Friends standing by their friends.
Chapter One:
The hospital was uncharacteristically quiet at 7am this morning, the waiting room was deserted.
"Morning Charlie", Collette said, just as he walked passed her, standing next to the reception desk, and headed towards his office, not acknowledging her.
"Morning Collette" Collette mutters under her breath, rolling her eyes at Charlie.
"What's up with him?" Tina asks Collette, as she walked up to her.
"He's a bit late this morning, maybe it's just that."
"I heard Duffy moved in with him." Tina says, looking at Collette with a smirk on her face.
"Well, that's just gossip." Collette, tries to scald her with a tone in her voice.
"It's not, see, look, here's Duffy now." Tina says, as Duffy walks into the waiting area.
"Morning Duffy." Tina says, as she tries to hide a giggle as she walks towards her.
"Morning Tina." Duffy says, as she walks towards them, and heads off in the direction of the staff room.
"Morning Duffy." Collette says, as Duffy walks passed.
"Just a coincidence, nothing more than that, probably traffic." Collette replied.
"Yeah, traffic." Tina says, as she raises her eyebrows, smirks, then walks away.
Collette stands there, her brows crease in confusion.
-x-
Later that day, Collette finds Duffy sitting in the staff room eating her lunch. As Collette opens her locker to retrieve her lunch, she joins her in the seat next to her.
"So how's the house hunting going?" Collette asks, eagerly trying to find out if the latest gossip is indeed true.
"I've put it on hold for now." Duffy replies.
"Oh, have you managed to sort things out with the mortgage company?" Collette asks.
"Not exactly no." Duffy answers, taking another bite of her sandwich.
"Oh." Collette says.
"Me and the boys have moved in with Charlie." Duffy replies, not looking up at Collette.
"You, and the boys?" Collette asks.
"And before you ask, it was Charlie's idea." Duffy replies, rather sarcastically.
"I was ready to move in to the two bed at High Cross Road." Duffy adds.
"And?" Collette says.
"And...Charlie said it wasn't the best place to move into." Duffy said.
"How come?" Collette asks.
"It needed a lot of work doing to it, I was quite happy to move in. But..."
"But?"
"Well, Charlie wasn't happy about it really...he said he wasn't prepared to let me and the boys live in a dump like that. So he offered to let us move into his house. He wouldn't take no for an answer. So I made him a deal, that we'd only move in if he let me pay him what I'd have paid for the rented house. So, I have done, and we moved in last week." Duffy explained, taking another bite of her sandwich.
"I see. So is everything else going ok then?"
"My house is sold now, so the debt is cleared, but only just. To be perfectly honest I'd be lost if it wasn't for Charlie. He's been great, he's planning on redecorating the boy's room this Saturday with Peter and Jake. And they've taken to the idea a bit more." Duffy adds.
"And you, how are you?" Collette asks.
"I'm, getting there. Slowly." Duffy says, looking a little worn out.
"Good, I'm pleased things are better for you." Collette says.
"Thanks Collette." Duffy says, smiling back at her colleague.
-x-
Collette passes a file over to a colleague at reception, and spots Josh walking towards her.
"Ah, Josh, have you got a minute?" Collette asks, just as Josh was packing up his paramedic bed trolley and heading out of the waiting area.
"Yeah, no problem." Josh replies, as he stops to answer her.
"Not here, the staff room." Collette said.
"Oh, ok. Can you take this back onto the ambulance? I'll not be long" Josh says to Collette, then turns to his paramedic colleague and advises.
Josh then follows Collette into the staff room, she turns to see there is no one around her, then she slowly closed the door behind them.
"Duffy has moved in with Charlie." Collette says, looking at him.
"What, when?" Josh replies, shocked.
"Last week apparently, Duffy has just told me."
"Bloody hell, the old dog kept that quiet." Josh says, smiling to himself.
"You need to have a word with him." Collette says.
"You bet I do." Josh replies.
"I'm being serious here." Collette says, putting her hands on her hips.
"So am I, I need to find out how he told her." Josh said.
"The thing is, I don't think he has." Collette explained.
"What...what do you mean he hasn't told her." Josh replied, surprised.
"Duffy has been looking for a new house, since everything that happened with Ryan, she has just sold her house to pay off the debts. So she's been looking for new places since putting it on the market." Collette mentioned.
"Bloody hell! Poor Duffy" Josh exclaimed.
"She also mentioned Charlie wasn't happy with the state of some of the places she was looking at. So offered her and the boys to move in. She is paying him rent, as she would have done for a house. So, seems to be none the wiser." Collette advised.
"Oh, I see. So he hasn't said anything to her yet then?" Josh asked.
"I don't think so no." Collette confirmed.
"So, I think you need to have a word with him." Collette points out.
"What am I supposed to say to him that I haven't said already?" Josh asked.
"I don't know, just ask him if he is going to tell her." Collette said.
"Collette, they've been close friends for 17 years and still not said anything to her. I've spent numerous drunken nights with him to know he's petrified of losing her as a friend, if she knew how he felt about her." Josh explained.
"And now they are living together, with her boys too. She has lost everything in such a short space of time. She needs him to be a friend." Collette mentioned.
"And that's exactly what he is doing by the sounds of it. He'll be even less likely to say something now." Josh outlined.
"But what if he does?" Collette asked.
"And what? Look they have been friends for years, even if he does say something, it'll not ruin their friendship." Josh said.
"Why don't you have a word with Duffy?" Josh added.
"And say what exactly?" Collette replied.
"Well, erm." Josh muttered.
"Exactly, you need to talk to Charlie." Collette explained.
"What now?" Josh asked.
"No, take him out for a drink or something." Collette suggested.
"Now that I can do." Josh said, as he smiled back at her.
"Tonight." Collette added.
"Tonight? Oh alright, tonight it is then." Josh replied, sighing slightly.
"See you later." Collette said, she then walked towards the staff room door.
"Alright, see you later." Josh replied.
"And not too much whiskey, alright?" Collette looks back at Josh.
"Alright." Josh smirked back at Collette.
A few moments later, Josh opened the door to Charlie's office. He found his friend deep in concentration going through a pile of paperwork at his desk.
"You free tonight mate?" Josh asked, as he shut the door behind him.
"Hmm?" Charlie responded, still reading, deep in thought.
"Tonight, you free for a whiskey or two?" Josh asked, as he peered down, trying to get Charlie's attention.
"Tonight?" Charlie responded, but continues to read.
"Tonight, me, you a bottle of Jamesons' finest?" Josh asked excitedly.
"I dunno, I've got a lot on." Charlie said, as he emphasised the paperwork in front of him.
"Come on, it's been ages. Collette is out with her friends tonight, and I deserve a night out just as much as you do. Come on. Just a couple then." Josh pleaded.
"I dunno, Josh." Charlie said, as he pressed his hand to his head.
"I'm not taking no for an answer. I'll meet you after your shift. Seven o'clock?" Josh replied.
"Alright, alright." Charlie replied, still not looking up from his paperwork.
"Seven it is then." Josh smiled, and left Charlie's office.
-x-
"Charlie have you managed to sort out the discrepancies in the budget report yet?" Duffy asked, as she walked into Charlie's office two hours later.
"Just finished up a few minutes ago. We forgot to add the new supplier's pricings for the current stock, that's why there was an issue." Charlie replied.
"Oh good. Erm..." Duffy paused, and closed the office door behind her.
"I was wondering if we could stop off at the supermarket after the shift, I need to pick up a few things." She sat down in the chair near to him.
"Yeah, no problem, that's fine." He said, as he turned to look at her.
"Thanks." Duffy smiled back at him.
"Oh, erm, straight after work? Hmm, erm, I totally forgot. Josh wants to meet up for drinks with me after work. Ha, I think he's desperate to get out to be honest. You don't mind do you? I'll not be out long." Charlie replied, as he looked a little apprehensive.
"Oh no, not at all, that's fine. I'll be sorting the boys out, bath night tonight. So, it'll be a bit manic." Duffy replied, a little disappointed.
"Oh, ha, ha. You don't mind?" Charlie replied.
"Don't be silly, go and have a drink for me too will you." Duffy suggested.
"I'll bring you back a bottle of your favourite wine." Charlie replied, as he smiled at her.
"Deal. See you later then." Duffy replies, as she then smiled back at him.
"Yeah, later." Charlie replied.
Duffy got up from her seat, and left the room.
-x-