Chapter 3
I'm just rolling with it at this point, whatever happens with this story will be a surprise to us all because I don't know what I'm doing ... 👍 I do like a bit of drama though so be warned, this story might not be very accurate in regards to character personalities and all that jazz. Also, I am aware that Eddie might come across quite misogynistic in this story, the views that he expresses in regards to women and their mood swings are not my own views (although I can be a pretty hardcore nutter sometimes so maybe it's based on my own experience ...) Regardless, I mean no offence. Anyway I hope this is okay, if you have any suggestions about some things you would like to have included in this story let me know since I haven't really got a plot in my head, just making it up as I go.
Oh yeah, I've seen people do this with their stories so I'll give it a go *clears throat* I DON'T OWN CASUALTY OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS USED IN THIS STORY, IF I DID THERE WOULD BE A WHOLE LOT MORE OF CONNIE AND ELLE SITTING ON A BED IN A HOTEL ROOM TALKING SMACK ABOUT THEIR COLLEAGUES! (Seriously though, that was my favourite scene in the series so far, Connies impression of Ethan: bloody hilarious).
On with the chapter!
Alicia stood outside the E.D, the building that she had come to know so well looming over her like some terrifying monster, serving only to cause her distress. She averted her eyes to the doors of the E.D from where they had previously settled on the highest point of the building. Taking a deep breath and knowing that she would have to walk through those doors eventually, she steeled herself and began walking. It was too late to turn back now, it would just be cause for more embarrassment if anyone were to have seen her. In a haze of adrenaline and a small amount of residual fear, she made her way through the doors and into reception. She fought the urge to look around reception, knowing that if she caught the gaze of a familiar face she would likely buckle. She had one goal in that moment. Make it to the staff room and everything would be fine. Make it to the staff room and the rest of the world won't matter. For those brief moments she could allow herself to stop and breathe before facing the sift ahead.
As she reached the door leading into the staff room and pulled it open swiftly, if she was being honest maybe a little too aggressively, her breath caught in her throat. What if HE was in there? She might have been able to cope with anyone else, but if he was in there she didn't know what would happen. Yes, she was running on adrenaline and had more confidence than she had had before her ordeal, but there was still a lingering fear. She froze briefly in the doorway, scanning the room for the unwelcome presence. A huge breath she didn't know she was holding escaped her lips as she realised the room was empty. In that moment, she felt at ease. Maybe she could do this. Maybe she could even make it through her entire shift without seeing the person who had thrown her into this well of despair.
It only took her three short steps to get to her locker, where she proceeded to bury her head inside the cold metal walls and let herself breathe. Just 5 minutes. That was all the time she would allow herself to take before getting to work. She couldn't slack off, she was supposed to be moving past this. She was strong enough to do this, wasn't she? She wasn't sure. It was hard for her to accept that one night could change so much about herself. She wanted to be in love with her job again, to be the bubbly and enthusiastic doctor she once was, but so much as had changed in her mind in just a few short hours. This was the worst she had felt in a very long time, and even then she wasn't sure if any situation she had been in before could measure up to this. It just didn't seem real.
Pulling herself from her thoughts, she checked her phone and realised that two whole minutes had passed since her inner dialogue began. It was 10:30 now. Looking again at the time on her phone, she found herself wondering how no-one had noticed her coming in late. Was she really so invisible that no-one had noticed her walk into work almost an hour and a half late? It wasn't as if she made a habit of being late, surely someone must have something so say about it. Then again, maybe they just hadn't noticed. Maybe they just didn't care? That stung, but maybe she didn't deserve to feel hurt by it. Why should they care about her, especially now.
*BANG*
Alicias heart felt like it had burst from her chest. She moved faster than she had ever done in her life, turning to face the source of the noise and pressing her back up to the lockers behind her. In that moment she couldn't care less that there was a lock jammed into her back so hard it would definitely leave a mark. Her eyes were wide and her breath coming in shallow gasps. She needed to stop, to calm herself down before she had a full blown panic attack, but the person standing in front of her was preventing her from thinking clearly enough to even try to calm down. Steadying her breathing only slightly, she looked up slowly, fear clouding her mind, all traces of the adrenaline that had once fuelled her rage gone.
Eddie stood by the door, holding two paper cups containing what Alicia could only guess was coffee and smiling widely at her. Taking note of the state Alicia was in, his smile faltered slightly and a sheepish look came across his face.
'Oh uh, sorry. My hands are a bit full, couldn't control the door.' He said with a hint of amusement in his voice that made Alicias stomach flip. How could he be so relaxed and bloody happy after what he did? She looked at the coffee in his hands, unable to bring herself to look into his eyes. Taking this as some kind of hint, Eddie moved forward quickly, reaching out his hand to give Alicia one of the coffee cups he was holding .
His movements were too fast. Panic rose in Alicias chest as she violently lurched backwards into the lockers, hitting her head hard in the process.
'Woah careful! What did you do that for?' Eddie half shouted, surprise and a hint of concern in his voice. He pulled his hand back and made another move forwards, setting the coffees down on the counter to his left before making his way quickly to her side, moving to prise her hand from the back of her head where she had instinctively raised it following the impact.
Alicia was hunched over, clutching her head and feeling slightly dazed, bus as soon as she had felt him touch her, she shrieked and jumped away as fast as she could. She hated being so jumpy, hated feeling the fear rise inside of her at the mere sight of him, but she couldn't help it. Seeing him for the first time since IT happened was more of a shock than she thought it would be. She was panicking again, she could feel her heart start to race once more and her breathing becoming shallow. Her eyes were filling with tears, partly from the shock and panic but also from the stinging pain in her head. It was all becoming too much too fast once more. She thought she could handle this but apparently not. She couldn't so this. She had to leave.
She pushed Eddies advances as he once again attempted to reach for her. God, could he not take a hint? She could hear him speaking, but she was too focused on getting the hell away from him to listen to what he was saying. Her mind was racing, it felt as if her head was filled with sand and the tears filling her eyes were making it almost impossible to see, but she pushed through it. She just needed to leave. She stumbled slightly as she rushed towards the door, leaving her locker door wide open and her phone on the counter. Pulling the door to the staff room open rather aggressively for the second time in the space of fifteen minutes, she tumbled through the door way, the fuzziness in her head and her desperation to catch a full breath throwing off her balance and making her actions desperate and clumsy.
As she barrelled forwards, she felt herself collide with something, but she didn't care. She needed to get out, that was all she could think about right now. She felt thin hands wrap around the tops of her arms in an attempt to hold her upright as she tumbled once more. Quickly finding her balance, she pulled away from the tight grasp of the hands, to whom they belonged she had no idea, and ran as fast as she could towards the entrance of the E.D.
Tears still streaming steadily down her face and her breath catching painfully in her chest as she struggled to run through her mounting panic, she made it out of the E.D. She couldn't stop though. What if he was following her? She kept running. She didn't know where she was going. She never seemed to know where she was going anymore. For now, anywhere away from the E.D, away from HIM, would be fine.
Meanwhile, back in the E.D, two figures stood completely still, looks of complete and utter shock plastered across both of their faces. Eddie was still standing in the staff room, looking through the doorway at the place he had last seen Alicia, terrified and struggling to get away. From him? No, why would she want to get away from him? He hadn't done anything to her. Last he'd seen her was last night, and how could something that felt so good, for both of them he was sure, make her act this way towards him. Maybe she was having a bad day? That seemed like a plausible explanation, after all, girls get this way don't they. At least once a month anyway. Quickly getting over the shock of the previous few minutes events, he chuckled to himself, letting his mind go over various different times he had encountered this strange behaviour in the women in his life. Granted many of those women had never acted as crazy as Alicia had just done, but he wasn't going to get into it. He was a doctor, he had more important things to worry about right now.
As he stood there, hand cupping the back of his neck while his other hand rested on his hip, he sighed and looked to the only other person in the vicinity, it seemed the only other person who had taken any notice of the events at all. She was looking in the direction that Alicia had just run, seemingly debating whether to go after her. She must of decided against it, instead looking for answers in the doctor standing behind her. As Eddie met her gaze, he noted the confusion on her face and the questioning look she flashed him before speaking.
'Dr. McAllister, would you care to explain to me what on earth is going on?'
The cool, icy tone of one Ms. Connie Beauchamp never failed to make him sweat.
