-x- Chapter Five -x-

Charlie was sat up right, but then tried to stand up, moving his legs up, but he sighed, as he knew it was pointless he'd need help to get up.

"Fuck's sake." He exclaimed under his breath.

"Charlie!" Duffy quickly said to him in shock.

"What?!" He spat back at her, not looking at her.

"You, don't need to..."

"I can say what I damn well please, I'm bleeding Duffy. It's not just a cut. I think I've torn a vein." He slurred at her.

"Oh, um, right. Um...you'll need a tourniquet." Duffy froze momentarily, unsure what to do, or what to use.

"Oh, fucking hell." Charlie stuttered at her wincing in pain.

Duffy then turned to the barman, "um, I'm sorry, but, please could I have your tie?"

"My tie? Oh, um, right yeah." The barman replied, taking his tie off and handing it to her.

Duffy took it from him, and bent down in front of Charlie.

"Charlie, you're going to have to let me tie this off on you." She said, and looked at him frustrated, as he didn't move his left arm down. He held his arm up specifically to reduce the blood flow, and pressure, as his wound was just above the radial veins in the centre of his left forearm.

"Fine, ooooh." He flexed his arm downwards, and he winced in pain, squeezing the towel onto his arm to stem the bleeding.

Duffy quickly tied the tie around the top of his left arm into a knot. He then raised his arm up once again, still applying pressure to it with the towel.

"Better?" She asked.

"No." He winced again.

She sighed, and looked at him with concern.

"What's taking them so long?" He added.

Duffy sighed again.

Then the door flew open, and in walked Robyn, followed by David, with a wheelchair.

"Oh my God, Charlie! Are you ok?" Robyn said, as she looked shocked seeing him covered in blood, his hand wrapped in a bloodied towel, and glass everywhere.

"Do I look ok?" Charlie replied sarcastically, as he looked up at her. He momentarily caught a glimpse of Duffy, who hung her head and sighed at his abruptness.

"Um." Robyn just looked shocked at him, at his tone.

"Just get me up will you." He sighed, and tried to move, and winced again.

"Charlie, stay there, and we'll help you up into the chair." David added, as he tried to help.

Charlie sighed in annoyance, and frowned at David.

"Stop being difficult Charlie." Duffy added.

He sighed at her, and rolled his eyes.

Robyn, the opened the pressure dressing, and stood in front of Charlie.

"Let me put this on first Charlie." Robyn said, as she bent down.

He removed his hand from the towel, Robyn quickly applied the pressure dressing over the towel, to avoid dislodging any glass, or part of his wound, and tied off the dressing around his forearm.

"Now let's get you up." David said as he wheeled the chair behind Charlie.

Robyn at his left side, David at his right. Duffy then moved behind David, and held the chair ready for Charlie to sit down into it.

"Ready?" David said, as he looked at Robyn, and Duffy.

Charlie lifted up his injured left arm, and Robyn, placed her elbow under his armpit, David did the same at his right side.

"On three. 1, 2, 3. Lift." David said, and all three assisted Charlie onto his feet, and he then slumped back into the chair unsteadily.

"Bloody hell!" Charlie winced in pain once again.

"Right, let's get him back to the E.D., straight into resus. And someone find Elle when we get there." Duffy said, as she began to push him in the wheelchair.

"I can do that Duffy." David said, as he looked at her with concern.

Duffy just glared at him. David raised his eyebrows at her, understanding why she had to do it. He then nodded at her.

"Let him Duffy." Charlie said abruptly again.

"No. I'm taking you in." Duffy sighed again.

Charlie just sighed, it couldn't be bothered to argue any more, and held his hand to his arm once again.

"Come on then, I'm starting to bleed through this dressing."

"Right, come on then."

Duffy then wheeled him out of the pub, into the car park, ambulance bay, and into the E.D. ignoring the stares of colleagues, she wheeled him down towards resus.

"Where's Elle?" Duffy asked Louise, as she walked passed her.

"In resus, Duffy." She replied, as she looked at Charlie shocked, seeing the blood covering his uniform.

"Right, good." Duffy said, as she then pushed him down the corridor, and through the doors into resus.

"Charlie, when they said you'd injured yourself, I wasn't expecting this?" Elle said shocked, as she saw the blood on his uniform.

"It's not my fault, blame my wife!" Charlie replied, in annoyance, as he turned to look at Duffy.

"Charlie!?" Duffy replied in shock.

Charlie looked away from Duffy, and said to Elle, "Tell her to go. I don't want her here."

"Charlie, I can help." Duffy explained, taken aback by his comment.

"You've done enough damage." He spat back at her again.

She looked at Elle, and back at Charlie, seeing the anger etched on his face.

Elle looked at her worried, and gestured sorry with her hands.

Duffy sighed, as tears formed in her eyes. She then turned around and almost ran out of the door.

Robyn and David stood outside of resus and saw her reaction.

"Please just take care of him." She said, as she held back her tears, but her voice shook as she spoke.

Duffy then walked away down the corridor towards reception, and headed outside. She couldn't breathe, her chest was tight, tears filled her eyes, as she put her hand onto the side of the wall, trying to catch her breath. She fought back her tears, and ran hurriedly towards the peace garden away from everyone.

-o-

David followed Duffy outside, and came up behind her as he saw her breathing heavily.

"You're having a panic attack aren't you?" David said.

She turned to look at him, she breathed quickly, sharply, unable to control it, tears now rolling down her cheeks.

"Just take steady breaths Duffy, in, and out, in and out." He said

She responded, and tried to control herself, but it wasn't working.

He then placed his hands on her shoulders, she looked fearful, and stepped back from him, shaking her head.

"Nice, steady breaths Duffy. Take it easy. Nice deep breaths. Ok. I'm just trying to calm you down ok." David said, as he frowned with concern at her.

She cried again, and took long deeper breaths, within a few moments she managed to regain control of her breathing.

"That's it, that's it. Much better. Are you ok? What happened?" David asked her, as he tried to put his hand on her shoulder again.

She looked fearful of him once again, and stepped back.

"I, I, I can't do this. I can't stand him not wanting me. I need him too. And he just, just doesn't want to know."

David sighed, at her.

"He's just in pain Duffy."

"And I want to help him. I can't stand seeing him like that."

"He'll be ok."

"I don't think so do you?"

"It's just a flesh wound."

"I know that. But he wouldn't be that pub today if wasn't for me. I'm to blame. I've done that to him David. I've broken him. I've caused all that hurt, all that anger in him. Me. My fault. And I can't do a thing about it. He won't let me any where near him. It's just too much. I can't cope. Not without him David. Not without him!" She said, as she burst into tears once again.

"Oh, Duffy." He tried to touch her shoulder once again.

She just tapped him away.

"No, don't. I don't need sympathy. I just, I just can't do this. Not anymore." She said, as she turned on her heel and walked back into the E.D., she headed straight to the toilets. She locked the cubicle she found herself in, and sat on the toilet lid, and sobbed.

-x-