Chapter 19:

"Morning boss." Max said as he took a drag of his cigarette.

"Hi." Zoe simply replied whilst grabbing two heavy boxes of admin out of her car.

"Need a hand?"

"Would love one." She replied before passing the boxes to Max who immediately struggled to carry the weight.

"Blimey Zoe, what have you got in here?"

"Admin, if that's what it takes to silence the sceptics then so be it." She smiled before walking straight to her office with Max struggling behind her.

"You can just put them down here." Zoe pointed at a spare space on the side of her desk, before picking up her stethoscope and a few files and following Max out in to the hectic ED.

"Zoe, just the person. We need to close down now, cubicles are full and we have reached maximum capacity." Connie insisted.

"Right. First let's call up to the wards and try and make them clear space and I will set up a triage in reception with the help of Charlie and Lily." The staff all looked at her knowing that this wasn't the right decision.

"Does anyone else have a better idea?" They all shook their heads and immediately got back to work. Zoe also walked off in the opposite direction sighing loudly as to the mess that had become of Nick's ED. She leant against the wall looking at the ED around her but was brought out of her thoughts by Max.

"Hi." She said in a melancholy tone.

"What's up?" Max asked.

"Everything." Zoe's answer was broad and short but Max completely understood.

"I don't think that this will help the matter but... There has been a potential gas leak so Jeff is bringing in a bunch of partygoers to be tested for suspected CO poisoning."

"Really, and St. James' can't take them?"

"Haven't you heard? St. James has closed and is diverting all their patients here!" Max said cautiously but Zoe just hit her head against the wall.

"That's great. Just bloody brilliant, cause we have plenty of room to spare." Zoe was getting stressed and Max could tell so started to walk away.

"Max could you stock up on oxygen please." He nodded and walked off and Zoe followed.

The ED was hectic and to make matters worse Jeff had argued with Zoe, the wards were refusing to discharge patients at night and a dementia patient had gone walkabouts causing Connie to criticise Zoe's every move.

"Connie, we'll find him and fix him up. It's what we do, it's our job."

"Well we obviously don't do a very good job then." Connie said causing Zoe just shook her head.

"We can't find him anywhere." Max rushed towards Connie.

"I don't need this, not today Max." Zoe argued back.

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm a porter not a doctor."

"Just leave it Max." Zoe said whilst storming off. As she was walking away she realised that perhaps she had taken it all a step too far with Max and instantly regretted her decision.

The shift had ended and Zoe was tired and hungry. She walked into the staffroom where some members of staff were.

"Well done today guys. I'm proud of you all. Does anyone fancy a spot of breakfast?"

"I've got a tonne of paperwork to get through." Lily said before walking off.

"I second that." Ethan said causing Zoe to look at the floor.

"You're damned if you do and damned if you don't Zoe. Sorry, I can't make it I'm back on shift in a minute." Rita said before walking off. Connie just walked straight out to highlight her anger towards the situation leaving Max and Zoe alone.

"Someone once told me that breakfast was their favourite meal of the day." Zoe smiled at Max.

"Yeah." Max said as he walked away leaving Zoe in the staffroom on her own.

I know I changed it a bit but I wanted it to be slightly different from Saturday's episode. Anyway please R&R and I shall get the next chapter up ASAP.