To Break a Heart of Glass

"Connie Beauchamp, 46 years old, trauma to the head and left eye socket, possible internal injuries, there's bleeding and bruising around the inner thighs. She has yet to regain consciousness."

Zoe pushed her full weight against the bed, pushing it hard so that it rumbled through the double doors of RESUS on unwieldy wheels. Dr Knight, Tess and Charlie followed behind her whilst Max walked ahead, one hand loosely gripping the metal bed guard.

"Zoe?"

Charlie spoke quietly, standing behind her as she put the breaks on the bed and stepped back, slipping her stethoscope from about her neck and pushing it into her ears, leaning over Connie who lay slack against the sheets, her head lolled to one side, her eyes showed white as they rolled back in their sockets.

"What happened?"

He whispered, dipping his head to murmur his words, placing a hand on the back of his neck.

Zoe paused, waiting whilst Dr Knight checked Connie's eyes with the light that he held.

"No idea."

She answered quickly, watching Cal, her forehead creased with a frown that throbbed in her temples.

"Max found her in her office."

She said, gesturing to Max with a quick glance.

"Judging by the injuries I'd say we're looking at a possible rape."

Tess spoke from the other side of the bed, her voice low, her face pale.

Zoe nodded briefly, pursing her lips.

"Fuck..."

Cal whispered before he had a chance to stop himself. He cleared his throat and placed the light back on the trolley behind himself.

"Sorry."

He murmured.

Zoe looked to Max, his lips were grey and his hand trembled on the metal of the bed guard.

"Max?"

She pushed the ear pieces of her stethoscope into her ears and placed the cool pad against Connie's chest, her shirt torn, only the very last button holding the folds of bloodied fabric together at the bottom where it bunched about the waistband of her skirt.

"Max..."

She said again once she'd listened to the steady beat of Connie's heart.

"Sorry, what?"

Max looked at her, his eyes, which hadn't left Connie since he had found her, swivelled and looked up. He swallowed, an overwhelming feeling of light headed nausea welling at the back of his head.

"Any ideas?"

She asked, placing her stethoscope back about her neck.

For a moment he looked as though he hadn't quite understood what it was that she had said, but then he shook his head ever so slightly.

"I just heard her scream...I went in...someone ran passed me...I just found her..."

He paused and swallowed, wincing at how dry his throat had become.

"Like that."

He looked to Connie again, her lips were tinged with blue and her eye was beginning to swell and bruise a brilliant violet. Her tights were ripped from her legs and her skirt, which had been pushed up about her waist had been haphazardly tugged down to conceal her modesty, but still there was the blood...the skin of her thighs so pale against the gleaming scarlet blood that dribbled down them, staining the sheets beneath her.

"Max..."

Tess placed a hand upon his shoulder and he turned to her as though he were in a dream.

"You're in shock. Let me take you to the staff room..."

"No, I want to stay with her."

He said quickly, tightening his grip on the bed.

"Mate, there's really nothing you can do."

Cal said quietly, watching as Zoe began cutting the fabric of Connie's skirt to inspect the extent of her injuries.

Tess placed a soft warm hand upon his own.

"We'll let you know she's ok."

She said quietly, squeezing his fingers and placing her other hand at the small of his back, pressing gently, silently pushing him towards the door. He let go of the bed, letting his fingers slip slowly from it leaving white streaks of sweat on the metal that dispersed almost immediately.

"Charlie, could you and Dr Knight take Max and give him the once over please, I need Tess to stay."

Zoe said quietly, pausing in her actions as she caught sight of what she had been expecting to see.

"And a privacy screen please, Charlie..."

She added.

A new idea for a Connie/Max story. Will continue if requested and enjoyed :) More soon! x