surfaced to the water first, only to be worried about his wife, who was trapped under the water. He managed to find her. Before diving back under for their son. Once their son was found, mother and baby were rushed to hospital.

The couple's baby is said to be improving well, but just as Adam thought all was well, tragedy struck as his son suffered a cardiac arrest, and despite attempts to revive him, he couldn't be saved. "

Jessica is currently lying unconscious in hospital, in a coma, unaware her son has died. "

Rita put her hand to her mouth as she read the article, her eyes widening as she read the rest of the article.

"How old is Jessica?" Rita asked as she handed Zoe her phone back.

"A year older than me" Zoe replied, taking her phone back.

"Well, maybe it looks like her, but it can't be, " Smiled Rita, wanting to put her friend at ease.

Zoe nodded, thinking about this, then she looked at her watch. "I better get back, Rita, I want to check on Lily, "

Rita nodded, standing up as well as she hugged Zoe, before getting her bag and following her. "It was nice to see you. "

"You too" Zoe replied, whistling to herself as she made her way to her car, getting inside, and putting the keys in the ignition.


Doctors were removing Lily's ventilator, when Zoe was walking by, not wanting to disturb them, she headed to her office and logged on to her computer, maybe she could sort through some emails? Dumping her bag on the floor, she pressed the button on the computer, waiting for it to load up.

Zoe clicked on the internet icon and waited for it to load up. She typed her friends name in to the search bar, to see if she could find anything, but all she could find was articles on the accident that had left Jessica fighting for her life.

Hang on, there was an article she hadn't seen before. Curiousity taking over her, she double clicked on the title.

Mother Confuses Dementia Sufferer.

"Emma Barton, the mother of three grown lads, has confused a man, who is suffering from dementia, in a desperate bid to hide her secret. She began talking about her husbands funeral, only to switch topics, leaving the distressed man in tears. Zoe felt sick reading that, dementia was a cruel disease, She forced herself to read on.

"Emma thought she had got away with it, when Ashley's wife, Laurel Thomas, returned, and Emma left, but unknown to her, Ashley's camcorder, recorded her confessing everything"

The picture at the bottom looked like Jessica, but just a little bit older, like Rita had said. Printing off the article so she could have a proper read, she folded it and put it in her bag. She then decided to go and see Lily. She walked down the corridor, and knocked on the door, waiting to be invited in. With a nod of Lily's head, Zoe walked in.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I-I - I'm fine, Dr. Hanna"

Seeing a glass and a jug on the side, Zoe poured her colleague a glass of water and helped her to drink it.

"Thanks Dr. Hanna, " Lily whispered, reaching up to grab the glass, but struggling due to the IV in her arm.

"There was someone there, " Lily whispered after having a sip.

"Who?" Zoe was curious to hear.

"Jessica" Lily replied, before she closed her eyes.

Zoe left Lily to rest, before groaning. This was getting complicated. She knew what she needed to do. Getting her phone out of her office, she leaned back in her chair as she sent a text to her friend.

"Jess, can we talk?"

"OK" Jessica responded to the message, knowing exactly what Zoe wanted to talk to her about. Heading to the bedroom, she grabbed a large bag and started to put items such as clothes, make up, toiletries. she walked around the room, putting other items in to the bag, before leaving the flat and ordering a taxi.

Parking in the only avabaile place on the estate, Zoe cut the engine and got out of her car. She ran up the stairs in the building and then she walked across the balcony until she came to Jessica's flat.

"Jess, it's Zoe. " she said as she knelt down and spoke through the letterbox. "Jess, are you there?"

All, she could see was darkness as she listened out for a response.

Jessica was gone.

Zoe was torn: She should feel concerned for her friend, but yet running away, proved her guilt, didn't it?

Zoe grabbed her phone out of her bag and dialled 999, and when the call connected, she said two small words. "Police, please" She knew making this phone call could ruin her friendship with Jess, but it had to done, she could repair the damage later, that's if Jessica wanted to be helped. Zoe brought herself a coffee in a café while she waited for the police. She sat down at one of the tables, overlooking the window, which led on to on the street, she could see a gang of mem and a man, in a black lather jacket, who looked to be like Cal. He was appearing to be arguing with some guys, over what, she didn't know, but then she saw, one of the other guys get a blade out of his pocket and stick it in to Cal, who stumbled, before he fell. Abandoning her coffee, she ran out.

The police would just have to wait. She had other priority's at the moment and that one was to save Cal's life.

Cal was muttering something that Zoe couldn't make out.

"H-hurts" Cal muttered, breathing faintly.

Zoe could only imagine it would. "I know Cal. " She replied, grabbing her phone and calling an ambulance. As she finished her call, her hand reached out ton hold Cal's which was now going cold. She quickly looked around for something she could use to stem the bleed and then she realised she was wearing it. Her leather jacket, it had cost her a fortune, and the blood might not come out in the wash. but she had to try to save Cal's life. The knife was imbedded in his side, she knew that if she tried to pull it out, she'd cause him to bleed out more and possible pain. He would have to be taken up to surgery to have it removed.

If Cal died, Ethan's life would be ruined and Ethan would have to live with the guilt of not seeing his brothers last moments. She wished that ambulance would hurry up, as she looked down at Cal, she could see that he was shivering, it wouldn't do him any good.

"Come on" She muttered, as she could see him loosing concentration, she also knew that, that wasn't a good sign.

She heard sirens in the distance and breathed a sigh of relief, the ambulance was finally on it's way,

"Doctor Hanna?" Someone asked.

"Yes?" Zoe looked up.

"We are hear to talk to you about your call earlier." The female

Shit. Zoe thought as she looked up at the two officers, one was male, quite tall, and the female was quite short, similar to Zoe in hair style, expect the policewoman's hair was tied up in a pony, so it could fit under her hat.

"Where is she?" The policewoman asked.

Zoe shrugged; she didn't have a clue where Jessica was, she guessed the woman was hiding out some where, but she wouldn't know where to start looking for her.

"There she is. " Zoe said as she spotted Jessica trying to escape. The officers crossed the road and as they approached her.

"Jessica Harrison, I'm arresting you on the murder of James Barton"

Jessica looked at Zoe and then at the police people as the female approached her with a set of handcuffs. In a bid to struggle, Jessica wildly began to move her arms, only to punch the policewoman in the face, she gasped as blood poured from her nose. The policeman seized Jessica from behind and dragged her towards the car as Zoe looked at her, she was shocked that Jess could do that. But when people were upset they made rash decisions sometimes. Zoe had made a few of them in her time. As the door was opened, she was thrown in and the policeman drove away, as did the ambulance, leaving Zoe standing there: Who did she go with? Her friend, or her colleague?


Thanks for reading. Apologises for the long chapter, i guess that's what happens when I don't update in a while. I hope you enjoyed reading about Rita's small return, I enjoyed writing it.

I'm not finished with this story, but it'll be my last update for a while.

Next chapter: As Cal fights for his life, Ethan is distraught at the possibility he will lose his brother, and as Jessica sits in a police cell, she's distraught, as the police accuse her of murder.