Role Reversal

Chapter 7

(So I've had a new idea for this which i'm not completely sure about, but was really stuck with where this story was going and wanted to carry it on somehow! hopefully you still enjoy reading it 😋)
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Jacob stood with his arms resting on the ledge as he looked down at the Emergency Department below.
Zoe left the meeting room where she and Jacob had spent their morning, and stood next to him.
"You wouldn't happen to be thinking of a certain nurse would you Jacob? You two put on quite an entertaining show the other day?" Zoe joked, referring to the encounter she had witnessed between them two days ago.
"Please, just leave it" Jacob sighed.
Zoe instantly knew something was wrong.
Come to think of it, he had been particularly irritable all morning.

Zoe was the one person that knew the real Jacob. The other staff were unaware of the dark past which haunted their clinical lead.
Jacob hadn't always been so focused and cold hearted, in fact, the complete opposite.

Zoe waited patiently. She had learned that the best way to get Jacob to talk was to wait; she knew he would talk when he was ready.

"4 years today" Jacob spoke quietly, his gaze remained on the ED below.
Zoe sighed, she knew exactly what he was referring to - her previous job had been at the same hospital that Jacob worked at four years ago before he joined Holby.

She placed a comforting hand gently on Jacob's arm. "You should go home now Jacob."
Jacob just shook his head, lost in thought. The last conversation he shared with his daughter, 4 years ago, kept replaying in his head.

"But you said you would take me to dance class tonight daddy. Auntie Sarah took me last week, I don't want her to take me again."
"I know darling, but work is really busy today. I will definitely make sure I'm home in time to take you next week though."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise"
Jacob hung up and slid his phone into his back pocket.
He turned his attention to the woman next to him, who placed her arms back around his neck.
"I really must get back to my patient now"
The woman stuck out her bottom lip in disappointment. "Fine"
"My break is in an hour though, meet in the store room then?" Jacob winked and walked away.

Never had he expected that phone call to be the last time he would hear his daughter's voice.