Hi Guys! Sorry I haven't been updating nearly as often as I should. From now on, I'll try to update at least once a week, if not more.

Sunny, thanks again for your kind words and encouragement - they mean so much!

Kate x

Susan was already sat in a booth when Mark arrived at Doc's. He scanned the room for a few moments before he noticed her smiling at him, and a huge sense of relief swept over him when he spotted her: he hadn't seen her all morning and he was half expecting her to have been caught up in a trauma or snowed under with a huge backlog of patients. He rarely allowed himself to dwell on how attractive she was, but he couldn't help noticing that she looked radiant in the natural light of the window seat.

'So, what's new in the world of ankle sprains?' quipped Mark after a polite but slightly awkward-feeling exchange of 'Hi'.

'Er, well this morning's case had a very odd side-effect that I had never encountered before. I'll have to look it up, perhaps do a research study…'

'Really?' Mark grinned.

'Yes. I think the swelling in the ankle must have somehow travelled up to the brain, cos the very cute guy attached to the ankle asked me out'.

'Oh' Mark stopped grinning. 'And did you say yes?'

'Only in the interest of medical research, you understand'.

Mark laughed, but inside he could n't help feeling jealous. He knew it was preposterous - he was happily married, and they had only ever been friends - but he put it down to the fact that, as a friend, he wanted to protect her.

'So who is this guy?' he kept his tone light-hearted but he knew his question was serious.

'Mark, I was joking! Honestly, you're as bad as the nurses if you think I'm desperate enough to go out with a patient!' Susan laughed at Mark's gullibility. Usually he was very quick to pick up on her dry humour, but recently they had become out of sync with each other.

He should've known. Patients were always asking her out, but she had never accepted before and he didn't know why he had thought she would now. Who did he think she was - Doug? Relieved, he tried to change the subject.

'Well why wouldn't you? You're not dating anyone right now, are you?'

'Oh, so you did hear about me and Adam splitting up, you just didn't say anything?'

'Well since you never bothered to mention the two of you were an item in the first place, I didn't think you'd want me butting in'

'You know you're right Mark, my love life is really none of your business. In fact lately, nothing I do is any of your business. I'll see you at work'. As Susan got up and left, she knew that when the anger had passed she would be left with nothing but regret about what had just happened, but in that moment all she could feel for Mark was hate. She hated his superior attitude, the way that because he had a perfect marriage he felt he could tell her what to do in her personal life just as he could tell her what to do at work. She hated the way he always took the moral high ground with her, the way he expected her to listen to his problems but practically ignored her when things were going well with Jen.

As he sat in the booth, Mark couldn't believe what had just happened. How could she not understand that he had needed time this summer to work on his marriage, and now that they were finally back on track he was prepared to listen to her dating dilemmas? Keeping his distance from her had been essential - Jen had seen how close their relationship was and needed reassurance that he wasn't interested in her romantically. Of course, deep down they both knew that that wasn't true - anyone watching Mark and Susan together could see how much he felt for her, and it had been obvious to Jen, but the topic was never discussed. She was a taboo in their relationship, and Mark had learnt not to mention Susan to Jen the only way he knew how - by avoiding her. But now Jen was reassured, and Mark was keen to be a friend to Susan again; after all, in his heart, he loved her. And everybody knew it.

Back in the lounge, Doug sat in silence and stared at the TV. He didn't notice what was on; it didn't matter, as he wasn't really watching. He was just relishing a moment's peace after a hectic morning and a sleepless night. The sound was turned off and all he could hear was the sound his own breathing, gently getting louder. His eyes began to feel heavy, and he allowed his head to fall back onto the couch as he finally succumbed and closed his eyes…

BANG! Susan burst into the lounge, jolting Doug from his semi-conscious state.

'Whoa! What happened to you?' he asked, now fully alert and feeling the effects of the adrenaline subsequently pumping through his veins.

'That asshole in charge' she replied, opening the fridge and rifling through it for something to eat.

'I didn't think Weaver was on today'

'She isn't. I was referring to God's own attending'.

'You mean Saint Mark? What has he done to upset the mortals this time?'

'Nothing that getting to personally remove the stick from his ass wouldn't fix'.

Doug chuckled at this last comment. Surprised as he was by Susan's sudden dislike of Mark, he couldn't help feeling secretly pleased that another of Mark's friends was getting cheesed off with his holier-than-thou attitude.

'Where the hell is my salad?'

'Was it the one in the blue tub?'

'Yeah, have you seen it?'

'I saw it yesterday when Weaver threw it out'.

'What? Who the hell does she think she is?'

'Well it did have a red sticker on it'.

'A what?'

'It's the new fridge system. Every day everything in the fridge is stickered with the right colour. If it's not gone the next day, in goes in the trash'.

Susan was lost for words. Today had started out so well, but between the guy in three who was hot but kind of creepy, Mark being a jerk and Weaver depriving her of food, she was exasperated.

'The canteen's still open. If you want I'll shout you some lunch'

'I won't be very good company'

'That makes two of us. Lets just make a rule - no talking about what a crappy day we're having'

'Deal'.

As the pair left the lounge Mark returned to the department. Seeing his two closest friends, whom he had both argued with today, smiling together as they headed upstairs only made him feel worse. A pang of jealousy swept over him as he watched them: Doug had said something and they were both giggling. Suddenly Mark realised that he was losing both of them, and he resolved to do something about it before the end of his shift.