"Have you seen Dr Hanna?"

Max asked, leaning against reception, his voice low, the package tucked neatly under one arm.

Louise looked up from her computer screen.

"Why?"

She asked with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"Just asking..."

He paused, feigning innocence.

"She asked me to pick something up for her."

He added, gesturing to the bag that he held.

Louise sucked in a sigh as though the weight of the world rested upon her shoulders.

"Toilets. E-cigarette break."

She said with a loaded exhale, her lips pursed as she turned back to her screen.

"Thanks...thank you."

Max murmured, feeling the wince of apprehension in the pit of his stomach.

He moved away from the desk, briefly tapping his fingers against it before passing through the double doors, and along the corridor a few metres to the staff toilets. He paused outside, waiting for a break in the passing traffic of patients before leaning down on the handle of the toilet firmly marked 'WOMENS'.

The door was heavy and he pushed back against it, slipping inside unnoticed by any passers by. The air in here smelled of lavender, and he thought momentarily how much nicer it smelled than the men's toilets.

There were only two stalls, one empty, one engaged. He took the bag from under his arm and pulled the tights from it, prizing the little white plastic hook at one end so that it stood up before reaching up himself, leaning against the closed door and tipping them over, hanging them on the top of the door by the hook before backing away.

"Thought you might need these."

He murmured, leaning back against the sink. He heard the soft muffled sound of clothes being readjusted and saw the little hook that was still visible pull and bend before breaking free and the lock on the door slid back with a grate, the door swinging back on it's hinges.

"Connie!"

He exhaled, eyes wide as she stood, framed in the cubicle, head cocked sharply to one side, eyebrows raised in question as she held the tights with one hand.

"Mrs Beauchamp."

She corrected, her voice low.

"Mrs...Beauch...sorry."

He coughed as he spoke and his cheeks began to warm as he felt himself flush.

"Fuck."

He hissed almost silently.

"And why did you think that I would need these?"

She asked, gesturing again with the package. He raised a hand to his forehead and rubbed hard at his hairline, unsure of quite what to say.

"I thought you were uh..."

The door pushed open again and Zoe stopped abruptly in the doorway, electronic cigarette in one hand, her lips parted.

"Zoe!"

He exhaled with relief, running a hand to the back of his neck.

"Am I...interrupting something?"

She asked, her dark eyes swivelling slowly from Max to Connie and back to Max again.

"Certainly not."

Connie spat, tossing the packet of tights into the sink next to where Max stood and made her way over to the wash basin in the far corner.

"Max? What are you doing in here?"

Zoe asked, her voice low, all to aware that Connie was listening, despite her back to them.

He picked up the packet from the bowl of the sink, they dripped with water and soap scum.

"I got you these."

He said with a shrug, offering them to her. She looked down at them, still a look of utter confusion within her eyes.

"Why?!"

She asked, her voice barely a whisper.

He glanced down to her legs as if to prove a point, but found when he looked that she had changed into a black pair.

"I thought you didn't have a spare pair."

He whispered, biting his lip. She drew in a breath and released it slowly, folding her arms across her chest, watching as Connie finished washing her hands and dried them on a sheet of green towelling.

"Dylan went out and bought me some."

She said quietly, watching as Max nodded slowly.

"Right..."

He murmured, looking again to the dripping cardboard package that he held.

"Listen, Max. I don't need you to look after me."

She lowered her voice even further, although she knew full well that Connie must be able to hear, though she kept her face expressionless whilst she dawdled at the sink.

"Just friends, ok?"

She whispered, lowering her head, trying to catch his eye as he struggled to look anywhere but back at her.

"Just friends..."

He smiled as he spoke and he turned the packet about in his hands twice before tossing them back into the bowl of the sink.

"Right."

He whispered.

More soon! Thank you for the lovely comments, they are always welcome! xxx