I haven't actually seen last nights episode yet, but I have watched the mini episode in the on call room. SPOILERS FOR THAT AHEAD...
I loved the part where Ethan said "Is she ours?" when he saw the baby, made me chuckle. Anyway, after seeing him fall out of the stock cupboard (another chuckle) where he broke his glasses and hurt his arm, I couldn't just leave it at that. I can't possibly pass on a hurt Ethan moment without making it just that little bit worse! This won't play out exactly like the minisode, going to change things slightly to fit what I want. Hope you like...
Usual disclaimer, I don't own anyone that you recognise from last night.
Going For Broke
"Ouch" Ethan gasped as he tried to get his bearings after tumbling through the door to the stock room with his hands full of equipment, not to mention a car seat with a baby in it!
He managed to pull himself up to check on the baby, who was fast asleep once more. He found his glasses only to find that one lens was broken. 'Great' he thought, 'I'm going to walking around half blind with a sleeping baby and arms full of equipment. Why couldn't we just treat her downstairs.'
He stood up, swaying slightly, so he waited for it to pass then he picked up the equipment in one hand and took hold of the car seat with his left hand. He started lifting it up when a pain shot up his arm, causing the young doctor to immediately place the seat back on the floor. He automatically rubbed his arm, hissing when he felt pain and a slight swelling around his elbow. Could this day get any better?
He swapped hands and made his way back to the on call room as quickly as he could, because he didn't want Cal and Taylor together for any longer than they needed to be - goodness only knows what she was telling him while he wasn't there.
He barrelled back into the room, swiftly glancing in Taylor's direction as he noticed his brother jump up from the bed and take the equipment from him. Cal quickly got to work on setting everything up while reeling off all the symptoms that Taylor had. Ethan knew she should be in the ED, "She needs antibiotics Cal...she needs to be downstairs..."
Cal sighed deeply, "I know, but we can't risk it just yet..."
The older man glanced towards his brother, suddenly noticing his glasses, "What happened to you?"
Ethan shook his head, "Oh nothing...just me being clumsy."
Cal seemed to accept that, "Can you get what we need?"
"Oh yes, because I love wondering around half blind..." he grumbled as he left the room. Unfortunately, as he crept through the door, he caught his elbow on the edge of the door. The pain that shot up his arm almost made his eyes water - he'd definitely done some damage, but it was manageable at the moment - he had more pressing matters to attend to.
He found what he needed pretty quickly and took them back to his brother.
Ethan watched his brother expertly attend to the woman who had stolen his heart, and by the looks of things, she was doing it again. Taylor was now in a restful sleep and Cal was just staring at her, shaking his head.
Ethan moved forward and placed a hand on the older man's shoulder, "How are you doing?"
He heard Cal chuckle mirthlessly, "My conning ex has turned up with a baby that may or may not be mine - she is currently laid out with a massive infection...not the best day I've ever had."
"I know - it can't be easy. Has she said anything?"
"Nothing that I can or want to believe..." he ran a hand through his hair, "I'd just got myself sorted out again Ethan, and now..."
Ethan didn't know what to say to help him so he just patted his shoulder. Suddenly, the baby began to get restless and started to make the noises that Ethan knew would mean she was about to scream the place down. He moved to the seat, unclipped her and began to lift her up. Pain shot straight up his arm, this time causing him to gasp loudly as he gently placed her back in the seat, "You'll have to take her Cal," he told his brother through clenched teeth.
Cal shot to his feet, concern evident on his face, "Are you alright?" he demanded.
Now it was Ethan's turn to sigh, "I fell earlier, when I was trying to juggle the car seat and the equipment and get through a door - that's how I broke my glasses. I must have banged my arm because it's been getting gradually more painful over time..."
"Let me look at it," Cal asked him as he jiggled the baby to settle her down. Ethan rolled up his sleeve, surprised to see the swelling around his elbow. Cal felt around it as gently as he could, "That needs an xray. I can't believe that you would walk around with your arm hurt like that," he told him forcefully.
"You needed me," was all he said, suddenly finding the floor interesting.
"Right well now I need you to go and get it xrayed, it might need immobilising," he told him as he ushered him out of the door, "We'll be ok here."
A couple of hours later, Ethan was ready to get back to his brother. He had had an xray, where they had found a hairline fracture, so he had been sent to the ED to have a sling fitted. Thankfully, no-one asked to many awkward questions. He had been on tenterhooks wondering what was happening with his brother.
He dashed back up the stairs to the on call room, pausing as he got to the door to see if he could hear anything. All seemed quiet, so he slowly opened the door. He stopped in his tracks at the sight before him. Cal was laid on the bed next to the baby with tears streaming down his face. He looked up as Ethan entered, and held out a note. Without even reading it, Ethan knew what had happened. She had done it again. She had got Cal to believe that she cared about him - then left him, this time holding the baby, literally.
So that's it. Not one of my best, but yet again, one of those stories that wouldn't leave me alone until I had written it! Did anyone else notice in the 'minisode' when Taylor was pleading with Cal to go with her, that Cal looked across the room and saw Ethan's glasses, which helped him to say no to her - such a lovely moment.
Off to watch the episode now, so let's see if anything else comes from it.
Til next time...
