JUDGED FOUR
A/N O/C characters in this chapter. I've also changed Ethan's occupation to an admin worker as I don't want every character to have a medical background. Trigger warning: Suicide mention.
Ethan Hardy was the archetypal "sweet old-fashioned man." He still believed in holding the door open for a lady; he liked to use 'please' and 'thank you' as much as possible and he dreamed of finding a helpless young woman to protect. That would have fulfilled all his fantasies.
His brother Cal, who was older, taller and more streetwise, used to mock him. But the mockery would only go so far; Cal would always fight in his younger brother's corner. When a bully had attacked Ethan in the yard of the Infant School he'd attended, Cal had climbed over the fence that separated Infants and Juniors and had punched the bully. The brothers would argue, certainly, having different views on life, but would always make up their differences and be there for each other.
Except this time.
"She's married, Ethan."
"Don't be a hypocrite, Caleb. You can't say you've never had a night with a married woman."
"Well, yes, but – there's something I don't like about Monika. I just get the feeling she'd eat you up and spit you out if she got the chance.
Ethan had met Monika at the cinema one wet afternoon. The film had been one of those 'indie' types with a surreal plot and low-budget actors, but Ethan had really enjoyed it. As he walked out after the film, he realised somebody was walking next to him.
"Did you enjoy it?" she'd asked.
Ethan had turned to see the beautiful redhead smiling quizzically at him.
"It was wonderful" he said passionately.
She hadn't enjoyed it so much and had pointed out the film's flaws until she'd seen the hurt in his face.
"Hey, don't take it to heart" she'd said gently.
He'd ended up buying her dinner and arranging to see her later in the week. This time they'd gone to the theatre and both loved the play.
Ethan couldn't wait to introduce her to Cal.
"Right, here we go" Ethan smiled as he rung the doorbell. Cal answered within minutes, and the smile froze on his face as he saw Monika. Monika mirrored his expression for a moment, then relaxed a little. To be fair Cal kept up the easy chat throughout the evening and served dinner with an open, friendly manner. Then he'd said casually:
"Help me wash up, Nibbles? We'll not be long, Monika."
"Can I help?" she smiled.
"No, you're the guest! You relax… I'll put you some music on."
And leaving Monika to enjoy the soothing classical sound, he steered Ethan into the kitchen.
"Nibbles… she's married."
"You don't know that."
"I do, honestly. She brought her husband in to the ED last week. He's in a wheelchair, Nibbles, and he's a lot older than she is."
"You can't prove he's her husband!"
"I read his notes - and she referred to him as her husband."
Ethan was devastated. He'd really hoped that Monika would have a special place in his life.
"Shall I have it out with her now?"
"No; we'll wind up the evening after drinks – I can always say that I'm on early shift tomorrow. But you should tackle her about this, Ethan. If she's cheating on some disabled guy with you, it's pretty shabby."
"I'll ask her out again and get to the bottom of it all."
Cal frowned.
"Better to phone her so she doesn't work her charm on you."
Ethan glared at him.
"You might think it's fine to break off a relationship over the phone but I don't!"
"I'll ignore that comment. We might as well be civilised until the lady's gone home."
Ethan asked Monika out again and as tactfully as he could, mentioned what Cal had told him.
She'd begun to cry.
"Denis might look harmless, Ethan, but he's a bully. If he weren't in that wheelchair I dread to think what he could do to me… and he has friends. The kind of friends who track people down and beat them half to death. I'm scared to leave him!"
"Why didn't you tell me you were married?" he asked sadly.
"I didn't want to lose you" she murmured into his warm skin.
"Could you find some way to leave him?" he asked urgently, "I'd find some way to protect you from him."
"I'm too frightened to make that move, darling. Let's just enjoy what we have, please?"
"You're still with her" Cal snapped a month later.
"Yes, as if it's your business."
"He's one of my patients. I don't like to think of somebody I'm treating being messed around by my own brother."
"It's a bit late for you to start playing the saint, Cal."
Cal had walked out, telling Ethan to get his life together.
Two nights afterwards, Monika had called Ethan, saying it had to end. She was too afraid of Denis.
Cal had been kind but relieved when a shame-faced Ethan had phoned him. He saw that Ethan was trying to pull himself together and had booked seats at the opera, which Ethan loved, for Ethan and himself. Ethan loved the first act, though Cal was bored, and suggested a little liquid refreshment in the interval.
As they walked into the plush bar, Ethan saw Monika and his heart turned over. It began to beat rapidly as he realised she was with Denis, and looked anything but terrified of him. She and her husband were kissing passionately. Ethan moved closer, hoping he couldn't be seen, and heard them talking:
"You play some evil little games, my darling."
"Ah, he's young. He'll get over it. He swallowed my story about your abusing me so greedily, bless him."
Ethan went white with anger. Cal tried to restrain him but Ethan was too hurt and distressed to listen to reason. Shaking off Cal's arm, he smashed his glass on the table. As a member of staff ran to clean up, Ethan advanced on Monika, holding out the jagged glass towards her face.
"You little slut – you cruel little slut- I should mark you so you don't hurt another man."
Then he dropped the glass, sobbing.
"You'll be sorry you threatened my wife" Denis hissed at him.
Cal led him away, hurried him into a taxi and got them both home. Despite the rift between himself and his brother, he sat up all night with Ethan, letting him cry all the pain out of his system.
They expected Denis to follow up his words with a visit from the police, but it didn't happen. Gradually Ethan's heart and mind healed and he was able to recover his life.
It happened so simply and brutally. Cal and Ethan were walking home happily from a meal and a brotherly chat when the car came down the narrow street. Cal's reflex action was to push Ethan out of the way. The car hit Cal full-on and he died later in the ambulance. Denis had meant what he'd said and had alerted one of his 'friends'.
Ethan, devoured by guilt, tried therapy and it worked for a while. But the memories of what he'd done were too much. Not having seen Ethan for a couple of days, a neighbour went to check on him.
He saw Ethan through the window from the back, looking as if he were staring into space. When he finally decided to break down the door and eter the front way he saw the amount of blood, and Ethan's slashed wrists.
"I killed my brother" Ethan sighed.
"You didn't kill him" Max began kindly. David looked through Max as if he didn't exist.
"Your obsession with the woman killed him" David replied bluntly, "You caused his death."
Ethan hung his head like a child who'd been reprimanded.
David's gaze fell on Robyn.
"Speak" he said simply.
