Max was nowhere to be found.
"Where the hell is he?" Zoe asked out loud.
She saw Robyn and Lofty gossiping at the nurses station, "have either of you seen Max? He seems to have done a disappearing act?" Zoe asked them.
"No we haven't seen him, have we Lofty?" Robyn replied nudging Lofty.
"Not for ages." Lofty added.
"Hmm." Zoe said as she walked off.
Something wasn't right, she knew those two knew more than they were letting on, "what if something has happened, surely he'd tell her?" she thought.
"Zoe, is everything ok?" Connie had appeared by her side. "You seem a bit distracted?"
"Er yeah, everything's fine, I think." Zoe told her.
"Why don't you come to my office for a chat, I can't have you with patients when there's something quite clearly on your mind."
Zoe sighed and followed Connie reluctantly.
"Have a seat." Connie pointed at the chair.
"Why am I here?" Zoe asked.
"You look like you need someone to talk to. I know I've been a bitch and said things completely out of place but if there's anything you need?" Connie said, an almost caring tone to her voice.
"What, from you?" Zoe asked incredulously.
"Zoe, look, I may have a hard exterior and I know people call me the Ice Queen, I've heard them, but I'm trying to be better with the staff, please,give me a chance?" Connie whispered.
"Fine," Zoe said, she almost felt sorry for the woman in front of her. "I haven't seen Max all day and I know something is going on. Nobody else has seen him, his phones switched off, we had some news this morning and we didn't get a chance to talk it through, I guess I'm scared of losing him." Zoe explained.
Connie nodded. "What was the news?"
Zoe looked at her, should she be spilling her heart out to this woman, the one who came to the ED just to take her job?
"A friend of mine offered to be a surrogate for us, I didn't know what to say, I just hope I haven't scared Max off." Zoe said.
"Zoe, that's great!" Connie smiled, she was genuinely happy for her.
"I didn't tell Max that though did I? I went to see Dr Thompson upstairs earlier, I wanted to see what the chances of using my eggs was, as all I could think of was how I'd have no involvement in making a child if not. How selfish is that?"
"Zoe, that's not selfish at all, you won't get the chance to carry a child but you wanted something to hold onto right?" Connie said.
Zoe nodded "I guess."
"So what did Derwood say?" Connie asked.
"He said he didn't see a problem trying to conceive with my eggs, I'ts my inhospitable womb that's the problem!" Zoe laughed.
"Then, if that's the case, you should do it!" Connie encouraged her.
"That's what I wanted to tell Max, had he not disappeared off the face of the earth!" Zoe said.
"I'm sure that's not the case." Connie smirked at her.
"What?" Zoe asked.
"Oh, nothing!" Connie responded.
"Why do I get the feeling something is going on and I'm the only person who doesn't know about it?" Zoe asked her.
"Zoe, come on, your just being paranoid." Connie tried to assure her.
"I've got to go, thanks for the chat." Zoe said as she got up to leave.
"Zoe?" Connie called after her and she turned around, "follow your heart, you know what to do for the best."
Zoe shut the door behind her. She would have to find Max somehow. At the moment her phone beeped, she saw a text from Max "meet me outside the pub in five minutes."
What was he playing at? He knew she was in the middle of her shift.
She would have to go, she decided to go to a cigarette break first.
She saw Connie by reception, "just going for a quick break." Zoe told her boss.
"Take as long as you need." Connie smiled at her.
That was weird, Zoe thought, she's normally having a go at me for smoking.
Zoe went outside, she went around the back of the hospital, she didn't want to be disturbed, she needed to work out what to say to Max.
Five minutes later, she headed to outside the pub where he'd told her to meet her. He was stood outside, he smiled as she walked over to him.
"Max..." Zoe began.
He interrupted. "Please Zoe let me talk,"
She nodded.
"I know we need to talk about the baby thing and we will, not now though." Max said.
"So why are we out here?" Zoe asked.
"Well, if you'd let me finish!" Max laughed. Zoe smiled.
"The first time I saw you I wanted to be with you, everything about you was perfect, that smile, that hair, that amazing laugh, that amazing body! Eventually you gave into my obvious charm.." Zoe rolled her eyes.
Max continued "It was this very spot where you first kissed me, it was that moment I fell in love with you and knew you were the one I wanted to be with forever. We've had our ups and downs but here we are today, talking about having a family and there's nothing I want more.
We've done the whole secret thing and I know everyone knows how I feel about you, but I couldn't think of a better spot, out in the open, the spot that would always remind me of you when you were away from me, to ask you this."
"Ask me what Max? What's going on?" Zoe asked him, confusion on her face.
"This.." Max said as he bent down in front of her, "Dr Zoe Hanna, I love you more than anything in the world, you drive me crazy, you make me laugh like nobody else, you're such an inspiration to so many people, you're perfect, I know I'm not, but, will you marry me?" Max held out a box with a stunning platinum diamond ring inside.
Zoe was speechless, she couldn't speak, a single tear ran down her face, "oh Max," she tried, overcome with emotion. "Of course I will!" She bent down to him kissing him so hard he nearly fell over.
"Hey, easy tiger!" He said,pulling her up. He took her hand and placed the ring on her finger.
Zoe gasped, "Max, it's gorgeous! This must have cost you a fortune!"
"It was actually my grandmothers, she gave it to me just before she died." Max told her. "She told me to one day give it to someone special."
"I love it!" Zoe whispered to him as she hugged him.
"I'm glad, now I think we should get back inside, it's freezing!" Max said.
They both suddenly heard clapping, they turned towards to hospital to see their colleagues and friends huddled together smiling at them.
Louise was holding a homemade banner which read 'Congratulations Max and Zoe'
Robyn ran over to them. "Congratulations guys!" she squealed. "I'm made up for you both. I'm so proud of you Max!"
"Aw, sis! Thanks!" Max hugged her.
They walked over to the rest of them, greeted by a chorus of congratulations. Zoe was showing off her engagement ring and was surprised to see Connie there in amongst them all. She went over to her.
"You knew didn't you?!" Zoe asked.
Connie winked, "Max may have mentioned it...!" she smiled at Zoe, "congratulations, I hope you have a very happy future together, you deserve it."
"Thank you Connie, it means a lot." Zoe said.
"Right team!" Connie shouted. "We have patients to treat,back inside!"
Cal groaned, "there's always one jobsworth!"
"I heard that Dr Knight!" Connie aimed at him. "And for the rest of you, a round of drinks is on me after work, I think a celebration is in order!"