Thanks for the response! I've decided to extend this story to more than a two-shot as I believe that a lot can come out of this. Any thoughts? Again thanks and here's the next chapter! x
"Is something wrong?" Ethan's heart sped up.
Cal opened his mouth to talk but nothing came out. He was saved when their phones rang.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he answered the call. "Yeah, he's with me. Okay, we're on our way."
Ethan cast a tired glance in his brother's way, an eyebrow raised. "Work?"
"Shortage of doctors and there are no locums. We have to go."
"But... what were you going to tell-"
Cal shook his head, already slipping his jacket on. "It can wait."
When they returned to work, Connie didn't bother waiting until they were dressed in their scrubs before giving them patients to deal with.
"I want these two done within thirty minutes, am I clear?"
"Yes, Queen Beauchamp." Cal mumbled, walking off to deal with his patient.
Ethan however watched curiously as his brother walked away, brisk in his actions. Something was eating at him and he was going to get to the bottom of it.
Cal had thrown himself into his work to ignore the fact that he still had yet to tell Ethan the truth but he couldn't find the words to say it. He had only planned for when he would confess but not how to. He thanked God for the work distraction but the thought of the incurable illness lingered his mind, almost making him break down again.
When he was awarded with a break 3 hours later, he met Ethan alone in the staff room, sipping on a cup of tea.
"You look tired." Cal stated, heading over to the kettle.
"Hmm, thanks." Ethan replied sarcastically. "I worked on an hour's sleep, give me a break." he smiled.
Cal smiled back and continued to make his coffee. "I bet there's some biscuits around somewhere that we can share. We need the energy."
He sighed when he saw his brother already dozing off and decided to get back to work so that Ethan could take his break time as well to catch some missed sleep. He also mentally hit himself for not objecting to working.
Ethan found Cal twenty minutes later at the reception desk, reading a file of patient notes.
"Hey, why didn't you wake me?" he asked, leaning against the desk, trying to get a look at the notes.
Cal shrugged, closing the notes anyway. "I decided you needed time to get yourself together. So I gave you the rest of my break time."
"You shouldn't have." Ethan smiled lightly.
"Well, consider it my Christmas gift then." Cal smirked, walking off. He was stopped when Ethan called him back.
"Since it's quiet and all... we could have a chat about what you said was serious."
Cal was hoping that he had forgotten that. Taking a breath in, he turned to face Ethan and smiled. "It was nothing, seriously. Just missing Matilda, is all."
"Are you sure? Because I'm sure that Mrs Beauchamp wouldn't mind if we took another break."
Cal chuckled. "Nibbles, are you going rebellious on me?" he joked.
Ethan rolled his eyes. "Well, if you're sure."
"I am, trust me." Cal assured him, turning to face Lily walking in as if she wasn't drunk at all. "Lily? Last I saw you, you were pretty out of it."
"Yeah, stumbling around our apartment. Took two of us to get you to the toilet." Ethan joked, hugging her.
Lily groaned. "Don't even get me started about that. Sorry, by the way. Connie phoned me and ordered me to get down here because apparently we're short staffed and there are no locums. Who even forgets to call locums?" she ranted, heading towards the staff room.
"Did you even get any of that?" Cal asked, chuckling along with Ethan.
"At least she's out of her 'don't talk to me' shell. I think she's made New Years resolutions to be a lot more-"
"Human?"
"Friendlier." Ethan finished, rolling his eyes with a smile. "Plus, we're even closer than ever after the Alicia business."
Cal patted his back. "Glad for you, Nibbles."
"I swear if you call me that one more time-"
"Dr. Hardy, Dr. Knight, are we working here or slacking?" Connie asked, walking past.
"Well, talk to you later." Ethan smiled, going to get his next patient.
...
Lily found Cal pacing back and forth in the staff room later that day and she watched him, folding her arms.
"You'll wear the carpet out." she said, causing him to jump.
"Oh, hey." he mumbled.
"You've been distant all day. Are you okay?" she asked, heading towards her locker.
Cal sighed, placing his hands on his hips as he looked upwards. "How do you break bad news?"
"Did one of your patients die?" Lily asked, shocked.
"No! No, nothing like that. Just...," he sighed, turning to face her. "I found out something two days ago and... it's not good news."
Lily tilted her head at him, her mouth opening but no words coming out. "Caleb... are you... sick?"
Cal sighed, closing his eyes. "I... uh, I might be. I don't know. God, it feels so... confusing right now."
"Let's have a seat before you faint on me." Lily said, sitting beside him on the couch. "Start from the beginning."
Cal went on to spill the last couple of months' events and as he did, the tears started to fall and the tissues started to be handed out. When he was finished, Lily tentatively placed a comforting hand on his back and rubbed it.
"So, there's a 50/50 chance that either you or Ethan has Huntington's?" she whispered, tears prickling her eyes. She loved Ethan, he was one of the only ones who understood her. She may have had a rocky start with Cal but they were civil and they worked together nearly everyday so there was no denying that she found him a decent person after the whole £40 bet thing since he apologised. "Neither one of you deserve that."
"Deserve what?"
They both turned to face Ethan who looked between them, curiosity on his features.
"I'll leave you two to talk-"
"No, stay." Cal pleaded with Lily. She immediately sat back down and watched as Ethan took a seat in front of them.
"Cal, you're actually starting to scare me." Ethan gulped, watching as Lily wiped her eyes.
Cal sighed, leaning in closer to his brother. He was still glad that they were brothers.
"You know when we found out that Matilda wasn't mine?"
"Yeah... what's that got to do with-"
"Just hear him out, Ethan." Lily sighed.
Ethan nodded, shutting his mouth.
"Well, I kind of got this feeling that she was so I had some tests done. DNA ones and it turned out that not only Matilda still wasn't mine, I found out that we're adopted."
Ethan laughed. "Is this a joke because it's a-a really good one, Cal."
"No. I'm not joking. And not only are we adopted, Ethan, we... either one of us may have Huntington's." Cal whispered, his voice breaking as Ethan's face fell and his mouth opened to object to what he was hearing.
"When did you find out?" he asked lowly.
"Just two days ago. I... I visited our real mum. God, Ethan... she scared me. I couldn't stop thinking about how I was going to tell you-"
"How long did you know that we were adopted for?" Ethan's voice was still quiet and Lily grew concerned.
Cal shook his head. "A few weeks."
"You're lying."
"At least a month, then! Ethan, what else do you want me to say? That I'm sorry that we're adopted and that our whole lives have been a sham?"
Ethan stood up, running a hand through his head. Cal stood up too, reaching out to touch his shoulder.
"Don't touch me." Ethan said, backing away from him. "You knew and you didn't tell me straight away?"
"I'm sorry-"
"And you tell Lily before me? Who else knew?"
"Charlie, but-"
"Charlie knew?! And you two have been going behind my back for a month, not telling me that we were adopted?"
Cal bit his lip. "This shouldn't change anything, you're still my little brother-"
"Don't even..." Ethan shook his head. "And this shouldn't change anything? One of us could be seriously sick and you're saying that it shouldn't change anything?!"
Lily stood up, placing a hand on Ethan's shoulder. "Ethan, you should calm down. Take time to process this in."
"I don't need to, Lily. I'm fine. I can't believe you lied to me, Caleb."
"I didn't lie. I just kept the truth from you." Cal gently explained.
"Same thing, isn't it?"
Cal shook his head. "You know it's not. Look, when I found out I was so shocked; I wanted to tell you straight away but I couldn't find the words. God, you don't know how much this has been eating at me."
"It always has to be about you, doesn't it, Cal? We should all feel sorry for Cal who lost his daughter and found out that he might be sick."
"I care about you, Ethan and I will always care about you no matter what. And I did what I thought was best for your interests-"
"My interests? Shows how much you actually know me, considering you don't bother to actually realise that I am not as fragile as you think I am."
Cal had enough. "You know what, screw you. You don't understand how it feels to be in my position-"
"Your position? What position may that be? Being the lying brother who looks out for himself? When were you going to tell me, when I'm sick?"
"Forget this." Cal gritted out, about to walk out.
"Don't you dare run away because if you do, that's it. All you ever do is run and I swear, Caleb, if you run... don't bother coming back."
He didn't know why but Cal felt his fist connect with Ethan's cheek.
"You of all people should know that I would never run away from you." he yelled, tears rolling down his cheek.
Lily was already beside Ethan, reaching one hand to push Cal away. "Caleb, take a walk, a drive, I don't care. Just... cool off."
"He'll probably run." Ethan whispered, wiping the blood of his lips.
Cal closed his eyes. "You know what? If you're hurting so much, why don't you just punch me? If it makes you feel better."
"I will not stoop to your level." Ethan mumbled, getting up.
Cal couldn't hold it back as he launched another fist at Ethan's way but found it connecting with Lily's nose as she tumbled over the coffee table.
"Lily!"
"And what is going on here?!"