I'm sorry for not updating this on Saturday - I'm finding this story very difficult to write and I didn't have a new chapter ready. But I've caught up now and actually written Chapter 10 too so I hope I'll be able to keep to my updating schedule from now on.
Tato Potato, I agree that Cal needs to find out - not least because he'll be a brilliant dad - but Ethan will either have to convince Ariel it's the right thing to do or break his promise! Eventually, the truth will come out though. Thank you for your review.
beckyboogle, Cal could well be very annoyed with Ethan! He'll probably expect Ethan to have more loyalty to his brother than his patient. Thank you for your review - I'm really happy you're enjoying it.
ETWentHome, it is still a mystery for now, but it won't stay that way forever! I won't tell you the answers to your questions yet, but one will be answered in this chapter and one in Chapter 12. So I hope that won't be too long a wait! Thank you for your review.
Tanith Panic, thank you for your review - this story is quite slow, so I'm really relieved to know it isn't dull. I can't write a chapter without a bit of brotherly bonding - but I'm sure the friction won't be helping Cal's mood.
Cal definitely wasn't feeling better the following day. He managed to drag himself into work, only for Connie to call him into her office as soon as she saw him.
"How are you feeling, Dr Knight?"
"Much better, thanks," he said untruthfully.
"Then I'll get straight to the point," said Connie. "I'm afraid there's been a complaint about your behaviour."
Cal resisted the urge to bang his head against Connie's desk. "Another one?"
"Yes - another one relating to sexual misconduct."
Cal closed his eyes and very nearly did put his head on Connie's desk. "Mrs Beauchamp, I swear, I haven't even looked at a girl for months."
"Who said anything about a girl?" said Connie.
Cal looked up to discover her eyes were sparkling with amusement. "Oh God, it's him, isn't it? The homophobic guy?"
"It's a Mr Norris," said Connie. "He drove into a girl on a bike and was then treated by you. It looks like you treated him rather too well."
"I treated him better than he deserved," said Cal, though he felt a pang as he remembered he hadn't treated the girl well at all.
"Dr Knight, I would be forced to sack you if you had treated this patient as he deserved," said Connie. "Now, I'm aware this is one of the most ridiculous complaints I've ever received – and I do receive a lot of ridiculous complaints – but I do have to ask you a few questions about the incident. Did you do anything to make the patient believe you were gay?"
"Yes. I did my hair and checked myself out in the mirror," said Cal. He hesitated. "And when he accused me of being gay, I might not have denied it, but I also didn't confirm it. And it's not like I was implying anything bad. So what if some guys prefer each other to the ladies? Nothing wrong with that!"
"I quite agree," said Connie. "However, in our job, our first duty is to the patient. Some patients come in here with beliefs we might find awkward or indeed completely disgusting. However, unless we have reason to believe someone is being harmed by this belief – and I am referring to specific individuals rather than unknown gay men who might be unfortunate enough to come into contact with this ignorant imbecile - all we can do is pretend to respect their opinions and get on with our job. You deliberately and needlessly gave a false impression in order to make a patient feel uncomfortable."
Cal had to admit it didn't seem nearly as harmless when she put it like that.
"So I'll be sending you on a refresher course to improve your interpersonal skills," said Connie. She caught Cal's dismayed look. "And don't look at me like that, Dr Knight. Believe me, you're getting off lightly."
"But I thought you understood why I did it!" said Cal.
"I understand why you wanted to do it," said Connie, "and I'm sure I would have felt exactly the same way. But it must never go any further than that. Now, get out of my office. You'll be working in Resus today. I think even you would struggle to upset patients who are unconscious."
It was Cal's turn to go shopping after work, but as he wasn't well, Ethan didn't argue when Cal had asked him to do it instead. He drove Cal home, collected the shopping list he had made that morning, and went off to the supermarket.
Ethan was beginning to get rather worried about Cal. Although he had been physically able to stand the rigours of a day in the ED, he'd still had a terrible day. He still wasn't quite well, to begin with. Then, as soon as he'd arrived, he'd been hauled off to Connie's office because of a complaint that had been made against him. Ethan felt he was lucky to get off with the relatively light punishment of being sent on an interpersonal skills course, but he couldn't really blame Cal for not agreeing with that. It wasn't every day that you were praised for your attitude then punished for not keeping it to yourself.
The rest of Cal's day hadn't been any easier. He'd had to make a number of difficult calls; he'd lost three patients in succession; and also made a couple of mistakes which had resulted in tellings-off from Zoe and Lily.
Nobody could expect Cal to be able to cope with a shopping trip after a day like that so Ethan was happy to help out, but he had found himself wondering when Cal had last had a really good day and he was shocked to realise that he hadn't seen Cal messing around at work for quite some time.
He also couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Cal looking happy.
Clearly, he and Cal needed to have a chat when Ethan got home. He wasn't at all sure that Cal would choose to confide in him, but Ethan knew he had to try. If Cal was unhappy about something, he needed Ethan's support.
Ethan parked the car and went to get a shopping trolley. It was his least favourite part of the shopping experience. Despite the fact he went to the shops considerably more often than Cal, he usually managed to get into some kind of mess with the trolley. Even on the occasions when he did manage to detach a single trolley without any difficulty, he usually ended up with the one with the dodgy wheel.
"Now, I'm sure we can be mature about this," he mentally told the trolley. "If you come out without giving me any trouble, I promise not to overload you or make you crash into any other trolleys. I will be the perfect customer and treat you with respect at all times. All I ask is that you respect me in return."
There was a small giggle from behind him.
Oh God. Please tell me I didn't say all that out loud.
He turned slowly.
"Ethan!" said the girl.
"Ariel!" said Ethan, as he tried to work out if he was glad it was her or completely humiliated that it was her. "I'm sorry: I was just trying to form an amicable working relationship with this trolley."
Ariel smiled. "I heard. It all sounded very reasonable, but I don't know how well shopping trolleys understand reason."
"Even if they can, I doubt they actually have ears," said Ethan. "Considering they are… well… inanimate objects."
"Ethan, you're not the first person I've ever heard talking to a shopping trolley," said Ariel kindly. "You are the first person I've ever heard being polite to a shopping trolley, but I wouldn't say that's a bad thing."
Ethan smiled. "I suppose when you put it like that…"
They both laughed.
"I'm sorry: I should have asked before," said Ethan. "How are you… all three of you?"
"We're all very well," said Ariel. "Not long to go now! Though it will probably feel like forever."
Ethan wondered if she'd had second thoughts about informing the father, but he decided that wasn't an appropriate conversation for a public supermarket.
Ariel came closer to him. "I can help you with the trolley if you like. There's a knack to it."
Ethan's gaze dropped anxiously to her bump. "I couldn't ask you to do that. Not… you know. In your condition."
"it's fine, Ethan," said Ariel. "I'll have to get a trolley for myself anyway."
"Or we could share," said Ethan, before he could stop himself.
He almost didn't dare meet Ariel's eye after that ridiculous offer, but then he realised she was staring at him in delight.
"Ethan, that's so kind of you! Thank you very much. I wouldn't usually accept because I don't want to overload your trolley – you did kind of promise it you wouldn't – but I'm actually not buying very much. I really only need a basket, but I find trolleys easier. Baskets make me feel a bit lopsided and I can't really put them down. Even if I did manage to bend down that far, I wouldn't be able to pick it up again."
Ethan nodded understandingly. "That makes perfect sense. But just to be sure there is no confusion, I suggest we put a basket in the trolley. Then you can put your items in the basket."
"That's a great idea." Ariel smiled and touched his arm. "It's so good to see you again, Ethan. Thanks for being so helpful."
"It's really good to see you too," said Ethan. "I've been… thinking about you. Wondering. Hoping you were okay."
Ariel looked startled, but then she smiled. "Really, Ethan?"
"Really."
