Lying unconscious in cubicles with a broken rib...or two...a bruised head, and many...many...bruises patterning his chest, Cal was going to have a hell of a task lying through his teeth- something Ethan would expect him to do when he would be confronted.
Lily pulled open the curtain to Cal's cubicle, making Ethan jump slightly. Lily didn't notice this. No, her eyes were examining Cal's shoulders, arms and torso. He looked a mess. Not only with the bruises that caused his broken ribs, but the other bruises. "Did you want something?!" Ethan snapped at the F2, slightly annoyed Lily was staring at Cal like he was French or something.
"Hmm." She huffed. "I was just coming to see how he was." She spoke softer this time, and gave Ethan a sympathetic smile. He returned it with an apologetic one, which she accepted.
"He'll be okay, I guess." Ethan mused. Yes, his injuries from being punched would heal, but his emotional injuries could scar him for life, something Ethan wasn't prepared to let happen.
"I'll come back later, when he's awake." She told him, knowing Ethan needed time to be with his brother. He nodded his thanks, and the curtain was closed behind her.
Ethan stared at his older brother, before talking. "Now it's me talking to you. Though I suspect you are actually unconscious and not just pretending to be." He laughed slightly, remembering how Cal spilled his heart out unknowingly to a conscious Ethan. "You could have told someone, Cal. Not tried to handle it by yourself. You're a doctor for god's sake." Ethan wasn't angry, and his tone didn't suggest he was angry. He was just disappointed in his brother- despite the ordeal he went through. "Someone can help you, take time to sort things out with you. Whatever happened, know it wasn't your fault. Even if you think it was. It wasn't like you chose it." Ethan laughed slightly when he realised how stupid he sounded. "Look at me, talking to someone who can't even hear me!" Ethan stopped talking after that, and explored his thoughts, thinking of any way possible to approach the situation- which he would have to do soon.
Shifting coming from Cal's bed awoke Ethan from his thoughts as Cal groaned as moving made his ribs more painful. Cal still wanted to move as he was growing more confused. He was constantly switching between a hotel floor, and…wait…he wasn't in the back of the ambulance anymore. He was in hospital. This was not good. He felt two hands on his shoulders, gentle but keeping him still. He flinched away from them and groggily opened his eyes to see the looming but worried face of his brother gaze down upon him. For a second, Cal could swear that it was Mike looking at him, but he relaxed when he knew it was his brother.
But where was he? He couldn't quite confirm it. He knew he had to be in hospital, but it still felt like the hotel, or the pavement, or even in the ambulance. "You're in the hospital, Cal." Ethan told him, noticing Cal's confused look. Ethan moved to the side of Cal and Cal sat up, not registering that his chest was bare and his bruises were visible. Sitting up, there was a painful jarring of his ribs and he grunted. "You were beaten up, couple of broken ribs and a bump to the head." Ethan informed him, smiling at the persistence his brother showed in trying to move. He was pondering whether to ask Cal about the hand-shaped bruises, to try and get Cal to admit it at least, but seeing how on edge Cal was- he decided against it for the time being.
"Imogen- my patient. How is she?" Cal wondered. Ethan looked at him strangely- then realising that this was the girl who went to SARC about 10 minutes previously, the girl who was to thank for telling Robyn about Cal, the girl who inadvertently caused everyone to know, and everyone to want to help.
"She's fine. She wants to press charges." Ethan explained to him. Cal lay back against the bed, which Ethan had lifted up for him. He felt the relief that came with resting again- his ribs causing him unwanted pain. Then Ethan decided to confront the situation, considering they were already on that topic. "She thinks she knows who was there with her." Ethan decided to tread carefully. Cal's eyes opened wide with shock, and he suddenly realised he was topless. His secret was out, and there was nothing he could do about it.
Seeing Cal's reaction to that, Ethan realised he made a wrong move. Damn it! Cal tried sitting up again, fighting through the pain that was made worse every time he moved. "No, Cal. You have to sit still." Ethan persisted. Cal shook his head- making his head ache that he only just realised he had- worse.
"I need to go, Ethan. I need to, I need to…" Ethan had never seen Cal be so panicked, or so agitated. "I need to, I just need to…" It was like Cal repeating the same word would make Ethan let Cal go. It wasn't working. "I need to, I need to…" Cal fought against the pain as much as he could as he swung his legs around. Ethan tried his hardest to disallow Cal's shoulders to move. "I need to go, let me go…" Cal pushed against Ethan's hands, allowing him to step off of the bed and look around for his top.
"Cal, please!" Ethan shouted. Even shouting wouldn't get through to him, but Ethan was lucky that Zoe had heard and came to his aid.
"No, no, no…" Cal muttered. He couldn't see his shirt, but the pain had started to become too much for him to take. "No, no, no…" His frantic whispering continued.
"Cal, please, just get back on the bed." Zoe pleaded; ready to act if anything went wrong. Both Ethan and Zoe heard his mutters silence, but saw Cal standing in one spot, no longer looking around, but swaying on the spot. "Cal?" The pain became unbearable and his eyes rolled back as he collapsed into the arms Ethan had put out for him. Zoe helped Ethan get him back on the bed, before getting him some more morphine.
Only 10 minutes later, Cal started to come round. Zoe had left, and Ethan was sitting by him. Why was he always waking up in some sort of pain? Couldn't he just sleep soundly, for once?
Ethan heard Cal groaning as he woke. "You okay?" He enquired tentatively. Cal just nodded, finding the sheet particularly interesting.
"I don't know what to do, Ethan." Cal told him. "I just don't know what to do." Ethan looked sympathetically towards him, noticing how Cal would look anywhere but him.
"Talking helps…" Ethan suggested, surprised Cal didn't kick off again. Cal ran a hand through his hair before looking straight towards Ethan and speaking- his voice shaking slightly.
"How much do I have to say?" He asked dismissively. Ethan knew the answer to that, but seeing how vulnerable Cal was, he wondered what he would say.
Ethan looked back at Cal, pity clear in his eyes, and spoke. "Everything."
This is dedicated to everyone who has had a tough/rubbish day!
I am trying to make the next chapter as sensitive as possible, and realistic, so I have no idea whether it will be completed by tomorrow or not.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please tell me what you thought!
