I'm feeling excessively Christmassy after a holiday in the Alps with not much snow. So here. Have a one-off Christmas special!
Love you guys!
Hannah! Xx
"Jingle bells, Jingle bells, jingle all the way." Lucie sang quietly. After a warning glance from Connie, she hummed the rest of the popular festive song under her breath. The ED was almost silent, only one or two low risk injuries occupying the few closed off cubicles. Only the quiet murmurs of doctor treating patient could be heard, aside from the scratching of Connie's pen, filling out some new godawful report. So when Cal sauntered in, banging the doors wide open, singing 'New York Fairytale' at the top of his lungs, he caused a bit of a stir. As all eyes turned to him, he increased the volume, grinning widely. Lucie gestured to him and turned to Connie.
"See, he's just as bad!" She laughed. Cal lifted her up in the air, spinning her around.
"Excuse you, I'm the worst." He teased, gently placing her back on the floor. Lucie raised an eyebrow mockingly.
"Want a bet?" She challenged merrily. Connie's head shot up.
"No." She warned very quickly. "Your bets NEVER end well for the rest of us."
Lucie glanced over at her and burst into splutters of chortling laughter.
"She has a point." Cal breathed in her ear, his lips brushing her cheek.
Ethan awkwardly hung around the corner of the central work station. Lily caught sight of him and wandered closer. Ethan glanced up from the small cup, his face lighting up when he saw the F2. He moved closer to her, softly greeting her. Lily smiled warmly back at him.
"Merry Christmas." She said sweetly to him.
Robyn smiled happily at the sight of them, or rather, at the sight of something slightly above their heads.
"They do realise that they are standing under one of only three bits of mistletoe in the entire ED, right?" She asked Lucie. Lucie glanced up at the pair of them, laughing musically and shaking her head.
"If they don't, I'm going to point it out." She warned Robyn. "They are an adorable couple."
Robyn nodded, laughing. Ethan glanced up and the two nurses quickly spun away, making it very obvious that they had been watching them. Lily burned a bright red, and as Robyn dared to sneak another look, her lips brushed along Ethan's cheek. She nudged Lucie excitedly. Lucie glanced over her shoulder, grinned at Robyn, and subtly turned her shoulders to face further in their direction.
"Ship it.
Very few patients had trickled into the Holby ED, and the minute numbers of ED staff milled around, with nothing to do. Connie glanced down at the phone in her hand, displaying a single message. Lucie glanced over at her, and smiled sympathetically.
"Go home." She insisted. Connie started, quickly pushing her phone out of sight.
"Excuse me?" She asked, regally. Lucie, hands shoved deep in her pockets, took the few steps needed to reach Connie's doorway. She let her weight press against the left doorpost.
"Come on, Connie. You've got a daughter, surely Grace deserves a proper Christmas with her mum." She said light-heartedly, but an underlying strength echoed through each word.
"Are you telling me how to raise my daughter?" Connie demanded, standing up from behind her desk. Lucie pushed her shoulder off the doorpost.
"I wouldn't dream of it." She replied quietly. "What I am telling you, is it sucks not having a mother around on Christmas. We can manage here." Lucie placed a hand on Connie's shoulder comfortingly. "Go home."
The ED was softly festive. Lucie hummed, or sang along to the Christmas songs playing on the radio as she bandaged up a patients arm. Cal glanced over at her from his, and their eyes met. Lucie smiled, mouthing clearly the words to the song playing.
"All I want for Christmas is you."
The patient she was treating rolled their eyes sarcastically. Cal laughed, his eyes crinkling happily.
"Sap." He mouthed back. Lucie laughed, earning a dirty look off the patient's mother. She gently finished off her bandaging, stood up and turned to the mother.
"If I'm going to have to work on Christmas Day, at least let me flirt across the ward with my boyfriend." She said cheerily, taking excess pride as she said the last word. The mother shook her head, scoffing slightly. Lucie laughed silently and looked down at the patient.
"You're good to go, try to avoid sticking your arm in the fire next time." She teased. The boy looked sheepish. Lucie helped him stand up. "Why did you in the first place?"
The boy looked away, trying to avoid looking at his mother.
"I was getting Eddie's phone and my sleeve caught fire." He mumbled guiltily. Lucie chuckled, leading the way to reception.
"Who's Eddie? Your mate?" She asked.
"None of your business!" His mother snapped at the same time he answered:
"My boyfriend."
Lucie cracked a smile.
"Bet he's better than mine." She laughed. "Dr Knight is so annoying, do you know, he didn't even get me a Christmas Present." She spoke louder than before, loud enough for Cal to hear her and sneak up behind her. He snatched her out of step, whirling her around to face him.
"Are you sure about that?" He teased. Lucie raised herself on to tiptoe to look him in the eye more easily.
"Well, where is it?" She taunted back.
"Patience, little Lucienne." He little kissed the tip of her nose.
The boy coughed obviously.
"Could you two stop it so I can go back to my date now?"
Over on the other side of the ED Ethan and Lily were taking a break, lounging in the Staff Room. Lily sighed happily, remembering another time they had been alone in this room.
"I'm glad Lucie interrupted us." She said, suddenly breaking the silence. Ethan chortled, taking a sip of the coffee.
"Which time?" He laughed. Lily smiled up at him.
"Remember when Ash hit her in the back of the head with the blood bag?" She reminded. Ethan nodded, smiling at the memory. "And I was going to say something to you, but she burst in."
"Yeesss?" Ethan replied slowly.
"Well I have never been more grateful for her. I had been about to say something I would have sorely regretted." She continued. Ethan frowned.
"Which would have been?" He promoted. Lily shuffled slightly closer to him on the blue couch.
"That you were nothing more than a friend to me. I have never been more wrong, Ethan." She bit her lip gently, and decided to throw herself in at the deep end. There was no point in half measures anymore. "You mean everything to me."