Warning: This chapter contains descriptions of vomiting
After checking his phone several times, Ethan decided to get off the sofa. He walked over to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee and his illness suddenly wash over him as he leant over the kitchen counter. His stomach felt like someone had punched him in the gut. As he moved around the house, he noticed that his legs were shaky and his balance was all wrong.
"This is bad," he said aloud. "I feel ill," Ethan protested.
Alicia rushed to his side.
"I'm going to throw up," he announced.
"I doubt it," she replied, sceptical.
"I'm going to be sick," he insisted.
"Then do it in the toilet," Alicia instructed. "Don't make a mess."
Ethan stumbled along the hallway, holding onto the door frame until he reached the bathroom. He managed to hold onto the basin and leaned forwards while he heaved into the bowl. His nausea gradually subsided and he wiped his mouth with a piece of paper.
"That was disgusting," he groaned.
Alicia replied. "Do you want to take some medicine?"
"No," he replied. "I think I just need to rest for a bit."
"Okay," Alicia said. "I'll clean up the mess."
She scrubbed down the bathroom, washed her hands and then returned to the bathroom. "Are you okay now?" she asked.
"I don't know," he admitted.
"Is there anything you need me to do for you?" she asked.
"I'm FINE now. I think you should stay here," he suggested. "I'll go upstairs and lie down on my bed. Then I'll check if 'Casualty Online' has responded to my message."
Alicia nodded. "Okay. Are you sure there isn't anything I can do for you?"
"Just leave me alone," he replied.
"All right," she said, raising her voice slightly. "I'm going to watch some TV then ."
Alicia settled herself onto the sofa with her tablet computer. After browsing through the news channels and watching a few episodes of a cooking programme, she switched to a movie channel. Within half an hour she was bored and switched the television off.
After lying flat on his back for twenty minutes, Ethan sat upright and took a deep breath. He picked up his laptop and switched it on. The message from 'Casualty Online' appeared on the screen and he began reading it.
Dear Ethan,
I am responsible for designing the Casualty Online website. If you ever have any suggestions or questions please let me know.
Sincerely yours,
Sam
The message ended and Ethan typed another message explain his questions about the website in more detail, then sent it off.
Ethan looked at his phone and realised that it was late afternoon. It had been almost three days since he had first fallen ill. He shuddered and needed something to distract himself.
He opened his browser and typed in 'casualty online'. As soon as he pressed 'enter', the website loaded and he read the text on the home page.
'Casualty Online is a unique resource for anyone who loves watching hospital dramas. We provide our members with weekly news items and we also run a forum where visitors can discuss their favourite shows.
We're always looking for new writers and contributors. If you would like to get involved, simply register as a member. Once registered, you will be able to post comments and contribute articles. You'll also be able to comment on our forums and interact with other fans of the show.'
Ethan scanned through the navigation bar and found a tab that said 'Forum'. He then registered an account on the website. When he logged in, he saw a list of threads in the forum and he started clicking on each one.
As he read through the posts, he came across a thread entitled 'Casualty: the truth about the medical drama.' He clicked on it and he noticed a number of replies. One of them caught his attention and he read the message.
"CASUALTY is fake," the message read. "It's all actors pretending to be doctors and nurses. There is no such thing as Ethan Hardy or Alicia Munroe – they're fictional characters. In fact, the only real people in the entire series are the actors."
Ethan frowned and scrolled through the message. The author explained that Ethan Hardy was a fictional character created by a group of people called the Casualty Team. The team included writers, producers and directors, among others. He couldn't believe what he was reading but he came across several other sites which supported the claims.
He closed the message and opened another. This time it was about the filming location for Casualty. He read through it and learned that the show was filmed at a studio. He scrolled through the next few messages until he came across a thread about the actor who played Ethan.
Ethan shook his head and closed the message. His mind was spinning as he tried to digest all the information that had been thrown at him. What did it mean? Was the website true or was it all made up? Did Ethan really exist or was he just part of a TV programme?
His eyes felt heavy and he laid himself down on the sofa. As his eyelids grew heavier, he eventually drifted of into sleep.