A/N: I hadn't planned on writing a second chapter but I thought it would be nice to explore how the holidays ended up going for Sybil and Tom. Hope you enjoy this.


New Year's Eve

Sometimes things just don't go as planned. His joy at learning that Sybil didn't have a date for New Year's Eve led him to envision the perfect date. Dinner somewhere very nice, maybe a place with a view of the city. A romantic stroll along the Thames before watching the fireworks. Maybe the evening would end with … his visions of the evening abruptly plummeted upon hearing she was working that evening.

She was working till eleven. Maybe he could meet her at the hospital and they could make a dash for a prime viewing spot of the fireworks.

Sometimes things don't go at all as planned. Tom leaned his upper body back against the pillows and ran his unbandaged right hand through his hair. Three days ago the world seemed perfect and then … he wasn't really sure what had happened. One minute he was walking across the street and then he felt a tremendous pain and then he woke up here.

The holiday season had unexpectedly been the best Christmas he had had in such a long time. When he had met Sybil that day he was locked out of the building he hadn't given much thought to the holidays.

He knew that there were many people for whom the holiday season was depressing but he never thought of himself as one of those types. He never felt like he wanted to hide out until the holidays were over or maybe wrap himself in a blanket and sleep until all the festivities were over. No, he happily participated in the office Christmas party and attended parties hosted by friends and co-workers. He and his flat mates traditionally hosted a party which was usually a rather wild affair short on any holiday decorations (other than crazy hats) or traditions while emphasizing the drink and be merry aspect of the season.

He might have had a tinge of sadness watching his flat mates return home for the holidays and realizing he didn't really have a home to return to. All of his flat mates had invited him to their homes but he no longer enjoyed being the outsider at what he considered to be family affairs. The same held true for the invitations to Christmas dinner by a couple of co-workers. There had been a few years when he had girlfriends and would go home with them but this always proved to be a minefield since he was never that serious about any of them and certainly never had any intention of proposing marriage.

He told himself he was lucky he didn't have to agonize over buying presents while trying to overlook that this meant he had no presents to open. His father always sent a check with a sterile card as if he were contributing to a charity rather than his son.

For the big day itself, Tom's plan was to spend it like he had the previous year alone in his flat contentedly reading, binge watching television, and feasting on the food he had stockpiled for the day. At least that had been his plan until he met Sybil. Spending time these past couple of weeks with her gave him a renewed sense of the magic of Christmas and he realized he didn't want to spend the day holed up alone in his flat. His call to his youngest sister Jenny inviting her to come to London was met with pure glee on her part. Although she had plans she'd happily ditch them for coming down to London from Manchester she bubbled. It was Jenny's suggestion that Tom call their brother Kevin who had just moved to Oxford leading to the three Branson siblings living in England spending three days together at Tom's.

Tom tilted his head back and looked up at the ceiling. How quickly things change he thought and all because of a chance meeting outside his flat.

Sybil was shocked that Tom had never ventured around London looking at the Christmas light displays. It wasn't that he hadn't seen any of them because really one could hardly walk around London in December and not see them what with many of the main streets like Oxford Street and Regent Street renowned for their decorations and light displays. Nor could one walk around central London and miss the grand Christmas trees in front of veritable institutions like St. Paul's Cathedral, the Natural History Museum or The Royal Exchange or in many of the squares and markets.

Yet seeing them with Sybil was a whole different experience than passing by a decorated tree on his commute home from work or walking down Regent Street on his way to dinner with friends. One evening had turned into three evenings spend walking around the city admiring the holiday lights and decorations. A Saturday was spend visiting Christmas markets almost making Tom wish he had to buy some presents. Tom had become so enthusiastic that he surprised Sybil with insisting they do the London Eye just to see what lights they could spot from its lofty perches.

If he had to pick a favorite scene or place they had visited though he would choose Covent Gardens if for no reason other than the display this year had a mistletoe theme giving Tom plenty of excuses to kiss Sybil. While the first kiss was a rather chaste peck on the cheek, much like those that had ended their other evenings together, by the third or fourth one it had progressed to … staring up at the ceiling Tom's face broke out in a big smile just thinking of it.

He closed his eyes and for a moment he was back there, at Covent Garden, surrounded by the twinkling lights holding a laughing Sybil in his arms. His blissful thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a now familiar squeaking sound. He didn't need to open his eyes to know that the technician was here to take another round of x-rays of his chest.

After the technician left Tom realized that for the first time in two days he was actually hungry. He rang the call button for the nurse. The stern looking nurse that answered his call didn't seem like the warm and caring angel of mercy he thought nurses should be. His request for something to eat was met with a sigh and a shrug of her shoulders so Tom didn't hold out much hope. Even if the nurse managed to round up something he knew it wouldn't be delectable. It wouldn't be like the roast he had made on Christmas Eve or, he chuckled thinking of Sybil's reaction, his renowned spaghetti and meatballs he had made for Christmas dinner.

Sybil was spending Christmas Eve at her parents' home returning just after noon on Christmas day to work a short shift at the hospital. Before leaving for Yorkshire, Tom invited her to join him and his siblings for Christmas dinner after her shift at the hospital.

"Who has spaghetti and meatballs for Christmas dinner?" Sybil asked with the tone in her voice indicating Tom was committing heresy.

"Well I imagine some Italians do" Tom had retorted. "Besides spaghetti and meatballs is one of my signature dishes."

Sybil arched her eyebrow. "You have signature dishes?"

Tom gave her that lopsided grin and ran his hand through his hair. "I'll have you know I'm an excellent cook."

"So why haven't I had any of this excellent cooking?"

"I was waiting for the right time."

"And Christmas day is the right time for spaghetti and meatballs?" Sybil shook her head.

"Just wait. You'll probably want my recipe but I'll tell you right now it's a family secret but I'll be happy to make some extra that you can freeze for some winter nights when you return home tired from a long shift." Tom started to chuckle. "Yes I can just envision it now you in those scrubs, your feet wrapped in those silly fuzzy socky things, plopped on your sofa happily slurping spaghetti."

Tom was still thinking about the wonderful time he had had with Jenny and Kevin. Christmas Eve after their delicious roast dinner, the three of them had bundled up and walked around London enjoying the festive lights. They had stopped in at a favorite pub of Tom's to warm up with hot coffee drinks laced with whiskey. They had so much catching up to do they talked far into the night. Christmas day was made even more wonderful when Sybil joined them for dinner.

Tom's reverie was broken by a knock on his room's open door.

"I understand you'd like something to eat" Tom smiled at the sound of Sybil's smooth husky voice.

She walked into the room holding a large bag which she placed on the table at the bottom of Tom's bed. But it wasn't the bag that captured Tom's attention. Sybil's wildly printed scrubs had been exchanged for black leggings and a long soft looking red sweater. Her short hair was brushed back on one side and held with a clip that sparkled in the soft light of the room. She was without a doubt the most beautiful woman he had ever met.

"You look lovely" he said softly as a sudden stabbing gripped him that she was on her way to a party.

"It is New Year's Eve Tom" she gaily responded.

"I'm sure you'll be the most beautiful woman there … that is … wherever you're going."

Sybil looked directly at him and he could feel his face reddening. "Well I had a date or at least an offer to go view the fireworks but my date can't properly cross the street and was hit by a car."

Tom smiled. "Maybe he was thinking about those fireworks. I hear they are the best in the world."

"Well I hope when he's out and about from now on he'll pay more attention to where he's going."

"He will … that is if he gets out of here and doesn't starve to death first."

Sybil laughed as she turned her attention to the bag. "I'm afraid it's rather plain" she said as she pulled a container of soup out of the bag. "It's mostly broth. But I also have scrambled eggs with a bit of spinach in them. The bread is a white Italian loaf but no butter."

"It looks like a feast" he interrupted her.

She fixed him a tray and then moved a chair beside the bed so that she could sit next to him.

"As strange as this may seem it's not my worst New Year's Eve" he managed to say after eating a few bites of the eggs along with a chunk of the bread.

Sybil laughed. "I've had some that I'd rather forget."

"I've had some I can't remember" he retorted.

They spent the next twenty minutes comparing stories.

"I found my date shagging one of the waiters."

"I was all dressed up and my date stood my up."

"My date got so drunk she started stripping."

"My date's ex turned up at the same party and they got into a screaming match."

"I couldn't remember who my date was."

"My date fell asleep"

"I fell asleep"

"Please no more" Tom grinned as he held his hand on his stomach. "It's hurting too much to laugh."

The distant sounds of car horns blaring filled the room.

Sybil looked at her watch. "It's 2018!"

"Happy New Year Tom" she said as she leaned over and softly kissed his lips.

"Happy New Year Sybil" he replied as he reached up and ran his hand down her back. "I think this is my best New Year's Eve."

Sybil smiled at him before turning her attention to the machines at the side of his bed. Noticing her concentration he looked at the machines but had no idea how to decipher the information they proclaimed. "How …" he began "what's … what's my prognosis?"

Sybil reached out and took hold of his hand. "I think you'll probably go home in a day or two although you'll have to take it easy for awhile."

He smiled. "Well there's a nurse that lives downstairs from me. Maybe she'll be able to help me."