"Right, everybody ready? One, two, three, and roll..."
Jeff helped heave Mr Golding onto the bed, the seventh in a couple of minutes to have come in due to an RTA on Bramford Road.
Zoe unbuttoned his shirt, her gloved fingers squeaking on the small plastic buttons. She pressed gently against his ribs either side making him wince and cry out.
"Ah, right, tenderness of the chest wall."
She manoeuvred her stethoscope one handed into her ears and pressed the cool pad down onto his chest, moving it every now and then before speaking.
"Ok decreased sound..."
She paused, listening intently to the crackling she could hear beneath the man's skin.
"Right side only."
She concluded, moving her stethoscope back to hang around her neck before placing one hand on his chest, tapping with the other.
"Dullness to percussion."
Cal leaned in over her to check the screen bleeping behind her.
"Resps are 30."
He spoke loudly behind her to the rest of the team.
"Ok, can I have a chest X-ray please, 4 units of cross match as soon as possible please...we may need a chest drain."
The doors opened as she spoke and another victim of the crash was wheeled in.
"This is Charlotte Golding, eighteen, passenger in the RTC, GCS 315 throughout, pulse 80, BP 130 over 85, SATS 98, she lost approximately 280 millilitres of blood at the scene."
Tamsin spoke hurriedly as she backed the bed into the corner of the room.
"Any analgesia?"
Zoe asked, hooking the patient up to the monitors.
"No I tried but it was refused."
Tamsin answered, fitting the mask over Charlotte's face.
"Ok, on my count, on three, two, one..."
She lifted the young woman across with the help of Cal and Rita before making a hurried exit.
"Ok, Hello Charlotte I'm Dr Hanna. Right let's get some routine bloods and fluids please, U's and E's, LFT's, FBC's, group and save, glucose and a Beta HCG."
She began cutting down the length of the girls top to gauge the extent of her injuries.
"I want to talk to my dad."
She whimpered, her head held down in a head brace, her breathing heavy, fresh tears welling at the corners of her eyes.
"Al-right just try and stay still for me."
Zoe murmured, placing a hand over her chest before placing her stethoscope back into her ears and listening.
"Nice deep breathe."
She instructed. Charlotte drew in a gravelly breath, crying weakly.
"Ok, let's look in those eyes."
She replaced the stethoscope and peered into the young girls eyes, her tears flickering rainbows in the light that Zoe shone into her pupils.
"Pupils equal and reactive."
She stepped back, passing the small torch to Rita.
"Ok, could be a plural effusion of the right side, and queried fractured ribs. Could be a malignant infusion, could be a haemothorax from the chest trauma, definitely needs draining...where is that chest drain I ordered?"
She glanced behind her, the chest drain being wheeled in as she spoke.
"Ok, Cal could you get the chest drain set in please, lungs are seriously compromised."
She raised a hand, catching Cal's attention as he finished with another patient.
"I need to find her notes, have you got this?"
She asked, placing a gloved hand on Cal's arm.
"Got it."
He confirmed, taking hold of the chest drain. Zoe only just realising it was Max who had wheeled the drain in. He followed her out of the room.
"You're sexy when you're in charge."
He whispered, jogging a couple of steps to keep up with her.
"Shhh..."
She turned to glance at him, smiling despite herself.
"Not appropriate."
She hissed, still a smile toying with her lips.
"Sorry, it's just hard to..."
He stopped speaking abruptly as Connie turned the corner, passing them by without a glance, her gaze remaining on the corridor ahead.
Zoe subconsciously holding her breath as she passed.
"What's hard?"
She asked, speeding up again.
"Well I was going to say it's hard to be appropriate..."
She glanced at him.
"Max..."
He grinned as she slowed down nearing the ward.
"Let me know if anything else hard comes up that you need help with."
She whispered, pushing open the ward door slowly, moving away from him, amused as she left him speechless, the doors closing on him, only his laugh following her onto the ward.
She flipped through the stack of notes, locating Charlotte's and placing it in the pile to be taken up to theatre. She felt the balls of her feet beginning to burn, glancing at the clock she realised she had been on her feet solidly for seven hours.
"Tea?"
Tess asked, passing her, placing a pile of notes on top of Charlotte's.
"You read my mind."
She breathed, following Tess into the staff room.
"I heard what happened with Guy."
Tess spoke as she set the kettle to boil.
Zoe sat down slowly on the sofa near near the window, looking out into the car park through the slatted blind.
"That didn't take long to filter down the pipeline."
She mused, crossing her legs and slipping her heels off.
"What are you going to do?"
Tess asked, filling two mugs and retrieving the milk from the small under counter fridge.
"I haven't got a clue."
She sucked in a long breath, accepting the mug of tea with a whispered 'thanks.'
"He wants me to go to America. Some training course out there...he said I need the discipline..."
She trailed off as the door opened and Max, Lofty and Robyn entered.
"Do you three actually do any work?"
She asked, smiling as Robyn looked momentarily alarmed at her presence.
"Don't worry, I'm not the boss any more, go ahead, drink, eat...have a nap..."
She smiled seeing Lofty stifle a yawn.
"Are you going to go?"
Tess asked softly.
"Where are you going?"
Max asked, overhearing as he used the left over kettle water to fill three more mugs.
"No where..."
Zoe answered, widening her eyes at Tess and placing a finger briefly to her lips.
Cal burst into the room, lifting a hand in greeting and making his way to his locker.
"Who's about Friday night?"
He asked, his back to them as he unlocked his locker.
"I'm having a party."
He added, turning, a lunch box in his hands.
"For any reason?"
Asked Lofty, moving to add more sugar to his tea.
"It's my birthday. Drinks over the road and then back to mine?"
He asked, to the affirmations of Robyn and Lofty.
"Dr Hanna?"
He asked.
"Now you're one of us?"
He added.
She rolled her eyes, glancing at Max who merely watched, smiling at her, drink in hand.
"Uh..I'm not sure..."
"Come on, I've heard you were a bit of a party animal back in the day..."
Cal urged, sitting himself down in one of the spare chairs and prising open his Tupperware container.
"Back in the day?!"
She exclaimed, raising an eyebrow.
"I'll be there..."
She smiled, bemused.
"Back in the day. Honestly do I look ancient?!"
She asked to nobody in particular.
"Isn't Friday the 30th?"
Tess asked, looking to Zoe who shook her head slightly, warning her not to continue.
Max dropped himself down to sit next to her as he, Robyn and Lofty filled along side of the coffee table, finding a place to sit. She noticed Tess begin to tense.
"We could do the music?"
Lofty offered, looking over at Max who grimaced in reply.
"No mate it's sorted, music, drinks...ouside bar. I was down Bradford stadium last night, blew a monkey on a dog"
He began, taking a large bite of his sandwich.
"Pardon?"
Zoe asked, wondering if she had misheard.
"You'll have the RSPCA after you for that."
Max breathed, leaning back into the sofa, his arm just brushing Zoe's.
"Dog racing...a monkey is £50."
Cal explained to Zoe, ignoring Max's amused grin.
"Five hundred mate."
Max corrected, sipping his tea, wincing as it burned his tongue.
"Really?"
Cal asked, looking to Lofty who nodded.
"So what's a pony then?"
Cal asked, taking another bite of his sandwich.
"It's like a small horse..."
Max quipped, blowing into his tea.
Cal raised his middle finger at him as he chewed.
"Anyway I thought I'd use the winnings for Friday."
He said before swallowing.
"Do you gamble then...Max?"
Tess asked, taking Max by surprise, his lips halfway to his mug.
"No..."
He took a sip and rested the mug on his thigh.
"Just a faunt of useless information."
He added, pinching his nose as he felt the tickle of a sneeze.
"Jack of all trades, master of none."
Confirmed Lofty, leaning forward to pick up a magazine that someone had left on the table.
"No idea what this secret woman must see in you."
Robyn sighed, absently stirring her tea with a spoon that she couldn't be bothered to put back.
"Maybe it's my smile."
Max joked, kicking his sister gently with the toe of his shoe.
"Maybe it's your huge nose."
She replied, kicking him back.
"Touche"
He grinned, feeling the tickle again, this time unable to stop it. He sneezed several times, hiding his face with the crook of his elbow.
"Sorry."
He mumbled through his sleeve, pausing to make sure he had finished.
"Well the next woman who starts sneezing..."
Lofty mused, looking pointedly to Robyn who's eyes lit up.
Zoe shifted uncomfortably next to Max who deliberately leant in closer, refusing to break the ever so slight connection they had between their arms.
"You still don't know she works in this department."
Max spoke through a yawn. A headache was building behind his eyes and he could feel the threatening scratch of a sore throat.
"She must do, you're never gone long enough to meet someone in any other department."
Robyn scoffed, looking to Max who was beginning to feel rather unwell and slightly unnerved by the route the conversation was taking, especially as he was sitting next to Zoe whose body had seemed to stiffen as soon as he had sat down.
"Right."
Tess stood abruptly, glancing to Zoe.
"I'd better get going."
She spoke slowly, stepping away from the group as they looked around at her.
"I'll follow you out."
Zoe breathed, relieved to have an excuse to leave, feeling Max lean against her slightly as she stood up, smoothing down her dress and following Tess out of the room.
"You're not really going to go to that party are you?"
Tess asked, her voice low and anxious.
"I thought I would..."
Zoe answered, walking with Tess back onto the ward.
"With Max...?"
Tess whispered, glancing at her.
"No...not 'with' Max."
"But he'll be there..."
Tess pursed her lips again, Zoe drew her arms across her chest, folding them tight.
"Tess, I can't just avoid him, that would look even more suspicious."
She breathed, tiring of how protective Tess seemed.
"Zoe I know you, what if you drink too much..."
She spoke quietly, Charlie passing them by, cocking his head to Zoe who rolled her eyes in response.
"Tess, I'm not going to do anything stupid. Ok? Come with me if you like, keep an eye on me?"
She began to move away, unsure whether she wanted to hear Tess's answer or not.
"I'm not sure it's really my thing..."
Tess called after her, picking up the pile of notes that had built up to go upstairs, watching as Zoe disappeared onto the ward.
Reviews and comments very welcome :) Hope you all enjoy the upcoming party..!
(Also, does anybody know how long Sunetra Sarker will be away from Casualty?!) x