Flac - Hurt

I'm Coming Back

Jac: I'm coming back.
Frieda: You need to tell him.
Jac: Can't you?
Frieda: That's not what I mean. Tell him how you feel.
Jac: I don't know what you're talking about.
Frieda: Stop playing games and get on with it Ms Naylor.

Petrenko was sat on the sofa in Jac's office when she received the first text from Jac. She was relieved that Ms Naylor was finally returning, maybe now Fletch would stop being so mopey and cheer up a bit. After her last text, Jac stopped replying which confirmed her point. At that moment the door opened and Fletch walked in. Frieda locked her phone and quickly shoved it into her pocket and gave him a fake smiled.

"Oh hi. I just came to uh um get something." Fletch spoke nervously, trying to explain his reasoning for being in Jac's office.
"Mmhhmm." She murmured, unconvinced. "Ms Naylor will be returning today." She stated bluntly and got up from the sofa. "Tell her. Please, I can't deal with your incessant pining after her anymore. Good luck."
"Oh um right." Fletch said, slightly taken aback by what he had just been told and Frieda walked out back onto the ward. He was left stood in the middle of the room, not knowing what to think. The nurse turned and carried on over to the computer which was sat on Jac's desk.

He was just about to log off and leave when a voice filled the room. It was a voice he had been wanting to hear for a while now.
"Mr Fletcher. Moved in have we?" Her voice was music to his ears. Fletch turned to face her to see the red haired Ice Queen stood in the doorway.
"Oh no, just getting something for Ms Tate, Ms Naylor." He said with a smile. Jac has missed that cheeky smile with everyday that she had been gone. In her time away, she had spent a long time thinking over what had happened in the past year and things seemed straighter in her head now rather than a jumble of emotions.
"Oh yes, that lovely woman." Jac said in a sarcastic tone and rolled her eyes.
"Uh excuse me, I think she's going to do good things for this hospital thank you very much." He defended her.
"Oh don't you start sticking up for her, she's a rude and obnoxious woman who needs to be put in her place." Jac snapped.
"Actually, she's very nice if you get to know her properly. Anyway you've only been back five minutes, how do you know what she's like?"
"Oh trust me, I can tell what she's like just from that brief meeting I had with her in the lift earlier. Now come on, out of my office please. We both have work to do." She commanded. She wasn't ready to talk yet. She knew what she wanted to say though which had taken her by surprise.

Later that day, Jac wandered out of her office to check on the ward and to stretch her legs. She met Petrenko halfway to the Nurse's station.
"Ms Naylor." Her thick accent coated her voice as she gave her a greeting nod. "Have you seen this? The sneaky thing." Frieda gestured over to Fletch and Abigail who were stood across the ward from them. Jac watched as Abigail trailed and walked her fingertips up Fletch's chest and blazer lapels subtly. Tears welled up in Jac's eyes but she forced them away. Without looking at Frieda she tore her eyes away from the couple and walked briskly into her office, slamming the door behind her violently. Jac wanted to scream. Just when I was ready, she thought angrily. The temptation to throw something boiled up inside her as she grew angrier and angrier. She sat on the edge of the sofa, her elbows propping up her face in her hands on her knees. She willed the tears to go away but they didn't. They trailed down her cheeks and she held in a sob.

A few moments later the door opened and Petrenko slipped in, shutting it softly behind her. She crouched down in front of Jac and put a hand on her knee.
"You know he loves you right?" She spoke, breaking the silence. Jac didn't even bother to wipe her tears away as she looked up at the woman in front of her.
"No he doesn't. He loves her. You saw how they were together. He doesn't want me. I'm an idiot. I never should have left. I never should have let myself fall for him. Look at me. I'm a mess. This isn't me." She was now nearly shouting. Angry at herself, angry at him, angry at Tate, angry at everything.
"He does love you. Yes they slept together but it was a drunken mistake. He doesn't want her. You saw how he looked at her when she touched him. He was uncomfortable. That's because he wants you not her. Just talk to him." Jac had never heard Frieda speak so softly.

Jac wiped her tears ferociously and stood up. She began pacing the room, not looking at Frieda.
"He doesn't feel the same. He didn't act like it when I came back earlier. He slept with someone else! I'm just another colleague to him. And it's not fair. I love him. Why can't he love me back Petrenko?" She was so angry with herself again that she hadn't realised that Frieda had walked out. When there was no reply, Jac turned around to face her and she found that she had been replaced by Fletch himself.
"I do love you too. At least I hope you're talking about me, otherwise this has suddenly become extremely awkward." He smiled nervously, trying to pretend to be confident. Jac gave him a horrified look and her face flushed a bright pink. Then her instincts kicked in. She walked over and kissed him. She kissed him passionately and he returned it. His arms snaked around her back and pulled her close so their bodies were pressed together. When they pulled away, they kept their foreheads touching and their eyes closed.
"Oh you are a numpty Ms Naylor." He laughed and kissed her again.