Hello! This is just a short little story I wrote because I haven't been sleeping well and I've been doing this instead. I haven't proof-read most of it, so I split it into five chapters. I did use a little dramatic licence in this, and the structure is a but all over the place throughout - so I apoligise. This discounts the most recent episode, Lie to Me - S30 E18. I hope you enjoy!
A Gamble With Fire
Ethan sighed. It was the fourth time in a week Cal hadn't come home from his shift. Going out wasn't unusual for Cal - it happened quite a lot. But never on this scale. Once or twice a week, certainly. Cal did have many friends, and he did go to the pub for an end-of-shift drink with them, but never four times in four days. And never seven times like he did last week.
Ethan was beginning to get used to it. He would try and coax Cal back to their flat at the end of their shifts, but would always end up with Cal pushing him away. Then he'd make dinner for both of them, leave Cal's out in case he came home early, and eat by himself. Then he'd lie awake until he heard the door. That way he knew if Cal was safe. Unfortunately, Ethan often found himself lying awake until the early hours of the morning, which wasn't ideal when he had an early shift.
He especially started to worry about Cal more since he was in the accident. He had to check his brother was alright whenever he saw him. Just in case.
Even though all it felt like was he was being pushed away. Growing further apart from him brother. Ethan had tried to talk, tried to work out what was wrong. At first he thought it was Matilda, and although she was like a daughter to him - and was his daughter was a number of weeks, Ethan was beginning to suspect it wasn't just that. The thing was, he couldn't understand what else was happening.
Maybe it was Ethan. Maybe he had done something, said something, to upset Cal. It was possible, but usually Cal would shout at Ethan instead of giving him the cold shoulder. Ethan also wondered whether he had offended Charlie in some way. He looked up to the nurse and had only respect for him. Though Charlie seemed to have grown cooler with him. As if Ethan had done something wrong.
Ethan only wanted to know what.
There was a banging on the door and Ethan rolled his eyes. 4am and his brother has lost his keys. He groaned while pushing the covers off, the warmth instantly leaving the bed and making Ethan shiver. The banging continued and Ethan knew his neighbours would have something to say about it in the morning if it carried on. So, he rolled out of bed and traipsed to the front door. Tired and cold.
He expected Cal to fall through the door, but not at the force he did. Luckily, there was only a wall behind him, so Ethan fell backwards into that. Cal giggled drunkenly and Ethan tried hard not to cough from his alcohol-ridden breath.
"Thanks, bro." Cal slurred.
This time he did cough, and Cal stepped away from him. "Anytime, bro," he hissed through gritted teeth.
"What's got your knickers in a twist?" he asked rhetorically, this time falling backwards into the closed door.
"Come on, Caleb. I'll help you to bed." Ethan went to put an arm around him, it was blatantly obvious he couldn't stand up unaided, but Cal shoved him away. Ethan tried not to get angry at his brother, but the pain in his shoulder from hitting the wall was soaring. "Fine, get yourself to bed. I'm sick of looking after you all the time, anyway."
Then he stormed off, back to bed. Though he doubted he would get any sleep until he knew Cal was in bed and was alright.
It was 5am when the crashing and banging finally stopped. Cal had either found his bed or taken refuge on the sofa. Ethan hoped it was the former, but never heard Cal go in the direction of his bedroom. Unable to sleep until he knew Cal was okay, he rose from bed for a second time and made his way to Cal's room.
As suspected, the bed wasn't occupied.
He made his way to the living room and saw Cal sprawled across the floor, snoring softly. Around him was a mess. It seemed, in his drunken state, he had tried to make something to eat (obviously Ethan's pre-made bolognese didn't seem to appetising), and failed miserably.
Ethan thought about waking Cal and getting him to bed - or at least the sofa - but he knew he would only be pushed away. And he only had one good shoulder. Instead, he threw a blanket over his brother and went back to bed - rubbing his still throbbing shoulder as he did so.
"Wake up, Caleb!" Ethan shouted. It was 8am by now, and they had to leave soon for their shift. Usually, Ethan would just leave Cal alone (waking him would result in a very tired Cal having a go at him), but since the accident Ethan couldn't risk it. He shook Cal and shouted again, "we're going to be late if you don't get a move on!"
Cal rolled over, "huh?"
"We are going to be late," he said slowly, and frankly very patronisingly. Yet, if that was what it took to get Cal up, then fine.
"I am not a child." His voice was thick from sleep, but Ethan could clearly hear the anger in it. "I'm going back to sleep." He rolled over again and closed his eyes.
"I didn't want to have to do this, but - " and he grabbed the glass of water on the counter and tipped it on Cal's face.
Cal shot up, glaring at Ethan. "What the hell did you do that for?!"
"You'll thank me later. Now, get ready for work."
"You're wrong. I'm not thanking you." Cal stated angrily as Ethan and he were in a taxi going to work. "Being woken up with a cold shower isn't the way to start a morning... - what's wrong with your shoulder?"
Ethan hesitated. He'd been holding it as it seemed to lessen the pain, but no matter how annoyed with Cal he was, he didn't want to make him feel guilty. It seemed that Cal had forgotten a large portion of the night anyway - wondering why the kitchen was a mess - so this was one of those things better left unsaid. "I was... I fell out of bed this morning and landed on my shoulder."
Cal chuckled, "ah, Nibbles. You're always the same." Then he turned serious. "But don't think I haven't forgotten the way you chucked freezing cold water all over me."
"I didn't 'chuck', and it wasn't 'freezing cold'. I tipped, and it was luke-warm."
