-x- Chapter One -x-

He heard her voice, and fought the urge to look up at her, as she treated her patient. He sighed, and continued to look at the patient notes on the computer screen in front of him. It had been two weeks since they'd separated, and they'd managed to avoid each other as best they could whilst on this shift together. Duffy had taken on more night shifts, due to his day shift role as Clinical Nurse Manager. So, this was really the first shift they had worked together. Sleep had been their enemy. Both looked drained, and exhausted. Duffy seemed agitated, and Charlie, well, had developed a short fuse, that the staff were not familiar with at all. He was angry, at everyone, and it was becoming a big issue.

"Louise, I told you clear cubicle four ten minutes ago!" He bellowed at her as she walked passed the nurse's station.

"I know Charlie, but, I've been dealing with..." Louise replied, but was cut off mid-sentence.

"Do it, now Louise."

"Right, ok, yes Charlie." Louise responded quickly, and walked off.

"David, Mrs Jacobs in cubicle two was supposed to go for an x-ray half an hour ago, ring them and tell them she's priority and send for a porter, or take her yourself. I'm not putting up with this from them today. That's the sixth patient already." Charlie said, as he pointed his finger in the direction of David.

"Ok, right, ok, will do, um, Charlie." David said, as he then began to pick up the phone, he looked a little taken-a-back by Charlie's sharpness. David looked over at Robyn, and rose his eyebrows at her.

"Charlie?" Robyn asked, as she stood opposite Charlie at the computers.

"What?" Charlie replied abruptly.

"Um, nothing, um, found it. Sorry." Robyn looked nervously at the notes on the computer in front of her.

"I'm busy Robyn, what is it?" Charlie asked her again sarcastically.

"It's ok, just looking for a patient's relative details. Found them." Robyn replied quickly, nervously even.

"Don't bother me unless it's important. I'm going to my office." He replied, annoyed at her for interrupting him working.

He then picked up some files in front of him, and walked off in the direction of his office.

David and Robyn just watched him as he walked down the corridor.

"You need to talk to him." David said to Robyn.

"Me?" Robyn replied shocked.

"You know him more than I do." David replied, as he waited on the end of the telephone line for the x-ray department to pick up the phone.

"I've tried David. He just says he's fine."

"He's clearly not fine Robyn." David answered, and tilted his head at her.

"I know he's not fine David. He's heartbroken. I've never seen him like this before. I don't know what to do." Robyn replied, as she looked at him with a concerned expression.

"I'll um, speak with, Duffy." David whispered at her, and pointed in the direction of Duffy, who was standing talking with her patient, not noticing them look at her.

"And say what exactly?" Robyn asked him, as she frowned.

"They need to talk to each other Robyn. That's all. Duffy, she told me she's struggling without him. She loves him Robyn. I've never seen her cry before. She's broken too." David explained.

"And how do you know all that?" Robyn enquired, not looking very sympathetic of Duffy's position in the separation.

"I caught her crying in the car park one morning, after our shift. I couldn't just walk away. So I bought her a coffee, and we had a chat." David explained.

"She made a mistake Robyn. We all make mistakes. She loves him. She just wants him to know that."

"And it's that easy is it?" Robyn replied, quite firmly.

"No, but, come on Robyn. You know them. You've seen them happy together. This isn't them. They need each other."

Robyn looked up at Duffy, as saw how sad and exhausted she looked too. She looked lost, hollow, frail too. She never expected them to ever split up, they loved each other too much to hurt one another. And yet. Here they were. Now living separate lives, alone, and broken. She owed them so much helping her with Charlotte, and when Glen died. She sighed, David was right. People make mistakes. But, love, nothing beats love.

Robyn said to David, "You're right. They do need each other. What do you suggest we do to get them to speak to each other?"

"Right, well...Oh, hello, is that the radiography department. Right, um, this is Nurse Hide from E.D." David replied, before he was interrupted from the person at the other end of the phone line.

"I'll speak to you later about it." Robyn replied quickly.

David nodded, as stuck his thumb up at her.

Robyn smiled and looked up at Duffy, who was busy tending to her patient. David was right. She owed her so much, as well as Charlie. She was being stupid taking sides with just Charlie. Duffy looked up, and caught Robyn's eye. Robyn smiled softly at her. Duffy looked shocked, then sheepishly smiled back at her.

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