She walked quickly, by-passing patients and members of staff. She hesitated outside the staff room, she could hear the clink of teaspoons, the gentle murmur of voices. She moved on, quickening her pace until she reached Max's cupboard. She paused, the familiarity of having to be cautious creeping up on her. She opened the door, the small room was empty.
She pushed the door closed hard behind her, exhaling loudly, letting her eyes close and her head lean back against the door.
"Fuck."
She whispered.
There was the faintest of taps from the other side of the door. For a moment she thought she was hearing things, but the sound came again, louder this time.
She pulled the door open slightly, making to speak but the door was pushed so hard against her that she lost her balance and fell, her ankles twisting in her stiletto's, she caught herself on the arm chair, hearing the door close, the lock click.
Max's dad stood against the wall, arms folded across his chest, his face twisted into a smile.
She coughed and struggled to catch her breath.
"I'm sorry but this is a staff only area..."
She murmured, her voice low, sounding far more confident than she felt.
His smile widened.
"What do you want?"
She asked, easing herself down on the arm of the chair, her ankles were throbbing, already she could feel the left one was beginning to swell, the skin was beginning to tighten uncomfortably.
He inhaled slowly, looking about the room as though bored.
"Oh, I just want to make myself heard. Make a point...because if you're carrying my grand child then I think we need to have a little chat."
He shrugged as he spoke. She could feel her stomach begin to twist, a vague nausea of fear in the very pit of it.
"I don't think it's really any of your business."
She whispered, placing an arm instinctively across her stomach.
He watched her do it.
"Oh come on! Max isn't qualified to parent a half cast kid..."
Mr Walker shook his head.
"I'm sorry?!"
Zoe asked, a frown furrowing her forehead.
"Fuck I'm not sure if he could bring up any kid, but you, you;re..."
He tailed off again, gesturing to her with a crooked finger.
"I'm...?"
She coaxed, feeling her earlier anger begin to simmer once more.
"A darkie...one of those! Look, I just don't want my son seeing you."
She almost laughed out loud.
"A darkie?!"
She spat, eyes wide. He folded his arms tighter.
"You've had no input into Max's life thus far so I don't see why you think you can now?!"
She asked incredulously.
He shook his head.
"He's still my son!"
"Yes but he's not a child any more, he's an adult and he can make his own decisions."
There was another knock at the door. A deliberate knock with with a deliberate rhythm.
Mr Walker opened the door immediately, a younger man, younger than Max, perhaps in his early twenties entered, his hands hidden in the pocket of his white hoodie.
"Who's he?"
Zoe asked, shifting herself further upright in the chair, pressing her feet into the floor, testing the pain in her ankles to see if she could run.
"My son. Max's half brother. I thought you might need a little more persuading. Because we don't want that grandkid of yours, we don't want you in our country..."
As Mr Walker pointed at her again she noticed the tattoo on his forearm, she recognised it as the marking of a Nazi sympathiser...a neo Nazi.
"So you can either get rid yourself."
He gestured to her stomach. She could feel her heart ache, the irregular thump of it sounding in her ears.
"Or we can help... Or you can fuck off back to where you came from."
His voice was so low that it barely sounded human any more. She struggled to breathe.
"But I was born in Liverpool?!"
She heard herself speak, heard herself laugh at the absurdity of the situation.
Mr Walker and his son didn't seem to react.
"It's your choice."
He whispered.
More soon xxx