Sam followed Rita into her office and they sat down.
"I just wanted to thank you for coming in tonight. You're really settling in well here, I have to say I'm really impressed." Rita said.
"Thanks." Sam smiled, blushing. "I really love it here, it just felt instantly right you know?" Sam replied.
"Yes, I do. Well anyway. I think things have calmed down enough that you can go home if you want."
"Thanks Rita." Sam hesitated. "Before I do go, I have a question..."
"Yes?" Rita asked, furrowing her brow slightly.
"What happened at the end of last night?" Sam smiled.
"What do you mean?" Rita laughed. "Anyway, shouldn't I be asking you that?"
"Ha ha! Don't change the subject."
"Nothing happened, we left shortly after you did."
"Left separately, left together?" Sam prompted.
"Left the club together and then he put me in a taxi home. He was surprisingly gentleman-like." Rita laughed.
"So, if you like each other, what's stopping you?" Sam asked. It was bizarre, here she was in her managers office, yet they were gossiping like lifelong friends, it felt natural.
"I don't know. I just don't know. I can't be certain he feels the same." Rita sighed.
"Oh, he feels the same Rita. It was one of the first things I spotted on my first shift here." Sam winked. "We'll work on it." She smiled.
"Oh, I don't know."
"Don't worry, it'll be subtle, I wont make it obvious."
"Right." Rita said somewhat unsure. "Anyway, you ducked out of the gossip about you!"
"There is no gossip about me!" Sam laughed. Rita gave her a look that screamed 'yeah right, whatever'. "honestly Rita!"
"So, you didn't leave with Cal the other night? So you haven't been flirting with him since you started here?" Rita grinned.
"No! I mean, yes I left with him, but nothing is going on. Yes, we flirt, but its easy flirting, he flirts, I flirt back, its all fun. His reputation is out there and I'm just not his type, we get on really well, there's no denying that. But I'm certain that's as far as it goes."
Rita shot her a look that said 'I don't believe you' but out loud said: "We'll go with that story...for now."
They left the office, Rita to continue her shift and Sam headed to the staff room to get her things to leave. She got changed, grabbed her bag and hesitated. She thought about what Rita had said about her and Cal, there was nothing going on...was there? Surely not, no she was sure they were just friends. She had wanted to go and check on him before she went home, but wasn't sure if she should. Then she decided she wouldn't let being the subject of gossip stop her checking on a friend. Besides, if she didn't see him before she went home, she would only worry. She headed to where he lay resting and saw Ethan sitting beside him. She stopped and watched for a while, and was about to turn and leave when Ethan looked up. He waved her in and she hesitated, but pushed her way through the doors.
"Thanks for what you did Sam." Ethan said. "I'm sorry again I shouted."
"Honestly Ethan, it's ok. You were worried, you wanted your brother to be ok, of course you shouted. You don't work in an ED without getting used to being shouted at anyway." She chuckled. Her eyes twinkled again and Ethan smiled. "How is he doing?" She asked softly.
"He's sleeping. The joy of morphine eh?" He laughed and sniffed at the same time.
"He looks like he's maintaining his sats better now. The drain must have helped." Sam said, for once not really knowing what to say.
"Yeah." Ethan whispered.
"I'm sorry, I just wanted to check he was ok before I left."
"Are you going home now?"
"Yeah, I'm not needed here anymore. You should think of getting some rest soon too." Sam said to him. He nodded.
"Yeah, they are getting him to a ward in a bit, I'll go when he's settled."
"Make sure you do Ethan." Sam said putting a hand on his shoulder. "Good night." She smiled as he looked up at her, and she slowly turned and left.
Ethan sat watching Cal sleep peacefully. His breathing now settled, and in a much more stable condition. In a few days he would be as right as rain as they say, but that didn't change how he had felt earlier that evening. That sick to the stomach feeling. The fear. The dread. Alone. Angry. Afraid. Sure looking back now, it was clear Cal would be ok. But in that moment earlier, he felt his world collapsing around him, like the ceiling that could have taken his brother away. He took Cal's hand again. He shook his head, seeing the irony in the situation being reversed to this time last year. Cal taking his hand as he lay in a hospital bed. Now here he was doing the same for his brother.
"You sure know how to get revenge, you know that." Ethan whispered. "I was scared Caleb, I'm not ashamed to admit it, I thought for the first time that I could lose you too, and I couldn't bare the thought of that. You know how to push my buttons and you rub me up the wrong way, but who have I got if I haven't got you. I need you in my life. I want you in my life. You have to stop thinking you're invincible. Look what that did to Jeff. I can't risk you being taken away from me. It feels like I'm losing everyone and everything at the moment, you're the nearest thing I have to stability. There will always be other jobs, other girls, well maybe not in my case, but I'll never have another brother. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I love you Caleb, I love you, and I need you. Please, don't leave me." He felt Cal's hand give his a little squeeze, although he was still pretty much sleeping, Ethan knew that Cal knew he was there, and he felt comforted by that.