Tato Potato, thank you for your review. That's a really interesting idea about Ariel and Ethan - I hadn't thought of that, but perhaps you're right! Ethan certainly does feel he is in some way responsible for the babies.
beckyboogle, thank you for your review - it really means a lot that you like it. I'm finding this story a bit of a struggle to write. I know where it's going, but I'm not sure how it's going to get there!
Tanith Panic, I'm sure a lot of people think aloud in a supermarket! It's lucky Ethan was caught by Ariel and not by someone like Cal! Thank you for your review - I'm really glad you think the writing is good. This isn't the easiest story to write.
ETWentHome, thank you for your review. Ethan and Ariel do get on really well, but their friendship is full of complications that are about to get worse! I can't promise things will get easier for Cal either...
Ethan and Ariel smiled at one another, only to be interrupted by an angry voice. "Oh, for God's sake! Would you two just get your trolley or have your romantic reunion somewhere else!"
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" said Ethan, feeling himself going red with embarrassment. A bit of a queue had formed behind them and it looked though some of the people had been waiting for some time. "We'll just get our trolley and get out of your way."
Assuming he could trust the trolley to co-operate.
Ariel touched his arm and gently moved him aside. "I'll do it, Ethan. Watch how I do it. Don't worry: it really won't be dangerous for me at all."
Ethan hesitated but then reluctantly stood aside and watched admiringly as she extracted the trolley with minimum difficulty. "Thank you very much. There clearly is a knack – which you have and I don't!"
He took the trolley and began to wheel it away, with Ariel walking beside him. The trolley glided smoothly and easily without the slightest hint of a dodgy wheel. but he was careful to walk slowly so Ariel wouldn't over-exert herself.
For a moment, he wasn't sure to say, but then he remembered most mothers-to-be liked to talk about their babies. "So, is it two months to go?"
"Just over," said Ariel. "But twins often do come early, so it could easily be a bit sooner. It could even be today!" She smiled at Ethan and hugged her bump. "I'm so excited, Ethan. A little bit scared as well, but I'm sure that's normal."
"Completely," Ethan assured her. "I'm sure I'd be absolutely terrified if it was me!"
"Unless there's something you haven't told me, you'd have reason to be terrified!" said Ariel.
Ethan knew she was just joking and managed to laugh, but he couldn't help remembering there was something about her babies which he hadn't told her.
"I keep looking at baby clothes in all the shops and I just want to buy them all!" said Ariel. "But I'm mostly managing to rein myself in. I do have a few changes of clothes for them in various sizes, then once they're born and I know what size they are, I'll have to do a big online shop for clothes in the right size. I'll probably have to pay for courier delivery, but it'll be worth it." She glanced guiltily at Ethan as he reached for a bag of potatoes. "I'm sorry. I'm probably boring you."
"Not at all," said Ethan, and smiled at her. "It's good to see you so happy. Will you be having the baby at Holby?"
Ariel hesitated. "I don't know how much choice I get. I'll probably have to phone an ambulance and they might just take me to the nearest place. But I thought… I'm really sorry, but I thought it would be better to have it at St James'. I was really impressed by the staff and facilities at Holby when I was there: you were all phenomenal, but…" She lowered her gaze. "I don't want to take the risk of Cal delivering his own baby."
Ethan hadn't thought about that, but he could see it made sense. "It's unlikely that Cal would deliver the baby unless there was a real emergency, but I think you're very wise." He paused. "But if you wanted to, you could always phone me after the babies were born and I could buy them some clothes. If I'm not overstepping the mark completely."
A look of curiosity came over Ariel's face. "Ethan, why are you doing all this? Why do you care so much?"
"I… I don't know," said Ethan. He couldn't tell her the truth. "I suppose it's just… we talked so much in the hospital and I got to know you more than I would most patients. I suppose I've come to think of you as a friend."
Ariel continued to look surprised, but then her face softened into a smile. "That's sweet of you, Ethan. I suppose I think of you as a friend too."
Ethan smiled too. "Then, if there are any problems, you know you can tell me? It sounds like you're managing very well, but if you're ever, you know, struggling even a little bit..."
"Thank you," said Ariel. "I'm not saying it's easy and there was a slight issue with… sorry, can we stop here? I wanted some lettuce."
"So did I: thank you for reminding me," said Ethan. He moved the trolley backwards and they each chose one. "You said you had a slight issue with something?"
"Oh, nothing," said Ariel. "Just that man who knocked me off my bike trying to cause trouble. But it turns out there were witnesses who saw him driving on the wrong side of the road, so that didn't come to anything."
"I'm sorry you had to deal with that," said Ethan. "I think he's one of those men who's out for whatever he can get and will try anything." Without thinking, he added: "My brother had a bit of trouble with him too."
Ariel looked a bit surprised. "How did he come to meet your brother? Does he work in the hospital too?"
Ethan pretended to be very interested in the cauliflowers. "He… um… yes."
"That must be nice to work with your brother," said Ariel. "Is he a doctor too? What's his name?"
"Um… Caleb," said Ethan. "He… he goes out on emergency calls sometimes. Especially the dangerous ones. He likes being a superhero."
"You must be really proud of each other," said Ariel wistfully.
Ethan hesitated. "Well, this isn't something I'd say to his face too often, but I'm certainly proud of him."
"So, he was involved in Tim Norris' medical care?" asked Ariel.
Ethan wondered how he was going to get out of this without telling a direct lie. "He was, but they didn't get on terribly well. It seems Mr Norris is a homophobe and he tried to report Caleb for making inappropriate advances on him. But of course it wasn't true. Caleb would never do anything like that."
"How awful!" said Ariel. "Poor Caleb. I hope he doesn't have to deal with that a lot. I suppose it's something a lot of gay people have to deal with, but it's not right."
"I… think it's the first time it's been a problem," said Ethan honestly. His head was spinning slightly. All he'd wanted was to ensure that Ariel got round the supermarket without exhausting herself and suddenly he'd acquired a homosexual imaginary brother called Caleb who was a completely different person from his heterosexual heartbreaker colleague, Cal.
"I'm sure it helps that he's got you to look after him," said Ariel. "I mean, not that gay men need more looking after than straight men. I didn't mean that at all."
"I know you didn't. But everyone needs looking after sometimes," said Ethan. "As it happens, I do look after Caleb quite a lot – though that's due to his personality, rather than his sexual orientation. Caleb can be disorganised." He smiled and quickly changed the subject. "Is there anything you need in this aisle?"
They continued around the supermarket, gradually filling up the trolley and the basket. Ethan helped Ariel by picking up items from the lower shelves and Ariel wasn't at all embarrassed when Ethan accidentally pushed the trolley into a display of DVDs, sending most of them crashing down onto the floor. "It's okay, Ethan. Don't worry. I'm afraid I can't help you pick them up, but it wasn't your fault at all. It's silly of them to stack them up like that. An accident waiting to happen."
Ethan collected them all up and balanced them as best he could. "Do you think that looks all right?"
"It's perfect," said Ariel.
Ethan looked at the DVDs. "I suppose now I've touched them, I should buy them all?"
Ariel shook her head. "Of course not. It's not like you broke any of them. I'm sure no-one would expect you to do that.""
Ethan smiled at her gratefully. "Thanks, Ariel. I'm glad you're here. If you weren't, I probably would have brought the whole lot."
"Then I'm glad I'm here too," said Ariel softly.
"Though maybe I will take a couple for my brother," said Ethan without thinking. "It might cheer him up a bit. Especially if I tell him about knocking them over."
They both smiled.
"Are you shopping for just yourself or Caleb too?" said Ariel. "No, I'm sorry. That was nosy. You don't have to answer that."
Ethan hesitated. "Yes, I am shopping for Caleb. He lives with me. He hasn't been well so he couldn't go shopping today."
"He's lucky to have a big brother like you," said Ariel.
Ethan might have been amused by her assumption if he hadn't been in such a mess.
Though it wasn't really his mess at all. It was Cal's mess.
Whenever Ethan told a lie, it almost invariably something to do with Cal.