Here's chapter 14, hope you enjoy! Feel free to let me know what you think, it's always appreciated, Kayxxx :)
Amber slowly opened her eyes to find the room spinning. She sat up and placed her head in her hands as the room continued to spin. "Ugh" she groaned as she felt her head thumping. "Good morning" Ethan spoke as he entered her room, "shhh" she winced as the sound of his voice ripped through her ears. "Good morning" Ethan repeated but this time in a quieter tone. He laughed as he sat down beside her, "hungover?" He smiled. "That's a bit of an understatement, I feel like death" she joked. "You look like it too" he joked nudging her. "Oh thanks" she laughed as Ethan handed her the glass of water and two paracetamol tablets that he'd promised to bring the night before. "I'm never drinking again." Ethan laughed in response "honestly, I thought it would help me forget about my mum but now all I've got is thoughts of my mum and a headache from hell" she smiled. Ethan looked at her warily.
A cheerful whistle came from the hall outside the room they sat in. "Good morning" Cal smiled as he searched on the floor for some clean clothes, "how the hell are you not hungover?" Amber looked toward him amazed. "You are?!" He looked toward her amazed, "ah that's right, your a hangover virgin, good luck" he laughed. "Ethan, can I talk to you for a minute?" Cal spoke as he pulled on what looked like a clean top. "I've got nothing to say" Ethan replied firmly. Amber looked at the two brothers unaware of what had happened to cause them to act this way. "Well I have." Cal replied motioning Ethan to leave the room, he sighed before heading out the door, leaving Amber to get ready.
"What?" Ethan looked at his older brother unenthusiastically. "Are you going to Jeff's birthday?" Cal asked. "That's what you needed to talk to me about?" Ethan looked at him in confusion. "Yeah I was just wondering if you're up for it" Cal explained, "yeah, I'm fine" Ethan snapped. The room fell silent, they looked at each other awkwardly, both knowing the conversation hadn't ended there. "I didn't kiss her you know" Cal spoke breaking the awkward silence, "I tried to, but she pulled away, Ethan she really likes you" he reassured his younger brother. "I'm a bit jealous if I must say" he nudged him. "You're jealous of me?" He looked up at his older brother surprised. "Of course! Ethan you've got a beautiful, intelligent girl who is in love with you, you're an amazing doctor and an amazing person! People look up to you. What do people expect from me? To try it on with any girl I see and roll in drunk at 4 in the morning, And then repeat this exact same thing again the next day. You know sometimes, I wish I were more like you, maybe one day I'll tone it down but for now, I quite enjoy rolling in at 4 in the morning" he smiled. "We should change roles for the day" Ethan suggested jokingly "I couldn't really see you drunk" Cal laughed. "No me either" he looked over Cal's shoulder and laughed at Amber who slumped out of Cal's room and slowly dropped to the floor as an act to make him smile "Kill. Me. Now" she called out, her voice was muffled as her face was buried into the floor. The brothers both laughed as they looked toward her. "Right let's get to work" Ethan announced as he stepped over Amber's body "ugh" she moaned as she sat up.
"Right Ethan, Cal and Amber, which one of you can drive today?" Connie looked toward the three who'd just walked through the hospital door, "what?" Ethan replied confused. "I told you all, you're booked in on a course to learn how to use the new equipment, we need a driver" she stated looking for a volunteer. Ethan looked back at Cal and Amber knowing both of them probably still had too much alcohol in their systems to show up clear on a breathalyser test. He turned back to meet Connie's gaze "um, I suppose that will be me" Ethan replied unenthusiastically. "Right, wait here for Tess and Rita, they'll be along soon" Connie handed Ethan the keys to the hospital car. He looked down at the keys he held and began to fiddle with them, he hadn't even noticed anyone had been talking to him until Cal nudged him causing him to snap out of his thoughts, he looked up surprised to see Rita and Tess stood before him looking concerned. "Are we ready?" He forced out a smile as he walked toward the door leaving his colleagues behind. They all looked toward each other knowingly.
Ethan sat behind the steering wheel of the hospital people carrier and stared blankly ahead of him. His mind was blank, he couldn't recall what to do with the, what he calls "doo-dah's". His mind was full of the haunting memories of the last time he had to drive the hospital car filled with his colleagues. He turned the key and the engine began. He let out a shaky deep breath as he began to drive, he stalled sharply causing the car to jerk. He closed his eyes trying to compose himself. "Ethan, would you like me to drive?" Tess placed a hand on his shoulder, she looked at him concerned. He turned to meet her concerned gaze she saw his eyes were filling up with tears, he slowly nodded as he took off his seat belt. He wasn't ready for this responsibly again, not after last time. Ethan swapped seats with Tess and sat in the back, behind the driver's seat. He let out a sigh of relief as he strapped himself in "are you okay?" Amber placed her hand over his, he slowly nodded forcing out a smile. "Right we've got a long drive so get yourselves comfortable!" Tess announced as she drove out of the hospital car park. Cal turned back to look at his younger brother who had his eyes closed, and his head resting back against his seat. His gaze then moved across to Amber, they both looked at each other showing concern for Ethan.
The day of training went well. Ethan composed himself before he got there, seeming more himself. Cal and Amber kept a wary eye on Ethan throughout the day and Amber made plans to talk to Ethan about the accident before Jeff's party came along. If just being in a car could have this affect on him then what affect of being at a party surrounded by Jeff's grieving friends and colleagues have on him? Seeing how Ethan was this morning in the car brought back memories for everyone. For Tess it was Ethan's motionless body laying behind the steering wheel of the smashed up car, for Amber it was remembering Ethan's colour drain from his face when Cal brought up the accident in attempt to make him leave the room, and for Cal, it was inserting the needle into his brothers chest that saved his life, it was seeing his younger brother continue to suffer more and more each and everyday thinking Jeff's death was his fault, it was holding Ethan in his arms as he weeped saying he couldn't live knowing Jeff died because of him. No one liked seeing an unhappy Ethan? Amber didn't dare think of how he'd react if he was still in this mindset this time next week. Something had to be done.