X-Sammii-X, thank you for your review. Ethan and Kate do seem quite happy with hugging and kissing and I'd like to think that's not entirely fear! But Ethan can be so stubborn. I think you're right about it being difficult for Cal.
hellsBells610, thank you for your review. I'm glad you like worried Cal - I have to admit I'm quite fond of him, myself!
Tanith Panic, it would be in keeping with current storylines if Ethan did something reckless. Unfortunately, I don't think he has his hat with him. I'm not sure why Kate kissed Ethan... it just seemed like the natural thing to do! Thank you for your review.
Teeloganroryflan, thank you for your review. I can't promise Ethan won't do anything reckless, but there are worse places to be reckless than in an ED!
Bonnie Sveen Fan, I think you're right about Cal - that's exactly the kind of thing he'd do. I think recklessness runs in the family! Thank you for your review.
westlife4ever80, thank you for your review. It really doesn't sound good, does it? But things could be about to get worse...
20BlueRoses, I'm glad you found the last chapter exciting. The situation does seem to be bringing them together at the moment! Thank you for your review.
"But if you hurt my girlfriend on the way out, there will be a lot of witnesses," said Ethan. "And then your crime will be far worse than robbery."
"If you do anything like that, there will be nothing we can do," said the man. "If we must go to prison, the least we can do is take your girlfriend down with us."
Ethan stared at them. Something wasn't right. He wasn't sure how he knew that as he didn't have overmuch experience of being robbed at knifepoint, but this wasn't a typical shop burglary.
And why go to a hospital anyway? They'd have to walk past reception in order to get out and the fact that two apparent patients were leaving with a man in scrubs and a woman in a pink apron was likely to attract a bit of attention.
Kate finished making the drinks and shakily offered one to the man by the counter.
He gave a thin smile. "You can carry mine, Kate. It's your job, after all."
Ethan felt a chill of fear but didn't know why. Beside him, Kate shuddered and he hugged her tightly. "It's okay, darling. Everything's going to be okay. We'll get out of this."
Kate nodded shakily.
"Let me just check your arm." Ethan was relieved to see it had stopped bleeding. It would need a dressing, but he had nothing with him and the napkins were too small to wrap around her arm. They would just have to hope it didn't start bleeding again, but there was a good chance Noel would have alerted security by now. They might be waiting outside the shop.
Ethan and Kate picked up the drinks and came out from behind the counter. Together, they walked towards the door.
Then Ethan realised what was wrong. The man had called Kate by name, but Ethan had been very careful not to use her name. He didn't want to give away anything personal like that. It was possible they'd demanded Kate's name before they'd got there – but what if they'd known already? What if it wasn't really the money they were really after, but their hostage?
Ethan felt a wave of anger. They would hurt Kate over his dead body – and although he might be going to die young, he wouldn't be going anywhere just yet.
"Come on: try to look a bit more natural for me," said one of the men. "Let's see a smile on that pretty face."
"Oh my God," said Kate softly.
Ethan moved closer to her. "It's okay."
"No, it's not. Ethan, I - I know him."
She looked terrified. Ethan's heartrate increased still further. He wanted to know who the man was - but he couldn't ask Kate now.
"No. No, I don't think we've met," said the man. "But I'm glad we have. I might not have met you before, but I wondered what you looked like."
From the corner of his eye, Ethan saw Kate move.
"No!" said Ethan. He didn't know what she was going to do, but he knew it was a mistake. She stamped down hard on the foot of the man beside her and spilled a few drops of tea onto the hand holding the knife.
The man cried out and dropped the knife, but before Kate could pick it up, his other hand shot out, hitting Kate in the cheek. She fell onto her side, screaming as the tea she was holding splashed over her, and then falling silent as her head hit the corner of a shelf with a loud crack.
There was a frozen moment of horror, then Ethan put the teas he was holding down safely and knelt beside Kate. She was unconscious and a pool of blood was forming around her temple. "Kate? Can you hear me?" He wasn't expecting a reply, but he had to ask. He tapped her shoulders and called her name again, but as he expected, she was unconscious. He checked her airway was open and that she was breathing normally and pulled his scrub top off so he could hold it against the head wound. He considered putting her on her back, but she was breathing comfortably for the moment and there could be a back injury.
"Open the blind and ask for some help, please," said Ethan, as he felt for her pulse. Her skin was cold and clammy and her pulse was racing. He listened to her breathing again, estimating the speed of her breaths.
The man who had hit Kate was staring at her in horror.
"What have you done?" his accomplice demanded furiously. "We can't carry her out like that!"
"I didn't mean to hit her! Can't we go without her?"
"You know we can't! If we don't bring the girl, we don't get paid!"
"But we got the money from the till! I know it's a lot less, but even if we do take her back with us, she'll probably only double-cross us and take the till money. If we leave now, we get some money and we get away."
Ethan raised his voice. "If you don't get help, Kate could die."
The men looked at one another. Then, slowly, they walked over to the blind and pushed it up.
Ethan shouted for help, not trusting the men to do it for him, but also unsure if his voice would carry. He examined the burns on Kate's arms: they needed to be flushed with water, but he wanted to keep pressure on the head wound. He put his hand inside her top (something he would never have considered under any other circumstances), but the fabric was already sticking to the skin.
He'd never been so relieved to see his big brother. Cal grabbed several bottles of water from the fridge, opened one, and poured water over Kate's burns to cool them. "Ethan, Noel's gone to get some more doctors and a trolley," he said as he removed his top and tucked it around Kate's shoulders as best he could. "Don't worry. We'll help her. The police are dealing with the robbers. Did they do this?"
Ethan nodded, then shook his head. He tried to speak but couldn't.
"Ethan, it would really help if you could tell us what happened," said Cal gently.
"I love her," said Ethan hoarsely.
"I know you do," said Cal. "So tell me what happened and then we can make sure she gets the best care."
Ethan shakily told Cal what had happened. "I suppose it was stupid really. But she was so brave."
"It sounds like you were both brave," said Cal. He removed Kate's watches and rings in case of swelling. "But it's going to be okay, Ethan. Kate's in the right place."
Zoe and several nurses were there even before he'd finished speaking. Cal explained what had happened, estimating the burned surface area and moving Ethan gently out of the way so Zoe and a group of nurses could treat Kate.
"Okay, she's tachypneac," said Zoe. "Slightly hypopneac too. We'd better get her onto her back."
Ethan trembled as they used the log-roll technique. Zoe examined the head wound and the burn and gave brief instructions before deciding they need to get her to Resus. "She needs IV access and fluid replacement."
Cal left Ethan briefly so he could help lift Kate onto the trolley. Once that was done, he returned to Ethan's side and they walked behind the trolley, Cal's arm around Ethan, as they left the shop, following the trolley towards Resus.
Ethan usually preferred not to let Cal hug him in public, but it was different now. He was shaking uncontrollably and didn't think he could have walked or even found the way to Resus on his own. He could hear Zoe giving instructions, but she didn't ask anyone to begin compressions and he tried to take comfort from the fact Kate must be breathing.
But he didn't feel comforted at all. There was so much that could go wrong.
Ethan had the impression the waiting room was unusually still and quiet, but perhaps he'd somehow blocked out all the sounds. He started to feel dizzy, but he didn't stop. He couldn't stop. He kept his eyes on the trolley and he kept on walking.
Cal caught him as he tried to follow the trolley into Resus. "No, Ethan. We'll go and wait in the staff room. Okay?"
"I want to be with her," said Ethan.
"I know, Nibbles, but there's nothing you can do for her at the moment," said Cal.
Ethan's voice was shaking. "I don't want her to wake up and not see anyone she knows!"
Cal turned him around and moved him towards the staff room. "Kate knows most of the people in the ED. She's made s coffee; she's been to the pub..."
"Do you think they'll let us know if there's any news?"
"I'm sure they will." They reached the staff room and Cal steered his brother towards the sofa, sitting beside him and holding him tightly. "I'm here, Nibbles. I'm here."
Cal felt Ethan trembling and wished there was something he could do. He could tell Ethan everything would be fine, but he had no way of knowing that was true and he doubted Ethan would believe him.
Ethan was muttering to himself. "Tetanus prophylaxis. Debride the bullae. Excise adherent necrotic tissue."
At first, Cal let him go through the correct treatment for burns, thinking it might help to keep him calm, but when he started going through it for the third time and was shaking as hard as ever, Cal stopped him. "Ethan, look at me. Can you look at me?"
Ethan turned his head. His eyes were wide and staring.
Cal moved his hand up and down Ethan's back. "They're doing their best, Ethan. They'll do everything that needs to be done."
"What if she's seriously hurt?" said Ethan tremulously. "What if the burns are really serious? What if she has a brain injury?"
Cal hesitated for a moment. "Then she'll need someone to look after her."
Ethan's eyes were full of tears. "I'll look after her if she needs someone. I'll try to make her happy. I know I left it too late just like I always do, but I can still be there."
"You don't think she'd rather you didn't give up your life for her?" said Cal.
"I wouldn't be giving anything up," said Ethan. "She is my life, or a big part of it. It's not a choice I'm making. It's just how it is - and it's what I want."
Cal nodded. "And apart from a slightly different form of love, that's exactly why I want to look after you." He hugged Ethan. "But not for a very long time yet."