Bonnie Sveen Fan, I was shocked (in a good way) when Noel sold his action figures for Honey in the episode - it was such a lovely, generous gesture. I really hope she made good use of it and opened her salon. It was a very useful bit of plot as her Grease character leaves school to go to beauty school. I'm glad you liked the part about Honey saying she looks like Chelsee Healey. That was the part I was worried about as it mentions a real person, but she was the obvious choice! Thank you for your review.
Tanith Panic, I'm glad you didn't fall off your seat! I loved your story about Lee Mead and it does make it extra funny. It makes a lot more sense too! I still think Lofty and Robyn would make a lovely couple. Maybe one day! They get on so well and he wouldn't disappear on her (except he kind of did). I'm glad you liked the battle of words between Cal and Louise. I thought their argument was a bit weak, so it's really good to know you enjoyed it! Thank you for your review.
Max and Zoe came out of the ED together, Max's arm around Zoe. They perched on the back of a bench and started kissing. Everyone ignored them. Cal thought it would have probably been more noteworthy if they hadn't been kissing.
David arrived shortly afterwards and stood some distance from the others, watching the entrance to the ED. Cal wondered briefly who he was waiting for, but he decided it couldn't be anyone very interesting. Maybe his wife. She was pretty, but not Cal's type.
So he was surprised when Alicia walked through the entrance, carrying an armful of books. "Hey, David! This was all I could carry, but it'll be enough to start off with, won't it?"
"Thank you, Alicia," said David quietly as he took the books from her. "They look great. I'm sure they'll be really helpful. Thank you."
"It's no problem, David," said Alicia. "If there's ever anything else I can do, I'll be more than happy to help."
David smiled and went back inside, clutching Alicia's books tightly. Alicia smiled. He really was so appreciative and she was really glad she'd been able to help him.
Iain held out a glass he was holding. "Hey, Alicia! Want some whisky? I heard you're a big fan!"
Alicia blushed as she realised he must have heard about her being sick at the pub. Perhaps Robyn had told him. Robyn never meant any harm, but she was very friendly and chatty and sometimes secrets couldn't help coming out.
Alicia could relate. She didn't usually tell other people's secrets, but she often talked at far too great a length for Lily's liking. "No thanks, Iain. I've got to get back to work. My lunchbreak is over now. Actually, I'm already a bit late."
"Then why are you hanging around?" said Cal.
Alicia flinched. She'd hoped everything was okay between them after the dislocated shoulder incident, but while Cal was always professional when they were working together, he never failed to get a little dig in at other times. Louise and Rita had both asked if Alicia wanted to revise their revenge plans, but Alicia didn't really like the idea of taking revenge on someone so she'd said no.
Cal's treatment of her broke her heart, but there was nothing she could do about it except pretend she didn't care. She certainly couldn't tell Lily. Lily discouraged personal confidences. Rita, Robyn and Honey were always kind, but Alicia didn't like to worry them.
Cal looked at her for a moment, then he put his hand on Louise's shoulder. She smiled and made no attempt to shake it off.
Alicia felt close to tears. She'd heard Cal was a bit of a womaniser, but she'd hoped he'd changed now. Clearly, he hadn't. He'd moved from her to Lily to Louise without a second thought.
No wonder poor Lily had been so snappy today. She was probably heartbroken. Alicia resolved to be extra nice to her that afternoon.
"I was just helping David," Alicia said softly. "He really wants to improve his medical knowledge so he can provide patients with greater reassurance. So I've lent him some books." She smiled a bit awkwardly and went into the ED. Nobody called her back – but she had told them she was working. So they couldn't call her back.
"Cal, why don't you go after her and sort this out?" said Ethan with more than a hint of impatience. "This has gone on long enough and she's obviously really unhappy."
Honey stared at him in shock, feeling first jealous, then sad. Of course Ethan would never want to date a tea lady. Not when he could have a doctor like Alicia.
"Sort what out?" said Cal. "She's in the past, Ethan. She means nothing to me now."
Ethan looked both angry and sad, but he said no more.
"Sure she means nothing to you!" said Zoe. "I've heard quite a lot about you and Alicia!" She looked around at the others. Most of them looked confused. Cal had told the guys about the girl he'd met in Barbados, but he'd never told them the girl was Alicia. They still believed Alicia was an old friend of the family. "Hasn't he told you?"
"What about him and Alicia?" said Max.
Zoe winked at Cal. "Oh.. nothing. But you had a pretty good time in Barbados, didn't you?"
Max stared at her. "Zoe, what are you talking about? You're not seriously saying Alicia's like that."
Cal almost smiled: Max hadn't meant to be insulting, but he really was in trouble now.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Zoe raised her voice. "I've never heard you complaining."
Max looked a bit surprised. "Zoe, I'm sorry if I've upset you. All I was saying was-"
"Shut up, or I'll make you shut up!" snapped Zoe.
"Zoe, I really didn't-" Max saw the look on Zoe's face and stopped, but it was too late. Zoe had given him a good shove. As they were right on the edge of the bench, Max toppled off onto the ground.
"Idiot!" she said, but she sounded more upset than angry now.
Max got to her feet, breathing hard.
"Max, are you okay?" asked Robyn, rushing to his side. "Zoe, how dare you push my brother!"
"Didn't you hear what he said to me?" retorted Zoe.
"Yes, and as a matter of fact, I agree with him," said Robyn. "You're an old slapper, Zoe, and everyone knows it!"
Lofty quickly went over to his girlfriend. "Come on, Robyn. Let's leave it now. Max is okay."
"Yeah, I'm fine," said Max, but he still looked shocked.
Cal strode over, finally banishing Alicia from his thoughts. "Okay, you lot. Calm down! Robyn, I know you want to defend your brother, but he's a big boy. He can take care of himself. He doesn't need you calling his girlfriend names."
Robyn lowered her head, ashamed, and mumbled an apology before letting Lofty lead her back to their seats.
Cal turned to Max next. "Max, I know you didn't mean anything, but seriously, try thinking before you speak, yeah?"
Ethan murmured very softly: "Well, that's a bit rich coming from you, Caleb."
"And Zoe, he wasn't even talking about you, so get over it!" said Cal. "You're forty years old. You're not a baby."
"He started it!" said Zoe, sounding as though she wouldn't be forty for at least another thirty-five years.
"I said I was sorry!" said Max, starting to lose patience now.
"Oh, shut up!" said Zoe.
"No, you shut up!" said Max, completely losing patience.
"Wow. Nice couple," said Jack to Jez.
"I hope we don't end up like them," said Jez with feeling. Then he looked at Jack in horror. "I didn't mean…"
Jack smiled. "I hope we don't end up like them too."
The atmosphere was still tense when Jacob appeared, but he didn't seem to notice. "Hi. Just wanted to remind you about the dance competition at the awards dinner. It's just a bit of fun for charity, so don't worry if you're not much of a dancer, but you'll need to enter as a pair and pay your donations when you do. So if you want to sign up, come and find me in the pub after work and we'll sort something out."
He went back into the ED, still completely oblivious to what he'd interrupted.
Zoe turned pointedly to Cal. "Cal, are you going to enter the dance contest?"
"I don't think so," muttered Cal, even though he usually loved showing off his dance moves.
"Wow, you really do like Alicia, don't you?" said Zoe. She sounded almost sympathetic now.
"Course I don't!" snapped Cal.
"Then why don't you take me to the awards ceremony?" said Zoe. "I can always pretend to be a virgin. If Alicia can do it, why can't I?"
Lily sighed and checked her watch. "You're exactly sixteen minutes and twenty-four seconds late. I trust you have a good explanation?"
"I'm sorry, Lily," said Alicia, upset to realise her mentor was genuinely angry.
She couldn't blame her though. Alicia was late.
"I was with David," explained Alicia. "He asked me to give him a hand with something. So I did. I'm really sorry, Dr Chao. It won't happen again."
Lily gave a sharp intake of breath. Her eyes narrowed and her chest rose and fell as she continued to breathe. "So, it's true."
"What's true?" said Alicia, really quite alarmed by Lily's anger. "I really am sorry it took me so long, Dr Chao, but David really did need seeing-to. He was getting quite frustrated, poor thing."
"I don't doubt it," said Lily icily. "I would imagine all men need seeing-to in your opinion, Alicia."
Alicia laughed a bit uncomfortably. "I do think men need a bit of help sometimes, yeah. And they say we're the ones who need protection!"
Lily took a step closer. "But not in working hours! Alicia, I have been patient with you. When I heard the rumours, I chose to ignore them. However you might behave in your personal life, that is your own affair. Or perhaps affairs is the correct word. However, I resolved that if your personal interests did impact on the quality of your work, I would have to speak to you on the matter."
"My personal life?" said Alicia uncertainly, wondering if Lily meant the whisky episode. "Maybe that wasn't the best idea I'd ever had, but Zoe encouraged me to be more like her, so I thought I'd, you know, give it a shot?"
Lily clearly didn't appreciate the pun.
Alicia wondered how she could ever have thought Lily might.
"Alicia. To be clear. While you are welcome to behave without morals in your private life, it is not permitted to have sexual intercourse in the ED. Or anywhere else in the hospital. And if you really require it so often and with so many men, it seems to me as though have a problem. Perhaps you should book yourself in as a patient. Outside working hours, of course."
"Excuse me!?" gasped Alicia. "Lily, I really think-"
Lily stared right through her. "it is bad enough to behave in such a reprehensible way in your breaks, but to sneak away during working hours in order to… to satisfy David is completely unacceptable. I will be making a full report to Mrs Beauchamp."