A/N thank you for all the reviews, comments, follows and favourites so far! Enjoy and please read and review! Xx

3 days later…

Rita sat next to the bed of her former boss, holding her hand and hoping that she knew she was there with her. She looked at her, smiling to herself as memories came back to her.

Every now and then Zoe would grimace, her eyes tightly screwed up before her face relaxed again. Rita noticed the older doctor screwing up her eyes and squeezed her hand a little tighter, talking to her "Its okay, Zoe" she attempted to soothe her, not knowing whether she could hear her or not. She looked up when the door opened and Connie came in "I'd better go, my shift starts in 20 minutes. I'll see you soon, Zoe" Rita said quietly, exiting the room.

"Morning Zoe" Connie greeted her, taking her usual seat next to her colleague's bed "Are you planning on waking up anytime soon? I bet you're getting sick of hospitals aren't you?"

Zoe could hear Connie talking and she attempted to open her eyes, coughing a little "Okay, just take it easy. You're in hospital, Zoe, ICU" she heard the lead consultant explain as she managed to open her eyes and look at her, although her vision was blurred at first "Hello" Connie smiled "Welcome back"

Zoe half smiled back at her "W-what h-happened?" she stuttered, looking around the room and gritting her teeth as she felt a wave of pain wash over her.

"I think you're probably due your pain relief" Connie stated, pressing the small button which would release a small dose of morphine into her system "You had to have emergency surgery, Zoe. Two, to be precise. You started fitting, hit your head on the back of the bed and the impact caused several blood vessels to burst. You were unconscious for a day or two until the swelling went down"

Zoe reached her hand up to touch the bandage that was wrapped around her head "Th-thank you" she said, coughing slightly as she did so "I know it was you who f-found m-me" she explained, her voice wavering on the last couple of words.

"You're welcome" Connie paused for a moment, thinking carefully about what to say next "Oh, and you'll be glad to know that they have caught the scum that did this to you. They are in police custody as we speak. The police will want a statement from you about what happened that night when you're feeling better"

Zoe subconsciously gripped onto her colleague's hand tightly, screwing up her eyes in an attempt to remove the images from her mind. Connie looked at her, sighing when she noticed that her eyes were glazed over, knowing that she was having a flashback.

*Flashback*

Zoe felt rough hands pinning her to the ground, holding her still despite her cries and pleas to them to stop. One of them trod deliberately on the fingers of her right hand, crushing them and smirking as she cried out in pain.

"Pl-please" Zoe begged, her voice barely audible as she tasted blood in her mouth "No, n-no" she writhed around on the cold ground, trying to move herself out of their grip.

"Sorry love, what was that?" one of them mocked, clamping his hand firmly over her mouth "You like it, want us to stay and carry on?" he got off of her and stood up, hauling her into a sitting position although she could barely hold herself up "Open your eyes!" he demanded.

Zoe obeyed him, shakily, too scared of what they might do to her if she refused. She looked into his eyes, and felt bile rising up from the pit of her stomach as she did so. She felt a cold blade being pressed against her stomach and she gasped in agony as it penetrated the skin and soft tissue, sending blood everywhere before the man kicked her and she fell onto her side, hitting her head on the ground as she blacked out.

*End flashback*

"Zoe? Zoe its Connie" Connie said gently but firmly, placing an oxygen mask over her face "I need you to open your eyes" she said, just as there was a knock on the door and Max walked in, rushing over to Zoe when he noticed she was awake.

"Zoe! Zo, what's wrong?" he asked her quickly, concern evident in his voice. On hearing Max begin to speak, Zoe's eyes shot open and she reached out her arms to him, silently asking him to hold her and to look after her. He pushed down one side of the bed and sat behind her, wrapping his arms around her trembling frame as tears ran down her face "Its okay, its all gonna be okay" he whispered, kissing her and stroking her hair.