sweeet-as-honey: He was but I think we are going to see quite an angry side to him soon. I do feel so sorry for him though because he has basically lost everyone. Thanks for reviewing.

CBloom2: It will indeed, more to come.

HarryPotterHolbyAndHorses: Thanks for your lovely reviews, Cal is horrible in this story haha.

Chapter Sixteen

"Why am I here?" Lily whispered, as Connie led her towards Ben's office. "I said I was fine, there isn't anything wrong with me so I don't need to see Ben." Connie had to smile, as they stopped outside the office.

"I'm not saying there's anything wrong with you," she laughed. "It just might do you some good to have a chat with him."

"Chats are for little old ladies," Lily spat. "And I am not one of them."

"Humour me," Connie said. "This obsession with Cal is getting out of hand and I think Ethan's illness might be getting to you slightly as well. It's just for an hour and you won't even have to see him again, not if you don't want to."

"Fine," Lily sighed.

"Go on," Connie encouraged. "I'll talk to you later."

Lily faintly nodded and walked into the office, surprised to see Lofty standing in there. He looked different, for one he was wearing a suit and tie which was so unlike him. Lily looked back to the closed door and then back to Lofty in shock.

"Doctor Chao," he greeted, raising the mug of coffee that he was holding.

"Am...Am I in the wrong place?" She asked. "I'm here to see Ben."

"He'll be back in five," Lofty sighed.

Lily nodded and folded her arms awkwardly. "So, how's the training going?" She asked.

"Really well," Lofty said. "Ben is teaching me some stuff but I've enrolled onto this online course in grief counselling. It kind of feels nice, going back to college. I think I was really cut out to be doing this, instead of nursing."

"Well, sooner or later you'll be fully trained up," Lily said. "Is Ben going to be long?"

"No." Lofty shook his head. "Can I help at all?"

"This isn't something that you can really help with, Lofty," Lily said and caught Lofty glancing at her with his head on one side. "I...I'm late..." She stuttered in a quiet voice.

"Late for what?" Lofty shrugged at her.

"Late," Lily repeated and gave him a nod.

"Late for what?" Lofty asked in a louder voice.

Lily was beginning to lose her patience but the door suddenly opened and Ben walked in, looking pleased and as if he was expecting to see Lily there. Lily smiled back to be polite and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Mrs Beauchamp said that you were here," Ben said. "Lofty, if you would like to take your break. I just need to have a small chat with Lily." Lofty nodded and took his coffee with him, as he left the office. "So Lily, you seem to have a lot going on at the moment. What's wrong?"

Lily shrugged her shoulders and whispered, "no one believes me so why should you?"

"Try me," Ben teased.

"Cal's trying to take my child," Lily said, again in a soft whisper. "He...He's trying to take Ava."

"Now why would Cal want to do that?" Ben asked.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me," Lily scoffed and ran a hand through her hair. It was tangled and she was beginning to sweat. "No one else does so why the hell would you?"

"I'm just asking you a question, Lily," Ben said. "Why would Cal want to take Ava?" Lily didn't say anything, she couldn't tell him that she and Cal had slept together. "Lily, I can't help you if I don't know the reason."

"I don't know!" Lily lied. "Okay? I have no idea, he is trying to take her though and no one will believe me!" The door opened and Connie walked in. "Where's Ethan?" Lily snapped, lips pursed.

"I don't know." Connie shrugged. "Resus I think. Why? What's with the shouting?"

"Get him here," Lily ordered.

"Lily, he's working," Connie calmed her. "Sweetheart, what's going on?"

"Don't patronise me!" Lily yelled. "I'm fed up because Cal is out there trying to kidnap my baby girl and I...I can't do anything about it and no one else will believe me. I can barely sleep at night because I keep thinking that I'll wake up and find that Ava has gone!" Lily was in tears now, holding her hands to her face. "And what if...What if the same thing happens to...To this baby as well..."

Connie's eyes widened, as she realised that Lily was pregnant again.

"So that's why you were throwing up so much," was the only thing that Connie said. "Lily, we all know that hormones are natural during the time of pregnancy but..."

"It isn't my hormones," Lily defended. "Cal is trying to kidnap my little girl. I...I can't be around him anymore, I just can't. Please Mrs Beauchamp, he needs to leave."

"I am not going to lose a perfectly good doctor," Connie said. "Especially over something as silly and untrue as this."

"It is true!" Lily shouted.

"Lily, calm down," Ben put in. "We're just trying to understand things from your point of view, that's all."

"I just want my husband here," Lily mumbled. "Please."

Connie sighed and subtly exchanged a glance with Ben. She nodded faintly and held her hand out to Lily, who walked over and left the office with her. Connie placed a hand on her shoulder in silence and the two of them headed to resus, where Dylan and Rita were treating a patient with Ethan.

"Doctor Hardy," Connie whispered and Ethan looked over, surprised to see Lily. "Can we have a word?"

Ethan slammed his stethoscope down on the medical trolley and stormed out of resus, his lips pursed and his hands balled into fists. He could hardly look at Lily as the three of them left resus.

"What?" He asked, his head hung.

"They won't believe me," Lily cried. "About...Cal...Trying to take Ava..."

"We never said that!" Connie shouted at her. "We only asked you why."

"Ethan..." Lily whispered. "Talk to me..."

"Why?" Ethan soon looked up and made eye contact with Lily. "Are you finally thinking of telling me the truth?"

"What?" Lily asked at about the same time as Connie. "Ethan," Lily added with tears in her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"The truth about Ava's dad," Ethan elaborated. "When were you thinking of telling me that Cal could be her real father?"

"What is he talking about, Lily?" Connie asked.

"Cal isn't her dad," Lily whispered and hung her head, ignoring Connie's question completely.

"How do you know?" Ethan asked, beginning to choke up. "Have you even taken a DNA test? Do you even know who Ava's dad is?"

"Right," Connie sighed. "I think we need to take this to my office and talk privately, don't you?"

"Do you even understand how I must feel right now?" Ethan cried, his eyes on his wife. "You wanted a child but after you found out about my illness, you slept with Cal so that Ava wouldn't inherit it. Right?"

"That's not true," Lily sobbed. "Ethan, please."

"No, Lily!" Ethan shouted. "I...I might not be her dad, I love her and...She might not even belong to me."

"I don't want to take a test, Ethan," Lily cried. Connie sighed and chewed on the inside of her lip, as she hovered and watched the arguing couple. "I don't want to take a test because in my heart, I know that Ava is yours and more than anything I want her to be yours."

I do like my cliffhangers. Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been busy and I've recently got into Holby City so was catching up on some old episodes to help me understand it more, haha. I hope you liked the chapter x