"Two hours for a fucking plaster! Good thing you weren't decapitated or I'd be sitting in that god damn Emergency Room holding your head all night."
Max's father stood at the side of the bed, watching as Zoe placed a plaster over the back of her hand where the line had been placed.
"Your wife still has considerable bruising..."
Connie spoke as Zoe patted down the plaster gently.
"She will need to rest, and she will need looking after."
"I can look after her."
He cut in.
"Excuse me...sorry what is your name?"
Connie glanced to Kathleen who was adjusting herself in the bed with Zoe's help.
"Mr Walker."
He answered, an air of defiance about him.
"Ok Mr Walker, you will need to make sure that your wife takes the prescribed medications at the correct times. Is this something that you feel you can provide for her?"
Connie asked, signing off at the end of the patients notes, tearing a sheet with the prescription written on and passing it to Mr Walker who snatched it from her fingers.
"I'm not an idiot."
He snapped.
"I didn't say you were."
Connie answered, Zoe beside her, glad to have the support of the other woman who stood beside her.
"You implied it! Can I look after my own wife?! Of course I can look after her!"
He laughed, shaking his head and looking toward Kathleen who looked away.
"Then can you explain to me how she sustained these injuries?"
Connie asked, folding her arms across her chest, notes still in hand, resting against her hip.
"Fuck off, I'm not with her 24/7 you can't blame me for what she gets up to when I'm not there. Do I look like I was born yesterday?!"
He shook his head again, tutting under his breath.
"Not unless you age at the speed of light, Mr Walker, no. Now take that..."
She gestured to the paper that he held.
"To reception, they'll tell you where to go from here."
She instructed.
"Alright, alright. But first I want to see my son."
He pushed the paper into the back pocket of his jeans without folding it.
"Uh, I'm afraid Max is busy at the moment."
Zoe broke in, catching Connie's glance to her, her body just touching her own as if shielding her from Mr Walker and his aggression.
"I was talking to her."
Mr Walker nodded to Connie.
"Well I'm afraid whoever you were speaking to it doesn't change the fact that your son is busy with other patients."
Zoe felt the anger rise within her throat, tightening about her vocal chords so that her voice strained.
"Who are you?! Brown Barbie? I'm talking to the doctor. Haven't you got some banana's to eat?"
He snarled, he spat as he spoke, leaning in, his words a devilish growl through gnarled lips.
"I'm sorry?! Who the hell are you calling "Brown Barbie?" And bananas?! Seriously? No wonder Max doesn't want anything to do with you."
She clenched her hands against her sides, fingers curled so tightly that her nails pressed painfully into her palms.
"Oh he told you that did he? Hmm?"
He asked, Connie made to speak but Zoe broke in.
"He told me all about you. All about those visits that you and him had together after you left him when he was a child. All two of them!"
She spat, her body pressed against Connie's as she leaned toward him, Connie the only barrier between them.
"Dr Hanna, I'd advise you to calm down."
Connie spoke, her voice low.
"No! Connie, he doesn't get to say that and get away with it! The man's an animal! How he treated Max..."
Zoe continued, her voice rising.
"Dr Hanna, how Mr Walker treated Max is not relevant to the situation..."
"Ah I get it, he always did have a thing for the older woman. Never managed to get one though. Desperate were you?"
Mr Walker laughed again, that fat belch of a laugh that spat stale saliva out at all angles.
"You know what! Fuck you Mr Walker, Fuck you. You don't come in here with your racist comments and get away with it, I will make sure that you regret..."
"Dr Hanna! You need to calm down right now before you make yourself ill."
Connie spoke so quickly and sharply that the duelling pair silenced immediately, Zoe catching her breath, eyes fixed on Mr Walker who looked from Connie back to her, confusion giving way to realisation as he dropped his eyes to her belly and back up.
"Am I to be a grandfather?"
He asked, his voice changing, his voice quiet but playfully threatening, taunting her. She sucked in a breath and pushed passed Connie.
"Fuck you."
She hissed.
More very soon xxx