Part Two

24 Hours Earlier

Connie Beauchamp strode into the operating theatre bang on time. She looked quickly around the table, taking in her assistants for the next few hours. Noticing a gaping hole directly across from her she commented on her registrar's tardiness.

"Well we cannot work without a full team, if Mr Curtis is not with us in 5 minutes call the…"

Her tirade was broken off by the sound of Will running into the theatre, heading straight for the scrub room and making a hasty start on sanitising himself ready for the operation.

"Ah, Mr Curtis, there you are. I'm so pleased you managed to join us today. Nice lie in was it?"

Will Curtis walked into the theatre sheepishly, battling with a pair of surgical gloves that his fingers appeared not to want to be in. He rushed around to the opposite side of the table to Connie and mumbled an apology.

Connie made the first incision into the young man's leg, in what was probably considered to be a vain and futile attempt at a miracle. This man was clearly in no fit state to be able to walk again for a very long time, if ever, but Connie Beauchamp felt it her obligation and duty to at least try and help. As she always did.

"So Will" she drawled, smiling broadly beneath her surgical mask as she teased him mercilessly. It was her way of passing the time during lengthy operations she knew weren't likely to have a positive outcome. "Which excuse will it be this time I wonder. Can't be the kids they should have been in bed hours ago, the wife as well. How about traffic?" she raised her eyebrow questioningly and let out a gentle laugh. "No, of course not" she shook her head. "Middle of the night isn't it, can't be that much on the roads at this time. So come on Will, astound me."

Will's face flushed a deep red as he carried on staring down at the open incision before him. "Stuff to do" he muttered into his surgical mask, his words barely audible between the monitors beeping furiously. "Not like I was an hour late, it was barely five minutes."

Connie shook her head once again in disbelief at her registrar's audacity. If she could make it on time, under no-one else's command, surely Will could find it within himself to watch out on his timekeeping.

"Right then, once we're done here I'll see you in my office straight away. I don't care if you've got somewhere else to be, this takes priority." The steely edge in her voice took no prisoners and Will knew that she meant business.

The theatre fell silent for the rest of the operation. The only words echoing around the theatre were requests for equipment and commands from Connie. Her authority over the staff was clear, even to the unfamiliar nurse who appeared half way through to ask if there was any news, as the relatives were becoming restless.

She was banished from the theatre with nothing more than a sharp "No" from Connie and a sympathetic smile from Will as she left. Then back to work without giving the poor girl a second's thought as she scurried sheepishly back to the ward to try and console the relatives.

When the operation was finished Connie showered and changed and headed back to her office. She had a few hours to type up her remaining paperwork then she was off-shift and the rest of the day was hers. She ran her hands through her hair and set about typing up the notes from the operation.

A sharp rap on the door awoken her from the trance she had slipped into whilst ploughing through the papers. She put her pen down and sat back in the chair, calling out for Will to enter the room.

"Connie, it was two a.m., I was five minutes late and I'm sorry. It won't happen again I promise."

His apologies were futile as Connie' face paled into her infamous stony glare. She looked at him, her gaze unfaltering for a few moments as she debated what her reply should be. She flashed him one of her dazzling smiles as she rose to her feet. She shut the door behind him and sat back down behind her desk. Will noticed how perfect everything was in her office. Her files in a perfect pile, pens in perfect order by the files, her perfect suit, perfect hair and perfect teeth as she smiled. Her whole life was so perfect. Apart from him.

"It's not good enough Will. It's just not good enough. That man could have lost his leg, or worst case scenario he could have died had you not been there."

"It wasn't that bad" Will countered. "It was just a case of starting a little late."

Connie scowled, shocked at his daring once again. She was his senior; he was not supposed to talk to her in that way.

"Get out!" she spat the words at him, her face set into a frown he hadn't witnessed before. This time, Will was certain, she meant business. He hung his head and apologised once again, walking out of her office without shutting the door behind him. Connie watched him round the corner and set off down the corridor, his shoulders low.

18 Hours Earlier

Lois sat in Clark's office, her feet flung across his desk and she browsed the web using his personal computer. He was out on a shout and had left her at the office to amuse herself until she was needed. It was a straightforward burglary and her presence was not required until Clark got back to the station to write up the details. Thus she was making herself comfortable whilst looking for her perfect holiday. She didn't get much time off from the service but when she did, she wanted to holiday in style. Her boyfriend wasn't serious enough to take away with her, that was providing they were even together four months down the line when she was due her annual leave.

She'd about decided on St. Lucia when Clark stormed back in. His face was stony as she'd ever seen it. She flicked her feet off of the desk and swivelled round in the chair to face him as he entered the room, slamming the door behind him. Lois muted the music blaring out of the speakers as Clark shot her a look.

"Waste of time and bloody police resources. They nicked her bloody pension book and an antique vase. She let the bastards in, they claimed to be salesmen."

He stalked around his office, flailing his arms from side to side for effect, his fingers splayed as he demonstrated his angst.

"I know it's not her fault but you'd have thought an elderly lady like that, especially because she's so bloody frail. Well you'd have thought she'd have been a bit more… oh I don't know. Vigilant? Security conscious? She was stupid. But of course I can't bloody say that can I? I have to be all nicey-nicey, all 'Oh yes Mrs Harper, yes we'll do our best to get your vase back… oh of course, great sentimental value'."

Lois sat and nodded respectfully, knowing better than to disagree with him or contradict his opinion when he was in a mood like this one. She avoided his gaze, preferring to look down at the floor, picking at the sleeves on her newly bought Ben Sherman shirt. Generally she stood up for herself and her morals, she thought that it was never the victims fault unless they were obvious asking for it, which this old lady wasn't. But she wasn't going to say that to Clark, she wasn't completely stupid.

As it happened, she was lucky and any further tirades from Clark were halted by the shrill ringing of the office phone. Clark flew across the room and snatched up the handset from its cradle seconds before Lois could reach over and pick it up.

"Fitzwilliam" he spat at the caller, his annoyance clearly not quite spent. He nodded silently into the phone as he took in what he was being told. A broad smile swept across his face as he replaced the handset and shoved his hands roughly into his pocket spinning around in a full 360 degree circle on the balls of his feet.

"Action stations Miss McCall. We've got a murder on our hands." He grinned despite the gravity of the situation, pleased to have what he considered to be 'proper policing to do' for once.