Chapter 23:

"This is Zoe Hanna, aged-"

"If you still want a job by the end of this then I suggest you keep that information to yourself... Continue." Zoe interrupted.

"I'll start again. This is Zoe Hanna; she has a deep laceration to the left side of the head. Insists that she was not KO'ed at the scene but I wasn't there so it may be a possibility. SAT's are normal."

"Thank you Jeff." Zoe said.

"No worries princess."

Zoe sat herself on the hospital bed and let Charlie and Tess assess her. She sat in silence for a while whilst they both glued and stitched the cut. Once they had finished Tess just pulled Zoe into a tight embrace.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Tess said before walking out of the cubicle leaving just Charlie there for company.

"Zoe, why did you leave?" Charlie insisted.

"I just wanted to do something right for once." She said as tears began to roll down her cheek.

"We needed you here."

"Well I didn't feel needed." Zoe said causing Charlie to sit beside her on the bed.

"I've let Nick down haven't I? He left me in charge and ever since he left this hospital has gone downhill."

"Zoe, Nick left you in charge because he believed in you and he thought that being clinical lead was what you wanted but from what I can see, you don't want to be inundated with admin, you want to be back in the field and do what you do best."

"And what's that?" Zoe asked

"Being a bloody good doctor." Charlie said causing Zoe to smile. They sat on the bed in silence as Zoe was thinking and Charlie wanted her to make the right decision.

.

"Tess, where's Zoe?" Max asked in a panic.

"Cubical 2 but she isn't taking any visitors right now." Tess replied but Max just rushed past her and Tess followed him.

"Max." Tess shouted loud enough for Zoe and Charlie to hear. Zoe instantly smiled and as Max quickly pulled back the curtain he ran into her arms.

"I thought I'd lost you." He said as tears ran down his face.

"You can't get rid of me that easily." She said, not being able to hold back the tears that reformed in her eyes. Zoe immediately pulled away from Max to ask him a question that had been on her mind for the duration of her time trapped in the helicopter.

"Did you hear what I said on the phone? The battery died and I was so scared that you didn't hear it." She quickly asked.

"Say it again." He said.

"I love you Max Walker." She said, forgetting that Tess and Charlie were still standing in the cubical.

"I love you too Zoe Hanna and by the way I did hear you the first time but I just wanted to hear it again." He said as he put his hand to her face wiping away her tears.

"Hold on." Tess said.

"Are you two?" Charlie questioned gesturing between the two. Max looked at Zoe as he wanted to see what her answer was.

"Yes." She gave a simple answer that allowed Tess and Charlie to understand what was going on but to Max that one word was enough to know exactly how Zoe felt about him.