Chapter 1: Insight
Summary:
For the prompt: Insight
Set in Spain after their return from Holby after the bombing
Notes:
Reminder: Tom is Bernie’s therapist
Chapter Text
“You’re very quiet tonight,” Serena remarks softly after dinner.
Bernie looks up, startled out of her thoughts. “Sorry, did you say something?”
“I only said that you were very quiet tonight. Everything alright?”
Bernie nods absentmindedly. “Yes, yes … I just have a lot on my mind …”
“Anything I can do to help?”
“I’m not …” Bernie sighs. “I keep thinking about Cameron and what … how …”
“How he became someone who bombs a hospital?”
Bernie swallows hard. “Yeah.”
“I honestly don’t know.” Serena takes Bernie’s hand across the table. “Have you asked Tom if he could offer any insight?”
“Maybe I should …”
Chapter 2: Essential
Summary:
For the prompt: Essential
Set in Spain — Bernie tells Serena something about her ordeal she hasn’t mentioned before
Chapter Text
Bernie rubs her shorts above the scar from the gunshot wound. She can feel Serena’s eyes on her, knows she’s curious, and maybe it’s time to tell her.
Bernie clears her throat. “I was lucky … bullet went right through … didn’t hit the bone or the artery.” She sees Serena sitting up straight. “There was no doctor at the camp — that’s why they grabbed me —… and I only had the bare essentials in my pack …”
Serena gasps and reaches for Bernie’s hand. “Are you saying you had to treat the wound yourself?”
Bernie’s fingers tighten around Serena’s hand as she nods.
Chapter 3: Model
Summary:
For the prompt: Model
Set in their happy, horny phase back in Holby. Slightly refers back to this drabble.
Chapter Text
“Maintenance should really do something about this lift,” Serena grumbles.
“They should … and maybe we should stop using a cargo lift nobody else ever uses.”
“Except for Dom …”
Bernie decides to distract Serena. “Tell me something about you I don’t know.”
“Alright.” Serena joins Bernie on the floor. “When I was at uni, I spent a year in Paris. To earn some money, I worked as a model for an artist.” Serena smirks at the surprised look on Bernie’s face. “I was very good at it.”
“Of course,” Bernie chuckles. “I have just one question: what happened to the painting?”
Chapter 4: Plane
Summary:
For the prompt: Plane
Set during their time in Spain, a day before Serena’s birthday. Someone planned a surprise …
Chapter Text
Jason is uncomfortable, but Guinevere’s on his knees, and Greta’s beside him explaining that, statistically, planes are extremely safe.
“Everything alright?” Charlotte asks from across the aisle.
“It’s too loud,” Jason replies, “and my knees keep hitting the seat in front of me.”
“I know.” Charlotte smiles. “Just imagine how happy Serena will be to see us.”
“I don’t think she likes surprises.”
“I’m sure she’ll like this one,” Charlotte says. “Mum wouldn’t have invited us otherwise.”
“That’s true … I just don’t understand why Elinor couldn’t come.”
Charlotte, who hadn’t bought Elinor’s flimsy excuse, just nods. “It’s her loss, Jason.”
Chapter 5: Preference
Summary:
For the prompt: Preference
Set about three weeks after The Kill List
Chapter Text
It’s still new, waking up together, and Serena revels in the feeling. Seeing Bernie first thing in the morning, smiling softly, is a treat she would like to have every morning for the rest of her life. But they’re not there yet.
“Good morning,” Bernie says, her voice husky and sleepy.
“Good morning.” Serena leans over for a kiss that turns into three. “Any plans for today?”
“Not really.” Bernie stretches, and the duvet slips down to reveal her naked torso. “But given the choice, my preference would be to spend it with you, right here.”
“That could be arranged.”
Chapter 6: Certain
Summary:
For the prompt: Certain
A conversation. Set immediately after The Kill List.
Chapter Text
After kissing Serena for what felt like hours, Bernie pulls back just enough to be able to focus on Serena’s eyes. “Are you sure about this?” she asks. “Is this what you want?”
Serena meets Bernie’s eyes with an open look. “I’m absolutely certain,” she replies, “but I’m quite nervous. It’s all new to me, although I did have a few months to get used to the idea.”
Bernie leans in to kiss Serena again. “We’ll figure it out together.”
“After—”
Bernie picks up the phone, holding up a finger. “Ric? Bernie. I won’t be needing that transfer after all.”
Chapter 7: Legend
Summary:
For the prompt: Legend
Chapter Text
Serena looked up when the patient was wheeled in and saw Bernie already on the way. The call had said that he’d been involved in an accident on the nearby base, so she wasn’t surprised to see the fatigues. What did surprise her was the wide grin on his face.
“The woman, the myth, the legend,” he shouted across the ward. “Major Wolfe!”
Bernie chuckled. “Well, they’ve certainly given you the really good stuff, Lieutenant.”
He nodded, completely ignoring the gaping wound in his leg. “Shiny new uniform, Major. Blue suits you too.”
“Let’s get you patched up.”
“Yes, sir!”
Chapter 8: Hip
Summary:
For the prompt: Hip
Set (of course with that prompt) after the closing of the trauma unit …
Chapter Text
Henrik answered his mobile with a sense of dread. “Hello, Serena. What can I do—?”
“Hip replacements, Henrik?!?” Serena asked, sounding incensed. “The most brilliant trauma surgeon in the country, and you offer her hip replacements?!?”
Henrik winced. He knew she was right but he hadn’t been able to keep the trauma unit. “You know we live in fiscally challenging ti—“
“Oh, spare me the bollocks,” Serena interrupted. “If anything happens to Bernie in Sudan, I’m blaming you!”
Henrik swallowed audibly. “Sudan?”
“Yes … and by the way, my sabbatical is now permanent. My resignation email should be in your inbox.”
Chapter 9: Smell
Summary:
For the prompt: Smell
Set in Spain, about two or three weeks after Bernie’s arrival
Chapter Text
Serena wakes up to a small sound and the smell of a coffee being placed on her nightstand.
“Good morning,” Bernie says softly.
“Morning,” Serena yawns. “It’s been a long time since you’ve brought me coffee in bed.”
Bernie shrugs. “It’s not like I had the opportunity what with … you know …”
“Oh, God, I’m sorry … that’s not what … I’m not really awake yet.” Serena takes a sip of coffee. “To what do I owe this treat?”
Bernie smiles almost shyly. “To say thank you? For taking me in?“
“Bernie,” Serena interrupts gently. “I wouldn’t want you to be anywhere else.”
Chapter 10: Dine
Summary:
For the prompt: Dine
Set several weeks after Primum Non Nocere
Chapter Text
Bernie sits at her desk wondering why on earth Fleur would send her an email. Well, you won’t know until you open it …
Wolfe,
For clarification: when you asked me to take care of Serena, did that include nighttime debauchery? ;-) I’m planning on wining and dining her tomorrow, so if you have any concerns, call me. (Don’t worry, I don’t have any amorous intentions, but she needs a distraction. Since you went back to Nairobi, she’s been looking like someone imposed a nationwide ban on Shiraz.)
Fleur
Bernie checks the time and calls Fleur, the British Airways website already open.
Chapter Text
Bernie stared at the large box on her desk as if it held ten pounds of live explosives. Marcus had finally managed to return her personal possessions, only two months after she’d moved out.
“Have I missed your birthday?” asked Serena, entering their office.
Bernie shook her head as she opened the box, praying that Marcus had packed the one thing that really mattered. There, right on top! Relieved, she picked up the leather-bound book and ran her fingers over the embossed initials, her eyes suspiciously moist.
“What’s that?” Serena asked. “Who’s EB?”
“That,” Bernie breathed, “is my great-grandmother’s diary.”
Notes:
Jemma once talked in an interview (I think with Lorraine) about imagining that Elinor Bramwell was Bernie’s great-grandmother (I think she said great-great-grandmother — don’t quote me on that — but mathematically, it would make more sense for her to be her great-grandmother) … so there you have it. Incidentally, that headcanon of Jemma’s is also one of the reasons why in my headcanon Bernie comes from a wealthy background (but there are other reasons too). I might get more into this if another drabble prompt lends itself to it …
OK, enough rambling — if you’ve read all that, you’ve now had a glimpse into how my brain works … 😉
Chapter 12: Complete
Summary:
For the prompt: Secondment
Bernie is in Kyiv
Chapter Text
Bernie sat in her flat in Kyiv, scrolling through messages on her phone, an unlit cigarette between her lips, vodka on the table. Cameron. Charlotte. Serena. Serena. Serena. All asking the same questions she kept asking herself.
Why are you there and not here?
Why promise to stay, then run off again?
She replied to her children, explained that it was a great opportunity. For her. For the hospital.
She thought about replying to Serena, but what could she say?
I’m sorry for being a complete idiot?
You scared me half to death?
Easier not to say anything at all.
Chapter 13: Writer
Summary:
For the prompt: Writer
Set during the secondment to Ukraine
Chapter Text
Bernie has never considered herself much of a writer, although she’s still better at that than at public speaking. Serena, however … Serena could make mortality rates sound like beautiful prose.
She loves reading Serena’s papers in The Lancet or the BMJ. Her writing is distinctive — if you know Serena, you can see her personality shine through even in scientific texts.
When Bernie goes to Ukraine, one of the few things she packs is a stack of medical journals with papers written by Serena. She reads them almost every night before bed, and she doesn’t cry at all when she does.
Chapter 14: Boy
Summary:
For the prompt: Boy
Set in Spain after the bombing
Notes:
I promise tomorrow’s drabble will not be sad …
Chapter Text
Serena walked outside, mugs of tea in hand, looking around for Bernie. They’ve only been back from Holby for a few days after the bombing and Cam’s funeral. And the row with Marcus, who’d tried to blame Bernie for everything once again, which made Bernie withdraw into herself until Serena had taken her back to the hotel.
Now Bernie was sitting by the pool, her feet dangling in the water, staring into nothing. Serena joined her, handed her a mug. “Tell me about Cameron.”
Bernie’s smile was small and sad, but it was there. “He was such a clever boy …”
Chapter 15: Exclusive
Summary:
For the prompt: Exclusive
Set towards the end of the series aftervtheir return to the UK for good (refers back to a trilogy of drabbles from a while back, starting with this one)
Chapter Text
As soon as they’re back living in the UK Bernie takes Serena to London, back to the exclusive Italian restaurant that Serena remembers so fondly from their first visit there, which feels like a lifetime ago. When they arrive, Bernie is pulled into a hug by Maria, the owner, who cries into her shoulder, whispering, “I’m so glad you’re alive,” again and again.
Serena watches Bernie, watches how she hugs the older woman back, can see how much this means to her, and falls even more in love with this place and the people who’ve known Bernie all her life.