Hi everyone! Here's today's chapter, I hope you enjoy! You know how much I love hearing your thoughts and so please let me know them on this chapter as always, thanks, Kayxxx :)
Home for the holidays – Chapter fourteen
Ethan made his way back into the hospital where he found Cal in the queue for the shop by reception.
"Caleb" He called as he stood beside him catching off guard.
"Jesus Ethan!" Cal snapped in fright.
"Sorry..." Ethan replied and pulled out his iPad once more.
"What was it you wanted to talk about? And make it quick I've got to get this magazine back to Lockie" Cal told him.
"Right, well, I've been doing some research on leukaemia and-" Cal cut him off.
"Oh Ethan do you really think there's a thing I don't know about his condition?" he asked as he paid the cashier.
Ethan tilted his head, "Yeah okay but, I was focusing on treatment-" Cal cut him off again.
"Ethan you're wasting your time okay, it's nice that you're thinking of him but give it a rest yeah? We've tried everything" Cal told him as they left the shop; Cal walked ahead slightly.
"I know but, Caleb!" Ethan called as he followed him.
"What?" Cal sighed as he stopped.
"Just hear me out" Ethan told him and held up the iPad, "Right, he's had chemo, obviously that worked for a bit but not fully, there's also radiotherapy, I'm not sure if they've tried that with him..." His voice trailed off as he looked up at Cal's impatient gaze, he gave him a nod, "Okay he's had that, well there are plenty other options..." Ethan told him as he flicked through the pages of his iPad, Cal sighed impatiently, "There was something I saw, just bear with me..." Ethan spoke frantically and continued his search.
"Ethan..." Cal sighed.
"Here!" Ethan spat out and held up his iPad, "bone marrow and stem cell transplants" he stated as he pointed to the screen.
Cal rolled his eyes.
"It replaces damaged blood cells with healthy ones, the thing is, the transplant is more successful if it is taken from someone with the same or similar tissue type and so-" Cal cut him off.
"Yeah I know about it, they looked into it when he first got diagnosed but they couldn't do it" he told him.
"Why? A brother or a sister is the perfect match for it-" Cal cut him off again.
"I suggested it to mum and dad once but they told me not to bring it up again" Cal informed him, Ethan looked at him confused, Cal arched his neck to talk to him quietly, "apparently Rube stepped up to do the transplant but he wasn't healthy enough because of the drinking and smoking so they couldn't do it" Cal told him.
"Ah..." Ethan replied understandingly, he suddenly felt even more sympathy towards Rube, no wonder he acted the way he did; the only thing he could do to help he couldn't do.
"There's nothing else we can do Eth, no matter how much it hurts" Cal told him and turned to walk away.
"No Caleb wait!" Ethan called stopping him once more, "...what if, just what if...Lockie had more than one sibling willing to do the transplant..." Ethan suggested.
"Well Vicky was down in London for uni at the time-" Ethan cut him off.
"Cal do I have to spell it out for you?! What about you?" Ethan asked stunned at Cal's stupidity, "You're his blood brother right?" He shrugged.
Realisation grew over him suddenly, "Is it not too late?" Cal asked.
"I'm no oncologist but, is it ever too late to try and save a life?" Ethan shrugged.
Cal's face lit up, "I'll mention it to them when he gets moved upstairs, I can't believe I didn't think of this before" he laughed slightly.
"Are you sure you're up for it though Caleb? This isn't just giving Lockie treatment, you'll be in hospital too for a while you know that right?" Ethan told him softly.
"I'd do anything for that boy Ethan" He replied determinately.
"Right come on then, we'll go to the staffroom and do some bone marrow and stem cell transplant research" Ethan proposed and the pair of them left with smiles on their faces; at last they felt like they were doing something to help.
They sat in the staffroom; Ethan with his head buried into his iPad, Cal with his head buried into Ethan's laptop for a good while researching everything they could on bone marrow and stem cell transplants. They managed to make normal conversation though most of it was all technical doctor talk, Ethan did however inform Cal of Rube slipping off to the pub which didn't seem to surprise Cal in the slightest.
"I haven't read this much since I was studying for my FCEMs" Cal announced as he shut the laptop and rubbed his eyes that were sore from staring at a screen for so long.
"This is nothing" Ethan shrugged as he wrote down in a notebook, coping something from his iPad.
"Oh yeah, this is your idea of fun isn't Nibbles? I forgot my brother was this nerdy" Cal teased as he gave him a nudge causing Ethan to smudge his writing mid-sentence.
"Are you kidding me?!" Ethan snapped as he looked at his notes that now had a line of pen scribbled right across the page, though he couldn't help but laugh.
"It's alright your handwriting is terrible anyway" Cal smirked.
"Oh wow hitting me right where it hurts; my handwriting ability" Ethan replied sarcastically with a roll of his eyes causing Cal to chuckle, "Anyway yours is no better, it could easily pass for a five year old's writing..." Ethan stated as he picked up Cal's notes, "I mean, what does that even say?..." he paused as he attempted to read Cal's awful excuse for handwriting, "p-pepperoni? Meat feast and a...Pepsi? Cal- Are you writing a list of what to order for dinner?" Ethan asked shocked.
"See you can make it out!" Cal grinned as he pulled his notes out of Ethan's hands.
"Only because I've grew up having to put up with it, I should put 'can read gibberish' on my CV" Ethan joked, "It's nice to see you're taking this research as seriously as you did the research for your FCEMs too" Ethan spoke sarcastically.
"Actually, I've got four pages of research. That was just me hitting boredom mixed with hunger" Cal told him in his defence.
"Whatever" Ethan chuckled.
A comfortable silence fell amongst them for a slight moment before Cal spoke out, "I've missed this" he stated.
"Missed what? Revision?" Ethan asked shocked, "Can I have that in writing so I can use it against you in the future? Then again...no one would be able to make it out except me" He laughed to himself.
"Not revision you idiot, I just mean this...us spending time together, I mean we literally haven't really had a time with it just being us because of Lockie, not like I'm complaining but-" Ethan cut him off.
"No I understand" he agreed, "I've missed it too" he smiled but his smile dropped and his expression turned serious, "You know Caleb, I don't know whether it was just a force of habit but you called me your brother before..." he stated.
"And?" Cal asked confused.
"Well...I'm not" Ethan replied awkwardly.
"Well yeah we might not be blood brothers but we may as well be. Ethan we've grew up together, I've known you your entire life, God I remember singing to you in your pram with mum...yeah I might have a new family but that doesn't mean it's replaced my old one, I just see it as it's grown a bit. Lockie and Rube okay they're my brothers but I don't have the connection with them that I have with you, I've known them six months Eth it's hardly 29 years now is it? They're my brothers but they'll never be more a brother to me than you are, the same with mum, she'll never replace Matilda, she was the one who brought me up Ethan, the one who's been there my entire life, how could I replace her with someone I've known six months? I couldn't why do you think I still go by Knight?...I'm just about coping with Lockie being ill but God, Ethan if it was you I don't know what I'd do...I wouldn't cope at all that's what I'd do..." His voice trailed off, "I'm rambling" he stated.
"I don't mind" Ethan replied, "That's all I've wanted to hear Caleb, I thought I was being ridiculous for still referring to you as my brother" he admitted.
"Well maybe we're both just being ridiculous then" Cal shrugged, "What's new?" he smirked. He looked up at the clock to see two hours had passed, "Is that the time?!" He called in shock, "I told Lockie I was only going to the shop for his magazine" he rushed out of the staffroom, Ethan grabbed his iPad and followed him out but he stopped at reception.
"Cal! I'm getting moved upstairs now are you coming?" Lockie called from his bed that was waiting outside the lift with Connie and Cal's parents stood beside him.
"Of course I am, hey look I got you that magazine too, here" Cal smiled as he handed it to him.
"Thanks" Lockie grinned, "Where's Rube?" he asked.
Ethan and Cal exchanged knowing glances; "I'm not sure kiddo" he lied.
"Don't you dare walk away from me!" A familiar voice roared from the ED doors. Everyone turned to see where the voice was coming from, silence grew over reception suddenly as a man hurried right past Cal and Ethan; his face was covered in blood. They then turned to face the ED doors once more as Rube appeared with blood pouring from his nose.
"What? You think because you've ran in here I'm going to leave it eh? What do you think I am?! A wuss?!" Rube slurred as he stopped right next to Cal though he hadn't noticed, he had his tunnel vision on the man he'd obviously had a fight with outside.
"Rube..." Cal started warily as he looked from the man to Rube, "What's happened?" he asked.
Rube stood swaying back and forth drunkenly, "He's sitting there across the bar lookin' at me like I've got three heads, do you think I'm gonna sit there and take that eh?" He shouted at the man who looked petrified. His mum had to look away; she knew exactly where this was going, her husband put his arm around her.
"Look calm down, I'm sure he didn't mean to rattle your cage..." Ethan stepped in talking to Rube calmly.
"You can shut up in all you little four eyed know it all" Rube hissed.
"Don't you dare talk to him like that!" Cal shouted defensively.
But Rube didn't flinch; he kept his eyes on his opponent who held his hands up in defeat, "look I'm sorry, please I didn't want to start a fight; I've got kids" he told him, his voice shaking didn't help him hide his fear.
"Stating random facts about ourselves now are we? Hmm, let's see, I've been boxing for 8 years, I get paid to knock people out in front of crowds so don't be thinking I won't be willing to do it here for free" Rube threatened as he stumbled toward the man.
"Rube stop! Please!" Lockie cried from his bed.
"Rube you're drunk, just leave it yeah?" Cal suggested as he pulled him back but Rube just pushed him back off him.
"He's mental!" The man shouted over to Cal and Ethan.
"Nah, you throw one punch and then run away? You're the mental one mate" Rube scoffed as he clenched his fists at his side and launched his right on at the man's face causing him to fall to the floor instantly; out cold. Everyone screamed as the man hit the floor.
"Woah woah that's enough!" Connie roared as she rushed to the man's aid, "Get Lockie back through to RESUS, we'll get him moved upstairs later I've got to deal with this man first" she told Cal who had Rube held back by the scruff of his neck. Cal nodded and pushed Rube back causing him to stumble backwards and hit the wall, he rested himself back against it and laughed drunkenly.
"You, through there with me now." Ethan pulled drunken Rube through to cubicles whilst Max hurried over with a wheelchair to Connie who was crouched down on the floor with the man Rube just knocked out trying to get him to re-gain consciousness.