Chapter 1
'Ah good morning' Elliot smiled, greeting his team in
the staff room as Zosia took a sip from her coffee and Oliver adjusted his
scrubs, standing ready to start the day. 'Iโm glad you're both here. Before we
begin, I have some exciting news from our American cousins' he began, looking
excited, brandishing a piece of paper as he poured some boiling water into his
mug to make a coffee. Both Zosia and Ollie looked up at the Professor, but he
didn't speak.
'Don't keep us in suspense, Professor' Ollie chimed, sitting down again,
reaching for his mug he'd placed on the coffee table.
'I'm trying to build an atmosphere' he laughed, before he continued. 'Greyslow
Cardio Centre in New York are hosting a worldwide week-long Cardiothoracic and
Cardiovascular Conference next month, and Darwin have been invited to attend.
And what with Jac being on maternity leave, and Mo being away with Adele, that
leaves...' He smiled...'us!'
'Seriously?' Zosia smiled, her face lit up with the prospect of visiting the
Big Apple.
'Indeed- it's very exciting, a fascinating event too. Now the board have agreed
to pay for our flights and accommodation, so get packing, we're off to New
York!' Elliot smiled.
One month later
Just over a month later, both Zosia and Ollie were
waking up in their separate flats to get ready to go the airport, and while
Zosia, in her flat with Dom and Arthur, was nursing a hangover, Ollie in his
flat where he lived alone received a text from Elliot:
I'm so sorry Ollie, I have the flu and won't be able to come the conference
until later in the week, if at all. Enjoy yourselves, learn as much as you can.
See you when you get back, the hotel is booked under Mr Hanssen, although the
board know I'm not going and have changed the booking to a double room without
a sofabed now. Pass on my apologies to Zosia'Ollie wasn't sure how to feel. He was nervous at the prospect of spending a
week alone with Zosia, but he was also excited for the same reason. Since Tara
died he hadn't felt like he could love anyone else, have feelings for anyone
else. Elliot putting the two of them together to work as a team had forced them
to become allies rather than enemies, and Ollie started to realise he cared for
the young F2. Unfortunately for him, this was the same time as Zosia started to
date Seb Coulter. A patient had described him as a 'smarmy little man' and
Ollie couldn't agree more. However, Zosia seemed to like him, but in his
opinion, seemed to be being brainwashed. Either way, this week was just going
to be him and Zosia. No Seb. No Elliot. Just him and Zosia.
He picked Zosia up at her flat ready to drive them to
the airport, and as she stepped out, wearing sunglasses, a striped maxi skirt,
a dark burgundy blazer and black vest top, Ollie was amused at how hungover she
looked.
'Don't tell me you went out last night?'
'No, I stayed in with Seb and the boys, we ended up drinking 4 bottles of wine.
Seb wanted me to have a send off'
'Why? You'll only be away a week' Ollie guffawed, and Zosia nodded.
'I know, but then the boys heard about wine and we made a night of it.'
'And your boyfriend didn't mind sharing you?' Ollie teased and Zosia rolled her
eyes.
'Nope, anyway, can we change the subject? Thinking about last night is making
me feel ill' and then she saw Ollie smirk. 'Because I can't think about wine'
she quickly rescued herself, knowing that Ollie was intuitive enough to pick up
any innuendo in what she said.
The pair checked in at Heathrow and after they got
through security, they went into a shop to buy a bottle of water and something
for breakfast, although Zosia still didn't feel up to eating. As they sat in
the departure lounge, Ollie snatched Zosia's passport from her hands.
'Oi, what are you doing?' She argued as she sat up and tried to reach back
towards her passport but Ollie was lifting it away from her.
'I need some entertainment, let me see your passport photo'
'No, it's embarrassing' she moaned, still trying to reach, standing up to try
but Ollie had managed to open the photo page before she managed, so she sat
back down next to him in surrender, opening an bottle of water.
'Wow' he blurted, and Zosia turned to look at him.
'What?'
'Nothing, it's just I saw this picture on a poster outside, it said 'wanted''
he smirked, pointing his thumb behind him and laughing as she thumped him in
the arm.
'You're being annoying' she replied, trying not to laugh, but then as she
opened Ollie's passport, she let out a loud guffaw, and threw her hand over her
mouth to control herself, and Ollie rolled his eyes as if he knew what she was
about to say.
'I was only 21' he defended as Zosia continued to laugh.
'You have a pornstache!' She laughed hysterically as she tried to catch her
breath. 'In what world did you think a pornstache looked good?! Oh my god
that's the funniest thing I've ever seen! What film was this?'
'Oh be quiet, it isn't a pornstache, whatever that is' he argued, laughing, and
then he noticed Zosia's face drop as she looked at the departure board. 'What
is it?'
'Delayed, 4 hours.' Wonderful.
While Ollie played games on his phone and read, Zosia
managed to sleep for the delay time and by the time she woke up, amazingly she
felt fresher and more alert and able to enjoy the anticipation of heading off
to New York. On the plane, they were seated next to each other and after about
half an hour of chatting, Ollie decided to up the tempo.
'I'm afraid you're unlikely to get a good nights sleep with me in the same
room' Ollie smirked, opening a magazine. As with their shifts together, he
loved winding the F2 up, and when it came to banter, she gave as good as she
got.
'Why? Do you snore? Fall out of bed? I'd understand, your head is big enough'
Zosia smirked.
'No but I do kick people in my sleep and steal the covers' he retorted.
'Who said we're sharing a bed?' She asked, raising an eyebrow and turning her
head to face him.
'Elliot'
'Uh huh... and why couldn't you two share and I sleep on the sofabed? She
asked, suspicious.
'I couldn't put poor Elliot through that'
'Or why couldn't you sleep on the sofa bed and I share with Elliot?' She
thought again, raising an eyebrow again.
'I couldn't put poor Elliot through that' he repeated, grinning a cheeky grin
and poking his tongue out as Zosia's mouth dropped open in shock.
'Charming' she smirked sarcastically as she shoved him. 'I don't know what
offends me more- the fact you want to wake me up, or the fact that you wouldn't
put Elliot through being in my vicinity' she sighed. 'Why can't one of us have
the bed and the other one have the sofa bed?'
'The board contacted the hotel, it's cheaper to stay in a double room without
it...the trust won't fork out for something that isn't needed.' He smirked as
she rolled her eyes.
'Ok...I'm guessing I'm stuck with you then'
'Oh cheer up F2, there are worse things surely?' he smirked, as he nudged her
arm. Zosia smiled, rolled her eyes and shook her head before putting her
headphones in, and Ollie smiled back before doing the same. Maybe this trip
would be a good chance for him to get closer to Zosia