Chapter 1

"I need LFT's U's and E's and someone page the on call anaesthetist." Connie moved around the patient checking her vital signs and clearing her neck before allowing her to sit up. Jacob waltzed into resus and towards the bed before Connie looked up. "Someone said you needed a nurse?" Without any effort to address him she began reeling off what needed to be done. "You got it boss… Hi Michaela my name's Jacob-"

Connie stepped back from the bed and looked down at the patient's charts whilst listening to Jacob speak to the young female who was clearly in pain. There was no way of denying he was an excellent nurse who somehow managed to keep people calm while in here. It was a characteristic Connie had never mastered and she found herself envious of how he managed it but never let onto that.

Eventually she put down the file and began walking from the room. "If anything changes find me." The doors fell shut behind her as Jacob continued with treating the patient's wounds.

The shift went by slowly for Connie as she prepared a presentation for a meeting next week. "Ah Mrs B, the patient from resus, Shannen, she's gone to X-ray… Shall I come find you when she's back?" Connie nodded before looking across at him "Please. Have you got those figures I asked you for?" Jacob walked with Connie towards the nurses' station where he picked up a folder and handed across to her "Found and bound just like you asked sweet cheeks." A smirk appeared on Connie's face as she took the folder. "Mrs Beauchamp will do in future-" "Whatever you say sweet cheeks." Jacob winked as he walked backwards before turning away from her and heading for cubicles.

It was lunch time and some of the staff were gathered in the staffroom. "Right get your shoulder into it… Keep your eyes focused and don't give anything away." Lofty listened before Jacob spoke again. "Alright you ready?" "I was born ready-" "Don't ever say that again." Lofty turned and sat opposite Max with their elbows resting on the table. "Right a fiver on Lofty-" "50p on Max?"

"Right come on then Maxwell, eye of the tiger and all that." Jacob stood behind Lofty watching. "3, 2, 1 and go…" The pair remained focused as everyone around them began to get bored.

Connie came out of her office and could hear noise coming from further along. Walking through the department she scanned the area before turning into the staffroom. She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow as Max looked over and dropped Lofty's hand before everyone disappeared from the room. "What- Where's everyone going… Rematch after work, yeah?" He turned and saw Connie walking into the room running her tongue along her bottom lip before crossing her arms.

"So this is what you get up to in here?" Jacob scoffed before looking at Connie. His eyes fell on her as he took her appearance in once again that day. The way her dress clung to her body, fit her perfectly. The way she stood with so much authority, power. The way she spoke… Spoke she had been speaking to him. "SO?" "What? It's just a bit of fun, you're allowed to have some fun Connie."

She kept walking past slowly "Right muscles-" "What's that supposed to mean?" Connie turned back and smirked towards him as he followed her out of the staffroom, not giving an answer. He stopped in the doorway and watched as she walked away shaking his head to himself. How had a woman got him so hung up, he'd seen enough pretty women in his life but why was this any different?

The shift dragged on slowly but surely and soon enough it was time for most of the staff to go home. Jacob was getting changed as Rita and Robyn stood by the nurses' station glancing through the window. "Have either of you seen Staff Nurse Masters?" They both shot up and turned around upon hearing her voice before Robyn started to stumble. "Er… Um, he's-" "He's in the staffroom." Rita finished Robyn's sentence before nudging her and they wandered off back to cubicles.

Connie stepped into the staffroom as Jacob pulled his shirt down over his head. She moved her eyes away from his as he turned around to see her standing there. Jacob moved across the room without speaking and went to the door. He stopped inches from Connie as she turned and looked up at him before Max and Lofty stumbled through another door followed by a small crowd of people. "Right then game on-" "Actually I'm afraid it's game off…" Jacob spoke whilst looking down at Connie before moving away and standing beside her.

"What? Why?" Jacob spoke without looking back towards Connie. "Well it's a hospital it's not the place-" "Actually, I was just about to take on Staff Nurse Masters myself…" Jacob watched as Connie walked forwards and sat down looking across at him standing there. She raised her hand and motioned for him to come and sit down as people began placing bets behind her.

There was a small smile settled across her face as she kept her eyes on Jacob. "Right, contenders you will go on my first whistle…" Neither were really listening to Big Mac as he began telling them the rules. Connie bit her bottom lip as Jacob watched her, a small and sly smile slowly reaching his face as he took her hand in his. "1, 2, 3" he whistled and they both began pushing against the other as Noel and Max encouraged them both on.

Jacob looked down at her arm and nodded smiling as the smile grew slightly larger on her face. They kept eye contact the entire time until Connie moved her eyes to the doorway and her expression dropped. "Mr Hansen?" Jacob turned to look where Connie's eyes were still resting when she pushed his hand to the table while he was distracted.

His eyes darted back to her in shock and confusion as she sat back from him smiling and raising her eyebrows. People began leaving the room as she blew against her fingers laughing and stood up from the table. "My work here is done…" Jacob smiled as she walked away and out of the door. Connie may have thought she had one over on him, but it was Jacob that had finally got what he had needed to from the interaction.