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Chapter Two
Ethan was feeling so many emotions, all at once. Anger with Taylor. Frustration with Cal. Fear for what was about to happen and how Cal would handle it. Cal wanted so much to believe he was strong, but he wasn't and no-one knew that better than Ethan. If Taylor rejected him again, Ethan wasn't sure what it would do to him.
He was also angry with himself for not controlling his emotions. If he'd stayed calm and supported Cal instead of revealing just a fraction of the hatred he felt for the girl who'd broken his brother's heart, maybe he'd still be in there with Cal now
There seemed to be people everywhere, rushing between patients, hurrying along the corridors with emergency equipment, but none of them seemed aware of Ethan or his agitation. He found himself a relatively quiet corner and took out his phone. Ethan knew he wasn't really in the best state to be making a phone call, but it had to be done and it didn't look as though Zoe was regarding the matter with any urgency. Her priority, of course, was Taylor, but Ethan's was his brother.
Ethan found the number he needed and dialled it clumsily, his hands shaking. His finger hit the wrong number and he stopped, taking a moment to calm himself. Once his hands were still, he dialled the number correctly and waited for a response. He could have dialled 999 instead and perhaps should have done, but when your job often involves helping people who didn't really require emergency care, it does make you wary of using the other emergency services unnecessarily. The only person in any real danger was Cal, but there was nothing the police, an ambulance or the fire service could do.
Someone answered almost straight away. Ethan rushed into unintelligible speech and was asked to slow down and start again. He took a breath and managed to speak calmly. "My name is Dr Ethan Hardy. I'm calling from Holby City Hospital. The inmate who escaped from the women's prison is currently in our accident and emergency department. I thought I should let you know."
A more senior police officer was called to the phone, and Ethan answered his questions as briefly as he could. To his relief, the whirl of emotions had faded slightly now and he'd switched into professional mode. He'd heard enough about Taylor from Cal to be able to answer every question they put to him. Finally, the police officer took Ethan's details and said someone would be in touch soon.
And then all Ethan could do was wait, and hope Cal could deal with losing her again.
"Cal?" Zoe said again. "No-one will think any less of you if you'd rather wait outside."
Cal swallowed hard. He remembered how he'd felt when he'd seen the knife in Taylor's leg: the terrifying pallor of her face and the stillness of her body. She'd been in too much pain even to call out to him. Her bravery had humbled him as much as her injury had devastated him.
And then, later on, when she'd taken the knife out, and the blood had spurted from the damaged artery… if anything the memory of it had been worse than the moment because when it had happened, he'd been the doctor. When he thought of it, he was just the man who loved her.
Just as he was now. He wasn't being treated as a doctor now. Perhaps he was slightly more than the boyfriend of a patient as he was being offered the chance to remain with Taylor, but he had no professional procedures to hide behind now. The girl he loved had been seriously hurt again and she needed him.
"I'll stay," said Cal as his eyes met Taylor's again, but her lovely eyes were unhappy and afraid. "I'm here, beautiful."
Taylor closed her eyes and her whole body flinched at his words.
"It's going to be okay," Cal said gently.
"You think I'm beautiful?" asked Taylor, her voice still a soft but now rather harsh whisper. Her eyes were open now, but full of pain.
"Of course I do," said Cal. "I always have. You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
"But you haven't seen me," said Taylor. "Not now. I won't look the same now. Cal, what if you think I'm ugly?"
"I will never think that."
"But I won't be the same." Taylor's eyes pooled with tears again. "I know hospitals can work miracles, but a miracle might not be enough. I'll probably have scars, Cal. Forever."
"But you'll always be you forever," said Cal. He turned her hand over and pressed a kiss into the palm. "Taylor, this isn't just about how you look. Don't take this the wrong way, I know this sounds bad, but I've known lots of beautiful girls. But you're the only one who's made me feel this way and I know you always will make me feel this way. Taylor, I was going to ask you this before, but something went wrong and I didn't. But I'm going to ask you now." He kept hold of Taylor's hand as he knelt beside the bed. "Taylor Ashbie, will you marry me?"
Every second ticked by so slowly. Ethan knew it was unreasonable to expect the police to arrive for quite a while. They would probably have to contact the prison, even though they must have been notified about the escape already. And considering Taylor's injuries, it was unlikely that she would be leaving hospital for several hours; if not days. There was probably no hurry in real terms, yet Ethan was desperate.
Desperate for it all to be over so he could begin the process of helping Cal to get over it all over again.
Ethan knew some people would question why he felt so protective of Cal, especially if they had any idea what Cal's love for Taylor had driven him to do. Cal had hurt him so many times and Ethan didn't doubt that would continue, perhaps for the rest of their lives.
Sometimes Ethan thought the best thing would be to get Cal out of his life for good. He'd even tried it a few times. But he always went back to Cal because Cal needed him.
Maybe, if he was honest, he needed Cal too. Ethan often felt he didn't quite fit in at the hospital because he wasn't that good at making friends. He suspected Cal didn't quite fit in either. He made friends easily and could be a lot of fun, but wasn't really close to anyone.
Both alone, both struggling, both needing each other.
At last, Ethan's phone rang. He snatched it from his pocket and answered breathlessly, waiting impatiently as the voice at the other end of the phone went through his statement, checking the accuracy of it. "Yes, that's all correct."
"Dr Hardy, we would like to believe you made the report in good faith. However, no-one called Taylor Ashbie has escaped from the women's prison. There has never been an inmate of that name."
Taylor had gone completely still. Cal waited, suddenly aware of several things he hadn't noticed before because they were so much a part of his work, he'd long ago stopped noticing them. But now, as he waited for the answer to the most important question he'd ever asked, he became aware of them as though for the first time. The beeping of medical instruments. The ticking of a clock. A slight rustle as Zoe shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Rita's slightly shallow breathing as she too waited tensely for the reply.
There seemed to be a slight chill in the air as well, but perhaps that was Cal's fear that was growing steadily with every passing silent second.
"Cal, I don't remember you," whispered Taylor. "I'm sure it's not fair to say yes when I don't remember you. Or when you don't know what I look like. But you've been so kind to me. I know you love me, and being engaged, it just feels right. So yes, Cal. I'll marry you."
He couldn't see enough of her mouth to see if she was smiling, but he heard it in her voice. Cal couldn't speak for a moment. At one time, he'd considered their engagement a foregone conclusion, and even after Taylor had left him, he'd believed, or convinced himself that he believed, that they would eventually get married. When time had passed and she hadn't called, the doubts had risen, only to be squashed again when Taylor had phoned asking for his help.
But this time, Cal realised, he hadn't known what to expect. He felt as though he knew Taylor: the real Taylor, the woman who had lain in his arms, not the con-artist she'd been forced to become. The girl she was now: the girl who couldn't believe she would ever con anybody because she didn't remember reaching that stage of desperation. But he still couldn't be confident of her answer because she couldn't remember loving him.
"Cal?" whispered Taylor.
But she did love him. Even though she couldn't remember him, she knew she loved him.
Cal's eyes were full of tears. His first thought was to hide them, but he realised that if he was going to marry Taylor, they would have no secrets. "Taylor, you've made me so happy. You always have…" (well, mostly) "…but I never thought I'd ever be this happy again and now…"
"Congratulations," said Rita, but there was a heaviness in her tone that implied reluctance.
"Congratulations," Zoe echoed, but her words sounded hollow. "I'm sure you'd like to be alone for a few minutes to… discuss your plans. Cal, I know you must be feeling overwhelmed, but don't forget that… your fiancée has suffered serious injuries and needs to be treated very soon. But we'll give you a few minutes, okay?"
"Thank you," said Cal, but he was looking at Taylor and he didn't even hear as Zoe and Rita left the room.
