Author: Raven Shadowrose
Title: The Ties That Bind
Rating: M
Pairing: Hannah/Dixie, ?/?
Summary: Sequel to Moving On, Hannah and Dixie are about to get married, what events will follow?
Disclaimer: I do not know or own any characters or parts you may recognise from the TV show Casualty, all original characters and the story are mine and I do not give permission for them to be used.
A/N: There will be some femslash in this story, if you do not wish to read it then by all means leave the way you came, other than that, enjoy. I think there's a Casualty episode that is called the ties that bind, this story is nothing to do with that episode. Reviews are welcome :)
Thank you to chan. nelson444, olivia. c. king1 and beethovenRIP for your lovely reviews and support so far and for sticking with the story and your patience too. Welcome to casualtyfanforever and thank you for the comment :) I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I quite enjoyed writing this one :)
Chapter Twenty-Nine.
The positive result of Hannah's pregnancy test had given Dixie a boost, though she still had to remind herself that it had happened and she would be a mother from time to time. Everyone around Dixie had noticed how happy she was; it was hard to miss as she was always smiling. She had only told the people that she liked within the department about Hannah being pregnant, the ones that she knew would be supportive. Dixie had asked people like Tess and Charlie to look out for Hannah, she knew that they would look after her if it was needed. She knew that the other people would find out about the pregnancy when Hannah started showing, but, they would deal with that then. They had dealt with the comments about their relationship and they would do it again. Dixie wouldn't let anyone get away with saying anything horrible about the baby or Hannah, if anyone tried it then she would put them right into their place. After work on the day of the result, Dixie and Hannah had gone to buy some of the supplements for Hannah's pregnancy that had been recommended by the fertility clinic. Dixie just wanted the best for both Hannah and the baby and she would make sure that they had the care and attention that they deserved. Nothing would ever happen to either of them, she wouldn't let it. Anyone that wanted to harm either Hannah or the baby would have to go through her first and more than likely Jeff, Polly and Cyd too.
Jeff watched Dixie, he knew that she had the baby and Hannah on her mind, he couldn't blame her for that, he had been the same when he found out that Lucy was pregnant all those years ago. 'Dix.' She didn't answer. 'Dixie.' Jeff smiled to himself, Dixie was in her own little world. 'Dixie, I've eaten all of your chocolate.'
'You've done what? Jeffrey Collier I am going to strangle you.'
'Relax, I haven't eaten it, your chocolate is safe. I knew saying that I had would get your attention though. You're thinking about Hannah and the baby, aren't you?'
'You're a mean man, Jeffrey Collier, saying you've eaten all of my chocolate. I am thinking about Hannah and the baby though.'
'I was the same, don't worry Dix, Hannah is sensible. She wouldn't do anything that would harm the baby or herself.'
'I know, of course she is. You've been through this before Jeff, got any tips for me?'
'A few. I'll write them down for you.'
'Cheers mate.' Jeff listened to the radio go off on Dixie's belt.
'Holby Control to 3006.'
'3006 receiving,' Dixie said into the radio.
'RTC on Fairholme Road, a car has crashed into a tree, early reports suggest that there is only one casualty at the scene. We will update you if we receive more information.'
'3006 all received and mobile.' Jeff jumped into the passenger seat of the ambulance as Dixie started the engine and turned the sirens on. As Dixie sped towards the scene, Jeff wondered what the incident would hold for them.
Dixie pulled up near to the car and she grabbed the kit from the back of the ambulance, a lot of people were watching, but, nobody seemed to have made any attempt to help the woman that was in the car. She put her annoyance aside and opened the door as Jeff got in the back of the car. Dixie looked at the woman and she noted that she was somewhat conscious. 'Hello sweetheart, my name is Dixie and the man behind you is Jeff. Can you tell me your name?'
'Emilie.'
'All right Emilie, Jeff is just going to support your neck until we put a collar on you. Do you remember what happened?'
'A little girl, she ran out in front of me, I swerved to avoid her and then, nothing.'
'Okay, are you hurting anywhere else?'
'My stomach and chest.' Dixie gently undid the seatbelt and she examined Emilie carefully until she gasped in pain.
'Sorry sweetheart, I'm being as gentle as possible. Were you unconscious at all?'
'I don't know, maybe, I'm not sure.' Dixie looked at the front of the car, it had been crushed when it had hit the tree, she was going to need help to get Emilie out of the car safely. 'Jeff, stay with Emilie, I'm going to get the collar.'
'All right, I will do.' Dixie moved away from the car and radioed control for a fire crew to come out with some cutting equipment, she took the collar back to the car.
Jeff supported Emilie's head as he waited for Dixie to come back. 'The little girl, is she all right? I didn't hit her, did I?' Jeff looked around and he saw a little girl being held by her mother. 'No, you didn't hit her, she's all right.'
'Thank goodness,' Jeff heard her whisper.
'Is there anyone you need us to contact for you?'
'No, my parents are away on holiday and I don't want to disturb them unless it is serious.'
'What about a partner?'
'I don't have one.'
'Their loss, especially with a lovely lady like yourself.'
'Perhaps it is. Do you flirt with all of your patients this way?'
'Not all of them, only the special ones.' Jeff heard Emilie laugh quietly.
'Ow, I probably shouldn't have laughed.'
'Don't worry, Dixie will give you some pain relief when she gets back.'
'Sounds nice.' Jeff smiled, the woman in front of him had a nice voice, it was quiet and calm to listen to.
'I'm sorry that you're in pain Emilie.'
'It's all right, better me than the little girl.' Jeff smiled again as Dixie came back with the collar and he helped her to fit it to Emilie's neck.
Dixie put a line into Emilie's arm and she gave her some pain relief through it. 'I hope that Jeff didn't bore you too much while I was away,' Dixie said with a smile. 'No, he has a nice voice.'
'You hear that Dix, she thinks I have a nice voice.'
'It's just a shame about his bald head.'
'You're mean.' Dixie heard Emilie laugh quietly. 'Hey, you're meant to be on my side Emilie.'
'Jeff, stop harassing the patient.'
'I don't mind,' Emilie said. 'He has been nice to me, it helps me feel better. A knight in a shining ambulance so to speak.'
'Thanks princess, it is nice to be appreciated.' Dixie saw Jeff give her a sideways glance and she smiled at him.
'Don't encourage him Emilie, he already thinks he is Superman.'
'I am Superman, I have the 'S' under my shirt.'
'Oh dear me. I am going to deal with the fire crew and get the board from the ambulance. See if you can keep your secret superhero identity under wraps Jeffrey.' Dixie laughed as she walked away from the car and went to brief the fire crew on Emilie's condition, she wasn't too seriously hurt, but, Dixie didn't want to take any chances as she couldn't be sure if Emilie had been unconscious or not.
Dixie and Jeff moved away from the car as the fire crew removed the front so they could get Emilie out without damaging her spine or neck. 'Come on Jeffrey, tell me what's going on.'
'I don't know what you're talking about.'
'It seems our patient has taken a bit of a liking to you.'
'Don't be silly Dixie, she's probably just being nice.'
'How many of our patients have called you a knight in a shining ambulance?'
'None, until now that is.'
'Exactly.'
'Come on Dixie, it's time to get Emilie out of the car.' Jeff saw Dixie shake her head as he walked away from her, he knew that she would accuse him of being a coward whenever she had a spare moment to do so. There was a thought in his mind that Dixie was right, he was being a bit of a coward. Jeff prepared the board and held it in position as Dixie and the fire crew lifted Emilie out of the car and onto it. Dixie strapped Emilie onto the board and then with Jeff's help she put her onto the trolley. 'Okay, sweetheart, we're going to get you into the ambulance and take you to hospital so you can be checked over. Jeff will go with you in the back.'
'Okay.' Dixie ignored the look that Jeff gave her as they lifted Emilie into the back of the ambulance. Was it wrong of her to want to give Jeff a little push in the right direction? Emilie seemed to like Jeff, at the very least he would have another friend to talk to even if they didn't end up dating. Dixie closed the doors and she climbed into the front of the ambulance.
Jeff sat beside Emilie and filled in her paperwork as Dixie drove them back to Holby. 'How are you feeling Emilie?'
'A bit sore, mainly around my ribs and stomach.'
'That's to be expected.'
'You have nice eyes to go with your nice voice.' Jeff smiled at Emilie.
'That's nice of you to say so princess.'
'I believe in telling the truth.' Jeff busied himself with filling in the rest of Emilie's paperwork, it had been a long time since he'd had a compliment from a woman and he wasn't sure how to take it. Dixie would tell him to take a chance and give it a go. Was she right? Should he do it? Jeff secretly looked at Emilie and he decided that she was somebody that he could possibly like someday.
Dixie had listened to the conversation between Emilie and Jeff with some satisfaction, Emilie's words were honest and Jeff could do worse than her. She began to wonder if she should play matchmaker, or at least try and give Jeff the courage to ask Emilie out for a drink. Dixie helped Jeff wheel Emilie into the ED and Sam came over to them, she let Jeff do the handover. 'Jeff, Dixie, what do have here?'
'Emilie Banks, 33, restrained driver in an RTC, car VS tree. There is a possibility that she was unconscious at the scene for an unknown amount of time. She has been complaining of pain in her abdomen and chest from where the seat belt held her in the seat. Emilie has had two of morphine to help with the pain.'
'Thanks Jeff.'
'No problem Sam.' Jeff turned to Emilie and he smiled at her. 'You're in good hands princess, see you later. Good luck.'
'Thank you.'
'No problem.' Jeff left Emilie's side and Dixie followed him out, she wondered if she should say something to try and convince Jeff to go and talk to Emilie again. He had been by himself for so long, maybe a little drink or a date with Emilie would boost his confidence again.
Jeff sat in the rec room with a drink on his break, Emilie had been on his mind for a while, he wondered how she was. It was the first time that he'd had a patient on his mind for quite some time. He looked up when Dixie came into the room and stood in front of him. 'Hey Dix.'
'Hello Jeffrey.'
'What's wrong?'
'Why would anything be wrong?'
'Because you're looking at me like you do when you want to tell me off for something.'
'I don't want to tell you off. I've come to do you a favour.'
'A favour?'
'Yeah, Emilie is in cubicle five until they take her upstairs. I thought you might want to see her.'
'Dix, I know you mean well.'
'Then get in there, take a chance Jeffrey.' Jeff put his cup down and he followed Dixie's advice, maybe she was right, maybe he did need to take a chance.
Jeff left the station and went into the ED, he followed to corridor round until he reached the cubicles and he stood in front of cubicle five. He pondered what to do for a few seconds and then he called out. 'Emilie, can I come in?'
'Of course you can.' Jeff pulled back the curtain and then he closed it again. 'Hi Jeff.'
'Are you feeling any better?'
'I've not done any serious damage to my head or neck, just a bit of whiplash. They do want to keep me in overnight just to keep an eye on me. I think it is more of a precaution as I may have been unconscious.'
'That's good. How are your ribs and stomach?'
'Sore, painkillers are a wonderful thing though. Thank you for staying with me at the scene, it helped me feel a lot better. I meant it when I said you had a nice voice to listen to.'
'Did you mean it when you said I had nice eyes too?'
'I did.'
'Emilie, when you're out of hospital and I'm off work, how would you feel about a coffee?'
'Sure, why not. I'm buying though, to say thank you.'
'Deal.' Emilie took a pen and piece of paper out of her bag and she wrote something on it.
'That's my number, give me a call.'
'I will do.' Jeff wrote his number down for Emilie and she put it in her bag. 'I'll let you get some rest, see you soon Emilie.'
'See you soon Jeff.' Jeff smiled at Emilie and he left her cubicle to find Dixie loitering outside.
Dixie tried to move away quickly when she saw Jeff coming out of the cubicle, but, she knew that he had seen her. 'Nice try princess, are you spying on me?'
'No, maybe a little bit.'
'What did you hear?'
'I heard you ask Emilie out for a coffee.'
'She said yes.'
'I know, well done mate.'
'It's just coffee.'
'Even so, coffee might lead to a drink and then to dinner, you never know.'
'Maybe.'
'It might even lead to smoochies.'
'Dixie.'
'Oh come on Jeff, Emilie likes you, I can see it. I know you've been out of the dating scene for a while and this is a big step for you.'
'It is, which is why I am taking it one step at a time.' Dixie linked arms with Jeff as they left the ED.
'I am proud of you mate, it is about time you found someone.'
'Yeah, maybe you're right.'
'I am.' Dixie patted Jeff's arm, she hoped that Jeff's little coffee date with Emilie would go well and that they would meet up again. Maybe they would even end up seeing each other permanently. All Dixie wanted was for her best friend to be happy, he had a shot at being with someone and ending the loneliness that she knew he felt. If Jeff's date went well then maybe she could look at setting Polly and Cyd up with somebody too. She wanted her friends to have what she had in her life, love and happiness with someone that truly cared for them.
