Hello! Hope I am not spoiling you too much (or irritating you too much) with two updates in the same year, but don't get too excited (or depressed) cos I have a very busy week ahead so will not be able to update til Friday night (GMT) at the very earliest.

Sunny, I am still loving your work and am absolutely desperate for an update - it's fabulous! Thank you ever so much for your kind words. And to George-Julianna-Fan1, I am glad that you mentioned Carol because I had, in my haste to update, forgotten that she existed. Ooops! Am currently debating whether to make Carol appear in the background like some sort of where's-Wally type game. Or maybe not. Either way, the question of her whereabouts will be resolved in my next update. Again, thanks for reading

Kate x

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'…and for you, Dr.Lewis, a very special case indeed'. Jerry gave Susan a knowing wink as he handed her a chart from the rack, but the bewildered look on her face displayed a complete lack of comprehension as she glanced over the chart.

'What's special about an ankle sprain?' she said, confused.

'Nothing, but the person attached to the ankle is of particular interest to you, or so I am told – for obvious reasons, I'm no expert on the matter'.

She looked at the name again. Josh Cooke. Who? It really wasn't ringing any bells.

'What he's trying to tell you is that this guy is really hot' explained Lydia as she hurried by the admit desk with some supplies.

'You really have to stop talking about me like that – I'm a married man!' quipped Mark as he arrived for his shift and stood next to Susan, who rolled her eyes and groaned at the cheesiness of it all.

'Who are they trying to set you up with now?' Mark asked.

'Some guy in three. I mean, as if I'm that desperate that I'd go out with a patient. Please!' her tone was light-hearted and lacked any genuine embarrassment – as a County doctor, she was used to her love life (or lack of one) being a topic of general discussion.

'OK then, looks like the hot guy in three just became my first patient of the day' Mark said, grabbing the chart from Susan.

'I never said I wasn't interested…from a purely professional perspective, of course' she replied, snatching the chart back.

'I never knew you held such a keen interest in ankle sprains' he retorted.

'There's plenty you don't know about me' she teased as she headed off to examine the patient.

'Lunch across the street at one? Maybe you could enlighten me'.

She spun round and answered just before she disappeared into the exam room, 'Maybe they'll be a whole new chapter in my knowledge of ankle injuries by then. Or my love life' she gave him a cheeky smile and then the door swung shut behind her. He had been in work for three minutes but she had already brightened his morning and given him something to look forwards to at lunch besides paperwork. Perhaps this would be the chance to re-ignite their friendship that he had been looking for. He was still grinning when Doug appeared next to him at the desk.

'What' said Doug.

'Nothing' replied Mark.

'You're face is contorted into an odd expression. I'll have to look it up in one of the journals but on initial analysis my diagnosis would have to be that it's a disorder from the olden days called a 'smile' which, as you know, is forbidden in this hospital, especially at this ungodly hour of the morning. So what gives?'.

'Can't I just be happy?'

'Not without making me sick'.

'Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine today – what's up?'. Mark quickly changed the subject, relieved that Doug had accepted that domestic bliss was the reason behind his unabating cheeriness, and Doug was only too happy to be talking about his favourite subject – Doug.

'I frittered away a vast sum of my hard-earned cash on tickets for Amy and I to go to a charity ball tonight, but she's left me. And she's left town.' Doug's tone was sarcastic – he was clearly more concerned by the waste of money than splitting up with his latest girlfriend.

'Can't you just ask someone else?'. Mark was trying to be helpful, but he knew that of all people Doug wouldn't find it difficult to find another date – his little black book was thicker than War and Peace.

'I was meeting her there straight after work and I really don't want to take someone I've been out with before – it's a big occasion, y'know - they might get the wrong impression'.

'What, that you actually care about them?' Mark blurted out unthinkingly. He instantly repremanded himself for being so blunt.

'Gee, thanks Mark. You really know how to cheer people up. No wonder Susan didn't want to talk to you when she was going through a rough patch' Doug knew he was being spiteful but it was his first reaction. Doug's womanising was often a topic of their banter but he had been hurt by Mark's last comment, and although he knew it was a low blow to undermine Mark's relationship with Susan, he also knew that it would achieve the desired effect.

As Doug stormed off to the lounge, the smile of a few minutes earlier had been completely wiped from Mark's face. Sullenly, he grabbed a chart and headed off to work.