"Unless you are lay on this table you are not my priority"

Christ she was drunk… she was so drunk that she knew she was drunk but just didn't give a crap. The burning from the whiskey she had swallowed in one sip allowing her mind to concentrate on anything else but the dire situation she was in. The lonely and miserable life she had inflicted on herself. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she thought about it all again. The row, the dark look in Grace's face as she declared she knew what a whore and a bitch her Mother was. Vile at the best of times but so much more heart wrenching and crushing coming from your eight year old daughter. Then came the slap, hard across her babies face, anger surging and for one scary second she thought she was really going to lose it. Let out all her anger and unleash something that she was scared of. She remembered her daughters face crumbling as she screamed and declared she was telling her Father, who unsurprisingly booked a plane ticket insisting on coming over to sort everything out. Connie's life was crashing around her and she realised she had no fight left.

"Same again please" Connie purred to the hunky barman who had spent half the night making eyes at the clinical lead for half the night. He smiled before grabbing the glass and topping it up with another shot of whiskey. He had already served her 4 double vodka cokes, two gin and three shots of whiskey. He was considering telling her that he couldn't serve her anymore, but she seemed to be a force not to be reckoned with.

The young barman placed the glass in front of her once again and watched as she brought the glass up to her lips and tipped it down into her throat. The alcohol seemed to be having no effect on her anymore. She was downing shots like they were cartons of orange juice. She was way too beautiful to be destroying her body with booze.

Connie glanced around her, taking in her surroundings finally. She was disappointed by the lack of good looking men, she was dying to take someone home, it was like if she did that she still had some control. That's what she needed, to be in control. To dominate someone and feel powerful once again when in reality her world was crumbling. She sighed as she hoped up off the bar stool and staggered across the floor towards the door. It was when she stood up she realised just how drunk she was. Her legs felt weak all of a sudden and her head began to spin. She carried herself as fast as she could out of the door and onto the pavement outside where the air was bitterly cold and lit up by several street lamps and the fluorescent lights of bars and clubs that littered the street. Bile began to rise in her throat, sweat beading at her forehead. She moved round the side of the bar and into a side alley that was deserted and placed her hands against the wall to support her weak body as she brought up the contents of her stomach. All around her she could hear people laughing, music booming, people shouting and enjoying the night. Everything was spinning and she found herself struggling to stand.

"Alright there Luv?" A voice called from the start of the alley. Connie glanced round, narrowing her eyes to see a balding man, probably in his fifties leering at her.

"Need some elp', sure I could give you what you need" He smirked as he came closer to the clinical lead. Connie held out one hand to put space between them and began to walk backwards as her eyes tried to concentrate.

"Don't be scared…" He hissed as he came closer, so close that Connie could feel his stale breath on her skin and smell the beer and stale cigarettes that mixed with sweat. Connie was soon backed into a corner with nowhere to move. His hands began to creep around her waist making Connie feel nauseous once again. She shut her eyes and hoped he would either drop dead or realise what he was doing was wrong. She held her breath as he went to slip a hand down her skirt while his other hand ran through her hair. Connie's breath was getting more rapid and she found herself crying out as he forced his body weight against her, trying to place a kiss on her lips. Connie braced herself for the contact… it never came. Instead came the sound of someone being punched and falling to the ground. She slowly opened her eyes and found the man splattered on the floor clutching his jaw, his place in front of her taken by a concerned looking Caleb Knight who was dressed in a jeans and blazer combination, obviously on a night out.

"Let's get you home" He whispered as he wrapped an arm around the consultant's shoulders and guided her out of the alley. His grip on her was firm, like he was holding onto his most prized possession. Connie watched as he held out his free hand, signalling for a taxi to stop.

"Hiya, can you get us home please mate?" He asked as a taxi pulled up in front of them and rolled his windows down. The man in the seat nodded and signalled to the back. Caleb thanked him before opening the car door and helping Connie in before clambering in beside her.

"Where too mate?" The man asked as Caleb did Connie's seatbelt for her and placed his hand in hers.

"Temple heights, the new flats off mapledene Street" Caleb had decided it would be best if he took Connie back to his apartment where he could keep an eye on her and make sure she was safe. She was still in silence, obviously in shock at what had happened.

"Come on, let's get you back to mine and get you too bed, sleep it all off" He said in a gentle manner which Connie rarely associated with the young doctor. A small smile fell to her lips as she nodded her head in agreement at the plan.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ethan was sat in front of the TV, the discovery channel on playing a repeat of Bear Grylls extreme survival. It was his guilty pleasure and with Cal out for the night it meant he was in control of the TV. He slumped down in the sofa and placed his feet on the sofa making himself comfortable. Cal had only been gone for around twenty minutes so the sound of a key in the door made the junior doctor jump. He stood up quickly and grabbed the lampshade from the chest of drawers beside the sofa. He stood just metres from the front door, holding his breath. The door swung open and Ethan went to swing the lamp around the intruders head but stopped when he realised it was Cal.

"What are you doing back? It hasn't even been half an hour?" He asked. Cal silenced his brother when Ethan spotted Cal was holding onto Someone's hand. Suddenly Ethan found himself face to face with his boss.

"Mrs Beauchamp" The young doctor smiled, albeit being utterly confused and out of his comfort zone.

"I'll explain to you later, can you get a glass of water and a bucket and bring it to my room?" Ca asked as he supported Connie's tired and weak body towards his bedroom. Ethan just nodded and did as he was instructed. He could hear Cal's gentle voice as he got Connie dressed and into his bed.

"Here, put these on" He smiled as he handed the consultant a pair of scrub trousers he had robbed from the hospital and the top to go with it. Connie didn't move, still frozen with fear. Cal bent down and slowly took her shoes off her feet, before gently undoing the buttons on her blouse. He was surprised when she made no attempt to stop him. It was the first time that Cal had undressed a woman in his bedroom without intending to sleep with them.

Soon enough Cal had got his boss changed and was helping her into bed.

"I'll go and see were Ethan has got to…"

"Please don't go" She whispered finally as though her voice was breaking. She had grabbed his hand before he could get any further and was now looking at him with fear in her eyes. Cal slowly climbed onto the bed and held out his arm, allowing Connie to snuggle up to him and place her head in his chest.

"I'm not going anywhere" He whispered as he held her close as she shut her eyes and gently began to nod off. Cal could feel his own eyes closing but wanted to stay awake for a bit longer, make sure his senior was ok. Ethan appeared awkwardly in the doorway. He held up the glass of water and the bucket.

"She ok?" He asked nervously as he placed the glass on the bedside table and the bucket on the floor.

"We'll she's sleeping so we'll have to see in the morning" Caleb sighed as he pushed a stray piece of hair from Connie's eyes.

"What happened?"

"Some bloke was getting a bit too close for comfort, had her cornered in an alleyway, trying to touch her. She is completely drunk and shook up, I didn't want her to be alone" Caleb reasoned.

"You did the right thing" Ethan assured him before heading back to the door.

"Night" He called as he shut the door.

"Night" Cal called before placing a kiss in Connie's hair and watching as her chest moved up and down gently, sleep finally providing some relief for her.