In this chapter, Ethan does not have the gene. This chapter is rated T for the sensitivity of the chapter, please don't read if it will unsettle you.

This chapter was prompted by N with the prompt: Caleb Knight has always took a pride in his appearance, but when a patient makes an off - hand comment about his weight, it triggers an experience that him or Ethan will never forget?"

Jay: Thank you for the review. I'm glad you loved the chapter, I'm also glad you think I'm a good writer, really means a lot.

bronwen100: Thank you for the review. Glad you loved the last few chapters.

bronny9: Thank you for the review.

I'm sorry I didn't get this up the other day, I went out and was too tired to post when I come back.

Has a brief mention of an old staff nurse, it isn't Jessica, but I'm not going to say who it is as I don't want to ruin it for you guys.

I don't mean to upset anyone with the research done in this chapter, I'm merely using what I found on the internet as a basis to this chapter.

I'm put another quick warning on the chapter the weight details have come from the net, but if they are wrong, please don't blame me.


The Secret Life Of Casualty.

Chapter 278.

Caleb Knight was someone who liked to keep fit, he worked out with a personal trainer, once a week, while his brother went running. He went to change in to his scrubs and waited for Ethan to come back off his run, so that they could walk in to work together.

The door to the flat opened and Ethan appeared, slightly sweaty from his run. He told Cal he was going to go for a quick shower and then he'd be with him.

Ethan entered the living room, dressed in his scrubs. Cal grabbed the flat keys and both of their coats as they walked outside, heading towards the stairs as they walked down them, walking through the double doors and walking to the hospital, which was only a few minutes walk from their flat.

Cal was in cubicles for the day, with minor injuries, while Ethan was in RESUS with Connie and Robyn, Cal was treating a man who was in because he had an operation that was going to be performed later on.

"Your fat. "

Cal stared at his patient, he knew not to take abuse from them but when they were abusive for no reason, doctors knew that they had to stay calm.

"You need to lose weight. " The patient shouted at him, but those words reminded Cal of something his father had said to him.

Cal's Flashback

Matilda knew that her boys were growing up and at 14 and 16, they needed all the energy they could get. Cal was muddy after his game of footie, he dumped his footie boots by the door and ran in to the kitchen, grabbing a packet of crisps, from the cupboard and opening them. He took them up to his room and lay back on his bed, munching through his crisps when he heard his fathers footsteps.

Usually he would hide under the duvet, but tonight, he decided to brave it out.

"Get up, you, idiot. "

Cal sat up, wondering what unpleasant surprise his dad had in store for him today.

Calvin reached out and pinched his son's skin, hard. It would certainly leave a bruise.

"That's to show you how fat you are, " Calvin sneered as he left the room.

Cal looked in the mirror: standing in front of him was a skinny looking teenager, but the reflection staring back at him, was all made up of fat.

Ethan come up to the bedroom that belonged to his brother.

"What do you want Ethan?" Cal snapped.

"To see if your ok, " Ethan whispered, sitting down beside him.

Cal ruffled his brothers hair, he sometimes felt as if Ethan was the older brother and he was the youngest.

End of flashback.

"What's going on?" Asked Zoe as she pulled open the curtain.

Cal turned around. "I'm fine, Dr. Hanna "

Zoe frowned. "If your sure, Cal. "

Cal nodded.

Later that night, Ethan put dinner on the table for both of them, but while he tucked in to his, which was noddles, and they each had a glass of water in front of them, but while Ethan was tucking in to his, Cal was just staring at his.

"Are you ok?" Ethan asked.

"I'm not hungry Ethan. " Cal told his brother as he pushed his chair back, heading to his room, where he got down on the floor and did some push ups.

While Ethan had gone to work, as Cal was on a day off, he decided to go for a run a around the park. He grabbed his earphones and put them in as he left the flat, grabbing his jacket on the way. He walked to the park and ran a few laps, he could feel the sweat pouring down his face, he wiped his hand over his face and left the park, heading home.

Once he was in the flat, he could see stars floating above his head, even when he tried blinking they wouldn't go away.

Cal hit the floor with a thud.

Ethan was in work when he had a sense of unease that something wasn't right at home. He went to find Charlie to ask if he could go home. Charlie agreed and Ethan thanked him, hurrying to the staff room to get his things and signing out. He started the walk home.

Ethan got his keys out and put them in the lock, walking inside. What he found, shocked him.

"Cal" Ethan shook his brother as he remained in his unconscious state. Searching for his phone, which was in his pockets, he rang for an ambulance as his other hand, stroked Cal's hair.

"Ambulance service" Iain Dean called as with Jez, he headed in to the small flat.

"In here" Ethan gave a small cry as Iain followed his voice.

Iain got Cal in to a wheelchair and Jez put an oxygen mask on him.

"RESUS" Said Zoe as she saw who it was.

"Ethan, is there anything we should know about?" Zoe asked as she helped pull Cal over to the bed and started to examine him.

"He's not been eating, " Ethan mumbled.

"Why not?" Zoe asked.

"I don't know!" Ethan shouted.

Zoe raised her eyebrows, but didn't say anything as she knew that he would be stressed and worried about his brother.

Kirsty Clements, who was a former mental health nurse, who used to work at the hospital was called and gave advice on how to approach Cal's condition.

"Thanks Kirsty." Zoe ended the call. She went back to the room where Cal had been moved for privacy. She sat on the edge of Cal's bed. "Cal, Ethan. " She addressed both brothers. "It seems that Cal is suffering from Anorexia Nervosa. It's where someone tries to keep their weight as low as possible. "

"Doesn't that only affect women?" Ethan asked, quietly.

Zoe nodded. "Usually yes, but it can affect men. " She looked sad to tell them this. "Cal, we are going to admit you to a Psychiatric Ward, where you will be monitored, "

Cal looked panicked and scared. Ethan took his hand. "It's going to be ok, "

Zoe and Max took him up to the ward and to explain the situation, while Ethan tried to get on with his work, but found his thoughts drifting to his brother. Zoe would tell him when he could visit.

Ethan walked up to the physc ward. It was a ward that he rarely went up to, but he had an important person to see, that person was his brother.

"Hey, Cal. " Ethan whispered, crouching down near the bed where his brother was lying on the bed, his brother didn't seem to notice that he was there.

It pained Ethan to see Cal looking so ill, his skin had a yellowish tinge to it, and he was breaking out, in spots, he hadn't broke out since he was a teenager.

Ethan crouched down near him.

"I hate it, " Cal sobbed.

"I know, Cal, but your ill, you need help. " Ethan said, while stroking his hair.

Cal simply looked at his brother and cried.

Ethan put his arms around Cal as his brother wept. "Shh, Cal, it's going to be ok, " He kissed the top of his head, his heart breaking for him.

After being weighed, the doctor and consultant in charge of Cal's care, went outside to discuss his treatment. Before he had started loosing weight, he was at 12: stone, but he had dropped to 8: 5. He had a meal plan, but when the meals were placed in front of the other residents Cal left his untouched. If he kept doing this, he would be here even longer and Ethan didn't want that for his brother, he wanted him home with him where he could look after him.

The doctor weighed Cal again and saw that he had put weight on, he was pleased. He would have to come in regularly to be weighed and report to his consultant. Ethan promised that they would be there.

"Cal. " Ethan said as he stopped by the door and Cal turned to him slowly and managed a weak smile for him.

"Yeah, " Cal said softly.

"Ethan's eyes filled with tears as he thought about how he had almost lost his brother, a world without Cal would be like plunging in to darkness that went on forever. Cal was his safety net and he was his, they didn't know what they would do without each other. "I'm glad your home, "

"Thanks, Nibbles, "

Cal stared at the meal for a few minutes and Ethan held his breath, wondering if he was going to eat it. Slowly he reached out and grabbed hold of the fork and cut it with his knife which was in his other hand and slowly raised it to his mouth, before closing it and chewing on it.

"Is that nice?" Ethan asked Cal. He knew it was a question you would normally ask a child, but Ethan knew because Cal hadn't eaten in so long, he would be finding it difficult.

Cal took a sip of his drink before answering his brother. "Yes. "

Ethan hugged Cal again. "Well done. I'm proud of you. "

"Thanks, Nibbles" Cal whispered, back as the two broke apart.

From that moment on, Cal knew that if he ever did relapse, he would always have Nibbles by his side and he was grateful for that.

"I love you, Cal " Ethan whispered.

"I love you too, Nibbles" Cal whispered back as both brothers, exhausted, fell asleep in each other's arms, holding each other tightly.


Thank you for reading and I hope this is what N wanted. I enjoyed writing this chapter.

Next chapter: Ethan suffers a TBI and Cal has to adapt the flat in order to look after him. Prompted by Lauren.