Guys, I am SO sorry for the ridiculously long time it's taken for me to update... sorry! I hope you enjoy this installment and I really will try not to leave it so long before the next time :)

Morning came, as it always did. Zoe awoke, as she always did. Max was still holding her, as, these days, he always was. She took a moment to look at his face, slightly illuminated in the faint sunlight peeping through the gaps in the blinds. She didn't want to wake up, she didn't want to enter into a reality that caused nothing but pain for her and for him. She wanted to be the strong doctor, whose power and knowledge was as ever-present and as famous as her elegant high heels.

As Max (and everyone else) kept telling her, she needed 'time' whatever that was. Surely her time was exactly the same as everyone else's? Slipping through her fingers at a ridiculous pace, and surely, surely, moping would do nothing but stop her from using her decreasing time to do what she does best and save people…. Give them the lives that they deserve?

She felt a kiss on the side of her head as she drifted in and out of a light doze. "What is it, baby?" She heard a whisper in her ear, and despite herself, a smile pulled at her lips. She was so lucky to have a man who cared, loved her so much. She slapped the body next to her.
"Who are you calling baby?

"My beautiful, beautiful, grown-up woman who right now needs me to look after her, even though she won't admit it?" Max tried, and was taken aback by Zoe's eyes filling with tears and looking into his with such sincerity and sadness that he felt his heart melt with love, but break with sadness simultaneously. All he could do was pull her tighter to him, relieved that she was able to trust him enough to have contact with him.

"Max… I'm sorry". Her words seemed so inadequate, so pathetic, but it was all she had. He smiled sadly at her. "What can you possibly be sorry for?" confusion overtook him.

"This…" gesturing down her body and between them "can't be much fun for you. No sex, no laughing, I can't go out. Not really. Except to work. No-one can come round. You should leave, I don't know what you're doing with me. I'm…" He didn't hear the last of her words as she collapsed into heavy, body wracking sobs. In a small way, he was glad. Not glad, of course, that she was crying, but glad that some of the pain was coming out. He stroked her back, her hair again, again until eventually, the sobs stopped and her tired, exhausted body lay in his arms.

He was thinking of that holiday, where would they go? France, maybe, Spain or Italy. Yeah, the canals… the peace of the water and the boats floating about. He resolved to book the tickets as soon as possible. He felt Zoe's head nudge his chest, and he smiled, knowing that she'd fallen asleep and was searching for safety in her slumber.

"Can you come to counselling with me?" He was surprised at her request, but of course, of course. Whatever she wanted.

They stayed cuddled up for as long as possible. Eventually, Max went to the bathroom and returned with a bowl of warm water and a sponge. Zoe smiled at him meekly when she saw him. "I can do it. I will do it." She told him, assertively, reaching out to grab the sponge from his hand. "I know you can" He smiled at her. "I never doubted you. But let me look after you. Let me fulfil my manly duties" He winked at her. "Oh, go on, then". He smiled at her resignation and kissed the side of her mouth.

Do you want to pull down your bottoms, or shall I?" His eyes widened as removed her pyjama trousers – the swelling around her groin was going down, but it still looked horribly painful and it broke his heart to see his beautiful Zo with such damage to her otherwise flawless skin. He advised her not to look, he knew just how much it would hurt her emotionally, and instead, bent his head and kissed the bruised area with such tenderness that Zoe reached out a hand which he gratefully took tightly and squeezed while he gently cleaned the affected area, dipping his head every so often to kiss and tend to the pain, reassuring her that she was the most important thing to him.

Arrabella. "Hi" Max reached out a hand to the counsellor who sat opposite them.

"So, how have things been?" Arrabella looked pointedly to Zoe. "Yeah, good. Brilliant." Zoe forced a smile and Max reached to her, putting a hand on her knee, which she removed with her hand, instead leaning forward, pushing her elbows into her knees, desperate to feel anything that wasn't emotional pain.

Arrabella looked between the two of them. "How have you been finding things, Max?" She questioned. Max didn't answer, just looked around the room, sadness once again filling his heart. All he wanted was his Zoe back. Not this shell, but the Zoe that he'd had before he let this man ruin her. He reached out to her, desperate, desperate to have something to hold onto. As much as she wanted to remain strong and independent, she couldn't. She could kid herself she was doing it for him, but in truth, she needed him as much as he needed her.

She rose from the worn fabric of her blue chair and took the few steps over to his chair. He wasn't sure what she was doing, but instinctively, he held out her arms to her, like a father to a child. He held her as she crumpled into his lap, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck, face buried in the red fabric of his top. Arrabella remained silent, allowing them their moment, avoiding looking as Max placed kisses on top of Zoe's head, the three of them silently praying and wishing for a release from the pain.

Thank you for sticking with it and reading!