Tina walked through the doors of A+E and was greeted by Anna in her usual, chirpy mood that was in stark contrast to her own. She was glad Sean wasn’t working ‘til later. She didn’t want him seeing her like this and didn’t feel ready to admit what was wrong yet.

“Alright mate?” Anna said, “are you OK?” Tina gave a half-hearted smile and nodded. Anna looked at her, concerned. “Really? I thought you’d be happier. After all, you are engaged to the biggest hunk in the department.”

“Oi!” Barney teased as he walked past, “I heard that!”

Tina gave a small smile and turned back to her fellow nurse. Anna put down the pile of folders she was carrying on the reception desk and walked towards the staff room with her friend.

“I’ve had better nights” Tina told her reluctantly, hanging up her coat, “and before you say anything, I haven’t been at the drink.”

Anna let out a giggle but then saw the tearful expression on her friend’s face and put a comforting arm around her shoulder. “You want to talk about it?”

Tina shook her head and sat down. “No, I’ll be fine. I just need a coffee.”

“I’ll put the kettle on” Anna told her and went over to the kitchen area.

Tina sighed and rested her head in her hands. Why was this happening?

* * *

Chloe stepped out of the cab and paid the driver. She paused and stared across the road at the entrance to Holby City’s A+E. She hadn’t been back here for 1 and a half years and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to face up to all the questions she was sure everyone was bound to ask. But it was time she faced up to something’s head on. She would have to make herself ready.

She had been back in Holby for the best part of a week but only now was she confronting her past. It had taken all this time to build up enough courage.

“Woah, sorry” she said, slightly embarrassed when she nearly got run over by a patient on a trolley, being pushed by two paramedics she didn’t recognise.

Chloe walked through the double doors after them into the busy department that she remembered. She looked around for some one she knew. She didn’t see one familiar face in the hoard of patients and staff that were milling around the reception desk.

Still, she couldn’t expect time to freeze just because she left.

“Umm, excuse me. I’m…”

The young guy behind the reception desk put his hand up to stop her and finished what he was typing on the computer. He swivelled around on his chair and looked at her.

“Yes love, how can I help?”

“I’m looking for…” she began, but she was interrupted by the phone.

“Hold that thought” he said and picked it up. He spoke to the person on the other end briefly then covered the receiver and turned his attention back to Chloe, handing her a form. “Fill this in an wait over there. A nurse will be with you soon.”

“No, I…” she began but then decided it was useless to try and get any sense out of him.

She turned to see if she could find someone to talk to herself.

“Chloe?” She heard a familiar voice from behind her.

“Duffy! Hi!” She smiled at her former colleague. She was happy to see a friendly face.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, pulling Chloe into a hug and smiling, genuinely pleased to see her. “Listen, I due a break. Why don’t we go and get a coffee?”

Chloe nodded and followed Duffy towards the staff room.

* * *

Chloe sat on the sofa in the staff room, awkwardly sipping her coffee. Duffy made her own cup and sat next to her.

“So, what made you come back?” the older nurse asked curiously, “missed the madhouse too much?”

Chloe leant forward and put her mug on the table. She turned to Duffy. “No, it’s slightly more complicated that that.”

Duffy looked concerned. “Is everything OK?”

“Uh yeah, I suppose. I just need to talk to Sean.”

* * *

“So, Mrs. Heartly.” Sean closed the curtain behind him as he walked into the cubicle, checking the notes on a clipboard. He turned to the worried looking woman sitting next to the bed. “Jenna is going to be just fine. All the tests came back normal, I think it’s just mild dehydration. We’ll give the fluids another half hour to work then you should be able to go home.”

“Thank you doctor” the child’s mother told him gratefully and he smiled in response.

He turned to the 6 year old girl lying on the bed. “Are you feeling better now?”

She nodded shyly and smiled at her mum.

“Umm…” Duffy poked her head around the curtain and looked apologetically at Sean and then at the patients. “I’m sorry to interrupt. Dr. Maddox, can I have a word?”

“Yeah, sure.” He started to walk outside. “I’ll be right back, OK?”

“What’s up?” he asked when they had moved away from the cubicles.

“Sean, Chloe’s back” she said and continued, despite the look of shock on his face. “And she said she needs to talk to you. Charlie’s away, you can use his office.”

Sean didn’t say anything. He was too surprised to think of a reply. He walked towards Charlie’s office, frantically searching for something to say.

He paused outside the door and looked at her through the glass. Why would she want to talk to him? Why would Chloe come back after all this time?

“Sean, hi” she said nervously after he had walked through the door. “We need to talk.”

Sean sat on the desk and nervously fiddled with his stethoscope. He looked at her across the room with a mixture of confusion, apprehension and surprise on his face.

“Listen Sean.” She paused, unsure of how to talk to him, took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye. “You have a son.”

She cringed and looked down at the floor, not really wanting to see his reaction. She cursed herself for not delivering the news a bit more tactfully but it was doe now and there wasn’t anything she could do.

“What? Uh… What?” Chloe still didn’t look at his face.

“I don’t have much time now” she lied. Running away from the situation again probably wouldn’t help but she wanted to give him time for the news to sink in before they talked. “Here’s where I’m staying, come by after your shift and we’ll discuss it. I’m sorry.” She thrust a piece of paper at him and hurried out the door, leaving Sean still sitting there, attempting to make sense of what he was just told.