Zoe walked out of the ED after her shift and breathed a sigh of relief. That was that. She wasn't coming back. She turned to look at the hospital, the hospital that had been part of her life for so long, she'd actually become the hospital. She hadn't told anyone she was leaving with immediate effect, she felt bad not telling Tess and Charlie but it was better this way, they would be just fine without her.
As she walked towards her car she saw Tess and Charlie stood there, arms crossed.
"So you thought you'd sneak out without even as much as a goodbye?" Tess asked.
"After all these years Zoe, seriously?" Charlie asked.
"I'm sorry, I wanted to, I just didn't know how, I didn't want a big fuss, I've messed up, I can't do this job anymore, I just wanted to leave quietly and hope that nobody noticed I'd gone." Zoe explained.
"You didn't mess up Zoe, everyone knows that. We understand, we just wanted to let you know that and we are there for you. We hope this is the right decision, it's hard to turn your back on this place, it's in your blood." Tess told her.
"I know Tess, that's kind of why I'm doing it, you know, this whole thing with Max has made me realise that I don't have a life, this is my life. I've realised I'm not happy, how can I be? I've got no one, just this job, I mean how long has it been since I've been with anyone? I can't even remember, I just need time out, discover the world out there." Zoe told her friends.
Tess and Charlie looked at each other and then and Zoe with sad smiles.
"We get that Zoe, go and do what you want to do, take some time out, just promise us you'll keep in touch." Charlie told her pulling her into a hug.
"We're going to miss you, everyone will."
"Thank you both, I promise I'll keep in touch, I could never really completely let this place leave me could I? Now, let me go, before anyone else sees!" Zoe hugged them both and got into her car before the tears began to fall.
What would she do now she wondered? She had plenty of time to decide.
The ED the next day was rife with the news that Zoe had quit. Max arrived for work, asking Noel what the gossip was.
"Haven't you heard mate? Zoe's gone, resigned yesterday."
"What do you mean? As clinical lead?" Max asked confused, she said she was staying out of his life.
"No mate, gone altogether, left the hospital for good." Noel told him.
"Oh, oh right, I hadn't heard." Max said before walking off, dazed. Zoe couldn't have left surely? He hadn't even had the chance to apologise.
"Hey Max, how are you? How's Laura?" Robyn asked him in the staff room.
"What? Oh yeah, she's alright." Max said distantly.
"And what about you and her and the whole husband situation?" Robyn probed.
"I don't want to talk about it Robyn. It's over, that's all anyone needs to know, I don't want to go into the ins and outs, I just want to move on."
"I guess you missed your chance." Robyn replied.
"Meaning?" Max asked.
"Zoe. She was crazy about you, yes you were with Laura but you weren't happy, you hadn't been for a long time, she changed you and not for the good Max." Robyn told her brother.
"She was ill Robyn or did you forget that?" Max asked.
"No I haven't forget and I feel for her, I do but you need to get your life back and you may have just thrown your chance of happiness away, you know Zoe left because of what you said to her? She blamed herself for Laura and couldn't face you everyday." Robyn continued.
"Look Robyn, this is real life, this is what happens, I'm sorry for what I said to Zoe but it was never going to be some fairytale. I'm a porter for gods sake, she was clinical lead, it's hardly what dreams are made of, what would people have said, id have ruined her career!" Max said exasperated.
"You muppet. Zoe didn't care about status, she's not one to care what other people think. There was a spark between you, everyone could see that, yes there's an age difference but who cares? Age is just a number. I know you're messed up over Laura but you need to take time and realise what it is you want." Robyn told him.
"You said yourself, it's too late." Max sighed.
"Maybe it's not, I'm sure we can find out Zoe's address, you can talk to her, apologise for a start, you know it wasn't her fault what Laura did don't you?" Robyn asked.
"Of course I do. I suppose I blamed her so I didn't blame myself, I should have seen the signs with Laura but I didn't, I just wanted her to be happy, how was I to know she had a whole secret life?" Max asked his sister.
"Nobody knew Max, she did a pretty good job of hiding everything, she's getting the help she needs now, you can be sure of that but you need to move on, you can't stay wrapped up in this, it'll do you no good at all." Robyn said.
"So what do I do now?" Max asked.
"I think you know what you need to do." Robyn told him patting his shoulder as she walked out of the room.
Max knew, he couldn't leave his shift today but he knew what he had to do, he hoped tomorrow wasn't too late.
"Tess?" He asked as he headed out the start work, "I need your assistance."