Hello everyone! Thanks for the reviews on my first chapter, it was great to see what you all think, hope you enjoy this one, Kayxxx :)
Home for the holidays – Chapter two
Ethan had decided to throw himself into work and could only hope Cal and his brother had left but for some reason he couldn't imagine that happening, Cal seemed determined to spend time with him but right now Ethan couldn't think of anything worse. He couldn't quite put his finger on why he felt this way but one thing he did know was the second Lachlan Wolfe popped into his mind his blood boiled, how could a ten year old have this affect on him?
He was now in a cubicle with a patient getting lost in his work which was something he loved doing, "Okay, you will feel a sharp scratch but it shouldn't cause you too much discomfort, if it does just let me know and I can try something else" he smiled to his patient and brought the needle of the intravenous drip to her arm. Suddenly the curtain was pulled back and someone sneaked up on Ethan from behind, startling him causing him to jump just as he was about to make contact with his patient's skin. He turned to find Lachlan stood chuckling at himself.
"Lachlan why did you do that?! You idiot I nearly stabbed my patient because of you now get out of here, you shouldn't be wondering around the hospital, in fact you shouldn't be here at all, don't you and Cal have a hotel room or something to go back to?!" Ethan roared, his blood was now boiling more than ever.
"I'm sorry..." Lachlan mumbled startled by Ethan's reaction, "It was meant to be a joke" he added shamefully.
Ethan shook his head "Just stay out of my way" he warned and pulled the curtain shut.
"I am so sorry about that, did I get you?" He asked as he turned to face his patient once more, examining her arm.
"No you didn't don't worry about it" his patient smiled, "Younger siblings eh?" She added with an understanding smile.
"Oh no no, Lachlan is not my little brother" Ethan replied sternly, he couldn't think of anything worse.
"Only child?" she asked.
Ethan paused momentarily to think "...yes I suppose I am" he replied as the curtain was pulled open once more.
"Ethan, a word?" Cal's voice called.
"No, you'll have to wait." Ethan replied firmly not taking his eyes off his patient.
"No go one, its fine" she smiled.
Ethan sighed deeply and stepped outside the cubicle to talk to Cal, "What?" he huffed.
"'What'? You really have to ask 'what'?" Cal asked amazed, Ethan just shrugged in reply, "Why did you shout at Lockie like that Ethan, I heard you from the staff room!" Cal spat out defensively towering over the smaller man.
"Why did I shout?! Cal I nearly took off my patients arm with a needle that's why!" Ethan shouted back in his defence.
"He's only a kid Ethan there's no need to shout at him like that; he just wants you to like him" Cal replied more calmly.
"What and he thinks sneaking up behind me and putting my job on the line is the way to do that does he?" Ethan asked sarcastically. He waited for Cal's reply but none came, "Goodbye Caleb" he shook his head at him and turned to head back to his cubicle.
"No wait Ethan!" Cal stopped him, Ethan turned to face him with yet another sigh, "what's gotten into you? You're like a completely different person" Cal stated confused.
"He's jealous because you've replaced him" Robyn joked from the nursing station.
"No I'm not!" Ethan snapped, "Look this is ridiculous! I need to get back to my job, why don't you go play happy families with Lockie in your hotel room or something?" Ethan proposed. He then noticed a look on Cal's face that he knew all too well, "...you have got a hotel room, haven't you Caleb?" he asked warily, Cal shook his head slowly, "You've got to be kidding me?!" Ethan spat out.
"What's the big deal? You were fine with just me staying?" Cal shrugged.
"You show up out of nowhere from half way across the world to visit your pushover of an adopted brother with your new little brother, having not spoken to me in two months and expect me to take you in just like that?!" he shouted, "Well maybe I'm sick of being the pushover" he huffed.
"What's up with you? I don't remember my little brother being so angry" Cal teased lightly.
"Adoptive" Ethan reminded him with a roll of his eyes.
"Look if you don't want us staying at yours that's fine I'll sort something out, but just know this...Lockie looks up to you Ethan, I've told him so many stories he's been dying to meet you for months, my whole family have been. When I told him I booked my ticket to come back here he begged me to bring him along with me because he wants to meet you, the person his big brother constantly rambles on about, you haven't made such a good first impression yet and to be honest I'm starting to regret talking you up so much, the Ethan I knew wouldn't think twice about having us stay for the holidays" Cal admitted.
"So why did we lose contact Cal? If I'm this 'great person' you tell your family stories about then why could you not spare a few minutes to give me a call or write me an email or something? Surely I can't mean that much to you" Ethan replied.
"I've been busy" Cal replied to which Ethan scoffed at, "No Ethan, not just with work but other things...oh if you knew you'd understand" he told him.
"Tell me then and I will understand" Ethan shrugged.
"It's a long story that you'll find out about soon enough but just know Ethan there wasn't one day that has ever gone by that I didn't think about you" He told him determinately.
Ethan nodded slowly, "I'll see you after my shift okay?" he proposed, Cal too nodded and turned to leave, "oh and Caleb!" Ethan called, "don't worry about the hotel room" he told him.
After a rather edgy beginning of his day Ethan finally found the time to have a break, he decided to go to the shop; he figured a warm drink would do him some good.
As he got in the queue he noticed Lachlan was stood before him, he hadn't seen him since he shouted at him, "Hey Lockie" Ethan smiled at him but the boy looked away, almost as if he were scared to make eye contact with him.
"What's that you're getting?" Ethan tried making conversation with him again, "chocolate?" he asked having seen the bar that he held in his hands, "how about I get that for you?" he proposed.
"No!" Lachlan snapped, "Sorry, I've just been excited to use English money for so long" he explained.
"I understand" Ethan smiled at him.
"That'll be seventy pence" the cashier told him.
"Okay hang on..." Lachlan replied as he started counting the loose change he pulled out from his pocket, "what pence is like cents right?" He asked Ethan who nodded, "so one pound would do right?" he asked looking up at him.
"Yep" Ethan smiled.
"Here you go one English pound" Lachlan grinned and handed the lady the money.
"Aren't you cute? Thirty pence change" she smiled and handed him his change.
"Cheers" he grinned.
"Just a tea please" Ethan smiled at the lady as Lachlan turned to leave, "Lachlan wait!" he called as he grabbed his tea and followed him out of the shop, "I'm sorry about earlier, I didn't mean to shout. I don't think I've made the better of first impressions on you" he apologised to the boy.
Lachlan looked up at him and began "I didn't realise you had a needle, I am sorry, I don't want you to hate me-" Ethan cut him off.
"Don't be ridiculous, look, it's forgotten about okay?" Ethan suggested with a smile and held out his hand for the boy to shake.
"Okay" Lachlan grinned and shook it, "Isn't this the shop your ex stripper girlfriend Honey used to work in?" Lachlan asked oblivious.
"I have to get back to work now" Ethan spoke through gritted teeth and left. There didn't seem to be one thing Lachlan didn't know about him which in a way was quite worrying seen as though this boy was nothing more than a stranger to him. He also realised Lachlan wasn't going to go away anytime soon no matter how much Ethan secretly hoped this would happen, he (unfortunately for Ethan) was here to stay, for the holidays at least, though the thought of working through the holidays had never seemed so pleasing.
Lachlan was going to take a lot of getting used to.
