"Are you in here, Max?" Zoe asked a short time later as she pushed open the door to her office.

"No." Came the reply.

After entering the room and shutting the door, Zoe approached her desk and sat down. Swivelling the chair to the side, she found her husband in his makeshift cubbyhole beside her desk. "Exactly how long have you been holing up here during your shifts?"

"…Long enough to know that when you're wearing high heels and you're talking to Connie there's a 50/50 chance I'll lose an eye, but there's also a great view of your-"

He was cut off by a knock on the door, and a moment later Tess entered without waiting for a reply. "Oh. I thought you had someone in here. Who were you talking to?"

"Just myself. One of those nights."

Tess smiled and approached the desk, sitting down opposite Zoe. "I know what you mean. Why is it that the most complicated cases happen when we're busy?"

"As Connie says, we're only given what people think we can handle, and if we can't handle it we need a different job."

Tess gave a soft laugh and rested back in her chair, clearly ready for a long chat. "So, how was your holiday?"

"Good. Very good. Which makes it all the harder to come back here for a Saturday night shift. And Connie apparently thinks I should be punished for taking time off by giving me a stack of extra paperwork."

In his cubbyhole, Max flinched and reached out to gently pull Zoe's high heels off as she began to swing her leg in agitation.

"I was expecting Max to come back brandishing photos and detailed explanations of exactly what you got up to."

Zoe gave a slight smile and her eyes flickered to Max who had his eyes screwed shut. "I banned him from taking a camera."

"Probably wise after last time. I'd better get back."

"I'm going to try and finish some paperwork, so only come and get me if you really need me."

Tess gave a smile as she nodded before leaving the office, shutting the door gently behind her.

When she saw sure the door was shut, Zoe looked back down at her husband who was now massaging her bare feet. "Are you having fun down there?"

"It's my favourite place to be."

A smile pulling at Zoe's lips, she reached out and ruffled his hair before getting on with her paperwork. "You're an idiot, Max Walker."

….

"Have you seen Max?" Robyn once more barged into Zoe's office without knocking.

This time, however, Zoe could answer truthfully. "I haven't seen him in an hour, and I asked not to be disturbed."

After a moment's hesitation, Robyn offered an apology. "Sorry. I'm just worried about him."

"Are you going to tell me why, or do you want me to guess? Because he seems fine to me."

When Robyn didn't reply and continued to stare at the carpet, Zoe sighed. "I have an idea where he might be. I'll go and talk to him."

…

"Well, well, well. What's a pretty lady like you doing in a dump like this?" Max pushed himself up onto one elbow as Zoe pushed open the door to the on call room.

Leaning on the doorframe, Zoe raised her eyebrows. "Do you ever do any work?"

With a sigh, Max lay back down. "I told the boss I was sick."

"And are you?" Zoe shut the door and approached the bed.

"Could be coming down with something."

Pushing his feet to the side, Zoe sat on the bed. "Robyn is looking for you. Again. What's going on, Max?"

Max just sighed but gave no response.

"… you know what my favourite thing about you is?" Zoe finally asked to break the silence.

As she'd hoped, this brought a smile to his face, though he didn't open his eyes. "Tough question…my smile?"

"Close, but no. This bit, right here." She traced as finger from his throat to the middle of his chest then off to the side. "Because no matter how stressed I am, no matter what is happening, when you give me a hug, when my head rests right there and I hear your steady, calm heartbeat, I know it's all going to be ok."

Max's smile softened and his eyes flickered open. "Are you being soppy, Dr Hanna?"

"I just hoped maybe I offered something similar to you."

Max looked as though he was going to reply, but Zoe's pager began to beep. Swearing softly, she checked the message and gave a sigh. "…I need to go. Should I tell Robyn you've gone home?"

Max nodded and watched Zoe walk towards the door. As her hand rested on the handle, Max finally called out. "Zoe?"

She turned, resting against the door.

"…The guy in cubicle 8. He's my father."