This isn't the last chapter - there will be at least one more. Thank you for all your support with this so far.

CBloom2, I think Ethan might agree with you that he's not doing too well with apologising! He's tired and his head hurts and he doesn't quite know what he's saying. It's probably a good thing he's not treating many patients! Thank you for your review.

Teeloganroryflan, thank you for your review - I'm glad you're enjoying this. It's not going well for Ethan at all... perhaps the vomiting limo girls are the least of his worries!

Tanith Panic, I'm glad you think the story is different. While I've never written about hungover Ethan before, I'm sure it's not the first time I've used double entendres! I think Zoe is probably more annoyed with herself than with Ethan. Thank you for your review.

X-Sammii-X, thank you for your review. I didn't think Jez would be able to resist winding Ethan up. I think the others are all annoyed and/or freaked out, but Jez is just having fun! It is a shame Zoe had so few scenes with Ethan - I miss her already!

ETWentHome, thank you for your review. Ethan is trying really hard to make things up to everyone, but everything he says comes out wrong or is completely incomprehensible. I'm sure everything will be okay in the end... but this chapter isn't the end!

Thank you to s1436229 for the follow.

Ethan didn't think he was doing very well at this apology business. It looked like he really was becoming 'more Cal'. Cal wasn't very good at apologies either.

When Ethan saw Louise coming towards him, his first instinct was to run away (which just proved he was 'more Cal'), but he decided he'd better get it over with.

"Hey," said Ethan. "I'm sorry I was so rubbish last night."

Louise raised her eyebrows. "What have they been telling you?"

"All kinds of things," admitted Ethan. "All true as far as I can make out, but they made it sound much worse than it is."

"Welcome to the world of heavy drinking," said Louise.

"Anyway, Lily told me what really happened and I think I can take her word for it," said Ethan. "Louise, I'm so sorry for my clumsiness. I'm really not that good with my hands after a few drinks. I'm very happy to replace your clothes if they're damaged beyond repair."

Louise stared. "Did they tell you you tore the clothes from my body and ravished me in the middle of the pub?"

Ethan's stomach lurched. "Oh gosh. Did I really? Lily didn't mention that," said Ethan. "She said I knocked your drink over." His stomach lurched again. "Oh dear. I really don't feel very well."

Louise dragged him into an empty cubicle, sat him down on the bed and gave him a bowl.

"Just so you know, I don't feel sick because I'm thinking about you with no clothes on," said Ethan as he sat hunched over the bowl. Not that I am thinking about you with no clothes on. Not that I think you'd look horrible with no clothes on. I'm just… not thinking about it." Ethan breathed deeply and to his relief, his stomach began to settle. "Thanks. You did a very professional job there, Louise. But I suppose you have a lot of experience of dragging men into cubicles and throwing them into bed."

"Excuse me?" said Louise.

"I just mean you've been around the block a few times," said Ethan. "You've probably got more drunken men into bed than I've had hot dinners."

The next moment, his head was ringing even more than it had been previously.

"Did you just slap me?" said Ethan.

"Well, you obviously seem to think I'm a slapper," said Louise, and stalked out of the cubicle.

Ethan stared after her, holding his hand to his head. He'd really thought that, after his conversation with Lily, everything would be sorted out. But only Jez had taken his apology well and Ethan wasn't quite one hundred percent sure Jez had understood.

Ethan lay on the bed for a few minutes longer, then he left the cubicle. He was beginning to think that perhaps he should go home. He was sure he hadn't called Louise a slapper. He thought he'd complimented her on her nursing abilities. But everything seemed to be coming out wrong today.

"Dr Hardy," said a voice behind him.

"Mrs Beauchamp," said Ethan. "I'm so sorry about the pizza. I don't think I knew what I was doing when I suggested it, but that's no excuse."

"No, it's not," agreed Connie.

"I just really want to make the most of my life," said Ethan. "So I'm trying to be more like Cal. I don't think I'm very good at it yet."

"On the contrary," said Connie. "You're much too good at it. Be yourself, Dr Hardy. It's when you try to be someone else that you waste your life - because you're living Cal's life and not your own. You have the potential to become a first-rate consultant, but if you get drunk every night and show up at work in this sort of state, unwell and improperly attired – you don't really think sunglasses are suitable for work, Ethan? – then you'll be a registrar for the rest of your career and your potential will be wasted. Just think about it… and don't forget the £100. I won't charge extra for the good advice."

Ethan watched her go. She's right, he thought with a sigh. I suppose I just wanted a pizza the action. But maybe I knead to end these capers, get out of the Calzone and back into the Ethan-zone before I land myself in deep-dish and send my career down the pan-pizza. I'm just a big slice of pepper-phoney. My only crumb of comfort is that it's probably not too late to earn my crust.

Ethan struggled through his shift, which got worse when eight vomiting girls arrived in a limo and better when Cal bought him an old pair of glasses to wear. Cal offered to take over Ethan's shift and Ethan was tempted, but when Cal said: "That's what I'd do," Ethan had second thoughts. If Connie and Lily both said Ethan shouldn't 'be more Cal', they probably had a point.

"How is your shift going?" asked Lily when they met in the staff room.

"I think it's the worst shift I've ever had," said Ethan. "Apart from the ones where someone got murdered."

"Have you spoken to Mrs Beauchamp, Dr Hanna, Dr Keogh, Louise, and Jez?"

"Yes, I have," said Ethan. "And I think only four of them hate me now, though Jez seems to think there was an incident between us in the loo."

"I can't comment on that," admitted Lily. "But I did see you go in together and emerge some time later, smiling."

Ethan closed his eyes. "I'd better talk to him. I'd better talk to all of them! Except Mrs Beauchamp. She wants me to give her £100, but apart from that, she seems quite happy with me. I suppose I'd better find a cash point at lunch."

"I will find a cash point," said Lily. "You should stay here and rest. But I think you should tell me what went wrong with Dr Hanna, Dr Keogh, Louise and Jez."

Ethan rubbed his aching forehead and told Lily as much as he remembered of the conversation. "So they all seem to hate me."

"The situation with Dr Hanna is very awkward," said Lily. "But I think I understand her behaviour. She is embarrassed and that has made her sensitive. She has no interest in you and wants the reassurance of knowing you don't feel the same way, but at the same time, she feels rejected by your lack of interest."

"Oh dear," said Ethan. "I'm really not sure there's a way around that."

"Louise was offended because the compliments you paid her have unfortunate sexual connotations," said Lily. "While 'been around the block' can suggest that Louise is extremely good at her job (which, I must say, I think she is not), it also means that she has had numerous casual sexual partners. Your comments on her competence in getting you into a cubicle quickly were similarly-interpreted."

"Oh gosh. I didn't think of that," said Ethan unhappily. "I suppose I can see why she slapped me now."

Lily looked severe. "I can understand her desire to slap you, but acting on that desire is assaulting a member of staff and I would recommend that you report her if your turn of phrase hadn't been so unfortunate. With Dr Keogh, I believe the problem is that he doesn't know what your PIMP is. He doesn't know it's an acronym, therefore he took the word in its literal sense and has somehow come to the ridiculous conclusion that you're a male prostitute and you were attempting to recruit him to become a male prostitute also."

"Oh my goodness!" groaned Ethan.

"But I'm sure we can sort this out," said Lily. "Everyone knows you are not usually like this and I'm sure they understand your attempts to appreciate life more. Have a rest for five minutes and then we'll sort it all out."

Ethan lay on the sofa obediently. Lily brought him a cool cloth for his forehead, which helped a bit, and enquired about medication before telling him regretfully that she couldn't have another painkiller just yet. But she did give him a cup of tea and a plain biscuit to help settle his stomach.

Once Ethan had finished his tea, they left the staff room, almost walking into Zoe, who was clearly on her way in. She jumped away when she saw Ethan.

"I'm sorry," mumbled Ethan.

"Dr Hanna," said Lily. "It is not my business, but Ethan feels terrible about last night. He would have been perfectly willing to forget about it if he hadn't already done so. He values you as a colleague and a friend and does not want that to change. I believe it would be harmful for the ED if you allowed this to affect your working relationship."

"You're right," said Zoe, much to Ethan's relief. But then she continued: "It is not your business, Lily!"

Ethan rushed in quickly. "I'm sorry. I wanted to say it myself, but everything I say is coming out wrong today. We were both drunk last night and indulged in behaviour we both know is inadvisable. I really would like to move on. I think you're so beautiful, but I couldn't presume even to begin to think of you as... as anything other than a colleague and a friend. I respect and like you very much. I would be terribly sad if anything ruined that."

"I was so shocked this morning when Dylan told me what I'd done," admitted Zoe.

"I was shocked too," said Ethan. "I don't know why you'd go for someone like me! I'm really nothing special and I'm definitely not your type."

"I could do a lot worse," said Zoe. She laughed. "I have done a lot worse!"

"I've done a lot worse too," said Ethan. "Though when I say 'done', I don't literally mean… anyway, I really hope we can put this to bed and get on with it."

Zoe laughed even more. She patted Ethan's shoulder. "Yes, I really could do a lot worse. Are you okay, Ethan? You look a bit pale."

"I've got a banging headache," admitted Ethan. "But Lily's been seeing to me. Her bedside manner has really improved."

For some reason, this seemed to amuse Zoe too. "Thanks for being so understanding, Ethan. Now, take it easy for the rest of your shift, okay? Lily, whatever you're doing, keep it up."

Lily frowned as she watched Zoe go. "Keep what up?"

"The good work, I assume," said Ethan.

"I hope you're right," said Lily. "Come on, Ethan. Let's go and look for Dr Keogh and Louise."

Ethan didn't know whether he was relieved or disappointed when they found Dylan first. Lily marched up to him and put herself into his path. "Dr Keogh."

"Is there a problem, Dr Chao?"

"Yes," said Lily. "Ethan is not a male prostitute. His PIMP is not a person. It stands for positive internal mind projection. It helps him to deal with situations he finds mentally challenging. He thought it might help you too."

Dylan stared at Lily, then he turned to Ethan. "Help me with what?"

"With your OCD," said Lily.

"I don't have OCD," said Dylan. "Not anymore."

"But it isn't impossible it will return in difficult circumstances," said Ethan. "I just thought if I taught you my PIMP techniques, you will be more prepared if anything did arise. "

"If what arose?" said Dylan.

"You know. A..." Ethan closed his eyes. This hangover really wasn't helping his vocabulary. "A... thingy. I meant to say something about this ages ago. I've been thinking about it for weeks, but it never really came up."

"That's probably just as well," said Dylan drily. "Thank you for your offer, Ethan, and I'm very glad you explained – but I'm perfectly able to manage my own affairs."