The wind howled and buffeted against the doors to the emergency department, they opened and shut quickly, repeatedly, the wind teasing them so that Max had to pause outside whilst someone on the other side of the door flicked a switch to turn them off.
He pushed his hands deeper into his pockets, it was cold, the wind whispered about his collar and made him shiver, the hairs standing up at the back of his neck and he tugged his coat tighter about him, his fingers toying with the loose change he found in the bottom of his trouser pockets.
The mechanic on the other side of the doors pushed one open and gestured to him to enter. He made to move, but the sharp clack of heels behind him made him turn.
Zoe had her arms about herself, her head bowed against the wind and spit of rain, her eyes half-closed and her hair billowing and pulling flat against her face. She glanced up as she stepped up onto the curb outside of the entrance, an ever so slight pause in her step as she caught sight of him.
She dipped her head again as she passed him by, all to aware that he had to follow her into the warmth of the hospital.
Once inside the roar of the wind was lessened and he cleared his throat, catching her attention.
"You got home ok then."
She said, more of a statement than a question. He rocked back on the heels of his shoes and glanced to her feet, her tights were mud spattered up to her shins. She followed his gaze, hissing something under her breath as she caught sight of them.
"Yeah...listen..."
He said quickly before she had time to move on.
"About last night..."
He raised a hand to scratch at the side of his head and the mechanic glanced at them with interest as he held the door open for someone else who scuttled passed in a flurry of scarves and umbrella.
"You don't need to say anything."
She exhaled as she spoke, her cheeks were flushed from the cold and her hair was whipped over one side of her head, her hands failing to smooth it back down.
"No, I do. I just wanted you to know-"
"Max..."
She cut him off, she tilted her head to one side and her body shivered within her clothes. The doors were pulled open once again and someone was pushed through in a wheelchair, Zoe stepped forward, closer to him, moving out of the way, but still the wheelchair clipped her calves, the metal spokes pricking her tights and pulling them so that they ripped in two places across her legs.
She swore again under her breath and held up her hands in disbelief.
"Have you got another pair?"
He found himself asking, smiling despite himself at how dishevelled she looked standing before him.
"No! Of course I haven't got another pair!"
She snapped, huffing a breath and struggling again to push a hand through her hair.
"Do you want me to..."
She cut him off again with the wave of a hand.
"No, Max. I don't want you to do anything. Ok? We are friends. Just friends, that's all."
She inhaled sharply, the cool air making it somewhat harder to breath. She paused, just long enough to catch her breath, her eyes on him, searching him for a response.
He bit his lip and lowered his gaze again to her legs, watching as they stepped back from him. He heard her sigh once again, and with that she left, her threadbare tights moving out of sight.
He raised his gaze, watching her go, his stomach making an uncharacteristic lurch in time with his heart and he pushed his hands back into his pockets, fingering the coins, counting them by feel and making his way to the hospital shop.
*-*
"Tights."
He said, leaning across the counter to where Honey sat. She lowered her magazine and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Pardon?"
She asked, chewing gum, her jaw rotating with the startling likeness to a camel chewing grass.
"Tights. I need tights."
He repeated. She frowned.
"Are you sure?"
She asked, placing her magazine back down on the counter in front of her and leaning closer to peer at him curiously. He mirrored her, leaning closer.
"Yes."
He whispered.
"Do you sell them?"
He asked slowly.
She sucked in a long thoughtful breath before responding.
"What sort of tights?"
She asked, narrowing her eyes at him. He puffed out his chest, momentarily holding his breath as he thought.
"I didn't know there were different sorts of tights."
He admitted, exhaling.
She rolled her dark eyes theatrically.
"There's different colours, black, grey, skin colour, brown...different thickness's, 60, 30...15..."
"O-ok!"
He scratched the top of his head and collapsed back onto the counter before her.
"You're a knowing sort of person...I need the sort of tights that Dr Hanna wears."
He said, his hand before his mouth, muffling his words.
She smiled slightly and nodded her head.
"No need to say any more!"
She exclaimed, wafting a hand with a flourish and marching with purpose over to the opposite side of the small shop, returning with a blue cardboard package.
"There you go."
She said, presenting them to him. He looked down at them within her hand.
"Could I have a bag...please?"
He asked, unsure he wanted to be spotted with them.
She smiled again and popped them into a plastic carrier bag.
"That's...£7.99 please."
She said, offering out her hand again, showing him her palm. He arched an eyebrow at the price, fishing out the coins within his pocket and counting them out quickly into her hand.
"Ta."
She said, dropping the coins loudly into their various compartments in the till.
"Thanks."
He said, rolling the bag and tucking it underneath one arm so that he could push his hands into his pockets again.
"Good luck!"
She called, slipping back down into her seat behind the desk and picking up her magazine again.
"You'll need it..."
He pushed his hands deeper into his pockets, it was cold, the wind whispered about his collar and made him shiver, the hairs standing up at the back of his neck and he tugged his coat tighter about him, his fingers toying with the loose change he found in the bottom of his trouser pockets.
The mechanic on the other side of the doors pushed one open and gestured to him to enter. He made to move, but the sharp clack of heels behind him made him turn.
Zoe had her arms about herself, her head bowed against the wind and spit of rain, her eyes half-closed and her hair billowing and pulling flat against her face. She glanced up as she stepped up onto the curb outside of the entrance, an ever so slight pause in her step as she caught sight of him.
She dipped her head again as she passed him by, all to aware that he had to follow her into the warmth of the hospital.
Once inside the roar of the wind was lessened and he cleared his throat, catching her attention.
"You got home ok then."
She said, more of a statement than a question. He rocked back on the heels of his shoes and glanced to her feet, her tights were mud spattered up to her shins. She followed his gaze, hissing something under her breath as she caught sight of them.
"Yeah...listen..."
He said quickly before she had time to move on.
"About last night..."
He raised a hand to scratch at the side of his head and the mechanic glanced at them with interest as he held the door open for someone else who scuttled passed in a flurry of scarves and umbrella.
"You don't need to say anything."
She exhaled as she spoke, her cheeks were flushed from the cold and her hair was whipped over one side of her head, her hands failing to smooth it back down.
"No, I do. I just wanted you to know-"
"Max..."
She cut him off, she tilted her head to one side and her body shivered within her clothes. The doors were pulled open once again and someone was pushed through in a wheelchair, Zoe stepped forward, closer to him, moving out of the way, but still the wheelchair clipped her calves, the metal spokes pricking her tights and pulling them so that they ripped in two places across her legs.
She swore again under her breath and held up her hands in disbelief.
"Have you got another pair?"
He found himself asking, smiling despite himself at how dishevelled she looked standing before him.
"No! Of course I haven't got another pair!"
She snapped, huffing a breath and struggling again to push a hand through her hair.
"Do you want me to..."
She cut him off again with the wave of a hand.
"No, Max. I don't want you to do anything. Ok? We are friends. Just friends, that's all."
She inhaled sharply, the cool air making it somewhat harder to breath. She paused, just long enough to catch her breath, her eyes on him, searching him for a response.
He bit his lip and lowered his gaze again to her legs, watching as they stepped back from him. He heard her sigh once again, and with that she left, her threadbare tights moving out of sight.
He raised his gaze, watching her go, his stomach making an uncharacteristic lurch in time with his heart and he pushed his hands back into his pockets, fingering the coins, counting them by feel and making his way to the hospital shop.
*-*
"Tights."
He said, leaning across the counter to where Honey sat. She lowered her magazine and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Pardon?"
She asked, chewing gum, her jaw rotating with the startling likeness to a camel chewing grass.
"Tights. I need tights."
He repeated. She frowned.
"Are you sure?"
She asked, placing her magazine back down on the counter in front of her and leaning closer to peer at him curiously. He mirrored her, leaning closer.
"Yes."
He whispered.
"Do you sell them?"
He asked slowly.
She sucked in a long thoughtful breath before responding.
"What sort of tights?"
She asked, narrowing her eyes at him. He puffed out his chest, momentarily holding his breath as he thought.
"I didn't know there were different sorts of tights."
He admitted, exhaling.
She rolled her dark eyes theatrically.
"There's different colours, black, grey, skin colour, brown...different thickness's, 60, 30...15..."
"O-ok!"
He scratched the top of his head and collapsed back onto the counter before her.
"You're a knowing sort of person...I need the sort of tights that Dr Hanna wears."
He said, his hand before his mouth, muffling his words.
She smiled slightly and nodded her head.
"No need to say any more!"
She exclaimed, wafting a hand with a flourish and marching with purpose over to the opposite side of the small shop, returning with a blue cardboard package.
"There you go."
She said, presenting them to him. He looked down at them within her hand.
"Could I have a bag...please?"
He asked, unsure he wanted to be spotted with them.
She smiled again and popped them into a plastic carrier bag.
"That's...£7.99 please."
She said, offering out her hand again, showing him her palm. He arched an eyebrow at the price, fishing out the coins within his pocket and counting them out quickly into her hand.
"Ta."
She said, dropping the coins loudly into their various compartments in the till.
"Thanks."
He said, rolling the bag and tucking it underneath one arm so that he could push his hands into his pockets again.
"Good luck!"
She called, slipping back down into her seat behind the desk and picking up her magazine again.
"You'll need it..."
More soon! Please let me know if you'd like me to continue with the idea. Thank you for all of the lovely comments received so far! xxx