Cal opened the door to the public toilet and saw his girlfriend teary eyed and looking very rough. What struck him most was the knife sticking in her leg. "Wh...what happened?" He stuttered.
"I...I am so...sorry, Cal." She managed to get out through her sobs. "These men...I...er...I got involved with...with the wrong people..." She admitted, trying to contain her crying.
"You need to get to a hospital..." Cal started, but Taylor had other ideas.
"No, please. I don't want to. Please." Cal could hear the desperation in her voice, but he couldn't treat her. His hangover hadn't subsided and his hands were shaking. He needed another doctor, and dare he say it, Ethan was the only person who he felt could come.
Ethan pulled out his phone after it started ringing and saw Cal was calling. As much as he didn't want to, he answered. "Ethan, please come. Taylor's hurt, please. I need you." Cal pleaded. Ethan didn't want to help Taylor or Cal, for that matter, but Cal needed help and at the end of the day, Cal was his brother. Ethan agreed to help Cal and loaded both his and Cal's patients on Zoe who didn't have the chance to object. Before meeting Cal and Taylor, though, there was one more thing Ethan had to do. He unlocked his phone and dialled 999.
The look on Cal's face when he saw Ethan arrive was between gratitude and dread- probably because of what Ethan would do when he came face to face with Taylor. Surprisingly, facing Taylor didn't seem to faze Ethan one bit as he examined her leg. "You need to be in a hospital, Taylor." Ethan tried to persuade her. She shook her head vigorously. "Well, at least sit in my car. It's warmer and I may be able to treat you better." He tried. She nodded reluctantly and Ethan helped her stand up. Cal was stood stock still as he saw two police officers making their way over to them. Immediately he knew this was Ethan's doing and felt nothing but hate for his younger brother.
Taylor too noticed the two police offers, but they had reached where she was and there was no escape as they arrested her. "Taylor Ashbie, I am arresting you on suspicion of theft and fraud. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence against you. Do you understand?" Taylor nodded her head, defeated. She stared at Ethan hatefully, as did Cal. Ethan knew they were going to go to the hospital because of the knife, but it was done. Taylor was arrested.
Taylor was taken away, and Cal found the energy to move from his shock created position in the direction of Taylor, all the while trying to speak to her. The police officers stopped with Taylor to look at a very irate and desperate Cal. Ethan had managed to get in front of Cal and try and stop him. Ethan's arms kept being batted away and Cal approached Taylor. Ethan pushed an angry Cal back and Cal finally stopped to face his brother. "What did you do that for?!"
"Cal, she's a criminal. She stole money..." Ethan couldn't continue for a very mad Cal had interrupted him.
"I was going to get your money back." Cal spoke as calmly as he could, in the background seeing Taylor being put in the back of a police car. Ethan shook his head, not believing Cal. This time, Cal raised his voice. "God! I was going to get your money back!" He shouted into Ethan's face. Ethan knew that it was very probable Cal was lying to him. On top of everything else that happened, Ethan couldn't trust Cal one bit, and it was Ethan's turn to crash and burn. Everything that had happened between them, and recent events, he lost it.
Ethan lashed out and he and Cal got into a full on fight, neither one realising properly who they were fighting. They pushed each other, grabbed each other's tops, hit each other multiple times. Cal managed to get Ethan to the ground and pin his shoulders, something neither of them were expecting. Cal had never held Ethan down before. That was when they both realised just who they were fighting. "What's wrong with you!" Ethan shouted. He realised what happened but Cal wouldn't loosen his grip. However, those words brought him back to reality and his face turned to one of embarrassment. He let go of Ethan and fell backwards, bringing his knees up to his chest while Ethan assumed the same position as him. One of the police officers approached them, but neither of them looked towards him.
"We're taking her to Holby City ED, do you want to follow on?" He asked. After seeing that scene unfold in front of him, he wondered what either of them would do. Ethan nodded.
"Come on, Cal. I'll drive." As much as both of them hated being in the same car as one another, Ethan had to get back to work, and Cal wanted to see Taylor, and it would be much quicker than a taxi.
Arriving at the ED meant Ethan got out of the car and made a speedy getaway to the staff room leaving Cal the keys to lock the car. Cal watched as his arrested girlfriend hobbled out of the back of a police car, handcuffed to one of the officers, with a knife sticking out of her leg. He slowly made his way out of the car and locked it, following solemnly behind Taylor and the two police officers.
Stunned was not the word to describe when the staff of Holby City ED were feeling. They had known about Cal and Ethan rushing off to Taylor, but what they didn't expect was to see an injured and handcuffed Taylor, a quick flash of Ethan as he darted by, and Cal looking like a puppy who'd just been kicked.
Rita walked into the staff room surprised to see Ethan looking just as broken as Cal. She took a seat next to him but he didn't look at her, instead, he stared straight ahead and spoke to thin air. "Cal will never forgive me." He admitted.
"He will, Ethan. In time. In all honesty, what he did was pretty unforgivable as well. I'd say you were even." She consoled him. Ethan shook his head and sighed.
"He would do anything for that woman, and I got the police on her." This time, Ethan faced her. "I may have also started a fight between us." He spoke cautiously.
"You and Cal had a fight?" She couldn't quite believe it, especially Ethan in a fight. He nodded solemnly.
"A full on fist fight. I swear for a minute it was like I didn't know who I was or who I was fighting. By the look on Cal's face, he thought the same thing..." Ethan told her, wondering how she would react.
"Anger does funny things to people. I'm sure you two will be fine soon." She tried to tell him. He nodded although Rita knew he didn't quite believe it.
A stitched up Taylor was ready to be discharged into custody and deep down, Cal knew this was right. He wanted to tell Ethan that he was right to call the police, but Cal couldn't help feeling guilty and angry towards his brother. He stole Ethan's money, taken their mother's ring that she left to Ethan, undermined him because he was hurting, and all the while Ethan was hurt as well. The number of feelings both brother's had swimming around in them was unheard of.
Taylor mouthed an apology to Cal as she was taken away. He smiled slightly but noticed Ethan approaching him. His face instantly dropped as he tried to predict the conversation to come, hoping it wouldn't end uo with one of them pinned down. "Cal...I...I am sorry..." Ethan told him tentatively, not making eye contact with his brother. Neither Cal nor Ethan were aware of the watchful eyes that landed upon them.
"Me too. I'm sorry for being a right idiot and not seeing what was right in front of me. Taylor was special...when she wasn't... conning me..." Cal replied, trailing off a little at the end.
"Sorry for... er... starting that fight..." Ethan laughed a little. Although he was the one to start the fight, he lost it at the end. Cal drew Ethan into a mocking hug, but both brothers relaxed into it and it was a proper hug, one they hadn't had in donkey's years. The staff looked on astounded at both Ethan and Cal, and both of them knew that although it would take time, they would be proper brothers again.
Okay, bit mushier than expected at the end, but who doesn't like brotherly mushiness...
I discovered something weird as well... I was casually scrolling through Tumblr when I was bored, and I discovered a picture that someone posted of Ethan's hospital notes from Series 29 Episode 5- Born Lucky which showed Ethan's Birth Date. First of all, his name was spelt Eathan…but second, it showed it was 20 March 1985.
Then in Series 29 Episode 25- Toxic Relationships, when Cal tries to take out a loan, he types his birthday in as 12 February 1986. This would make him one year YOUNGER than Ethan…looks like Casualty forgot how old they made them…
Thank you for the reviews on the previous chapter! I'm just curious- who cannot wait until tonight's episode (Series 29 Episode 28- Under Pressure)
Thank you for reading and a review would be greatly appreciated!