The sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor and all heads apart from two turned. Then when they heard Ethan's voice ask "Where's Ca?", both Connie and Charlie's heads turned. Ethan sensed something was wrong when he didn't receive an answer immediately. But, then his fear was confirmed when Charlie told him that Cal had been stabbed. Charlie's words made him go all numb. At first he felt shocked, upset, but then confusion creeped in. If Cal had been stabbed then why were all his friends outside of Resus, Ethan thought. They should have been in Resus saving Cal's life, not outside.
Then the realisation hit Ethan. He didn't want to believe it. Couldn't believe it and so trying to push passed Charlie, Ethan entered Resus. As the doors closed behind him, he could hear Connie tell Charlie "go with him". But, at that moment in time he didn't want Charlie or anyone else. He just wanted to see Cal. To see for himself what had happened to his brother.
The sight in front of him made Ethan pause for a moment in front of the doors. There lying on the bed with the tube still sticking out lay Cal. He felt himself shake his head slightly in disbelief when he saw the scene in front of him.
"Cal?" Ethan announced as he slowly made his way over to the bed.
"Cal." He said again, hoping this time he would get an answer.
"Caleb." This time Ethan pleaded with his brother when he realised Cal wasn't going to answer. His voice broke as he repeated his brother's name while attempting to wake him up. It was to no avail.
The choked out 'no's' repeated over and over again flowing out of Ethan's mouth could be heard by all his friends and colleagues as they remained where they were outside of Resus, all still in a state of shock over what had just happened. Charlie could feel the tears well up in his eyes as he saw Ethan break down over Cal's body. Charlie could not look at the two brothers so he looked away. He out of everyone in the team knew what those two had gone through over the past year when they had lost Emilie and through all that they had become like sons to him. So it was heartbreaking to see Cal's lifeless body lying there with Ethan so broken down. Charlie remained standing where he was while he let Ethan have the last few moments alone with Cal.
Ethan had to stop himself from collapsing to floor as he felt his knees buckle beneath him. He clung onto his brother's body and sobbed into his hair. Questions ran through his mind;
who would have done this?
why would they have done this?
how could they have done this?
Those were the questions he didn't have answers to. Those were the questions he was going to need answers to.
He didn't realise how long he had been clinging on to Cal for, but after a few moments Ethan felt someone steer him away from his brother's body. But, he resisted. He didn't want to leave him. He wasn't there when Cal had died he was surely going to be there for him now.
"No, I can't leave him." Ethan heard himself say. "He's going to wake up. He has to wake up."
His last two sentences made him break down once more and he felt the person pulling him away.
"Come with me, Ethan." He heard Charlie say to him. "We'll go into the staffroom."
As the two of them left Resus, they walked passed their friend and colleagues who still stood where they had left them. Once inside Charlie led Ethan to the sofa and sat him down. While Charlie rattled around the ktichen area making a cup of tea, Ethan sat on the sofa just staring out in front of him. He couldn't believe what he had just seen. One minute he was talking to his brother, the next his brother was lying dead in Resus. Ethan shivered at the word. Dead. He had lost his adoptive mother, his birth mother and now he's lost his brother. His only sibling. The only family member he had left. Now he has no one. No family. He was all alone.
Back outside everyone went back to work, but with less energy. They seemed to be on autopilot, just going about their work as if they had no control. They still couldn't believe what had happened. It came as a shock to them since earlier in the day it had been Lily who they had to treat. And now Cal. Dylan remained by Resus looking throught the curtains where Cal's body lay. He had promised Cal he wouldn't die. Promised he wouldn't let that happen. And now he had broken that promise. Worst of all it was in Bay 4. They bay where he had lost so many other patients. The guilt he felt was unbearable. How was he supposed to tell Ethan? He had let his brother die. Ethan would never forgive him. As the rain continued to pour down the double doors to the ED opened and in walked Jez and Iain. Immediately when they entered they could sense a somber atmosphere. Scanning the room they saw their friends and colleagues going about their jobs as normal but, something about the way they went about it seemed strange. Seemed out of place.