FINAL CHAPTER! Tis all over :( I'm not sure about this ending, it's a bit... well, you'll see what I mean. Thanks to everyone who's been reading and/or reviewing... means a lot. I'm considering writing a sequel to this to see where Lucy and Dillon get to, but I'm working on a few other fics at the mo, some Casualty (one where Patrick doesn't die!). Let me know if anyone thinks a sequel is a good idea. THANK YOU!
There was a strange hush over the department as Lucy got ready to go home that night. Not even Jack was making his usual jokes at the reception desk, and no one was speaking. She hoped she could slip out quietly. She really didn't want to speak to anyone. She pulled her coat on and took her hair out of the pony tail she'd had it bundled into all day.
The door to the staffroom opened and Dillon came in. Lucy kept her back to him resolutely.
"Lucy, is it okay if I cancel our date tonight?" he said finally, after a long period of silence. "Only I'm not really in the mood anymore and…"
"That's fine." Lucy nodded. "Me neither."
Dillon nodded to himself. "Lara's gone home. I offered to go with her but she said she wanted to be on her own." He sighed. "I don't really want to be on my own tonight, I can tell you that." He momentarily considered volunteering for an extra shift at the Samaritans, and then decided he really wasn't in the right frame of mind for that tonight.
Lucy nodded again. "Yeah, I know what you mean," she agreed, feeling tears welling up in her eyes.
"It's been a long day," Dillon continued. He wasn't even sure what he was waffling on about anymore.
"Yeah."
"It must have been awful out at the crash site," he said gently.
"It was."
"I hate shadowing paramedics, it's so much worse somehow," he said thoughtfully.
"I know." Lucy choked back a sob as quietly as she could.
"You know Patrick had just asked Lara to marry him I suppose?"
"No, I didn't."
"If he hadn't been so desperate to get to the restaurant," Dillon said sadly.
"He's…. he's… he's always so stubborn!" Lucy burst into racking sobs.
"Lucy?" Dillon touched her shoulder gently and Lucy instantly turned round and buried her head in his shoulder. He stroked her hair softly, whilst holding her tightly to him. "It's alright, Luce," he said quietly.
"No it's not!" Lucy replied in a muffled voice. "How can it be? He's gone, he's really gone, he's…" She cried for a few more minutes before calming down slightly. She lifted her head up from Dillon's shoulder and rubbed at the mascara stains she'd left on his crisp white t-shirt. "Sorry," she said in a near whisper.
"That's okay," Dillon insisted. He stroked a stray bit of hair back off her face. "You… you really loved him, didn't you?"
Lucy shook her head tiredly. "Not like that, not like you think. I…" She nodded finally. "I guess. He… he was my best friend."
Dillon nodded. "I know. I think he loved you too, you know." Deep down he knew the registrar had loved Lucy, maybe not how everyone had thought he had, but never had he seen Patrick care about someone so much.
Lucy nodded slowly. Then she suddenly leaned up and kissed Dillon gently on the mouth. Dillon pulled away reluctantly.
"Lucy, do you really think this is a good idea?" he asked.
Lucy smiled weakly. "Perfectly. I… I've got a lot to tell you, Dillon."
Dillon nodded. "Do you want to start tonight? I really don't fancy being on my own."
"Me neither," Lucy agreed. She wiped her eyes and then slipped her hand into his. "Come on, then. Let's get out of here."
