Hello again, here's the second update of the day. What will Ethan's results be? Find out in this last chapter.
I hope you enjoy, please let me know your thoughts. Hopefully I'll be back soon with another story for you all but until then, this is goodbye, Kayxxx :)
"HIV-Negative" he had to look twice.
"Well?" Cal asked impatiently.
"...I haven't got it" Ethan spoke out in shock.
"What?" Cal replied in the same shocked tone as he snatched the paper from his younger brother's shaky grasp.
"I haven't got it Cal, HIV-negative look!" Ethan sighed with relief as he pointed to the paper.
"Oh thank God mate" Cal sighed as he leaned in to pull him in for a hug.
"Okay, let's not be OTT" Ethan joked pushing his brother's arms away.
Cal chuckled and instead rubbed his younger brother's back as they both let out a sigh of relief.
A pair of heels appeared on the floor before them, "Ethan?" Connie's voice called. The brothers looked up at her
simultaneously, "you're going to be fine, I do want to keep you on the month of PEP treatment just to be on the safe side and we'll give you another HIV test once that month is up but I'm quite confident that you will be fine, you're all clear" she explained.
"Thank you Mrs Beauchamp" Ethan grinned.
She flashed a smile at the pair and waltzed back into the ED.
"That crucifix must have come in handy for Louis after all; someone is obviously looking down on him. I honestly would have killed him if things would've been any different" Cal admitted.
"Or someone's looking down on me" Ethan stated as he looked up at his older brother knowingly, Cal looked down at Ethan and let out a smile.
"Anyway, I'm surprised all you did was shout at him to be honest" Ethan replied impressed.
"Hey, I may constantly tease you; I have to, I'm you're big brother and that's my job. But another job of being a big brother is always having your little brother's back and you can always count on that...Nibbles" he winked as he nudged him once more.
Ethan rolled his eyes. If it wasn't for the use of his childhood nickname added onto the end that would have been a rather heartwarming speech, though the message was still viable.
Ethan and Cal walked back into the ED where Ethan spotted Lily stood at reception and made his way over.
"Ah Lily, are we still up for revision tonight?" Ethan smiled putting Cal's statement to the test "surely she would stick by me through this".
"Oh, no I think I'll do my own revision from now on" she replied bluntly. She was still very much under the impression that Ethan is probably HIV riddled.
"Wow Cal was right" he thought in disbelief.
"Oh, is there any reason?" He asked acting oblivious.
"I think you know the reason Ethan" she replied knowingly.
"It's not like me eating at yours tonight is going to give you AIDS Lily" Ethan replied as he looked at her stunned at how distant she was acting towards him, "I thought you were my friend?" He asked.
"I am" she replied.
"Okay then, here's to friendship" he spoke holding out his hand for her to shake; here was the real test.
She froze and looked toward his hand hesitantly, "is- is that the hand that-" he cut her off.
"That was stabbed by the needle? Yep. And also the one I used to shake Louis' hand with this morning" he spoke bluntly. Lily looked at it once more, shook her head and walked away.
"Unbelievable" he scoffed as he watched her disappear back into the busy ED.
News spread around the ED that Ethan was HIV-free as quickly as the opposite had spread this morning.
"I told you" Honey smiled as she appeared next to him.
"Yes, you did" he grinned.
Lily spotted Honey making conversation with Ethan and swiftly made her way over, "Ethan, I've changed my mind, group revision does tend to work better" she stated, "how about you stay over tonight?" She proposed.
Ethan looked at her stunned, "sorry Lily but I already have plans tonight...with Honey." He added, "If that's okay with you" he spoke awkwardly looking toward her.
"Oh, um, of course it is" she blushed.
"But what about revision? Your exams?" Lily urged.
"I realised today that life is short, and you've got to work out your priorities" he stated.
"So work? That must be your priority right?" Lily asked.
Ethan shook his head, "not right now it isn't no" he smiled as he looked at Honey wondrously.
"Lily, you are a wonderful doctor, one of the best I've ever come across. There isn't really much you don't know, medically..." he spoke as Lily held her head up in pride with a smirk etching her face, "...it's a shame they don't have revision books on bedside manner and genuine natural human feelings as I think you could brush up on that a little, just a suggestion" he added, Lily's smirk soon dropped and instead one grew across Honey's face.
"My lady" Ethan announced as he bowed before Honey and then held out his arm for her to link.
"Why thank you sir" Honey replied as she curtsied and then took his arm.
"Goodbye Lily, I hope the revision goes well tonight" he spoke sincerely before he walked off with Honey at his arm.
Lily stood frozen as she watched them leave; "I have no idea what he sees in that tea girl" she shrugged as Cal appeared next to her, him too watching the pair leave though his face was etched with a proud smile.
"You know Lily, I found this in the staff room earlier" Cal spoke as he pulled out her notebook from his pocket, "this list you made, it's quite interesting..." He continued as he flicked through the pages and pointed to the list of male colleagues she had made and crossed out on who would make a suitable partner for a future relationship. "There are many people on here, all crossed out but Ethan, who is circled...I understand that bit but what I don't get is the fact that everyone who is listed is either a senior registrar or above, not a nurse or porter, or barista even, in sight." He stated.
"Yes" Lily replied.
"You obviously have your reasons for the people you've crossed out, to be crossed out, why is Ethan circled?" He asked.
"He has a good brain, we both do" Lily replied.
"Right so, nurses or porters or baristas don't have good brains?" He asked.
"Well, yes they might do" Lily replied hesitantly.
"Just not good enough for you?" He asked.
"Exactly" she replied, "to have a successful relationship you need things in common, interests and intellect. How could I possibly have things in common with a nurse or porter or barista? How could we communicate? I would ask him about his day and he would reply with how he moved a patient from ward to ward or made somebody a cup of tea whereas I save lives, there is no comparison there" she shrugged.
"Care Lily. That's the comparison. You care for a patient by saving their life, whereas moving a patient from ward to ward or making them a cup of tea is also a form of caring, surely you can see that?" He asked stunned at her way of thinking.
"Being with people below your level would only drag you down" she replied confidently.
"Or you could help bring them up?" He spat out, "You should just be happy the fact no one thinks the way you do because that way, you would be alone for a very long time. You may be high up in your career but as personality goes you're at the lowest a person could possibly get. You think you and Ethan have things in common? Other than interest and intellect Ethan has a good heart, and that is where your common ground splits. He's one of the best, and that is exactly why he'll never be with you Lily. You look for partners in status and intellect, Ethan searches for a good heart, you know something about good hearts? They find each other by themselves, and sometimes they even come in the form of pretty little tea girls." Cal stated quoting Lily's words. She looked at him confused.
Cal ducked down to her level, "Ethan found out today that he could have HIV and everyone but you stood by him...what does that tell you about yourself?" He whispered as he raised his eyebrows.
"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked.
"You have a good brain right? Think about it." He replied sternly and turned leave, to join his friends and his brother in the pub across the road.
Ethan and Honey stood at the bar, drinks in hand talking quietly amongst each other.
Ethan found the courage to ask something that he had wondered all day long, "Honey, you know if things were different today...with my results, would you-" she cut him off knowingly.
"Still fancy you?" She asked.
"Well, yes..." he mumbled awkwardly.
"Obviously" she grinned as she sipped at her drink.
He looked at her and raised his eyebrows in shock, "she really is that wonderful"
Cal walked in and found Ethan and Honey stood at the bar deep in conversation with each other and made his way over.
"Hi" he smiled.
"Hi" Honey replied.
"Hello..." Ethan replied warily, "I've seen that look before...oh what is he up to?" Ethan thought in dread.
"I'm going into town after this, so I'll be staying out tonight" Cal spoke giving his younger brother the look.
"Right...okay?" Ethan replied confused, "you go out all the time and stay in random woman's houses and never tell me...why would I need to know tonight?" Ethan wondered.
"So you'll have a free house..." Cal spoke slowly hoping Ethan would understand.
"Yes...you're the only person who lives there with me and so if you're not there, the house would be free" Ethan stated sarcastically, still in complete confusion.
Cal shook his head and looked towards Honey for help, she stood smiling at the pair knowingly, "You know Honey, I think we've got some red wine in the fridge" Cal told her.
"Oh really? I like red wine" she replied and looked towards Ethan waiting for him to click on.
Realisation grew over him suddenly, "Oh! Yes we-we've got red wine! It, um, it's red and...nice" he stuttered awkwardly, "it's 'red and nice'? You're an idiot, a complete idiot." He thought.
Honey smiled wondrously at him.
"Right, I'll leave you two to get on with it, enjoy the red and nice wine Honey" Cal teased and walked away with his drink.
Ethan followed Cal with his eyes before he turned back to Honey, "I'm sorry, I'm awful at this type of stuff I think even to say 'awkward' would be an extreme understatement" he stated.
"Don't apologise, I think it's cute" Honey smiled.
'Cute' that was something Ethan tended to be called a lot, though when Honey said it, it felt as though she sent hundreds of butterflies soaring around within him, which was something only she could make him feel; she was special. They locked eyes for a moment before Ethan spoke out, "right then, shall we go and try this red and nice wine out?" He joked as he took her hand once again and led her out of the pub.