As you can tell, history coursework definitely got in the way of more chapters last weekend! But despite looming mock exams I'll be writing a lot more over Christmas. Without further ado, a slightly festive chapter. Enjoy!

The roads were a nightmare. It was mid-December and Christmas spirit had definitely fallen over Holby. A sprinkling of snow the week before had frozen solid, then half melted again, leaving the streets coated in a layer of slush which concealed whole swathes of still-solid ice. As Ethan walked into work (the number of car accidents he'd seen recently having put him off the idea altogether) it began to snow again. Concentrating on not slipping and making a fool of himself, Ethan tried to allow himself to love the snow as much as he did when he was simply watching it through a window. It was about quarter past eight, and due to the time of year it was almost still dark, so the snow swirled in delicate flurries under the beams of the street lights. Christmas lights flickered on inside the houses he passed, twinkling behind curtains as parents tried to encourage children to get ready for school with careful bribes from an advent calendar.

Lily was in an uncharacteristic rush. She had bargained on the roads being clearer this morning, so the fresh snowfall was a disappointment. Not that she didn't like snow, of course, but not being able to ride her moped to work meant she was running late as well as running down the road towards the hospital. The running was not a good decision, she realised, stopping herself as she came to the shopping precinct so she didn't skid into any other pedestrians. She'd never live that one down.

She loved snow, but there were always the bitter-sweet memories of college to contend with, as there were with most things. After the Awards' Evening incident which had left her with a carefully bandaged left hand, heavy snow had fallen over her town. Holding her left arm awkwardly, eighteen year old Lily had walked across the college quadrangle slightly off-balance. She often tried to arrive early, to avoid the groups who made it their missions to ruin her day. But unfortunately, walking more slowly in the snow meant she arrived when the quad was already full of students, nearly all of whom turned to stare. There were a few seconds between them seeing her arm lifted up across her chest, and the gathering of snowballs. Lily knew there was no point in running: she'd only lose her balance and fall face first in the snow. Refusing to give them the satisfaction of eye-contact, she stared straight at the doors ahead of her and walked in a straight line as the snowballs and cruel words began to rain down and pelt at her back.

Once she reached her locker, Lily pulled off her bag and coat with tears stinging her eyes. Her books were all soaked through and her hair hung limply over her shoulders, barely recognisable from the neat bun it had been styled in when she left the house. She didn't know what to do any more. The click of an office door opening brought her to her senses. Putting her books back in her bag, she felt a lump rising in her throat which meant she wouldn't be able to speak. She ploughed on regardless, making her way towards the office door. Mr J. Crawford, Head of Sciences, the sign read. She knocked at the door and prayed he'd just gone into his office, not just left.

"Lily, come in," he said, turning round in his chair. "What can I do for you this morning?" But her face must have said it all. The panic had 'come down', as he'd said a number of times before, and she wouldn't be speaking today at all. "Sit down," he said, gesturing to an empty chair. He offered her a pen and a pad of lined paper, and for the first time she was brave enough to truthfully recount the events of the morning. His eyes widened on reading it: she'd never revealed the bullying to him before, only the anxiety and fear.

Things had begun to get better after that, but Lily had developed a harsh facade which had never gone away. Back in the present day, there was a tinge of embarrassment under Lily's skin as she almost fell in the car park of the hospital. Recovering herself immediately and looking around to check no-one had seen, she held her head high and walked calmly into the E.D.

Ethan reached the car park a few minutes later, his mind elsewhere for once, which meant he wasn't feeling anxious. That is, until a sudden car horn in the next street made him jump, and he fell down hard onto the pavement. Pain shot through his right leg and he gritted his teeth, eyes watering with the searing pain. He looked around, desperate that no-one had seen him fall. Luckily it seemed the car park was empty. He pushed himself up on his hands and tested his leg gingerly. It hurt like hell to put weight down on his leg but he had to carry on with the day. Cal was off work, so the department was short of a registrar – he couldn't go home, and more to the point Connie would never let him go home. Zoe wasn't in work until early afternoon either, so he couldn't even talk to her about it. Eyes still watering (he decided he would tell people it was because of the snow) and trying hard not to limp, Ethan headed into the E.D.

"Morning Ethan," Rita said cheerily, Christmas earrings dangling out from under her blonde bob. "You okay?" She frowned, glancing down at his leg and then up to his eyes.

"Oh – um – yes, fine, I – ah – the snow was in my face all – all the way to work, that's w-why my eyes are watering," he stammered. He rushed for the locker room to change out of his wet jeans and coat and into his scrubs.

He struggled through the morning in absolute silence, not finding the confidence to admit he was hurt. They'd laugh, they certainly wouldn't believe that he'd tripped and fallen in the snow. He was meant to be an adult, and adults didn't do stupid things like this. He couldn't handle the humiliation of being treated as a patient.

Dylan and Zoe arrived in the department just about on time for their shifts. The snow had held them up too, and Dylan had worn a scowl since Zoe pressed a snowball into the back of his neck two streets away. She was smiling into a cardboard cup of coffee, and despite himself, Dylan let loose a wry smile at the sight of Max, draped in tinsel, standing under the mistletoe at the door. Spotting his opportunity, he let Zoe go on ahead to catch Max in a warm embrace, then gathered a handful of snow and dropped the lot of it down the back of her coat. She squealed.

"Dylan Keogh, you little -"

"Language, Dr Hanna," he said sarcastically, as a young mum ushered her son in through the automatic doors. She admitted defeat.

It was busier than usual in the department, and Dylan rolled his eyes as he picked up a pile of notes. At least half of them read 'Ice-caused RTC' or 'slipped on ice'. As Ethan walked past him with his own pile of notes, Dylan couldn't help but noticing that the registrar wasn't walking normally. He avoided looking too closely, because it would just make Ethan uncomfortable, but there had to be something wrong. His whole posture was off, somehow, and was he dragging his right leg behind him?

"Zoe?" he said, once Ethan was out of earshot.

"Hmm?" she replied, not looking up from her notes.

"Zoe, look up, I'm not going to shout across to you." She looked up at last, frowning slightly. "There's something up with Ethan, and he's not going to like it if I go and ask to check him over. He's done something to his leg, the right one I think. He's limping a lot, and he's wincing when he takes a step." Zoe's shoulders sagged.

"I'll bet he fell on the ice this morning on his way to work," she said.

"Well then why wouldn't he tell any-" Dylan stopped short as Ethan walked past again. Zoe gave Dylan a look that said 'Well why do you think?'

Zoe checked to see if there was an empty cubicle, then tried to discretely ask Ethan if he was okay, trying to think of a way to get around the fact he'd probably deny everything.