Soulmates, a casualty fanfic

I honestly can't remember when I wrote this. It's Tina and Sean (what else!) and is one of my favourites out of everything I've ever written, so please, let me know what you think!

Soulmates

Tina sighed as she closed her front door. It had been another one of those days, no this day had definitely been the worst. She threw her bag on the hall carpet and collapsed on her sofa. As she sat there trying to relax she felt her thoughts shift to the events of earlier…..

XXX

Tina heard him the split second before she saw him. Laughing and joking with Adam again. She felt her heart leap as she saw him, Mr. Popular. And he loved her! As she saw Adam leave she spied her chance and rushed up to him. He jumped as he felt her hand on his arm, taking him by surprise.

"Hey you" Tina whispered in what she hoped was a sultry voice

Sean remained unemotional, "Hi, Tina" he replied, ignoring the now crestfallen look on Tina's face.

"What's up with you?" She felt herself snap

"Nothing."he answered distractedly, before turning to her,"Look Tina, when are you going to tell him?"

Tina recoiled, visibly shocked. Never, since they had reconciled had he ever asked her directly when she was going to sort things out with Max. He had always seemed happy with Tina finishing things when it felt right. She shook her head, speechless. Sean frowned and reached into his pockets, pulling out a white envelope.

"I can't do this anymore Tina" he said, his voice only raisingslightly, "I can't have an affair with my own girlfriend. Not anymore" Suddenly he threw the envelope at Tina and snapped. "12.30 to Sydney. Three days Tina. I fly to Australia in three days. I can't be around you when you're still with Max. I just can't do it. If you can't finish it, then I will" With that he snatched the envelope back and walked away. Leaving Tina behind him, broken hearted, but unable to call him back.

XXX

Tina found a tear slowly making it's way down her cheek as she remembered. Sean would be leaving tomorrow morning for London. And then on to Australia. And she would lose the best thing that had ever happened to her. All because she was too coward to talk to Max.

Suddenly an idea came to her. A sudden thought that was so obvious she couldn't understand why it had taken her this long to figure it out. She quickly grabbed the telephone from the hard wooden table beside her and dialled.

The phone rang

And rang

Eventually the answering machine kicked in.

"Hi this is Max. I'm not in right now so leave a message and I'll get back to you"

Tina sighed, disappointed, but quickly said her message anyway.

"Hi Max, it's Tina. I really need to talk to you, it's kind of urgent. Ring me back as soon as you get this OK?"

It was only when she had hung up that the abnormality of the situation hit her. Max was never out at this time. Never straight after work. He always went home and washed, changed and did whatever else he had to do before he went anywhere. Who was he with anyway? He only ever went out with her, or Frank. And it was a pretty safe bet that he wasn't with either of them, unless….

The graveyard! Of course he was at the graveyard! Tina grabbed her bag from it's place in the hallway and ran out. She needed to talk to Max. Now.

XXX

Max laughed as Sean finished the joke. The beer easing away all his uneasiness. He felt good being here with Sean. Almost as if all the problems between him, Sean and Tina were finally over. It was almost like a new start. Start! Damm. He looked at his watch. 9.35. He'd better be going soon, he was working the early tomorrow. He gestured to Sean over the noise surrounding them. Sean smiled and stood up with him. As they made their way outside, Max began to speak.

"Arrrrrrrr, I haven't laughed like that for a long time!"

Sean didn't reply, instead he kept on laughing.

"Thanks anyway. For the drink I mean. It was…" Max paused to think, "a nice gesture"

"No problem mate, no problem at all"

For a minute they were silent. Both avoiding the subject that was pressing most dominantly on their minds. Finally Sean spoke,

"You going straight home now?"

Max shook his head, the smile now absent. His eyes focused firmly on the floor.

"No, I'm going…to the graveyard. I want to…well….say goodnight…..to Frank"

"I'll walk you, it's on my way"

The two of them set off. Neither talking, both looking ahead.

XXX

Tina walked quickly across the cold, damp earth. She needed to speak to Max. Now. She didn't care where they had this conversation, as long as they had it. She slowed down as she reached the far corner of the graveyard, where she knew Frank's grave was. As she neared the small plot of land and saw a figure crouching down. At first she thought it was Max, then she noticed the other figures around him. As she crept ever closer she gasped as she saw them lift the fresh flowers from the lovingly placed vase in front of Frank's headstone. In that moment Tina didn't think, she ran towards them, shouting and screaming. Anything to make them stop.

She saw them stand up, visibly shocked and she began to slow down. Praying that was all the encouragement they needed to clear off. It wasn't. They advanced towards her, lunged for her bag. Out of instinct she pulled on it tighter, not wanting to give anything to these animals. She thought she had won the fight when they began to let go. Then she felt the thud.

Tina fell to the ground, a mess of arms and legs. She could fell the warm blood on her head but she felt no pain. She felt nothing, only movement, as they continued to kick and hit her. She felt nothing until they were gone. Then. Only darkness.

XXX

As they neared the graveyard Max and Sean said there goodbyes. Max began to walk and after only a minute he neared Franks grave. He continued walking, only stopping when he saw the still form lying in front of the headstone. Max ran forward, praying the person was alright. He almost vomited when he saw the persons face.

XXX

Sean was just turning around, about the walk away when he heard the screaming,

"Sean!"

He heard someone yell. He thought nothing off it and continued walking. Then the scream came again,

"SEAN!"

This time he recognised the voice as Max's. He turned sharply, wondering what could have scared Max that much. As soon as he saw his face he knew it was serious.

"Max what is it? What's wrong?"

Max took a deep breath and spoke the words that would remain with Sean for the rest of his life,

"Phone an ambulance. It's Tina"

Sean didn't hear anything else Max said. He began to run as soon as he heard her name. He knew where she was. He didn't know how, but he just knew. He ran and ran until he reached her. As he saw the lifeless body before him he skidded to a halt beside her, taking her cold hand in his.

"Tina, sweetheart?" he asked gingerly, "Sweetheart it's me. It's Sean. Squeeze me hand if you can hear me"

There was nothing. Sean continued to wait with her, rubbing her hand, whispering to her until the ambulance came.

XXX

"Charlie!" Duffy yelled over the usual Friday night din of the A&E department. "We're got a multiple injuries coming in. Josh just radioed. ETA 5 minutes"

"Sure. You want to take this one?" he asked, confused. She hardly ever told him of the individual cases. Usually she took care of them herself.

"I think we should all take this one Charlie"

Charlie shook his head, even more confused, "Duffy what are you….."

"It's Tina"

Duffy let this sink in before continuing, "She was beaten up. She's got serious head injuries and God knows what else. Max phoned for the ambulance. He and Sean are with her"

Charlie mouthed something, neither he or Duffy knew what before speaking. His normally reassuring voice, low and fearful. "Call everyone into Admin. I think I need to tell them before she gets here"

The team stood grim faced in Resus. Not one of them moved. The expressions on the faces of Charlie, Duffy, Holly were grim. Even Patrick, who was not a team player at the best of times, understood the gravity of the situation and was wise enough to remain quite. Outside they could hear the faint noise of Chloe sobbing. She wanted to see Tina as soon as she arrived, but Charlie thought it was best if she didn't work on her.

They all remained like that. Frozen. Half wishing the moment would never come. Half wishing the moment would be over with. None wanting to go through with it.

Eventually the doors swung open and Max, closely followed by Josh and Fin entered. The lifeless body of Tina flowing suit, Sean still reassuring her.

In that instant nobody moved. Nobody wanted to. It was eventually Patrick who spoke.

"OK people. I need her SATS. GCS is 3. According to Josh's radio earlier, has never altered from 3. She's tubed. Good. Someone take over from Fin please. Thank you nurse Duffin" he paused and glanced around. "Max, Sean sorry but I think your better off out of here. Any news and we'll send for you"

Numbly Sean moved back and allowed himself to be guided out. The last words he heard before facing the dull interior of the relatives room were,

"It doesn't look good….."

XXX

Sean and Max sat in silence for the second time that night. Neither wanted to speak. Afraid to voice their fears. Afraid if they did, it would make it all real. They simply sat there. As the minutes passed they sat there. Both knew why the other was there. They loved her. And Max knew, now even if he hadn't before, that Sean and Tina were still very much together. Sean's actions tonight had shown that. Yet they continued to sit. It wasn't the time for confrontation. Neither moved.

They only jumped slightly when the door creaked as it was slowly opened. Holly entered, a look of exhaustion on her face.

"I …."

"She's dead isn't she?" Sean interrupted before Holly could finish. She shook her head.

"No Sean she's not. But it's not looking good. Tina's on a ventilator and we're just trying to stabilize her before we can move her up to ITU. I'm sorry Sean but the next 24 hours are critical"

"You don't think she'll live do you?" Sean bit back. His anger at their argument earlier boiling over. He knew he shouldn't take it out on Holly but he didn't care. Not any more. Not when the only women he had ever truly loved lay dying in the room next to him.

"I'm sorry Sean, I can't say anymore. Not right now"

With that final goodbye she left. And Max and Sean resumed their normal routine of sitting, and staring. They continued this. Neither moving again. Both praying. Both knowing that eventually, sooner rather than later, Tina would be gone.

"Sean!"

Sean had barley registered the sudden opening of the door. He jumped up as soon as he heard his name and turned to face the tear stained face of Chloe.

"It's Tina. She's taken a turn for the worse. It doesn't look good"

Sean never heard the rest of the sentence. He was not aware of anything but his movements are he ran out of the square, isolating room into the bright lights of the resuscitation room where he had helped to save so many lives. As he ran behind the grey curtain, the curtain he knew she would be behind, he heard the counting, Patrick's systematic counting followed by the slow breaths Holly was forcing into Tina's body.

"1…2…3…4…5" Breath

Nothing.

Sean moved towards them, seeing nothing around him, only the pale, unmoving form in front of him. As he neared it the counting stopped. He knew Patrick and Holly would be looking at each other, trying the guide the situation, not knowing what to do. He ignored them. He ignored Max's tear-stained brave face, Chloe's gentle sobbing, Holly and Duffy's anxious glances, and Patrick's attempt at emotional indifference. He ignored them all, instead focussing on the women lying before him. The women only hours ago he had left, the women he would now do anything to have back in his life.

"Tina? Sweetheart?" he asked hesitantly, suddenly aware that he was doing this in a room crowded with his friends. He moved closer to her and began,

"Hi, sweetheart. I really don't know what to say…" Sean took a deep breath, composed himself and continued, "you were the best thing that ever happened to me. I never told you that, I never found the words. The way I feel for you could never be expressed in words. I love you more with every passing day and I kick myself for ever hurting you. I love you, Tina. And I wish with all my heart that today had never happened. That this morning……." Sean broke off, the tears engulfing him. He was about to give up when he felt Max's hand reassuringly on his shoulder. Max knew. Sean tried again, "The tickets to Oz….I half expected you to turn up at the train station tomorrow morning, all romantic. Beg me to stay. Before we jetted off for a new life together. I guess that's never going to happen now but, sweetheart, I want you to know that I love you, now and always. You will always be with me. Goodnight sweetheart" he said as he lent down, softly brushing his lips against her rosy soft skin, "Goodnight forever"

He nodded to Holly and Patrick then, and they stopped. He waited, they all did. When the beep came it was soon silenced. Too depressing to listen to the life of a vibrant young woman they had all loved, end. Sean kissed his soul mate again, and walked out of the room. Towards his coat, towards his bed, towards the train station. And then, towards Australia, towards his new life, towards a future without his soulmate.