The next morning Zoe woke up from her light slumber knowing that it was all real and that Nick had really left her. But she wanted to stay strong for the girls. Ella and Savannah were coming to work with Zoe. No one said anything about Nick absence which pleased Zoe as she had worried all night about how to tell the girls.

Once they all had breakfast and got ready they made their way to the ED and as soon as they walked through the double doors Zoe was nervous and worried that she would see Nick. Zoe and the girls headed to the staff room and placed their bags and belongings into Zoe's locker.

It started like another day but on one could predict how it all could go wrong in a few moments.

As soon as Zoe had started her shift there was a car crash. "What have we got Dixie " Zoe asked as she reached the trolley to see a woman in her middle50's with her husband clinging to the trolley as they wheeled her along . Ella and Savannah followed behind and watched at a distance as Zoe treated the lady.

"ok we have Pauline Ames with large head wound, her GCS is 10 and she has been in and out of consciousness and she has had 10 of morphine"

"Great thank you Dixie, ok I need neuro down here now but let's get her a CT and another of morphine "Zoe was busy treating and had her back to the double doors so she never noticed Nick and entered the room.

Nick quickly smiled at Savannah and Ella who knew their dad was busy so they let him get on with it.

"Ok what have we got "Nick asked Zoe who jumped as she heard that familiar voice which stabbed her broken heart.

"ok Sir could you wait outside please" Nick called Tess over and asked her to take the gentle man in to the relatives room.

They were on their way to take Pauline to CT but she started to have a seizure so they took her back to resus where they had a race against time to save this ladies life.

"Zoe start CPR "Nick ordered as Pauline began to code after half an hour Zoe was still doing chest compressions. Mr Ames watched as Zoe stopped and Nick looked at his watch ad called time of death "Time of death 11:55am thank you good work Zoe" Nick walked out the double doors and broke the news to Mr Ames who sobbed his heart out.

Later on that afternoon there was a tension in the air and everyone had a dreaded feeling hanging over them.

Big Mac came rushing into the building and whispered to all staff members that there was a guy with a gun outside the building which made them panic and all patients heard the news and began to vacate the building just as the man with the gun walked into the building calm and cool as if nothing was wrong.

"Hey mate you shouldn't be here "a doctor said as he noticed a man hovering.

"Bang" the gun shot through the doctor's chest and pierced his heart and he went crashing to the floor dead.

The man with the gun slowly walked though the building looking in cubicles and closed closets. Mean while in Nick was in his office typing up notes oblivious what was going on in his hospital.

Zoe heard the disruption and grabbed the girls and quietly took them upstairs and shoved them both along with herself in to a closet with a glass window so she could see if the gun man was coming.

"Excuse me can you tell were your clinical lead is please?" the gun man asked the doctor who suddenly appeared.

"Sorry no I don't know where he is" the doctor walked away but was shot in the back of the head and fell to the floor. The gun man stepped over the dead doctor's body and carried on.

Zoe kept glancing through the glass when she noticed Linda slowly look round for the shooter so Zoe called Linda to come and stand with her and the girls.

"Oh my god, what the hell "Linda said as she closed the door behind her .

"I know "Zoe said as she kept looking through the glass window

"Mummy I'm scared and I want dad" Savannah said as she began to cry.

"shhh it's alright sweetheart, do you think you can be quiet for me and then you will see your dad" Zoe said as she bent down to Savannah's level.

"Ok"

"Good girl" Zoe kissed her cheek.

Back in the ED

The shooter opened a door to one of the wards to find a trainee looking after one of her patients.

"Now I don't want to shoot but can you tell how to get to the clinical leead's office please"

"yeah... you... goooo... up annothhhherrrr level and then turn righttttttt..." she stuttered as a gun was being held to her head.

"Thank you , have a nice day" the shoot turned left and took the route as instructed . mean while Tess was busy reading notes when she suddenly fell to the floor and she clearly had fall over something so she go up slowly but noticed that she was covered in blood so she turned round to find a doctor laying in the middle of the floor with a gunshot to the head. Tess screamed and rushed all the way to Nick's office to burst in which made Nick look up but gasped as he saw Tess covered in blood.

"Tess are you alright, what's happened?"

"I was just walking and I found... hi m" Tess said nervously

"You saw who?"

"Dr McAllister dead gunshot to the head"

"You are joking, right I will call the police and you stay here"

"Nick where are you going, where are Zoe and the girls?" Nick asked with panic in his voice.

"I don't know where they are" Tess said as tears began to fall down her cheek.

The gun man continued to kill as he was making his way to Nick's office.

Back in the cupboard

"Linda, Ella and Savannah get down now " the shooter is here, don't move" Zoe said as she ducked down watching carefully where the man went and she saw him checking rooms and cubicles and he knew instantly where he was heading.

"He's heading to east wing Linda"

Linda gasped as she knew where Zoe was talking about.

"Ok we are going to leave here , come on it's alright" Zoe said as she grabbed the girls hands ands and checked round the corner which was clear.

Nick checked everywhere when he felt like someone down the other end of the corridor so he turned round to see a man standing there edging forward with a gun behind his back.

"What are you doing here it's not safe" Nick said to the man who looked lost

"I know it's not safe" the man pulled the gun out from behind his back and pointed the gun to Nick's chest.

Zoe and the girls turned the corner when Linda suddenly stopped and they went crashing into her.

Zoe looked past Linda to see Nick standing still with the man pointing a gun at him.

"No "Zoe went to walk out and nearly revealed herself but Linda pulled her back.

"What are you doing Zoe be quiet"

They watched as Nick tried to talk to man out of if it and a few moments later the man lowered is gun but only raised it again when Tess came rushed out only to break down in tears.

"No Tess go back" Nick turned his head to face Tess and it was at that moment Zoe, Linda and the girls heard the gun shot.

"No "Zoe screamed

"Run, girls run back to the cupboard I will be right behind you" Linda said as she was dragging a hysterical Zoe back who was not making it easy for her as she was trying to break free kicking and screaming so Linda put a hand over her mouth. They made it back to the cupboard.

Who got shot? I hope I left you wanting more and I hope it was easy to read as I was trying to write it so you could imagine it all happening. I will update again soon .