I do not own the show and I know nothing about working in hospital. I am copying any hospital scenes from Holby City.

Thanks to Debbie and Steph for their help and editing this.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed – here is a little Bank Holiday treat for you!

So when will Molly and Charles meet? There is a time jump – three years to be precise and in case you are wondering on their ages – Molly is 27 and Charles is 29.

Enjoy….

Three years later

"Are we all ready for nursery Sam?" Molly asked her three-year-old son as she finished packing his small backpack.

She watched as he stood in the middle of his bedroom and frowned looking around him, smiling when he saw his favourite teddy bear sitting on the bed beside her.

"Howie!" he giggled as he covered his mouth.

Molly smiled, where had the last three years gone? One minute he was a tiny baby and now here he was standing in front of her, taller than most three-year olds. He was the double of his father with his thick brown hair and deep brown eyes. Even now, Molly still hated the fact that his dad had no idea that he had such a beautiful, smart, sweet and lovable little boy. He had started to ask about his dad in the past few weeks, he could see other kids with their dads at nursery and playing together in the park and he started to ask the question that Molly knew was going to come eventually.

Last night, after reading his traditional bedtime story he had asked again, and Molly carefully explained that his dad was in the army and was helping to keep other people less fortunate than him safe. It wasn't exactly a lie, but Sam seemed to accept it and he now thought his dad was a superhero. Molly bit back a giggle at the image she now had, of Charles in his army uniform complete with a superhero cape.

She was still living in the same house close to the hospital with Dan and Jac. Her two best friends, who also happened to be dating. If it hadn't been for them, she would have been lost, between helping with rent and looking after Sam whilst she worked as a nurse on a surgical ward. It was a role she loved, and she was currently working four days a week, but she knew that was something she was going to have to re-think once Sam started primary school next year. She had a feeling that something was going on between Jac and Dan, there had been a lot of hushed conversations between them over the last few days and Molly hoped that everything was okay.

Molly was broken from her thoughts as Sam bounced across the room towards her and grabbed Howie from the bed and into his arms - his real name was Howard, but Sam's pronunciation sounded more like Howie and it had stuck.

"We ready now mummy!" Sam grinned as he lifted his small backpack.

Molly laughed as she stood up and took Sam's hand "I think we've forgotten something," she frowned. "What are you doing today in nursery?"

Sam frowned as he stood at the top of the stairs and then stared at her "Teddy bears picnic!"

"That's right," Molly said as they walked down the stairs together "And what do we do for teddy bear picnics?"

"Howie eats lots and lots of cookies mummy!" Sam giggled.

"He does," Molly smiled as she heard Jac and Dan whispering again in the kitchen "But there's something else…"

"Cookies!" Sam shouted as he ran into the kitchen and Molly laughed. How she wished she had the energy of a three-year-old. She'd been working until seven last night, came home, got Sam bathed and into bed and once he was sleeping then the baking had started. When the nursery had a teddy bear picnic they pulled out all the stops and took the children to the park and found a quiet area to have the party. Each parent was asked to provide something, and Molly always provided the cookies, she never cheated by buying them from the supermarket, she always baked them herself, with thanks to a recipe from Dan. She had been up to midnight making enough cookies for sixteen children, staff from the day nursery, and not to mention those she needed for the staff room at the hospital as well as their cookie jar in the kitchen cupboard.

Molly followed Sam into the room and lifted the container full of cookies and set them on the counter beside his backpack for nursery.

"Morning trouble!" Jac greeted Sam as he climbed up onto his own special chair, where he drank his juice that Jac had poured for him and smiled as Dan poured milk over his cereal.

Molly smiled at the fuss they always made of Sam, this morning was no different except there was definitely some tension in the air. She had her suspicions about what was going on and now she just wanted it confirmed.

"Dan, Jac can I have a word please?" Molly asked them after they'd finished making Sam's breakfast. Molly nodded her head towards the living room and watched as the couple walked out past her. She walked over and ruffled Sam's hair, "Be back in a minute mate, now eat all your cereal."

"Yes mummy!" Sam replied with a mouthful of coco pops.

Molly walked into the other room and saw just how nervous Jac and Dan where.

"Everything okay Molls?" Jac asked her as she stood beside her boyfriend and scratched her neck.

"You tell me?" Molly asked. "You've been whispering to each other for days now and you could cut the tension in there with a knife."

Jac and Dan looked at each other and then held hands, somehow Molly knew what was coming when she saw the grins on their faces.

"Hang on a minute!" Molly smiled as she pointed to their joined hands. "What are you not telling me?"

"Dan asked me to marry him and I said yes!" Jac squealed as she started to bounce with excitement.

"That's fantastic!" Molly smiled, genuinely happy for her two friends. "But why the secrecy?"

"We didn't know how you'd react," Dan replied quietly.

"Why would I be sad about you two getting hitched?"

"Well, we're going to have to move out," Jac said quietly.

"Once we're married off course," Dan said quickly. He didn't want to alarm Molly too much. He knew it would be a lot to take in. "In fact, we've already found our dream house, well it will be once we've fixed it up."

"It needs a lot of work, so it'll probably be a while before we're in," Jac explained quickly.

"I'm going to move in once it's liveable," Dan said quickly

"And I'll still be here until the wedding," Jac said as they grasped hands again. "We still intend to help you with Sam, just in our own place."

"I still don't understand why you think I would be angry or upset," Molly asked again.

"Well, it's going to make things harder for you," Jac tried to explain only to be cut off by her best friend waving her arm in the air.

"You stupid pair of prannets, I, we will be fine! Sam will be starting school next year, so my hours are going to be changing, Kate is already trying to talk me into going full time again. Come here!" Molly smiled as they all joined for a group hug to celebrate the good news before Jac proudly showed off her engagement ring.

An hour later and Jac watched as Molly said goodbye to Sam at the day nursery and handed over the cookies for the picnic. There was the kiss goodbye before she ruffled his hair, walked out of the pre-school room and hung his coat and small backpack on his coat hook.

"Are you sure Dan is okay to pick him up tonight?"

"For the hundredth time, yes, I think he's planning on trying to introduce him to the rules of football, while we're slaving away on double shifts," Jac replied as they left the building and made the short walk to the hospital.

"At least you're working with people you know," Molly sighed "There's me and Kate and the ward receptionist on today, everyone else is either a locum or from an agency. I'm the only experienced surgical nurse on today."

"Well until I arrive for the second shift, then it's every person for themselves!" Jac smiled "It makes a change for surgical wards asking for staff from casualty to cover, it's usually the other way around."

"The stomach bug from hell is doing the rounds, I'm still not a hundred percent yet and that's a week later."

"Oh, did Bryce not offer to wipe your brow, kiss you and make you feel better?" Jac smirked, knowing the answer right away. To say she didn't like Molly's boyfriend would be an understatement.

"You are kidding Jac? He came nowhere near me last week as he didn't want my germs," Molly replied, "I'm surprised he even agreed to see me last night."

"Let me guess, he asked you to choose but you had to go where he wanted to eat?"

"Indian. Again. Or in my case plain naan bread and boiled rice," Molly replied in a dry tone. "But I did it. I dumped him."

Jac stopped walking and looked at her friend, grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her forehead.

"Thank Christ!" Jac yelled "Did he listen to you this time, you've tried to dump him before, and he talked you around?"

"Oh, he tried to control me, but I stood firm and he accepted it in the end," Molly explained. Dr Bryce Foster was a junior surgeon on an exchange visit from Boston. He came from a family of surgeons, to say that he had an ego and god complex was an understatement. He had flirted with Molly from the moment he arrived a year ago and it took a while for Molly to respond until she decided it was time to have some fun again.

Jac frowned. "How did you manage that?"

"He told me he's returning to Boston in the next few months and implied that he wanted me and Sam to join him," Molly explained as she relived the argument from the previous night. "I told him no straight away, which he refused to accept until I pointed out that his rich parents wouldn't exactly be overjoyed at him dating a common English girl with a kid."

"Good for you," Jac smiled "I never liked him. Granted he was better than Artan but even so, everything had to be what he wanted, when he wanted it. He was never willing to compromise."

"Tell me about it, but he was the only guy who wanted to date me after they found out about Sam. I really know how to pick a bloke."

"At least the sex was good," Jac remarked as they stopped at a coffee stand and they both ordered double espressos. She once hated the stuff, but combining work and motherhood she needed at least one shot of caffeine on a daily basis.

Molly scoffed as Jac glared at her "What? It was good in the beginning but that was something he liked to control, as in, when he wanted it, how he wanted it, I just lay there and made the right noises."

"Jesus Molly, you deserve better than that. I'll be glad once that poncy yank is away back where he belongs."

"I think I'll just stay single," Molly sighed as she sipped her coffee "I'm tired of picking the wrong men who only care about what they want."

"Mr Right will arrive in your life when you least expect it, look at me and Dan!"

"True."

They walked in silence through the main entrance of the hospital and stood in the lobby.

"Are you going to be a bridezilla?" Molly joked "I just need to know so I can ask Kate to have some of the good drugs on standby."

"For you or me?"

"Both of us."

"I promise I won't go too overboard, besides the wedding will be ages away, Dan wants to get the house sorted first."

"Makes sense."

"Actually, I wanted to ask you something?" Jac asked Molly quietly.

"What? Is everything okay?"

"Oh yeah… nothing serious," Jac said as she cleared her throat "I'd just really love to have you as my maid of honour and Sam as my page boy, or maybe ring bearer?"

"Jac!" Molly smiled as she felt tears starting to form. "I would be honoured, and Sam will love it too!"

"So that's a yes then?"

"Too bloody right it is" Molly squealed as she pulled Jac's in for a hug

"Oh my god how cute is Sam going to look in tux!" Jac gushed as she hugged her best friend back.

"Adorable of course!" Molly smiled as she pictured him "But please promise me no pink and no frilly dresses!"

"Deal, you can pick your own!"

OGOGOGOGOG

Major Charles James stood in the middle of a field on Salisbury Plain and took a deep breath. It was good to be home, he thought as he finished the last remains of what had to be the weakest coffee he had suffered in years.

He was a coffee snob, he couldn't help it but there was no way he could've snuck in his precious Nespresso machine for a cup of his beloved Rosabaya coffee during this training exercise.

His parents were delighted that he was back home in England, after three years working in Special Forces and visiting nearly every conflict zone in the world, he had made the decision to return to the UK following his promotion to Major. Elvis had been disappointed that he wouldn't have his best mate to wind up on a regular basis, but he knew that Charles was starting to get homesick.

After the shambles of his marriage he knew he needed something to focus on, anything to take his mind off his private life and help him move on to something more positive. Elvis had been going on at him for years to try out Special Forces, so he applied, did some extra training and within three months he was on the squad. It had given him such an adrenaline rush on every job he was sent to, his mantra, stay safe, stay alert, stay alive had never been more important.

His divorce from Rebecca had been settled very quickly, with Rebecca surprisingly agreeing for Charles to keep the marital home in order for her to keep her inheritance. What she didn't know however was just how much that house had been worth and thanks to the extra work that had been done when they bought it, he got back a very nice sum indeed.

It was his last assignment in Syria that had made him re-evaluate his life. An attack on a school had killed many children and when they discovered that the bomber had been little more than a child himself, it had made Charles question everything in his life. He loved nothing more than living out of a bergen, but he missed calling somewhere home. Every time he got the call for a new assignment instead of feeling a. rush of adrenaline, he started to feel a rush of dread.

He wanted a home, he wanted to fall in love, marry again, become a father and he couldn't do that if he was in Special Forces. Not in his mind anyway.

He still thought of her, Molly, and still toyed with the idea of hiring someone to find her, but he knew that it would be next to impossible. He had been on dates since his divorce, but they came to nothing. A few dates and then something would annoy him, her laugh, her voice, her mannerisms. He quickly realised that they weren't her, they weren't Molly.

On his return to the UK, to his amazement, he was re-assigned back to two section. There had been few changes amongst the soldiers, and it felt good to be back with them. One of his first tasks on taking Command of the section again was to take them on a training exercise out on Salisbury Plain.

He looked at his watch, it was nearly time for the lazy buggers to be up and about, he poured the rest of the coffee on the ground and went about walking up the section and smiled at the moans and groans coming from the tents. They had only gone to sleep a few hours ago, but they needed to be battle ready at any time of the day sleep or no sleep.

The day and the exercise had gone to plan, and they were heading back to base when everything had started to go wrong. One minute they were going along as normal, they next there was a violent shake and seconds later Charles was flung into the corner of the tank as it rolled. He felt his leg snap seconds before he hit the wall of the tank. The pain shot through him like an arrow. He heard screaming from somewhere in the tank. He wasn't sure if it was coming from him or someone else in the section. His breathing quickened as he tried to work out what was happening and remain calm. But his head suddenly smashed against the wall of the tank and he felt like he was free falling through time and space. The lights danced across his eyes as he struggled to focus. His vision blurred and everything started to go black, then suddenly she was there. A vision, dancing across his eyes. Coming towards him, just out of reach.

"Molly" he croaked out, but there was no reply. After all these years, and only one night - one magical, perfect night - she, Molly, was the last thing he saw as the darkness descended and he lost consciousness.

OGOGOGOG

"Ten down, twelve more to go," Kate said as she approached the nurse's station and sat down beside Molly.

"Tell me about it," Molly replied as she sat back on the chair and stretched. "At least Jac will be up here within the hour. I swear if I get asked one more stupid question by those stupid agency nurses, I'm going to claw their eyes out."

"They asked me where the staff room was, as they have to take their breaks at a certain time," Kate yawned.

"Oh, they asked me that too, I refused to tell them, just gave them one of my charming glares."

"Have you had a break yet Molly? This is the first time today I've seen you sitting down."

"Probably because it is," Molly said as she finished the last of her charts. "I'm going to make use of the fact that the other nurses are actually working and I'm going for food and caffeine before I collapse. Do you want anything?"

"Chip butty, triple espresso," Kate replied standing up. "I'm going to lie down on one of the sofas in my office, the other one has your name on it."

"Sounds like a plan, be right back," Molly said as she practically ran out of the ward and down to the canteen. It wasn't that she didn't like the agency nurses, they were nice enough and were every bit as qualified as she was, she just didn't know them and for most of the day she'd felt as if she were standing in the middle of the ward directing traffic and telling them what to do.

Three patients had been discharged and another three admitted, intensive care was full, and they were running out of beds. There was one patient who could be discharged early if the situation arose, but Molly's mind was on one of the new admissions, a patient Molly recognised. Marie was the same age as her and had been a single mother with a little girl a year younger than Sam. She had met her prince and was living the fairy-tale when Marie had collapsed suddenly at home and was diagnosed with a brain tumour. At first the operation and treatment had been successful, but now just a few months later she had been admitted again. Molly had seen the look on Kate's face when she saw the admittance form, the cancer was back. It was going to be a difficult evening and night and Molly just wanted to make sure that everything was done right for the young woman.

Molly quickly got their food and caffeine,and was now relishing the fact she was sitting on the sofa in Kate's office enjoying the peace and quiet.

"You still have twenty minutes, why don't you close your eyes?" Kate suggested as she too lay down again.

"I will, I'm just texting Dan to remind him to collect Sam," Molly replied, smiling at the picture the nursery had sent to all parents of the picnic. "My cookies were the nuts apparently."

Kate groaned "I didn't have time to bake, I cheated and gave a donation instead."

Molly was about to reply when Jac opened the door to the office and stuck her head round.

"Oh, thank god, finally someone who knows what they're doing!"

"I take it you're pleased to see me Molls?" Jac smiled "Hey Kate, I mean Ms Devlin."

"Everything Molly just said," Kate replied as she lay down and closed her eyes.

"Jac can you start admitting a patient that has just come in, Marie, brain tumour in bed ten please?" Molly asked

"Of course, see you both soon!"

Jac left and started to do what Molly had asked. Ten minutes later the phone at the nurse's station rang, not the normal phone but the red phone. Well, it was actually white, but it was the one you had to answer immediately. By the time she'd finished taking notes Jac knew they were all in for a busy night.

She left the nurses station and knocked on the office door before entering.

"Red phone emergency." She knew exactly what to say to get both their attention and watched as they both opened their eyes and looked directly at her.

"Army training exercise on the moors. A tank has overturned, five with minor injuries heading into casualty now, two are being brought in now by air ambulance and are heading straight to theatre. First one five minutes out, compression injuries to chest and stomach, resuscitated twice on scene." Jac stated.

"Not mine," Kate replied as she stood up.

"Second patient, crush injuries to the leg and possible femoral artery, suspected head injury, lost consciousness for a while, not making much sense, resuscitated in helicopter, ten minutes out."

"That one is mine," Kate replied, "Molly, we're going to need a bed for him up here."

"On it," Molly said as she made her way to the door.

"Discharge the patient in bed four, and Jac move the patient from the special care room out to bed four. ITU is full and we're going to need it. Molly, I'll meet you in theatre."

"Yes Ms Devlin."

"So much for a quiet night," Jac sighed as she and Molly left the office

"Jac never say the q word on this ward. It's the kiss of death."

OGOGOOGOGOGOGOGOG

It had taken Molly longer than she would have liked to sort out the bed crisis on the ward, but the side room was now available for the injured soldier, once he was out of the operating theatre. She ran down to the theatres and saw Kate's name now on the board for the second operating room, she quickly walked in and got scrubbed up, she could see the operation from where she stood and knew instantly that Kate was unhappy.

Molly stood in front of the automatic door and walked over to the table. The patient, a man was completely covered in surgical drapes. Mr Patel, the orthopaedic surgeon was operating on his leg while Kate was just starting. A sheet covered the patient's face and all Molly could see was blood from where Kate had made the first incision.

"Sorry for the delay Ms Devlin," Molly said quietly as Kate handed her an instrument for her to hold.

"Good timing Nurse Dawes, I need your steady hand," Kate replied, "I take it we have a bed sorted for this man?"

"Finally," Molly replied.

"How? ITU is full and so is my ward," the other surgeon snapped.

"I have a bed available on my ward," Kate bit back "Now, can I please get started on my part to save this man's life?"

"The femoral artery had been nicked, it was a priority otherwise he would have bled to death," Mr Patel retorted. "I trust you can treat the infection on the leg once you are finished."

Kate just gave the man the death stare that Molly loved and had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing.

"Well let's hope your insistence on operating first was not in vain, Mr Patel," Kate replied "He has a fractured skull and goodness only knows what damage has been done to the cerebrum, you know, the part of the brain that controls speech, movement. Need I go on?"

"I'll be outside if you need me."

"Always a charming pleasure to work with that man," Kate replied dryly, to the amusement of the anaesthetist and other surgical staff. "Now can I have my choice of music please, I'm in the mood for some classic rock."

Several hours had past and Molly was standing in the same position doing exactly what Kate had asked of her. Everyone remarked on how good a team they were. She knew by looking at her friend and bosses' face that she was not happy as they started to close up.

"Everything okay?" Molly asked.

"Has his family been contacted?" Kate asked as she stepped away and let a junior start to close the wound.

"Yes, Jac was calling an army liaison officer when I left the ward," Molly replied as she looked at the clock on the wall.

"I've done all I can to help this man now, but I have a feeling he'll be back on my table before long. We need to do regular scans in case there are any more bleeds or clots start to form."

"Yes, Ms Devlin."

"Poor bastard, he's going to need at least one more surgery to repair the fracture on his leg, he's at high risk of internal bleeding and as for that infection he picked up," Kate sighed "Move him slowly and gently up to the ward, I want him under constant observation during the night. In other words Molly, he is your only patient until the end of your shift."

"Do you think he's going to make it?"

"Not sure, could go either way," Kate replied as another nurse entered the room.

"Jac rang down from the ward, his parents are in London and are driving up, they will be here in the morning."

"His wife?" Kate asked.

"Divorced. No contact details, his parents are listed as next of kin," the other nurse said as she walked out of the theatre.

Molly removed her gloves and stretched her neck, wondering if Sam was in bed and sleeping yet, when something caught the corner of her eye.

The patient had been lying on his side during the operation to enable both surgeons to operate on his leg and on the fracture on the back of his skull. His whole face and body had been covered, but the sheet had been removed and he was now lying on his back, as a standard hospital sheet was draped over him.

Molly saw his face. She stopped breathing and stumbled backwards.

"Molly are you are okay?" Kate asked as she looked up from updating the patient's charts.

"What's his name?"

"Sorry?"

"The patient… him," Molly said pointing to the patient.

"Major Charles James," Kate replied, "You saw it on the board when you came in."

"Yeah, but I never knew his surname," Molly whispered.

"I'm confused," Kate said as she set the chart down and walked towards Molly "Molly? Do you know him?"

"It's Charles," she whispered as she started to feel tears forming "As in Sam's father, we just operated on Sam's dad."

I think I will go into hiding now, see you in a few months…

So the question is now, will Charles survive and what will Molly do?