Ruth had been looking forward to a nice peaceful Halloween watching 'Bewitched' re-runs with her husband. There was a bowl full of sweets by the door and a carved pumpkin sat in the window smiling creepily at passersby. All in all, a big step up from last year where she had hid behind her sofa, turned the lights off and read a medical report that described in great detail the limitations faced when undertaking a rectal examination – patients tended to squirm.
She really should have known better.
"Ding!"
The doorbell. Ruth ignored it. Edward had been called away to work because of complications in surgery, even though he wasn't roistered on call. He'd kissed her chastely on the cheek before he left, dressed in his best suit and unsuccessfully trying to hide a bottle of wine behind his back. Ruth wasn't stupid and somehow she didn't feel very festive anymore.
"Ding!"
They'd give up soon.
"Ding! Ding! Ding!"
She'd just wait it out. Her resolve was stronger than any tiny candy crazed hooligan's.
After the fifth round of ringing the noise ceased only to be replaced by the clattering of her letter box and a familiar voice shouting:
"Ruth open the bloody door. It's freezing out here!"
That had the young doctor jumping off of the sofa and peering anxiously through the peep hole, "Oh God!"
"We can hear you! Just open the door!"
Ruth obliged, wincing as eleven of her colleagues clattered up her front steps and into her hallway.
"Happy Halloween!"
"What on earth are you all wearing?"
Big Mac, dressed as a pirate clapped, her on the shoulder, "its Halloween see?"
"Yes, yes. I am aware." Ruth waved an impatient hand and resisted the urge to throw something. Preferable in the direction of Jay, who was grinning cheekily at her with one arm draped over Polly. "But why are you all here? Like that?"
Noel, who appeared to be a parrot for the evening, waved a collection bucket in front of her face. "We're fund raising for Robbie the Robot."
"Right."
"And you're coming with us."
"What? No." Eleven pairs of eyes turned to regard her mournfully. "No. No."
"Come on, Ruth we need you." Jeff ( fairy) said adjusting his wings.
Lenny ( zombie) nodded, "yeah, you're all serious and trustworthy – people will be dying to give you money."
Yuki (alien) gave her a solemn look, despite the fact he was sporting a bright green headband with bobbly antennae. "Whereas we look fairly dishonest. It's a well known fact charities do better with a strong sensible message and figure head-"
"-Namely you," Jay cut in,
"-backing their cause."
"Plus we told Henry we'd have 12 people to sponsor; we've only got eleven since Adam dropped out last thing."
Ruth sighed. If she didn't agree they'd never let her live it down. Besides she was suppose to be working on her people skills, what could be more bond strengthening than making a complete fool of yourself for charity?
"Alright. But I am not dressing up!"
"You look great."
"I look ridiculous." Ruth stood arms crossed in front of her mirror, (turns out Holby City's hospital ED staff can be very persuasive).
Currently Zoe (a cat), Dixie (a skeleton), Mads (an angel) and Tess (a devil) were crowded into her room peering at her makeshift-costume clad reflection.
At such short notice they had settled with a ghost doctor attire complete with ripped, torn scrubs – Zoe had gleefully attacked them with a pair of nail clippers, and a stethoscope that Ruth had outright refuse to let them touch. They had also raided her rather limited make up collection, emerging with eyeliner and baby-powder.
The result was... horrific. And not in a good way. A theory conformed by the embarrassed silence that greeted the group in her hallway when they re-emerged downstairs.
Charlie sent Ruth an indulgent look from beneath his oversized orange stalk-hat "well, don't you look... spooky."
The doctor tried to smile, she really did. Unfortunately it looked more like a cringe with added teeth.
"Right well, moving out. Let's make some money!"
"Dibbs on the bucket!"
"I want to ring the bell!"
As eleven of her colleagues filled out of her house Ruth tried to ignore the sense of dread settling in her stomach. But it was Halloween – people we practically obliged to make idiots out of themselves right? Besides she hadn't seen any cameras and without pictorial evidence – well who was going to believe straight, quiet, career driven Ruth Winters dressed up as a dead doctor in order to raise funds for a scheme that was obviously not financially viable?
Three days later when Ruth caught sight of the department message board she made a promise to listen to whatever her stomach felt in the future. Apparently it was often quite right.
Bloody crafty camera skills.
An: okay so HAPPY HALLOWEEN! This was quite quickly written so don't hold back with the criticism – I just want to make people smile
So the costumes I came up for our eleven favourite trick 'n' treaters / fictional ED staff was:
Jay – Cupid, Polly – elf, Dixie – skeleton, Jeff - fairy, Tess – devil, Yuki – alien, Lenny – Zombie, Zoe – cat, Charlie – pumpkin, Big Mac – pirate and Noel was his shoulder parrot.