They had been sat in silence for about 10 minutes before either one of them spoke.
"You said you should have been a better son…" Ethan started.
"Don't." Cal interrupted.
"Why say that?" He asked ignoring his brother.
"Why do you think Ethan?" Cal sighed looking at him finally. "I didn't see her for so long… almost two years and in that time she got so ill I couldn't recognise her when I finally showed up. She didn't even know I was there she was so dosed up on drugs."
"She had cancer Caleb. You know she did and you didn't bother to visit until the end." Ethan said looking down. "But that is what she loved about you, you could always put up that barrier and forget what hardships there might be and just get on with your life. I couldn't and she was always having a go at me for it."
"What do you mean having a go at you?" Cal frowned.
"Telling me I should be working in a hospital doing what I love instead of working in research. I only did the research so I could do it from the hospice.2 He laughed slightly. "She always said I should be more like you…"
Cal shook his head. "I stayed as far away as possible and you stayed as close as possible. Maybe we should have just both been somewhere in the middle ey?"
Ethan nodded gently.
"I said a lot of things last night Ethan, but don't make me sit and go through it with you. I said it, it's been said. Now let's leave it there yeah?" Cal pleaded.
Ethan smiled slightly in agreement. "I just want to go home now…"
"You're not well enough, just a few more days rest and you can." Cal told him receiving a defeated sigh from his brother.
"I can lay here for a few days Cal. I'll go crazy." He complained
"I'll take you out for some air, in a wheelchair though." Cal suggested and Ethan smiled and gave a nod.
Cal went to get a wheel chair and returned to help Ethan out of bed, which he was not best pleased about. Ethan was in agony and Cal could tell by the look on his brother's face that he was in a lot of discomfort.
"Maybe you should just stay in bed for now, you're in no fit state…" Cal begun.
"I am getting out of this room for an hour or so if it's the last thing I do." Ethan interrupted him angrily whilst gasping in pain as he sat in the wheel chair.
Cal got the oxygen mask and placed it over Ethan's face to help him get his breathing back to normal. After a few deep breaths Ethan batted the mask away.
"I'm fine." He said and relaxed his body as best he could and allowed Cal to wheel him through the ED and outside.
Feeling the cold breeze Ethan shivered slightly but braced it as he was wheeled to the peace garden by his brother. He smiled a little as the chair was stopped beside a bench and Cal took a seat beside him.
"Is that better?" Cal asked.
Ethan nodded. "Much. Don't come out here very often. Probably should it's not that bad."
Cal smiled. "Yeah, it's alright. Good place to sit and think I find."
"You? Think?" Ethan chuckled.
"You'd be surprised you know." Cal looked at him. "I do a lot of thinking, doesn't mean it's any good but I do it."
"I would be carful, might do yourself an injury." Ethan smiled.
"Say's the one in a wheel chair." Cal joked.
As the brother's joked Connie approached them. "I don't think you should be out here doctor Hardy." She spoke without her usual bossy tone.
"I'll be going back in soon Mrs Beauchamp, I just needed some air." He replied nervously.
"Well at least you're feeling a bit better. I have to tell you both though, there was an explosion at the site." She sighed sadly.
"Explosion? I thought everyone was out though right?" Cal asked.
Connie shook her head sadly. "Jeff… he was still inside."
Cal stared at her as Ethan just looked down in shock.
"I thought you should know." Connie finished and left them to it.
"I want to go back in now." Ethan spoke quietly.
Cal didn't argue or even speak. He stood up and pushed his brother back through the ED and back to his room.
