Zoe looked at Max, did that just happen? Linda had offered to be their surrogate.
Zoe walked over to Linda giving her a massive hug.
"I don't know what to say, it's a lovely offer Linda but I can't put you through that, I can't put that much pressure on you." Zoe was overcome with emotion.
"Listen guys," Linda addressed the couple, "I don't expect an answer right now, I want you to think it over, properly. This isn't just a spur of the moment suggestion, I thought long and hard about it last night and did my research. I look at you two and see true love, I want to help give you the family you deserve, please tell me you'll talk about it?"
"We will, thank you Linda, we're so grateful for your offer." Max told her.
"Right I'm going to have to get going, I've got a visit to make before I head back to Liverpool." Linda told them.
"Can I give you a lift anywhere?" Zoe asked.
"No, no, you get ready for work." Linda said. "Thanks for letting me stay, and let me know as soon as you decide anything!"
"Thank you so much, I mean it, we really do appreciate your offer and we will talk about it." Zoe kissed her on the cheek.
"Make sure you do. Lovely to meet you Max, stay gorgeous!" Linda hugged him before saying her goodbyes.
"Wow, how amazing was that?" Max said to Zoe.
"I know, I can't...I don't...I just don't know what to say, this is huge. We've only just decided we want a baby and now we have someone offering to give us one." Zoe was past herself.
"I can't think about this right now, we need to get to work."
"Come on Zoe, don't stress yourself out about it, we'll go to work and discuss it tonight, ok?" Max assured her.
He didn't know how he was staying so calm, all he wanted to do was scream yes yes yes from the rooftops. He looked at Zoe, it was going to be harder for her, not ever being able to carry her own child.
They drove to work in silence, they were both thinking manically about Linda's offer but neither of them dared to say anything.
They pulled up outside the hospital and got out of the car. "I'm gonna have a fag before I start." Max said.
"Ok, I need to sort some stuff out so I'll see you later." Zoe kissed him and walked inside.
"Hey bro! How's it going?" Robyn came over to him on her way to start her shift.
"Yeah, fine." Max replied absentmindedly.
"Sure? You seem a bit, well, not Max?" Robyn asked.
He wasn't ready to go into the full story with his sister when he hadn't even done so with Zoe.
"Everything's fine, honest, just leave it yeah?" Max said.
"Ok." Robyn didn't push it. "You know where I am."
Robyn went inside, Max finished his cigarette and followed her in. He couldn't help but wonder where Zoe was and what she was thinking. He thought it best to leave her too it, it was a big decision for her, for them, would she let Linda carry their child?
Zoe was in her office and picked up the phone, it rang a couple of times before there was an answer.
"Hi, Dr Thompson? It's Zoe Hanna from the ED."
"Oh hi Zoe, how can I help?" Dr Thompson asked.
"Well it's kind of a personal matter, I wondered if you might have chance to see me at all today?" Zoe asked.
"Of course, I can probably squeeze you in around 2.30?" the doctor replied.
"That'd be great, thanks so much, see you then." Zoe hung up.
Zoe continued her morning treating patients, she'd not seen Max for a while. She felt bad about this morning, they were both a bit shell shocked by Linda's offer and didn't really know what to say. Zoe had wanted to get all the facts from Dr Thompson first before agreeing to anything. She needed to see Max, ask him to come with her.
"Tess, have you seen Max about?" Zoe asked her friend as they were looking at patient notes.
"No, not for a while actually, everything ok?" Tess replied.
"Oh yeah, it's nothing, I'm sure I'll find him." Zoe said.
She checked the time, quarter past two, "I'm going for my lunch break soon Tess, you ok down here?"
"We'll be fine, you go."
Zoe decided to check Max's "office" before she went upstairs. He wasn't there, she sighed, she would have to go alone.
She knocked on the door of Dr Thompson's office. She could see him reading through a file, her notes, she assumed.
"Come in!" The voice from inside the room said.
"Zoe, hi, how are you?" Dr Thompson asked.
"Oh you know how it is." Zoe replied.
"What can I do for you, you said it was personal?"
"Well, you've seen my notes I take it?" she asked. He nodded. "The thing is, Max, my partner, and I have been thinking about having a baby, I know I can't have one naturally and my friend has kindly offered to carry one for us. I suppose I wanted to see you and just see what the chances of it being my eggs used were? I don't know how I'd feel about using Linda's eggs and Max's sperm, I guess it wouldn't feel like anything to do with me if that makes sense?"
"Of course, it's normal that you would have these fears." Dr Thompson reassured her, "but, from what I've read, it seems it's your womb that's the problem that's why you can't fall pregnant, you have seemingly healthy eggs and I don't see why you couldn't try using them."
Zoe breathed a sigh of relief.
"I think you need to sit down with Max and discuss it properly, and then if you do decide to go ahead, the three of you will need to make an appointment to discuss the process." Dr Thompson told her.
"That's great, thank you," Zoe stood up, "I just needed to check the situation first, typical doctor!"
"Definitely!" Dr Thompson smiled, "good luck with whatever you decide. Zoe, I'll hopefully see you soon."
Zoe shook his hand and left the room. She got her phone out to call Max, straight to voicemail.
"Where are you Max, and what are you upto?" Zoe asked no one in particular.