It was nearly 10 years later. A car pulled up outside the ED. A young woman with shoulder length blonde hair and a pair of black rimmed glasses, climbed out. She had a small bag with her. She gazed at the building sat before her. A thousand memories flooded back to her as she saw the familiar sight. It hadn't changed at all. She took a deep breath before marching into the ED. She stalked up to reception. 'How can I help you?' Noel asked her.
'I'm here to see Mrs Beauchamp and Dr Knight, I'm their new doctor' she announced. Noel nodded his head.
'Right this way,' he said as he led her to an office. He knocked on the door gently.
'Come in' a voice echoed from behind it. A smile spread on the young doctor's face as she recognised the voice.
'Um Mrs Beauchamp, Doctor Knight, I have a doctor here to see you, she says she's going to be working here' Noel explained.
'I didn't realise we were getting a new team member, show her in' Connie demanded.
'That's no way to speak about your niece now is it?' The young doctor chastised, stepping forward into the dimly lit office. Both of the consultants dropped their belongings and gasped.
'Jess?' Cal asked shocked.
'Hello Uncle Cal, Auntie Connie' Jess whispered as she ran over to hug them.
'Why didn't you tell us you were back?' Cal asked.
'Mum and I wanted to surprise you' she explained.
'But what about university?' Connie asked.
'Finished! I'm now Doctor Jessica Hardy' she smiled proudly. Cal choked back his tears. 'Uncle Cal?' She asked worriedly.
'Your father would be so proud of you, I am so proud of you' he whispered pulling her into a tight embrace and kissing her forehead.
'So when do I start?' She asked hopefully.
Cal looked at her shocked. 'How about you get changed and then we'll get to work' Connie suggested. 'You can shadow your uncle today and then we'll see how you get on'
Jess smiled. Cal grabbed her and pulled her into a strong hug. A few minutes later he was stood by reception waiting for his niece. Jess came bounding over, slipping her arms around his waist. 'Come on then, old man let's get some work done' she smiled, stalking towards the first cubicle with the file in hand.
'Oi, young lady, enough of the old.' He called after her.
Jess threw open the curtain of the cubicle and stepped forward. Her uncle was still on his way over. 'I do apologise but we will have to wait a moment, you see I'm supposed to be shadowing my dear uncle here however the poor thing can't seem to walk very fast, I think its because he's getting old and a bit creaky in the bones' she explained to her patient with a grin. Cal charged over.
'Jessica, honestly you are worse than your mother. Now what seems to be the problem, Mr...' He started glaring at his niece. He looked up to see his nephew sat in the bed, his arm in a sling. 'Charlie, what have you done to yourself? You haven't damaged another tree have you, because you know the one that you broke in the park still hasn't grown back' he joked. Charlie whimpered in pain. He lifted his head to look at his uncle. A large black bump framed his eye. He yelped in pain as he tried to sit up. That's when Jessica noticed the bottle.
She leapt onto the bed, a stack of gauze in hand, she tore a small hole in it and placed it over the bottle before applying pressure. Charlie sobbed as she pressed down non the wound. Cal looked at her confused. 'He's got a stab wound to his side, there is a foreign object still embedded in his abdomen, we need to get him looked over and straight to theatre, lets get him in resus now' she ordered. Connie heard the commotion and sauntered over.
Cal took over allowing Jess to check her brother over. She pulled the shiny new stethoscope from around her neck and placed it in her ears. She tossed it on the floor. 'Its no good, I can't hear a thing with it' she muttered gesturing for Cal to give her his. He shook his head, he reached into his pocket.
'Have this one' he whispered. She looked at it in shock, etched on the end of it was the letters 'E.H. 23 April 2005' it was the date he graduated from university and began working as a newly qualified doctor, the stethoscope was her dad's. She shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes.
'I can't' she stammered.
'You can and you will, he always wanted one of his children to become a doctor and he was always so proud of you guys, take it and put it to good use' Cal told her draping it around her neck. She smiled at him before taking Charlie's vital signs. They called up to theatre but they had no slots free for another few hours. 'He'll bleed out' Jess shouted as they relayed the news.
'Take a deep breath, Doctor Hardy' Cal asserted grinning at using her professional title. 'We'll remove it down here, we have x-rays to confirm that no blood vessels are being compromised so we can do this, together' he whispered. She nodded her head. She stood up tall, eyeing up the situation.
'Right, someone page the anaesthetist, I need gloves, gowns, drapes and someone please get a line in and some oxygen' she ordered.
She crouched beside her brother, taking his hand in hers. 'Listen to me Charlie, I need you to stay calm. I'm going to sort you out but first I need to insert a cannula into your arm so we can get you fluids and pain relief, then we'll give you some anaesthetic and we'll take the glass bottle from your side, it will be uncomfortable for a little while but I promise I won't let anything happen to you' she whispered. Ag the mention of the needle, Charlie's face drained of colour. 'Uncle Cal..., sorry Doctor Knight, please can you get the line in for me' she ordered.
Cal turned Charlie's arm over and carefully looked for a vein, once he had found one he steadily inserted the needle. Meanwhile Jess sat with her brother keeping him talking and telling him all about university. He yelped as the needle pierced his skin but Jess pulled him close and he relaxed. 'That's it buddy, you are doing really well, just stay nice and calm and relax' she whispered.
She stroked his hair lovingly, as Cal administered the pain relief. He felt the pain rush from his body and he began to relax. 'Right, lets get him some anaesthetic and then we'll get this over with' she asserted. As the anaesthetist approached the bed Charlie began to freak out. 'Oi, Charlie, calm down mate. You need to stop flapping. 8'm not going anywhere and neither is uncle Cal so stop fretting. We're going to make you better if you just let us give you the medicine' she told him. Cal sat beside him holding his hand as they helped him drift off into a deep slumber.
Jess donned the gloves, mask and gown and began removing the splintered bottle from her brother's abdomen. As soon as she finished she left the room to fetch her phone. She rang her mother and informed her of the situation before hurrying back to Charlie's bedside so she was there when he woke up.
Cal took a small nail from his pocket and took the stethoscope from around her neck. He scratched at the surface for a few minutes before handing it back. Jess looked at it, beside her father's initials was now her own, it said: 'J.H. 13 Sept 2035' she grinned. 'Thanks Uncle Cal' she whispered a tear rolling down her cheek. 'I've missed you so much kiddo' he replied, equally emotional as he pulled her into a hug. 'What about me?' A voice came from the bed.
Charlie gazed up at the wearily. 'Oh alright, we've missed you a bit too' Jess told him with a cheeky smile. 'I should hope so too, what with my good looks, brains and charm' he muttered.
'Wow there's the infamous Caleb Knight charm shining through. Caleb, stop corrupting my children' a voice came from the doorway.
'Mum!' Jess cried running over. Kate enveloped her youngest child into a hug.
'Look at you, my daughter, a doctor, just like her father. Doctor Jessica Hardy' she gasped. She noticed the stethoscope hanging around her neck proudly. 'He would be so proud of you' she whispered through her tears.
She rushed over to see her son. 'He would be so proud of you too. Our son, a pilot in the army! What did we ever do to deserve such wonderful kids?' She asked aloud.
'Everything, you gave them everything' Cal whispered. 'And you kids have done us all so proud and I can't wait to start working alongside Jessica, you're a great doctor and you will definitely be a huge success. As for Charlie, here, you'll be incredible. But how on earth did you get stabbed with a bottle?' Cal asked flummoxed.
'You guys remember Jenny, my girlfriend?' He asked. Everyone nodded. It was hard to forget the sweet young lady who had fallen for him. 'Well she had just told me some great news when a guys suddenly got rowdy and started a fight, as we tried to leave I was stabbed. I told Jen to go home and wait for me there because I don't want her here, she could pick up all sorts of infections' he explained.
'So what news did she tell you?' Jess asked her brother.
'I'm going to be a dad' he whispered, a single tear rolled down his cheeks. Everyone froze.
'Does that mean I'm going to be an auntie?' Jess asked excitedly.
'Of course, and a godmother' he told her. She squealed in excitement before gently hugging him.
Both Cal and Kate were too gobsmacked to speak. They looked at each other before looking back at the kids. Both started to cry. 'If your dad was here right now, he would declare that he was the happiest man in the world' Kate told him.
'And then he would tell you to get some rest, you're going to need it in the next few months, with babies come sleepless nights, I should know I helped to look after you two' Cal told them with a grin. 'And I hope for your sake they aren't as cheeky' he smiled.
