-x- Chapter Three -x-

Meanwhile Charlie had paced in his office, just seeing her again, he couldn't get the images of her and Bill together out of his head. He threw his pen he held in his hand across the room in frustration; he watched it shatter into pieces on the floor, as he stroked the back of his head, his face full of rage. He felt like destroying everything in his office, throw the paper work around the room, smashed the computer, the phone. Instead he just paced, trying to calm himself down. Tears formed in his eyes. He couldn't do this. It was too much, he couldn't bare it. He needed a drink, the only thing that took away those thoughts in his mind. But, he was at work, he had a job to do, people relied on him. The room was caving in on him, he needed to get out of here, so he walked out of the door into reception. He ignored Noel, as he walked towards the car park, for some fresh air. He felt like he was in a daze, unsure where he was going, he continued to walk, and out of the corner of his eye he saw her, talking with David. His brow creased again, he couldn't cope, not anymore. And he walked off in the direction of the pub.

He didn't care, not anymore, as he walked through the main door of the pub, and up to the bar.

"Double whiskey." He asked, not even looking up at the barman.

"You're a little early, it's just gone one."

He just looked up at the barman, and he knew just by the look on his face that he was serious.

"Ok, ok, one whiskey coming up." The barman replied, holding up his hands at him in defeat.

"Double whiskey." Charlie said again.

"Double it is." The barman replied, as he decanted the brown liquid into the glass, and handed it to Charlie.

Charlie drank it in two gulps, and set the empty glass down on the bar. He felt the heat of the whiskey seep down into his throat as it soothed him for a few moments.

"Another double." He replied.

"Um, another?" The barman replied, looking shocked.

"Another." Charlie replied, looking at him, his brows furrowed.

Charlie put his hand into his pocket, retrieving his wallet, and flung a twenty pound note onto the bar.

"Um, aren't you supposed to be working?"

Charlie just looked up at him, and frowned at him.

"Alright, alright." The barman replied.

The barman took his money, and refilled his glass, and handed it back to him.

Charlie looked down at the glass, and took another gulp, then another, as the liquid ran down his throat. He placed the empty glass back onto the bar, and sighed. It helped, if only for a few moments. He closed his eyes, but those images of Duffy and Bill filled his mind once again. He reopened them, and raised his glass at the bar man. Just as the barman put the ten pound change back down in front of him.

"Another." Charlie said, as he raised his glass again.

"Really mate, go easy."

"I've paid you, and I want another."

"No need to be like that mate. It's just early. You can't go back to work now."

"Who says I'm going back to work?" Charlie looked up at him.

"Alright, alright." The barman replied.

The barman took his money, and glass and turned around to refill his glass once again.

Charlie rested his elbows on the bar, and put his hand to his head, spreading his fingers over his forehead, and sighed deeply, as he closed his eyes. The images of Duffy crossed his mind once again, he screwed his hand into a fist, and frowned. He couldn't get her out of his mind. He need to numb himself, to stop thinking about her. It was the only thing he could do.

He heard the glass on the bar in front of him, and he opened his eyes, he then lifted it to his lips, this time sipped at it, and rested it back onto the bar.

"Another bad day mate?" The barman asked.

"Something like that." Charlie replied, his hand rested on his brow, as he looked at the whiskey in his glass, and sighed.

The barman looked concerned at him, then began to busy himself tidying the bar.

Charlie just stood looking down at the whiskey in the glass, sipped at it again, and rolled the liquid around in the glass. As tears formed in his eyes, and he sighed again.

-o-

When David returned back into reception, he turned to look at Charlie's empty office, his door wide open, he frowned and walked over to Noel.

"Where's Charlie?" David asked Noel.

"Oh, he went outside, he seemed a bit, well, angry though. He ignored me, when I asked if he was ok. He slammed the door when Duffy left earlier." Noel replied, whispering the last sentence to David.

"Outside? I never saw him. Has he come back in?" David asked.

"No, not since."

"So where is he?" David asked.

Noel just shrugged at him.

"Let me know when he comes back in Noel." David replied, and he walked down towards cubicles.

"No trouble." Noel replied.

-o-

David walked up towards Robyn and said to her, "we have a problem."

"What do you mean, a problem?" Robyn asked.

"They've just had a row." David whispered.

"Who?" Robyn replied, and turned to look at him, as she stood at the computer at the nurse's station.

"Duffy and Charlie." David whispered.

"Oh, how do you know that?"

"I saw them. Duffy's upset again. Charlie has gone awol."

"What do you mean Charlie has gone awol?"

"Noel said he left his office, and went outside, not long after their row, and he hasn't come back in since."

"Well, where is he then?"

"I was outside talking to Duffy. He isn't out there Robyn. He's gone."

"Gone where?"

"How should I know?"

"I'll ring him." Robyn said, as she took her phone out of her pocket.

As she did so, he felt the phone vibrate in his pocket, as he stood at the bar, his fourth double whiskey in his hand. He sighed, and put his hand into his pocket, as he looked at it, he saw Robyn's name flash across his screen. He cancelled it. And then looked at the image of Duffy on the background of his phone screen, smiling happily at him. He's not bothered to change it. That would make it all final then. He sighed, and shoved his phone back into his pocket. He closed his eyes, and spread his fingers over his forehead, pinching his eyes, at his newly acquired headache. He then took another sip of his whiskey, then sighed.

"He cut me off." Robyn replied.

"Oh, that's not good." David said in response.

"No, no it's not. Um, when's your break?" Robyn asked him.

"In about half an hour." He answered.

"Mine's the same." Robyn added.

"I have a feeling I know where he is."

"Where?"

"The pub."

"Oh, that's not good, oh, not good at all. He's supposed to be at work."

"Yeah, I know. I found him in there a few times after work. One night, I ended up putting him in a taxi. I've never seen him so drunk before David."

"It's midday Robyn. I'm just pleased Mrs Beauchamp isn't here to see him like that. What will we do, he can't come back to work drunk."

"I don't know what we can do David. This isn't like him. I've never known to him to walk out of work either. And never drink during the day."

"What can we do?"

"Robyn shrugged, cover for him I guess. His shift finishes at four today."

"Right, ok. Um, how do we do that?" David asked her.

"Just say he's in a meeting."

"Right, ok. Um, who with?"

"Oh, um, maybe the head of radiography, he had a go at you earlier about it."

"Right, ok, got ya. Oh, and don't let Duffy know." David replied.

"Why?"

"She'll only blame herself."

"It's all her fault he's like this."

"Yeah, well, she doesn't need to know that does she."

"David."

"She messed up Robyn. She's living with the consequences of her actions too."

"I suppose."

"You forgave me." He added.

"Yeah, well, that was different, you weren't yourself then, you were off your meds."

"And Duffy wasn't herself either. She doesn't even know why it happened, and she hates the fact she has hurt him this much Robyn. I know how she feels."

"Yeah, well. She should have thought about it before shouldn't she."

"Robyn. She loves him, she always has. She's just scared that this is over for good between them. She just needs to tell him how she feels, how much she regrets it all, and explain it all to him."

"And how does she think she's going to get through to him?"

"That's the problem. She doesn't know how either."

"Oh."

"We need to do something."

"Like what?"

"I'll have a think about it."

"Good, well hurry up, because we have 25 minutes until we have to get Charlie from the pub, into a taxi and home, and back again all within an hour."

"Right, ok." David said, and nodded at her and walked off, in thought.

Robyn just frowned at him, and began to phone Charlie once again, no answer. She sighed, and continued working on the computer.

-x-