Hey guys, thank you for your patience for this chapter sorry it took so long. Hope it was worth wait.
Chapter 3 – The Funeral
Cal's prayers had not been answered, what with the fever knocking Ethan's recovery back there was no way he was strong enough to attend.
Cal himself was unable to go due to no one being able to cover his shift, he and Dr Chao were asked to stay behind and hold the fort.
Cal stood outside Ethan's door readying himself for a fight as he was going to tell Ethan under no circumstance was he going to the funeral, he just wasn't strong enough.
Cal took a deep breath and opened the door, Ethan smiled up at him wincing slightly as he moved, Cal spoke "Morning sunshine"
He stopped when he realized that Ethan was once again watching the video of the explosion in you tube, again.
"Ethan, kid, you need to read a book or watch a box set or something, because this, this is not healthy and it's not helping you"
Ethan shrugged before answering "Why would someone film that knowing he was still in there, I just don't get it"
He sniffed looking up and Cal and asking "So have you brought my suit?"
Cal closed his eyes before sitting on the side of Ethan bed and talking
"Ethan you're not well enough to go, I doubt you could stand for more than 5 minutes let alone walk, and I can't get the time off I have to cover here, so I can't even take you, I'm really sorry Ethan but you can't go, you're health is more important"
Ethan hung his head whispering "I need to go Cal, please"
Cal shook his head "listen I have to get down there I have patient to see, but if you need me let me know ok"
Ethan nodded and smiled as lofty entered as Cal was leaving.
Cal couldn't concentrate he, he wanted to be upstairs with his brother not down here treating patients that didn't want to be treated. He was lucky Ash called in and spotted a simple diagnosis which had he been on his A game instead of worrying about Ethan he would have spotted.
He walked in to Ethan's room in between patients and stopped, Ethan was nowhere to be seen.
After having a rant at the nurses on the ward who all swore they saw nothing he marched to the ED department cornering Lofty and shouted "What was in the bag you gave to my brother"
Lofty feeling hot under the collar swallowed and answered "A black suit, he asked me to pick it up for him"
Cal nodded "Lofty you're an idiot, he has just been in a serious accident, an accident that he was very lucky to survive, do you seriously think he is fit enough for a funeral"
Lofty looked to the ground and Cal walked off, trying not to panic he knew he couldn't leave the hospital until the shift was over, he just hoped Ethan would be ok.
After an hour of trying to get through to Ethan on the phone Cal was going out of his mind with worry and Dr Chao and Lofty although trying to keep him calm had had enough.
Dr Chao snapped "Cal, you can't do both"
Cal looked up from his phone frowning and muttered "What"
Lofty answered "You can't take care of your brother and the patients here Cal"
Just as Cal was going to answer Tess spoke from behind "let's get him seen too"
Cal turned and run when he saw how pale his brother looked though he was walking which was a good sign, Cal began to shout out directions to Lilly, who for once stayed quiet and watched as Cal gently led his brother into re-sus.
Once his Ethan was sitting comfortably on the side of the bed Cal looked at him and shook his head fighting down the anger and worry and trying hard not shout at Ethan who was visibly upset but not yet crying.
Cal was kneeling on the floor bringing himself level with Ethan's chest so he could check under the dressing when Dr Chao came in and Cal was a little surprised but let her continue to berate Ethan for his Stupidity at leaving the hospital
"I thought you had more brains than that, do you know how far you've set you recovery back Ethan, Do you, or how much Cal was worrying and me, huh or you just didn't care, of all the selfish, stupid things to do this takes the prize Ethan Hardy"
Cal who was checking the wound and was relieved when there didn't seem to be any further damage looked up when he felt something drop onto his hand and sighed looking up to see Tears cascading down Ethan's face, he tried to make eye contact with the younger man before speaking to Lilly
"Lilly that's enough, can you go and sort out an ECG so that we can rule out any damage, though I think he was lucky this time"
Lilly huffed as she was cut off mid-sentence but one look at Ethan's face and she did seem to look sorry, she heeded Cal's word and went to arrange an ECG.
When she left Cal took a seat by Ethan and brought his arms around him Ethan not being able to stop the tears hid his face from his colleagues by burying it in Cal's shoulder, he whispered to Cal
"I just needed to pay my respects, I needed to say goodbye"
Cal placed his chin on Top of Ethan's head and Ethan felt the nod before his brother spoke again
"she was just worried Ethan, we all were, just because we'd figured out where you'd gone didn't make it any easier, don't get yourself worked up, you're ok and Lilly will calm down"
Ethan sniffed before answering "I didn't mean to worry you, I just needed to be there, I needed to say sorry"
Cal sighed and looked at his colleagues he spoke to Lofty "Lofty can you tell Dr Chao not to bother with the ECG, I'm just going to take him back to his room" he pointedly looked at the remaining staff members who all got the look and emptied the room, leaving just Cal and Ethan
Cal tightened his hold on Ethan and spoke, Ethan jumped at the tone as it was a no nonsense, you better listen to me tone
"Ethan I am going to say this one more time, you are in no way to blame for this accident, or Jeff's death, you have got to stop blaming yourself, I don't know how many more ways I can say it"
Ethan sniffed "I just want to go to sleep can you take me to my room please"
Cal sighed torn between making Ethan understand that this wasn't his fault or letting Ethan sleep, he took a look at the younger man's face and decided to leave it for now Ethan needed to sleep and he knew that Ethan needed to be fully away for the logic to sink in his head.
Cal had already helped Ethan change and get comfortable in bed when Lilly Chao walked in with some food and a cup of tea for Ethan, Cal was about to speak Ethan beat him to it
"Lilly I know why you're really angry at me and it's ok, I blame me to"
Lilly taking note of Cal's shaking head sighed before saying "Ethan you are an idiot who can't see what's in front of him" she then stormed out of the room
Cal turned to leave knowing that Ethan wanted to sleep, but a small voice called him back
"Cal please stay, with me at least until I fall asleep" Cal nodded taking his place by the bed.
Ethan was a sleep within minutes, leaving Cal to think over the events of the day, coming up with a plan on how to make his little brother realize the accident was not his fault.
He kept his word and stayed all night and when Ethan woke after a nightmare it was Cal who calmed him down and soothed him back to sleep, Cal who was there in the morning when an irritable Ethan woke up and Cal who realized he needed to take drastic action to get Ethan out of this mood, he nodded to himself firmly accepting the challenge, before leaving a sleeping Ethan to start his shift.
