Thank you for saying you'd like another chapter! I tried to write one, but it was twice the length it needed to be, so I'm afraid it's going to be two new chapters. But after I've posted both chapters, it really will be properly over.
So this is the Epilogue Part 1. All the scenes are set a few months after the helicopter crash.
Bonnie Sveen Fan, thank you for your review. You said you wanted another chapter, so I hope you won't mind that I've written two! I'm glad you enjoyed the last (even though it wasn't actually the last!) chapter.
Casualtyfan, thank you for your review. I have written a scene for Ethan and Alicia in this chapter and they're in the other chapter too. I hope you like it. I wasn't planning on getting Ethan and Alicia together (I'm afraid I don't like them as a couple), but sometimes the characters have their own ideas about what should happen!
Guest, thank you for your review. I'm afraid there's no Zax in this chapter as there wasn't room for everyone, but I hope you'll like the next chapter. I could only ever have ended this story with Zax getting back together. Anything else would just be wrong!
Tanith Panic, I wondered too about leaving you all to imagine what you wanted to happen next, but a lot of the storylines were slightly up in the air with a lot of unanswered questions like whether or not Cal could be able to keep Matilda, so I felt like I should try to resolve some of them. Thank you for your review.
20BlueRoses, thank you for your review. I really was in two minds about writing another chapter - or actually three minds, as I also considered posting it as a short sequel! I really hope I've made the right choice and that the ending isn't too sentimental. I'm really happy you like the way I've developed the characters.
totti10, thank you for your review. That's exactly how I imagined Iain and Rita's hand-holding too. I'm so glad you were happy with Rita and Iain's ending, even though it's not quite the ending! I really hope you'll like the scene I've written for them in this chapter. Thank you for following me - I hope to start the new story fairly soon.
InfinityAndOne, I wasn't overly keen on the Nibbles explanation - it wasn't quite convincing for me and it didn't seem like the sort of thing Ethan would tell a girl he really liked. But the idea of him playing Hospitals was so adorable! I'm so happy you felt the togetherness of the staff as I really did want to show that. Thank you for your review.
X-Sammii-X, I love (and really miss) the friendship between Zoe and Connie. It's sweet when people become instant friends, but I've loved watching firstly the respect and then the affection slowly growing between them. I think Cal's nickname for Matilda is cute, but I can see why Alicia was confused! Thank you for your review.
Thank you to totti10 for the favourite.
Cal shook his head in disbelief as he, Louise and Lily walked towards the restaurant. "I can't believe this is really happening."
"Well, don't get used to it," said Louise. "The only reason Lily and I are going out with you is to give Ethan some space."
"If you think this is a threesome date, Caleb," said Lily, sounding not unlike a certain clinical lead he knew, "perhaps you will allow me to correct you. It's not."
Cal couldn't blame Louise and Lily for jumping to that conclusion. They'd known him for nearly three years; they knew what he was like.
Or what he used to be like.
"Don't flatter yourselves!" he said, laughing. "I know you're only doing this for Ethan and I know this isn't a date. I meant I can't believe I'm taking my little Matilda to her first restaurant!" He looked down adoringly at the little girl in his arms.
His little girl.
Cal still sometimes woke up and thought it was a dream. He'd had no right to look after Matilda, after all, and her adoptive family did have some living relatives, if distant ones. Even when they'd made it clear there was no room in their lives for an unwell baby girl, Cal had known his chances were small with so many people on the waiting list for adoption.
But Matilda's obvious attachment to Cal, as well as his medical qualifications and surprisingly unblemished record had swung it in his favour.
Now he was Matilda's dad again - and he always would be.
"Dada!" said Matilda. "Dada!"
He didn't think he'd ever get used to how wonderful that sounded.
"We're going to have the best time, Toad," he said emotionally. "Everyone in the restaurant is going to look at you and feel jealous I've got such a beautiful daughter. I'm so proud of you, Matilda. And I know your grannies would be really proud too."
Ethan handed Alicia a drink and sat beside her, wondering why he was still so shy after all the time they'd spent together. "Are you sure you're comfortable? Please don't suffer out of politeness. If you need more cushions or if you'd like to try a different chair…" Alicia had been out of hospital for a while now and would be going back to work on reduced shifts soon, but he knew she still sometimes got headaches and backache.
Alicia smiled at him and Ethan's heart metaphorically flipped. "I'm fine, thanks, Ethan. I'm very comfortable here. Really."
Ethan smiled back, probably too widely, but he couldn't help himself. "I'm so glad you came."
"Me too," said Alicia. "Thank you for inviting me."
"You're welcome," said Ethan. He was still smiling, but then came the frustration. "No. This is wrong. This is all wrong!"
Alicia's smile vanished and her face filled with hurt. She quickly smiled again to hide it. "It's okay, Ethan. I can go." Her voice trembled. "It's fine."
"No… oh gosh…. I didn't mean…" Ethan was horrified he'd upset her. It was the very last thing he wanted. "Alicia, I'm so sorry. I just meant that I was being so formal and that's ridiculous when we're such good friends. I'm just so nervous because I wanted to tell you… oh, Alicia, you know what I want to tell you, don't you? I'm in love with you and I always have been and getting to know you over the past couple of months has only made me love you even more. The way you smile; the way you laugh; the way you make me feel I can get through even the toughest days when you're there beside me… please say you feel the same way, Alicia. Unless you don't, in which case, please just tell me because I honestly am so lucky just to be your friend."
Alicia's eyes filled with tears.
"Alicia? I'm so sorry... I didn't mean..."
She threw herself into his arms. "Of course I love you, Ethan! Of course I do."
Rita was shaking as Iain unlocked the door. She'd cried in the car and he'd held her so tightly, she could almost still feel the imprint of his arms around her now.
But she still felt naked and exposed and she didn't know when the feeling would fade.
Iain put his arm around her and they walked slowly into the living room. Iain said nothing, but Rita felt his firm grip on her arms and felt the warmth of him; the solidness.
She wasn't all right. She was far from all right. But it would be so much worse if Iain wasn't there.
Iain helped her to sit down. He put his arms around her and held her gently, as though she really was as fragile as she felt. One hand came up to stroke her hair. And Rita began to feel different.
It felt as though the strength was flowing from his hand into her body. Her quick, anxious breaths began to calm. Her heartbeat slowed. It still surprised her that Iain could have this effect on her when he could do completely the opposite just by looking at her.
"You did so well today, Rita," said Iain, and his voice seemed almost to be throbbing. "I'm so proud of you."
"I feel so…" Rita couldn't put it into words.
"I know," said Iain. "I felt that way too. Standing up and admitting to a group of people what you've done is one of the most terrifying things. Because you know that if they - the people who've actually been through something similar - don't understand, what chance is there that anyone else would? I'd almost rather have faced a firing squad than let you face that today, but it needed to happen, Rita. You had to take this step – and you did it."
"And... they understood," said Rita, still not quite able to believe it.
Iain nodded. "They did. As I always believed they would. The only thing that worried me was how you'd feel when you were telling them."
Rita shuddered a little as she remembered that moment; of standing up to face the group who'd supported her for the last month but hadn't yet known the whole truth. She hadn't wanted to lose them, but she'd been so afraid.
But then she'd felt Iain's hand take hers and she'd known that she could do this; that even if they scorned and rejected her, she would still have Iain.
She'd been stunned by their reaction. They'd accepted her. Supported her. Understood her.
She didn't feel gratitude yet. She was too shocked. Still recovering from the ordeal of telling them everything.
But she knew the gratitude would come. It would overwhelm her.
They understood the terrible things she'd done... and now they wanted to help her.
Just like Iain.
She looked at him, taking his face in her hands and wondering how she could have deserved him.
"I love you, Rita," said Iain, his gaze warming her.
"I love you too," said Rita, and for the first time since she'd stood up to speak, she smiled.
"And I'm always going to love you," promised Iain. "Always."
David checked his watch anxiously. He didn't know why. Rosa wasn't late. If she arrived now, she'd be ten minutes early. But he couldn't help worrying.
Forging a relationship with his son had been difficult. Rosa's objections had only made it more difficult for both of them, though David understood absolutely. She wanted to know her son was safe and he understood that because he wanted exactly the same thing.
Amira slipped her hand into his. "It's going to be fine."
David knew she was right. He and Oliver had seen each other regularly over the past couple of months. This wasn't even their first unsupervised visit. But the time they'd spent together had only increased David's love for him as he discovered so much more about his son.
But the fear hadn't gone away. He'd lost Oliver once. He knew he could lose him again.
The doors to the ED opened and Rosa and Oliver entered. Oliver's gaze eagerly scanned the ED. When his eyes locked with David, a grin lit up his face and he rushed forward. He wasn't supposed to run in the ED and he knew that, but David saw the excitement on his face – the excitement at seeing David – and didn't reprimand him. He caught his son in his arms and hugged him tightly.
"Hi, Dad!" said Oliver. "Hi, Amira!"
Amira smiled. "Hi, Oliver."
"Would you like to come out with us today?" asked Oliver. "I know my dad would like it."
David blushed and for a moment, he thought he'd rather be anywhere in the world but here.
Then he realised that wasn't true. He was in the same place as Oliver and there was no better place in the world than that.
Jacob's hand closed over Connie's. "She'll be fine."
"You don't know that." Connie's anxious gaze met his. "She's still very sick, Jacob. Anything could happen."
"It could – but it won't," said Jacob. "You need this time, Connie. You can't be on call for Grace 24/7. But she'll be fine with Robyn. She's a trained nurse."
"But I'm her mother," said Connie in a low voice. "It just feels wrong, Jacob. I feel like I should be there with her."
"And I bet you felt exactly the same the first time you left her when she was a baby," said Jacob. "It probably feels a bit like you've had one of your high heels cut off. But you got used to it then and you'll get used to it now."
Connie looked slightly embarrassed. "I know it doesn't make sense. When I think how long it took me to be comfortable with having Grace at home…"
"Of course it makes sense," said Jacob. "I get how you're feeling. But you need to relax tonight – and I'm going to see that you do."
Some of the old fire returned to Connie's eyes. "Then I trust you don't have anything overly physical planned."
Jacob smiled mischievously. "You'll have to wait and see, won't you?"