westlife4ever80, thank you for your review. It's lovely you can hear the characters' voices saying what I've written for them - there was a big danger that wouldn't happen with this story as they're saying Grease characters' lines. Cal really does need to get it together! Unfortunately, he's not very good at that.
Bonnie Sveen Fan, 'Drop dead' is a direct quote from Grease, but I could somehow imagine Zoe saying that! She can be so funny in her put-downs sometimes and she'll say things a lot of senior doctors wouldn't dream of saying. Iain has been quite naughty! Thank you for your review.
Tanith Panic, I hope David will be too grateful to Cal for rescuing him for his self-confidence to be dented too much. I don't think he was interested in Taylor! I'm really happy you're enjoying this. There is a lot going on, but Casualty has provided me with a lot of really good characters! Thank you for your review.
Jacob walked nervously onto the stage. The crowd of people in the room seemed to swell in numbers. There were hundreds of them. Thousands. Connie had told him to keep the first line of the speech in his head, but he had no idea what it was now.
He couldn't remember what the speech was about.
What were they even doing here?
He walked towards the microphone. It was too low for him and he tried to adjust it, but his hand were slick with perspiration and he couldn't get a grip on it.
I need to get a grip, full stop, thought Jacob.
He left the microphone where it was and stared down at it. Perhaps it wouldn't pick up his voice at all. That was probably for the best.
Assuming he did actually managed to say something.
He heard the tapping of heels and turned to Connie in gratitude, but all she did was adjust the microphone for him, whisper the first line in his ear, and walk off.
Jacob blurted out the first line before he could forget it. "Welcome to the Holby Awards ceremony."
Or was it 'dinner'? Had Connie said dinner?
Jacob's fists clenched. "And welcome to the dinner," he mumbled.
"Get on with it!" shouted Cal from the back.
Jacob dropped his eyes. The first person he focused on was Ethan. His face was full of sympathy. Jacob appreciated it, but it made him feel even more pathetic. "There's… there's going to be a dance contest later. There's still spaces. So… you can sign up if you want. Thanks."
He hurried away from the microphone. Honey started applauding, but only Ethan joined in with her.
Connie caught his arm. "What's wrong with you? You haven't even explained the rules."
"Rules?" said Jacob miserably. There usually were rules with Connie. As usual, he had no idea what they were.
"Oh, get off the stage," said Connie impatiently. She rolled her eyes. "If you want a job done properly, don't ask your boyfriend." She strode over to the microphone. "Hello and welcome to the Holby Awards Ceremony, Dance Contest and Dinner. This event is to celebrate all our good work over the past year and also to raise money for the children's ward. I know you're probably all very hungry, but we don't want you dancing on a full stomach, so the dance contest will begin shortly. If you start to feel faint, I suggest you look for a trained medical professional; I don't think you'll have to look very far. Now: here are the rules. I know there have been a few partner switches." Her disapproving gaze swept over Zoe, Max, Cal and Taylor. "After the competition begins, you will remain with the same partner. If anyone switches, they will be immediately disqualified. Anyone using tasteless or vulgar movements will also be disqualified."
"That lets us out!" she heard Zoe saying to Max, who looked somewhere between thrilled and terrified.
"If Senior Staff Nurse Masters or myself taps you on the shoulder, you are out of the contest and must leave the dancefloor immediately. Now I'd like to introduce Staff Nurse Louise Tyler, who is going to sing for us. Noel, are you ready to take control of the music once Louise has finished?"
"Ready, Mrs Beauchamp," said Noel.
"Excellent. Thank you." Connie walked off the stage.
Louise climbed up onto the stage and took her place behind the microphone.
Everyone was surprised by how good she was.
Jamie realised what Sebastian was going to do just too late to stop him. He'd known going to the loo was a risk, but it had also been a necessity.
"I've been waiting forever, Dylan," Sebastian was saying loudly. "Are you going to ask me to be your partner for the dance contest or not?"
"No," said Dylan.
Jamie took Sebastian's arm. "Come on, Seb. Leave it."
"Why not?" Sebastian asked Dylan, sounding rather hurt.
"I don't need to explain myself to you," said Dylan, and walked off.
Sebastian turned to Jamie, clearly upset and confused.
Jamie couldn't bear to tell him Dylan wasn't interested. Not when he looked so sad. He stroked Sebastian's arm. "Maybe he just doesn't like dancing?"
Lofty was so nervous. He and Robyn had been best friends for so long and she knew he wasn't the best dancer, but now they were a couple, he really wanted everything to be perfect.
"Sorry," he mumbled as he trod on her foot again.
"It's okay. It didn't hurt," said Robyn. "I'm sure it's my fault. I'm so fat, I'm not moving as quickly as I should be."
Lofty shook his head and kissed her. "Robyn. I told you. You're not fat. You're a beautiful girl and a beautiful dancer and there isn't any other girl – or guy – in this room I want to dance with."
Robyn smiled – then cried out in pain as Lofty stepped on her foot again.
"I'm so sorry, Robyn!" said Lofty, distressed.
Robyn managed a big smile once she'd finished grimacing. "I'm fine."
"Would you like to stop?" asked Lofty, who really didn't want to stop – but his desire not to injure Robyn was even stronger.
"I never want to stop," said Robyn.
Honey was trying not to feel disappointed. Ethan was a lovely man and an absolute gentleman, but he really wasn't much of a dancer. She hadn't been too worried when he confessed the only dance he could do was the salsa – most people claimed not to be able to dance and most people were more than adequate.
Ethan wasn't. He didn't seem to have any sense of rhythm. At all.
If it hadn't looked so unhappy, Honey might almost have admired him. If he'd been trying to dance badly, he could scarcely have done a better job of it. Honey wasn't at all sure she'd be able to dance like that and she used to dance professionally.
But Honey wanted to dance.
"Can't you at least twirl me round or something?" whined Honey.
Ethan caught her wrist in his and yanked it.
Honey burst into tears.
Ash was a very good dancer, Lily realised in satisfaction. On the conversation front, he was rather less good, but Lily was perfectly happy just to dance.
She edged closer to him.
Ash didn't seem to notice. He just kept dancing. His sense of rhythm was impressive in an older man. Lily wondered if she might persuade him to try some lifts.
But for now, she was mainly interested in Ash making her heart lift.
"I never realised you were such an excellent dancer, Dr Ashford," said Lily. "Your movement is sensuous and feline."
Ash didn't look as pleased with the comment as Lily had hoped. He also didn't return it.
Lily leaned closer to him and planted her lips on his.
Ash pushed away. "No. Not appropriate, Lily." He turned and walked off the dancefloor.
Rita approached Jacob quietly. "Are you all right?"
Jacob sighed. "I just humiliated myself in front of the whole ED. Of course I'm all right."
"Not everyone likes public speaking," said Rita. "I'm sure most people understand."
"Why would they?" said Jacob. "I'm always speaking in public. Not even Connie can stop me talking sometimes. When it comes to my job, I can say anything. I'll even say a few things I probably shouldn't have said. But put me in front of an audience…"
"It's a completely different situation," said Rita. "We're trained for our job and we all have some natural ability to socialise. You haven't been trained in public speaking, which is very different from normal conversation, so it's unfair to expect you to be able to do it just because you never stop talking in the workplace." She smiled. "Connie wouldn't have asked you to do it unless she thought very highly of you."
"I doubt she thinks highly of me now," said Jacob, but he smiled at Rita. "Anyway. It's happened; I have to deal with it." He looked over at the dancefloor. "You should have entered, Rita."
Rita smiled and shook her head. "My boyfriend had his leave cancelled."
"That's a shame," said Jacob sympathetically. "I don't think I'm allowed to dance in the competition as I'm one of the judges, but I'll give you one later if you like."
Rita couldn't help laughing. It felt good to laugh. "I hope you mean a dance."
Jacob winked. "There's more than one kind of dancing, you know!"
Alicia took another decongestant and tried to breathe through her nose, but this just made her sneeze. She grabbed several tissues to ensure she didn't sneeze on her dress. When she'd finished sneezing, she blew her nose a few times and took some more tissues from the box. She kept them in her hand as she started to dance around the room, pretending she was with Cal, stopping occasionally to sneeze or wipe her nose.
She couldn't remember when she'd last felt this ill, but all she wanted was to be dancing in Cal's arms.
Please make him feel the same way I'm feeling right now. (Apart from the part where I feel like I'm about to die. I don't want him to feel like that.) Make him want to see me again. (Only not till I've got some more make-up on.) And make him see I'm the only girl in the whole wide world for him.
Iain sidled up to Rita. "I need to talk to you."
"Shouldn't you be dancing with Louise?" said Rita.
"She won't dance with me," said Iain. "She found out about something I've done and she isn't happy."
Rita looked worried. "Oh, Iain, what have you done now?"
"I played a prank," said Iain. "And it's gone wrong. I really regret it, but I don't know what to do."
Rita looked at him for a moment. "I think you'd better come with me and tell me all about it."
Ethan eased the tubular bandage onto Honey's wrist. "Oh, Honey. I'm so, so sorry. I really can't apologise enough. I feel terrible. Though obviously not as terrible as you're feeling. I am sorry."
Honey wouldn't stop crying.
"I'm just not a very good dancer," said Ethan sadly. "I'm so sorry."
"I want my dad!" wailed Honey.
Ethan finished securing the bandage and patted her shoulder. "It might take me a while if I go and look for him. I'll try calling him first, but he might not hear the phone."
"Just get him!" cried Honey.
It wasn't long before Noel picked up. "Ethan? Is everything okay?"
"No," said Ethan, who felt quite like crying, himself. "I've hurt Honey and she wants to go home."
"You HURT my daughter?" said Noel.