"Fancy seeing you here in the early hours of the morning."
Dylan looked up as he nursed a cup of Whiskey. He grunted and nodded his head for Ethan to join him.
"How did you get them to let you in?"
Dylan scoffed. "How did you?"
"Said that I just really needed a drink. After everything that happened today. Robyn losing Glen... How do you feel about that, by the way? I know you two weren't close but you still helped him."
"I don't know how I feel, Ethan. I guess I feel guilty. For not doing more. For not being able to do more." Dylan sighed. "At the end, it was about giving him the best quality of life, even if it meant breaking his wife and daughter's hearts."
Ethan nodded. "He was a good man." He sipped his beer. "Shall we toast?"
Dylan raised his glass. "To Glen, for being a better husband than I ever was."
Ethan raised his own glass and eyebrow. "To Glen," he repeated, not pushing it further. "Was your alcoholism the cause of your marriage breakdown with Sam?"
"No. There were other factors but it wasn't entirely my fault. What has she got to do with my drinking?"
Ethan shrugged. "Nothing, I guess. But you do need to get to the bottom of it. Maybe it would help."
"Humph," Dylan grunted out. "I don't need to get to the bottom of anything."
"Sure," Ethan frowned. "How are your AA meetings? Are you coping with work?"
"Fine and fine. I didn't come here for a therapist session. I came for a drink and to toast a good man gone." Dylan finished his glass, immediately ordering another one.
Ethan pushed his own glass away. "I am here, you know. I know that everyone knows about your drinking but that doesn't take away the fact that you are an excellent doctor, regardless of your personal issues."
Dylan raised his eyebrow. "Hmm. Goodnight, Dr Hardy."
Ethan stood up. "I am here. Night, Dylan."
When he got home, he slipped his phone out of his pocket to see that he had only seven percent left of his battery life.
Skype it was then.
"Hey, Lily."
"Hi. I heard. From Alicia."
Ethan sighed. "We did all we could."
"Robyn finally had her happily ever after and it was taken away so suddenly. I can't ever imagine having to live like that." Lily sniffled.
Ethan smiled softly. "Are you crying?"
"These goddamn hormones, Dr Hardy. You might even say the wrong thing to set me off and I'd be there, ready to give you a punch to the nose."
"Ouch. That bad?"
"I watched a horror movie the other night and I cried."
Ethan laughed. "Oh, I haven't heard of that one yet! So, how are you? The twins?"
Lily nodded. "We're fine. Twenty-six bloody weeks now... God, it's going so quickly."
"How did Iain take it? After you called back?"
"Better. But I haven't told him about us. I might do but I had to make sure that he was calm about things first." She sighed. "I've never been so stressed about anything in my life."
"Don't be. Just relax and everything will fall into place. I'm sorry you're going through this. If it wasn't for me-"
"Don't blame yourself," Lily frowned. "This was on me. All on me. I decided to keep it from him and I decided to take things further with you..." She trailed off, blushing. "Either way, don't blame yourself. Hey, have you been drinking?"
Ethan raised his eyebrows. "How...? Can you smell through screens now?"
Lily chuckled. "That and there's a stain on your collar. And you seem a bit out of it."
"Yeah. Dylan and I had a drink in Glen's honour. I've only just got home after a long shift."
"And you Skyped me? Go on, go to bed."
"I'm not tired. I rather cherish the moments we get to talk because anything can happen tomorrow. Or today in your case."
Lily smiled softly, placing her hands on her bump. "I get scared sometimes. That one of them or both of them aren't breathing. I feel butterflies but they rarely kick me. If they do, I don't realise or feel it."
"They're probably already starting their sibling rivalry by kicking each other rather than you." Ethan smiled. "Don't worry about it but if you are really fearful then check with your doctor."
"I will."
"Now, what did you eat for dinner? I don't even think I've had time to eat mine..."
He heard her soft chuckle. "Well, I do have some orange chicken stored in the fridge which I'd like to get my hands on right now..."
Ethan gasped. "How could you?" He smiled. "Homemade or takeaway?"
"Would it hurt even more if I told you it was homemade? By my mother no less."
"I stopped by your family's restaurant just for the orange chicken. You are hurting my stomach right now, Dr Chao and unfortunately, it's too late to even order a takeaway."
"That is why I'm almost glad my mother is here. She turned up unannounced. But she didn't say anything negative about the pregnancy but I could tell she was dying to know who the father was. I know she'd rather prefer you."
Ethan blushed. "Because of my gorgeous blonde locks and blue eyes?"
Lily rolled her eyes. "More like your profession. She'd rather I have a doctor's children than a paramedic's but she doesn't understand true love. Just convenience."
"What about marriage? Was she upset that you weren't married before the kids part?" He asked.
She nodded. "I can see it in her eyes. The slight disappointment laced with a little disgust and maybe embarrassment. I'm a shame to the family but I guess, I'm all she has left. She's all I have left as much as I hate to say."
"You have me," Ethan cut in.
Lily smiled gratefully. "I know. Thank you." She turned around when someone passed behind her back. She turned to face the screen. "She's gone out to meet someone. I know she'll be talking about me to them. If only I'd married a doctor and had his children, none of the shame and embarrassment would be showing. But I'm Lily Chao and I make my own way and rules."
"Tell her that. Let her know. Let her know how much you love Iain and how you're happy to have his children-"
It was a whisper but he could hear it clearly. "But I'm not happy. Iain is not-"
The screen went blank and so did the lights.
"Great(!) A blackout." Ethan realised once he opened up the curtains to see the streets pitch black.
His mind drifted to what Lily was about to say. What was she going to tell me?