This is the sequel to Triangle - thank you to everyone who asked for it! I hope you enjoy it. This is set a few weeks after Triangle. Sophie has come to stay with Lily for a few days - which also involves spending time with Ethan and breaking Cal's heart a little bit more.
"Are you sure I look all right?" said Ethan as he tried to check his reflection in the windows of the ED.
Lily tried not to look exasperated, but it was at least the fifth time Ethan had asked the question and they'd only been outside for a couple of minutes. "You look fine. You looked fine before you did you hair again and you look fine whether you wear your blazer or not. What's wrong with you, Ethan? Are you turning into your brother?"
Ethan turned back to her with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Lily. I just want to look my best for my girlfriend, but I know I'm being stupid."
A moment later, Ethan started fiddling self-consciously with the collar of his shirt.
Lily sighed. "Yes, you are being very stupid. You know Sophie won't care if you're wearing a shirt and trousers or your scrubs or nothing at all."
Ethan took her words at face value: a sure sign that he was very nervous. "I'm sure Sophie wouldn't like it if I was wearing nothing at all. Not in public." He gave Lily a quick glance. "Not that I'm implying…"
"I don't think I want to know what you're not implying," said Lily firmly.
"No. Sorry. Of course not," said Ethan. He sent another hopeful look in the direction of the road, but there was no sign of Sophie's taxi. "I just don't want Sophie to be ashamed of me. She always looks so beautiful. I bet everyone who sees us together wonders what she sees in me."
"They probably think you have a very large paypacket," said Lily.
Ethan regarded her uncertainly. He wasn't used to Lily making jokes.
Neither was Lily, but it had definitely been a joke about the paypacket. Sophie loved Ethan because he was Ethan, and there was only one person in the hospital who didn't realise it: Ethan himself.
"Hey, little brother!" Cal appeared beside him, cup of coffee in hand. He took in Ethan's outfit and looked confused. "What are you all dressed up for?"
Ethan cast Lily an agonised look. Cal had managed to get over Sophie in that he'd once or twice got hammered and woken up in someone else's bed, but he hadn't yet reached the stage of not looking sad when he saw his ex-girlfriend with his brother.
"Cal, I don't think you should be out here," said Lily.
Cal looked startled. "Why not?"
Lily searched her mind for a plausible lie, but she hadn't had much experience of lying and could only think of: "Mrs Beauchamp is looking for you."
"Then she's looking in the wrong place," said Cal. "She's not in the ED. It's her day off: remember?"
"I meant Dr Hanna," Lily said quickly. "I think she wants you for something."
"I just saw her," said Cal. "She didn't say anything to me about wanting me. I always remember when women say things like that. She asked if I was having a break; I said yes; she said that was a good idea (there might have been a very small incident in Resus earlier) and that was it."
"Yes, that must have been what she wanted to talk to you about," said Lily, and looked at Ethan for help. He needn't think she was going to do all this on her own. Ethan knew his brother best: he knew what kind of lie Cal would be most likely to fall for and Lily knew he was a good liar because he'd covered for Cal on several occasions when he'd gone out to see his girlfriends in the middle of a shift.
"I think you've sat in something, Caleb," was Ethan's unimaginative contribution. "There's a big stain on your trousers."
Cal failed to look horrified. "Really? What colour is it?"
"Um… black," said Ethan.
"Black," said Cal. "A black stain might show up on your trousers, Nibbles, but it wouldn't show up on mine. Besides, I think I'd have noticed if you'd walked round the back of me and checked out my bum."
It was Ethan's turn to give Lily a desperate look.
"Is that Dr Hanna calling you?" said Lily.
Cal folded his arms. "Okay. Out with it. Why are you two trying to get rid of me?"
Ethan was probably trying to look confused, but he actually looked like he was having problems with his bowels. "Why on earth would we try to get rid of you, Caleb?"
"That's what I'm trying to work out," said Cal grimly. "I'm warning you, little brother. If you're seeing Lily behind Sophie's back…."
Lily gave him a scornful look. "I hardly think that's likely. Ethan has done nothing but talk of Sophie the whole time we've been here."
"I can't blame him for that, I suppose," said Cal with a sad smile.
Ethan gave Cal a concerned look, but before he could think up another (no doubt unconvincing) lie, a taxi came around the corner.
"Cal, I think someone's collapsed in the waiting room!" said Lily.
"Cal, did you know you've got lipstick on your face?" said Ethan, almost at the same time.
Cal glared at them both. "What's wrong with you? You can't even see the waiting room from here and I can't have lipstick on my face because I haven't kissed a girl for over a week! Just tell me why you want to get rid of me and maybe I'll go." He smiled at them both. "Of course, I can't make any promises…"
The taxi had stopped outside the ED. As Lily watched, the door opened and Sophie got out.
"Oh," said Cal. "So that's why."
Ethan nodded guiltily.
"You can take that look off your face for a start," said Cal. "Arranging to see your own girlfriend is hardly a crime, is it? And why would you want to hide it from me? I don't tease you about Sophie that much."
This was true – but only because Cal still found it painful to talk about Sophie.
Sophie was walking across the car park, several bags in each hand. She looked towards the entrance to the ED and stopped. "Ethan!" she shouted, and dropped her bags. The next minute, she was running over to Ethan, who took a few steps to meet her and enfolded her in a big hug.
"I've missed you, darling," said Ethan, his voice low but still perfectly audible to Lily.
And, no doubt, to Cal.
"Ethan, it's only three days since you last saw me!" said Sophie, but then her voice softened. "I did miss you too, though. In case you were wondering."
Cal turned abruptly away from them. "I'm going back inside." His voice was clipped, but Lily knew he wasn't angry.
"I'll come with you," she said. She'd hoped Sophie would at least say hello to her, considering Lily was letting her stay in her flat, but Sophie and Ethan were kissing now, their arms wound tightly around each other as though they never wanted to let go.
"No, you stay here," said Cal. "Sophie won't like it if you go off without speaking to her. She'll think she's upset you. I'll be fine."
Lily could see he wasn't fine. His lips were trembling. But there was nothing she could do. No way of making Cal feel better.
"I love you," said Ethan, in a rare break between kisses.
"Someone get me a bowl," muttered Cal, and went inside.