It was Tuesday morning, the day Zoe would find out her fate. She drove to holby city hospital, but was careful to park around the back, so as her colleagues would not recognise her car. Zoe parked and turned the engine off, she took a deep breath and pulled the mirror down to check her make-up. Zoe then grabbed her sunglasses out of her bag and put them on, just in case she met anyone on the corridor.

Zoe sat in the reception area waiting to be called, hoping no one she knew would walk through the door. She picked up the magazine and began staring at it, she never really saw the point of the magazines in waiting areas like this, how could anyone read a magazine when they were this nervous.

"Zoe Hanna" there it was, it was finally her turn. Zoe stood up and walked into the office.

"Doctor Hanna, nice to see you, sit down, how are you feeling?" Zoe grabbed the chair and sat down.

"Well you know the nausea hasn't subsided but I can deal with it"

"There isn't really anything we can do about that and I cant say it wont get worse"

"Yea it's fine"

"So we are here to talk about treatment and as I'm sure you know the best option for cancer like this is a hysterectomy and then continued chemotherapy and radiation" these words burned through Zoe's heart, she knew this was what she was going to hear but this took away any chance she had of having children, her eyes began to well up. And then she thought to herself why me? She had never had any luck in life and had to work for everything she ever got, she was never lucky in love and she never had kids.

"But considering your age and because the cancer is only on the left side you also have the option of a unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and radiation or chemotherapy"

"Ok, so I would still be able to have kids with that option, but would you recommend the first one?"

"Well if you were to have the hysterectomy children would be out of the question and because of your age you would be on hormone replacement drugs for the next ten to twenty years, however in does have its benefits, a hysterectomy would significantly reduce the chances of the cancer cells returning in the future and we would be sure we had got everything"

"To be honest I'm verging toward the oophorectomy, what is the recovery time like ?"

"You would be in hospital for about two days and then I would recommend you take it easy for the next two weeks to give the wound a chance to heal but Zoe if you want to go for this option we need to do it soon before the cells spread to the uterus"

"Ok yea, I'll go for it, we can always go back after and do the hysterectomy if it doesn't work?"

"Yes of course, the nearest slot I have is next Friday, you would have to come in in the morning for the anaesthesia and then you could go home on Sunday, will I put you down for it ?"

"Yes, that would be fine, get it over with"

"Zoe, by no means is this a simple choice, this is major surgery, take your time with this choice"

"No it's fine honest, I was prepared for the hysterectomy so this is better"

"Ok you know you can bring your family with you on Friday"

"No, there isn't really anyone"

" Your partner called, perhaps you could bring him, he called early this week and seemed quite worried ?" Zoe froze for a moment, who was she talking about and then it dawned on her that only Nick had access to that number. How could he do that to her, that was her private business, partner? Who did he think he was?"

"No, I don't think so he has work and that you know"

"Ok well, I will be in touch with you closer to the time to discuss the procedure further, although I think you know it in detail already"

" I do, thank you, we will speak then" Zoe grabbed her coat and left the office, just happy it was over. It had gone better than she had expected. However she was furious that Nick had gone behind her back like that, how much did he know ?, surely if he knew he would have said something, he never was one to bet around the bush.

Without thinking Zoe started walking towards the ED, she needed the confront him. She burst through the door of his office to see Nick sitting smugly at his desk, he looked up upon her opening the door.

"Zoe, I thought..." she cut him off

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ? That phone call was private !" Zoe was furious she was screeching and she didn't care who heard her. Nick was shocked, he knew what he did was wrong but he really didn't think Zoe would react like this.

"I mmnn, I thought..."

"You thought you were my partner ?"

"Zoe please you weren't going to tell me what was wrong, and I was worried"

"You worried about someone other then yourself? Please, let's not pretend to be something we're not. So did she tell you then ?"

"Tell me what Zoe?"

"I have cancer, but it doesn't affect my work so it is none of your business" she could feel her eyes beginning to fill with water. That was the first time she had told anyone, the first time that she had said that word aloud in reference to herself.

"Oh Zo" but before he could finish she was gone, she began to walk down the corridor. He stuck his head out the door to see her half way down the corridor in her characteristically high heels.

"Zoe you can't just leave after saying something like that" he shouted down the hall.

She turned around for a split second to respond "I just did" Nick stood there as if he was glued to the floor and watched as the woman he once loved, still loved slipped around the corner.

Hope you liked it. I'm not a doctor (far from it) so I hope the medical stuff was accurate, I did research it. Please review, it makes me happy. I promise I will update ASAP.