"Zoe... That's not quite what I meant." Connie said.
"I know, it's just that I've been working here for 7years and I've never taken so much as a break. It's draining."
"Well then take a break now, I don't understand." Connie asked confused as to where the sudden urge to leave had come from.
"You wouldn't understand." Zoe said not wanting to offload her problems onto Connie who she still had a rocky relationship with.
"Try me."
"Fine, I just need to make myself a life away from the ED. You have Grace but my life seems to revolve around the ED." Zoe said collecting things from her desk.
"You'll have my resignation letter by the end of the shift." Zoe said sitting down to write it.
"Zoe I-" Connie was interrupted by Tess entering the office.
"Major RTC coming in, Connie you're needed in rhesus."
"Just don't leave before seeing me okay? We have no agreed to this or resolved anything until we talk it through." Connie said before leaving the room.
Zoe had finished writing the letter so decided to place it on Connie's desk. She looked around the room for anything that she wanted to take with her and then rested her head in the desk. She heard the door quickly open and then close again.
"Connie, look I've made up my mind. Please just accept my resignation letter." Zoe urged not bothering to lift her head of the desk.
"You're what?" Max asked standing in front of Zoe in utter shock.
"Max, I thought you were Connie."
"I get that a lot." He said making Zoe laugh slightly.
"What's up Zoe?" He asked sitting on the edge of her desk.
"I feel old and I'm tired of not having a life." Zoe said as she looked up at him.
"Well, I for one think you look amazing."
"Well I don't feel it."
"Not even when you're with me?" Max said with a cheeky grin on his face.
"Max... Inappropriate."
"So you're leaving?" Max said the burning question that was on his mind.
"Yes I am. I'm gonna miss this place but it's something I have to do."
"Obviously you'll miss me the most."
"Obviously." Zoe said laughing.
"So where you off to next then?"
"America, I think. There's someone call Adam Trueman who I used to work with out there."
"America? Zoe I thought you were just moving to another hospital around here." Max said as Zoe shook her head.
There was an awkward silence between the pair whilst Zoe continued to put her office essentials into boxes whilst Max keep his eyes fixated on her. He was the first to break the silence.
"Zoe?" He said as she shot her head around to face him.
"What about us?" He asked quietly.
"I'm letting you go Max, you'll be better off without me." She said smiling at him.
"Stop pretending that you are doing me a favour by leaving because you're not. Maybe I don't want to let you go... Ever thought about that? Maybe I like the Zoe who hasn't had much of a life but makes me feel as if I have, and perhaps I like the Zoe that is older than me because I couldn't care less what age she is... She's still gorgeous." Max said in an angry manner.
"Max I-" Zoe said but was interrupted.
"I don't want to hear it Zoe. You continually make decisions for yourself and never think about the impact on anyone else. How is Connie going to cope a consultant down? Who is going to stop the Caleb and Ethan wars? Who is going to be there for Rita? But most importantly what am I going to do without you?"
"You'll find another girl to ease the pain I'm sure of it."
"Maybe I don't want to find another girl, Zoe. Don't you get it? I only want you but this seems to be an unrequited relationship where you neglect to tell me how you feel because apparently you already know. Do you know that I want to be with you more than anything else?" He asked and Zoe shook her head.
"Well I guess Dr. Hanna doesn't quite know everything." He said before leaving the room.
Zoe sat in her chair staring at the clock. 2 hours before she finished her last shift in the ED and for the first time when she thought about this she felt genuinely sad because she knew that there were people in the hospital that relied on her. Then her mind switched to Max, who she had never ever considered when making her decision. She needed him as much as he needed her but she could never tell him that. Connie walked into the office and looked at Zoe who smiled at her weakly.
"I'm so confused." Zoe said and Connie nodded and picked up the piece of paper that was on her desk.
Thank you all. So this is the penultimate chapter and the final one will be up tomorrow. I am so excited for you all to read the last chapter. Please continue to R&R. :)