ONLY THE LONELY

Louise sashays from the reception desk to the coffee shop. Honey watches as she makes a cappuccino for a customer. She shakes her head a little before looking back down at the coffee machine. She turns off the machine and places a lid over the steaming drink. "There you go, two pounds please." Honey tells the customer. They hand over the change before walking off.

"How's it going? Does it feel like you've been away?" Louise asks Honey, as she draws closer to her. Honey gives a glowing smile. "Not at all, it's lovely being here. Can I get you a coffee?" Honey then leans over the counter and to Louise's right ear. "It's on the house." Honey finishes, before giving a cheeky wink.

"Er, sure. Can I have a regular white coffee please?" Louise asks, after careful analysis of the board. Honey grabs a coffee cup and presses a few dials. The coffee begins to make itself, just like that. Honey looks up at Louise and smiles. Louise returns an uneasy smile. Honey senses an awkward tension between them. Deciding to break the tension she begins the conversation.

"How about you come round tonight, I can do Tarot cards on you. We can have a drink and a catch-up. You up for it?" Louise panics. She stutters before going speechless. Honey gives Louise a look, wondering what's wrong. But then, out of the blue, like something has possessed Louise, she walks off back to the reception desk. The cup overfills, and coffee pours out. Crashing back down to Earth, Honey suddenly returns her attention back to the coffee and sighs as she realises she has messed up. She turns the machine off.

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In Connie's office, the phone rings. Connie is sat at her desk reading through an email from Henrik Hanssen. Her eyes skim the computer screen as she weakly pays attention to his message. After reading the message, she reaches out to the phone, and picks it up. "Hello?" She begins.

Minutes later, Connie is walking up a flight of stairs, surrounded by three pure blue walls and one wall purely consisting of massive panes of glass, forming one huge window; as well as a grey, stony floor. Ahead of her is a sign which says 'AAU'. She confidently walks up the stairs and follows the sign to the door, but as she places her hand on the door, she feels a sense of doubt pulsate through her body. She shuts her eyes for a second, but then opens them and confidently flings the doors open with her hands. As she bursts through the door she keeps her hands where they are, up by her chest. She walks confidently down the ward, looking left and right at the patients. She turns her head left again, nothing. She then turns her head right, and there she is...

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Honey walks over to the reception desk where Louise is, and hands her a fresh cup of coffee. She places it by a mound of paperwork. She reaches over and whispers into Louise's ear: "On the house." She pulls her head away and winks again, hoping she has done enough to break the tension.

"Where's my free cuppa coffee? You may want to whisper a little quieter in future if you don't want anyone around to hear." Noel gives a big, ear-to-ear smile to the girls before snatching the coffee from the desk and walking over to Triage. He doesn't look back, but while continuing to walk, he raises the coffee cup and shouts back to Honey: "Go a little easier on the milk in future." Louise and Honey look at each other before giggling.

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Connie stands over the hospital bed in AAU, the patient next to her. She moves the hair obstructing her view to behind her ear, before asking: "How are you, Robyn? I've been told you're recovering a lot quicker than expected, hopefully you'll be back down with us in the next few days..." Connie stops for a second and looks at Robyn. She seems down about something.

"...Is everything okay Robyn?" Connie asks. Robyn keeps her head down low. Connie places her hand over and puts it on Robyn's shoulder. Robyn looks up reluctantly. There's a moment of silence in Robyn's cubicle, as if the pair are reading each others minds. It's Robyn who breaks the silence: "I broke up with Zach yesterday. I mean, it wasn't meant to be, but then Lofty comes through and asks me out - and I say yes. I can't help but feel like it's too soon, but I guess I just have to trust Lofty to be my knight in shining armour 'ey?" Robyn replies cautiously. 

Connie smiles. "He better treat you well, Robyn. I'm glad for you, I know you liked Zach, but I think Lofty will treat you well. Yes, he's clumsy, but he's a very kind guy." Connie then winks. A smile implants itself on Robyn's face. Connie then withdraws her hand from Robyn's shoulder, before looking at her watch. "Oh, is that the time? I've got a meeting I need to get too, I'll catch-up with you tomorrow. Shouldn't be long before you're discharged, just relax, okay?" Connie finishes. Robyn's smile enlarges itself and she waves Connie off.