Disclaimer : I don't own any of these characters, they all belong to Channel 7, etc etc.
The locker door slammed shut. "So this it is?" Ben asked uncomfortably. Bron nodded as she gathered up the junk that she had just removed from her locker. As she began walking away Ben grabbed her arm, "you don't have to do this Bron", "I don't have many other options do I?" she retaliated. Ben frowned, "I can leave the service". Bron turned promptly and faced Ben "don't be ridiculous" she said raising her voice "you live for this job!" There was silence and an intense stare between Bron and Ben. Finally Ben spoke, quietly and slowly "I'd do it for you". Bron shook her head and turned to run out, by the time she reached the door, tears were streaming down her face.
That night she lay sullenly in front of the television, fading pictures jumping across the screen through a vision of tears. She was alone, she had gotten what she had asked for, a position back in Ward 17 and she had lost all that she had been fighting for. The door unlocked and she heard the voices of Connor and Jodi filling the air. Not wanting to be noticed in such a state, Bron jumped off the couch and ran down the hall into her room before the love birds reached the lounge.
Restless and teary eyed, Bron tossed and turned all night, fearing that the decision she had made was the wrong one. By the time the sun began to rise, Bron's eyes were puffy and her head ached from the constant crying throughout the night. Reluctantly she responded to the alarm clock and got up to have a shower. She didn't say a word at the breakfast table where Connor, Jodi and Jared eyed her up curiously. Jared was the first one to speak "So, looking forward to working with us again?" Bron struggled for a smile "it will take a bit of getting used to". She hardly managed to finish one slice of toast before it was time to leave.
Once in the ward, everything that was all too familiar to her looked so different. Bron was tired and still confused about the decision she had made. "Bron?" Mitch sounded unimpressed by having to repeat what he had just requested "did you understand what I just asked?" she nodded only having taken in half of what Mitch had just said. Bron hardly smiled the entire morning, routinely attending to patient's needs and only speaking when required to do so. Luke even welcomed her back to the ward, an expression she ignored. Connor approached Jared "you think she is ok?" "yeah, it will just take a while to get her back into the swing of things". Just after they turned to go their separate ways there was a loud crash of instruments falling to the ground, "sorry" Bron looked embarrassed as she carefully cleaned the mess before going back to her patients. All that she could think of was Ben, what was she doing?
"I asked for that to be done half an hour ago, what is wrong with you?" Luke did not hide his anger. Bron just looked at him "I....just.....um, ok sorry" she mumbled. Luke rolled his eyes before approaching Connor "what the hell is going on with her, she is a hazard around here". Connor shrugged his shoulders. Bron walked past the nurses station and Connor grabbed her arm "can I uh, have a word with you in private?" Bron pulled away "yeah I know, I am having a bit of a shocker, I am ok", "please?" The look on Connor's face convinced Bron to agree. They went to the tea room.
"Bron, I know this is a change of environment but you have had a change of attitude too" Connor looked at her intensely "you were always so happy and so friendly to the patients, always a morale boosting companion and now you are just grumpy and well....." Bron sat down slowly "ok Connor, I get the drift, so I am having a bad day". "No it isn't just today, it has been for....." Bron cut him off "I shouldn't have done it" she burst into tears "what was I thinking? I love being an ambo, I loved working with Ben, I hurt him and I wanted to be with him but I didn't always want to be compared with her" "her? Steph?" Connor asked curiously. Bron sniffled "yes Steph". Connor took a step towards Bron and placed his hand on her shoulder "you really like Ben don't you", Bron nodded "I have always liked him, even when he was with Steph, but he loved her and he still wears his wedding ring and I will never be the same as her, it's not fair!" Connor sighed, "Bron, he's not asking you to be her, he wants you to be you", Bron blew her nose and sat back in the chair, tears had made her face red and blotchy like the night before.
"What should I do" she finally asked "I want Ben more than anything in the world but I am scared, scared that I will stuff everything up, scared that things will change". Connor took her hand, "Bron, life was made to take chances, how are you ever going to know if you don't try?" "and what if?" she interrupted, "and what if it doesn't all work out?" Connor finished the sentence for her. "Yeah" she said softly, "well", Connor went on "if it doesn't work out then you will always have your job here and friends who love and care about you very much". Connor reached down and gave her a big hug, "now you go back down to that ambulance station and tell them that you made a silly mistake and you would like to keep working as if nothing had happened" she looked up at him "go on" he pulled Bron to her feet and passed her a tissue to wipe her eyes. Bron gave him a big smile, "thanks Connor, I think I will".
Ben was sitting outside on a bench near the garden, head hung low and a cup of stale coffee in his hands. "Hey you" Bron went up to him and sat down, "what are you doing here?" Ben asked trying not to show the pain he was feeling. "I've been doing some thinking Ben, about me, about you" she looked him in the eye "I want to work as an ambo, I want to work with you because I can't imagine working with anyone else AND I can't hide my feelings for you anymore" She stopped and smiled at him. "But" she went on "we are mates and we are partners at work so I don't want it to become a big thing, I want things to go slow and I want it to stay outside work". Ben gave her a big hug "I'm glad you still knew where to find me" he joked. "Ben I am not ready for a commitment yet, I don't want to be compared with Steph and I don't want to stuff things up between us, please let me take it my pace", Ben nodded in agreement.
Ben looked down at his hands that held the cold coffee, he took a hold of his wedding ring and pulled it off his finger. He slipped it into his back pocket and held his hands out "to a new slow fresh start" he said. Bron took his hands and smiled. Ben pulled her to her feet and said "well we better go get you that job back eh?" and they walked inside the building to do just that.