I know... I have lots of other stories that need updating. But I really liked Cal and Ethan's little story in the last episode and I wanted to write something. Originally, this story was going to be much more about Cal's relationship with Charlie, but I got distracted. I hope it's not to confusing or unbelievable. It's possible not everything will fit with what happened in the episode.
Cal still couldn't believe Ethan had done it.
He'd messed it up, of course. It went without saying that he'd messed it up and Cal had never really considered any other outcome, but he hadn't expected Ethan to get as far as the admin cupboard.
He smiled to himself as he wondered what would have happened if the girl hadn't fainted. His only slight regret was that he hadn't thought of asking Ethan what he'd shown her that had shocked her enough to make her faint.
Ethan in the admin cupboard with a girl… Cal couldn't wait to tell everyone about that in the pub later.
Actually, why wait? Iain and Jez were just leaving the hospital and Cal was probably due a break, especially after all the stress of sorting out his little brother's mess. He hurried out after them and told them everything. As he'd expected, Iain and Jez found it hilarious and while Cal did have a moment's panic when he left them and nearly walked into Connie, who was standing worryingly near, she didn't seem to notice him.
When Cal went inside and found Max and Jacob in the staff room. He couldn't resist the opportunity to tell the story all over again. Max and Jacob had both been a bit miserable lately after being dumped by Zoe and Connie (Cal still had trouble believing they'd pulled such high-power, high-ranking, high-heeled women, especially as he himself had tried and failed), but Cal's story about Ethan soon cheered them up.
"I'm going to call Lofty and tell him!" said Max delightedly.
"But maybe we shouldn't tell Robyn," said Jacob.
Max looked as though he could see his point, but then he shook his head. "No, we've got to tell Robyn. We can't leave her out. She won't tell anyone who matters."
Much as Cal would have liked to hear Lofty's reaction and see Robyn's, he knew he really needed to get back to work. He had his own patients to cover and Ethan was severely limited without his glasses. Cal threw himself into work, alternating between his patients and his brother's.
Although the incident had nearly had a very worrying end, Cal couldn't help but smile as he thought of it. It had often depressed him that he'd got into so many messes and needed his baby brother to rescue him and it made him feel better to think that not only was he capable of helping Ethan out, Ethan had actually chosen to call him for help. It wasn't as though Cal was the only option – he could have asked Max, who was always willing to help anybody and seldom seemed to have any work to do.
Cal wasn't sure exactly when the atmosphere in the ED changed. More than once, as he moved from one cubicle to another, he had the sense that something was going on, but it wasn't until Elle marched out of Connie's office, slamming the door behind her, that Cal was certain.
He found out more later on when he arrived at the staff room to discover Rita and Jacob talking. It only took a second for Cal to realise the conversation was private and he should make himself scarce.
But after hearing Rita's first words, a feeling of foreboding rose in his mind and nothing could have made him walk away.
"I just… can't believe it. I never would have thought it of him," Rita was saying.
"Me neither," said Jacob unhappily.
Rita shook her head. "I just keep thinking to myself that there must be some mistake. But I can't think of any other explanation."
"I'd like there to be another explanation," said Jacob. "But I don't see how they could have got in there without his agreement."
"He's just a lovely, lovely man," said Rita. "I know that. Connie knows that. Everyone knows that."
"He doesn't deserve this," said Jacob.
Rita's voice rose. "But what else could we do, Jacob? He broke a fundamental rule. If the patient had kept quiet, then maybe it wouldn't have mattered. But she hasn't kept quiet and I can't say I blame her. I mean, who wouldn't be upset? She's the victim here, Jacob."
"But in the meantime, we lose a very valuable member of our team, perhaps forever," said Jacob.
Rita sighed. "Of course it's forever. How can they let him come back after something like this?"
Cal found he was backing away from the staff room. He didn't want to hear anymore. He couldn't.
He didn't need to.
It's all my fault, thought Cal as he dashed away, looking desperately around for a sight of his brother. I'm the one who insisted he ask her out, even though it is against the rules. I'm the one who went round telling anyone and not bothering to keep my voice down. I'm the reason all this has happened.
He nearly cannoned into Lily who told him rather acidly to watch where he was going. Cal caught her by the shoulders. "Lily, where's Ethan?"
"Mrs Beauchamp sent him home," said Lily shortly. "Please remove your hands. I have work to do."
She walked away, leaving Cal reeling.
It was true then. Someone had heard about Ethan and the patient and had reported it to Connie, who'd suspended him.
Cal didn't really blame Connie. Not completely. Ethan had broken the rules and she'd administered the appropriate punishment. Cal was sure he'd have been punished in exactly the same way if any of his misdeeds had ever been found out.
But this wasn't a simple case of a doctor breaking the rules. This was a doctor under severe stress who'd been given the news that his life would change beyond recognition; that he would slowly deteriorate, physically and mentally, and be unable to do the job he loved. This was a doctor who wasn't sure how much time he had left, so he wanted to seize every opportunity, even if it did mean bending the rules slightly.
This was a very vulnerable doctor who'd been very much teased and provoked by his older brother and had probably broken the rules partly in order to stop Cal from doing the same.
"Cal, are you all right?"
Cal looked up to see Rita looking at him. "How do you expect me to be all right?"
Rita came up to him and put a hand on his arm. "Listen, I know it's a shock. It's been a shock for all of us and obviously, you are especially close to him. But we can't be sure what's going to happen. I know it's difficult, but we've just got to try to keep positive and hope for a reprieve. This hospital wouldn't be the same without him and I think there's only one person in the whole ED who doesn't see that."
"Who's that?" said Cal, his heart thumping. Who was it who'd messed up his brother's whole life when it was hanging by a thread already?
Rita pursed her lips. "Elle."
"Elle?" It was true Cal didn't know Elle very well, but he'd never have thought her capable of this. He doubted any of the lads would have told her and even Robyn was a bit careful about gossiping to the consultants (Zoe wouldn't have minded, but most consultants kept a certain amount of distance and were aware of their additional responsibilities). So Elle must have been listening. Eavesdropping. She must have found out what Ethan had done and then run straight to Connie. "But how could she do that to him?"
"That's what we're all wondering," said Rita grimly.
"What did he ever do to her?" Cal was close to tears now.
"What has he ever done to anyone except try to help them?" said Rita.
Cal tried to bring his breathing under control. "Okay, so he broke a rule. He broke a pretty major rule and maybe he deserves some sort of punishment, but to go running to Connie…"
A look of pain came to Rita's face. She looked like she might cry too. "I've got to go," she mumbled, and brushed past him, running off down the corridor. Cal watched her go, surprised she was so upset, but he knew Rita had been through a lot lately. She'd had all that trouble with her ex-husband and now Iain was being blatantly unfaithful. She might not be that close to Ethan, but it had been a very tough time for her.
Cal stayed where he was for a moment, wondering what he should do. A big part of him wanted to go home to Ethan and comfort him and reassure him that they would fight this all the way. He probably needed Cal even more than he had earlier in that cupboard.
But one thing Ethan had always said about Cal was that he never took responsibility for anything – and the fact was, he was responsible for what was happening to Ethan now. So he would go to see Connie right now and he would take responsibility.
Cal felt a little better for having made the decision, but his heart nearly failed him as he raised a hand to knock on Connie's door. His instincts were (as usual) screaming at him to run: nobody had connected him with the incident so far and he was fairly sure Ethan wouldn't say anything.
But then he felt ashamed. Ethan's loyalty to him was one of the biggest reasons why Cal needed to do this.
He knocked on Connie's door and she told him to come in.
Connie didn't look happy to see him. "Can it wait, Dr Knight?"
"No," said Cal. "I have to say this." He walked up to the desk and looked beseechingly at his boss. "Please, Mrs Beauchamp. Please don't fire him."
Connie shrugged sadly. "It's out of my control, Dr Knight. He broke the rule and he did it willingly."
"But he didn't!" said Cal. "It's my fault, Mrs Beauchamp. It's completely my fault. The only reason they were in there was because of me."
A light came into Connie's eye. It was a light almost of hope, which surprised Cal, but it quickly faded and was replaced by shards of ice. "I think you'd better explain exactly what you mean by that, Dr Knight."
