Guest, thank you for your review - I'm really pleased you're enjoying this. I hope you enjoy the new chapter.
bronny9, thank you for your review. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I'll try to put some Ethan comforting Cal in as soon as I can.
Tanith Panic, Zoe and Dylan would probably say their friendship is better than family! I think the taxi driver either fancies Alicia, feels sorry for her or a bit of both! Lofty is doing really well - it's just a shame he didn't use a different word when Robyn was listening! Thank you for your review.
westlife4ever80, Zoe and Max were the perfect couple - it shouldn't have worked between them as they had nothing obvious in common, but it just did somehow. I don't know how Casualty thought of it, but I'm glad they did. Thank you for your review.
Thank you to BexieID for the follow.
Connie was glad to have a strong team around her. It was always difficult when it was one of your own, even if Sebastian hadn't been here long and his performance so far hadn't suggested a long and distinguished career in medicine beckoned.
But he was part of the ED family and Connie was determined not to lose him.
She watched as Charlie capably inserted a large-bore cannula and asked Duffy for FBCs, U&Es, coagulation profile, blood sugar, G&S and arterial blood gasses. Dylan had told her – with surprising reluctance – that he thought Sebastian might have consumed quite a large quantity of alcohol on an empty stomach. He couldn't with any certainty rule out drug use either, though he thought it unlikely, so Connie asked for a drug screening.
That was the easy part: the part where she could keep talking and run through s mental list; the part where she didn't have to look at Sebastian and could almost pretend he was just another patient. But now came the neurological examination. Connie re-assessed his GCS, speaking to Sebastian in a low but firm voice and waiting for a response she feared wouldn't come. The wait seemed endless: the relief when Sebastian's eyes flickered and he gave an incomprehensible but audible response almost floored her.
"GCS is up to 7," said Connie, trying to keep her voice calm and emotionless. "Sebastian, I'm going to shine my torch into your eyes, okay? I'm sorry but it will be bright."
She noted his response with satisfaction as well as relief. "Equal and reactive. Eye movements intact. Sebastian, I need to perform an ophthalmoscopy so we'll give you some eyedrops to dilate your pupils." She discovered that in one way, treating a doctor was easier. She could hide behind the medical terms because she knew Sebastian would understand.
Sebastian mumbled a response. It was incomprehensible, but at least he knew a response was required.
"Eye drops, please, Charlie," said Connie.
Sebastian flinched and moaned as Charlie administered them. Connie hardened her heart.
"Ophthalmoscope, please," she said, holding out her hand.
She could do this. Of course she could.
'Difficult' was not the same as 'impossible'. Especially not when your name was Connie Beauchamp.
Louise tried to control her panic. As a nurse, she might have dealt with it better, but she wasn't a nurse. She wasn't good enough to be a nurse and she'd proved that.
She'd managed to look after Sebastian, but she knew what she'd done was basic. Dylan knew that too, whatever he might suspect.
"Why would you think it's your fault?" she asked again, and perhaps for the first time, she saw past the strength she'd always secretly admired to a more vulnerable Dylan: a Dylan who feared and doubted as Louise did all the time.
"I…" Dylan hesitated. He glanced at her uncertainly. "I'm not sure I should say."
"Dylan, if you're blaming yourself for what happened to Seb, you ned to talk to someone," said Louise. She paused. "I won't tell anyone. I promise. I don't gossip about patients."
It wasn't true and Dylan probably knew it. He shook his head. "I can't."
"It's not your fault," said Louise. "Everyone gets upset all the time and it does make you careless and more likely to have accidents, but that doesn't mean it's the fault of the person who upset you."
"I think… the original accident… he might have done it to himself," said Dylan.
Louise took Dylan's hand in hers. As soon as she'd done it, she was shocked at herself and considered pulling away, but when Dylan's hand curled around hers, she knew she'd done the right thing. "I hope you're wrong, but if you're not it suggests a pre-existing mental health condition which you were obviously unaware of. It's sad, but it's not your fault, Dylan, and you can help him. You obviously care about him as a friend and Sebastian needs people around him who care."
"No. He hasn't!" said Jamie. "It's a joke, isn't it? It isn't funny, but please tell me it's a joke!"
"Jamie, I am so sorry," said Ethan. He put his arm around him. "Come with us: we'll find a place to sit down and I'll tell you as much as we know."
"Yeah, come on, mate," said Cal, his arm around Jamie's waist.
"No, I need to go… I need to be with him!"
Ethan nodded. "Yes, I know. We'll take you to the hospital as soon as we've explained everything. I promise."
Jamie walked numbly. He was being hugged by two of the best-looking doctors in the department, but there was only one doctor he wanted to be with now.
"What happened?" asked Jamie, when they were all sitting down.
"We don't know much," said Cal. "Louise saw him run past her in an obvious state of distress, then she heard a thump and went after him. Sebastian was bleeding from a head wound, but he was standing up on the stage. Louise gave him something to press against the wound and ran to find a doctor. She found Dylan quite quickly, but by then, Sebastian had fallen backwards off the stage. He was unconscious but breathing. So there are a lot of positive signs, but he's obviously been taken to hospital as a precaution."
Jamie shook his head. With head injury and a fall from that sort of height, it was never a precaution.
He felt Ethan stroking his back and looked up to see his eyes were full of tears. The nurse part of Jamie's brain wanted to comfort Ethan; to tell him everything would be okay, but when Jamie tried to speak, he realised he was crying too.
"If you still want to go to the ED, Jamie, we'll take you whenever you're ready," said Lofty gently. "I know it's frightening, but you're not going through this alone and like Cal said, there are positive signs. He was breathing; he was able to support his own airway – and he's got Mrs Beauchamp."
"I just want him to be all right," wept Jamie. "I know he's an idiot sometimes. Dylan's not interested and he just won't accept that, but he's sweet and loyal and he goes through so much rubbish every day: you should hear some of the things his dad says to him! Please will you take me to him now?."
"Of course," said Cal.
Lofty gave Jamie a hug. "I'm sure he'll be glad to see you."
Jacob parked the car outside Rita's house. She'd told him about Iain on the way. He thought it was an excellent prank and he doubted Iain had intended to hurt Rita, but he knew better than to say so.
It was giving him the beginnings of an idea.
He wasn't sure it was a good idea, but if it worked, it might help both of them.
Rita suddenly seemed to realise the car had stopped. She turned to Jacob and gave a tired smile. "Thanks, Jacob. I really appreciate this." She reached for the door handle.
Jacob forestalled her with a hand on her arm. "Rita, would it be all right if I went in with you?"
Rita looked at him warily. "I really think I need to be alone."
"And I'll leave you alone soon," said Jacob. "But think about it. Connie wasn't there for me and Iain showed he wasn't a great friend either, but we don't want to lose them, do we?"
"I think I'd actually be a lot better off without Iain," said Rita. with a shake in her voice that belied her attempt at defiance.
"Okay, but even if you don't want him, I'm sure you'd like him to appreciate you a lot more," said Jacob.
Rita sighed. "Go on."
"And I have an idea for how we could achieve that."
Alicia was surprised to see Cal standing outside the building. Ethan, Lofty and Jamie were there too, as well as a blonde woman she didn't recognise. Alicia watched, concerned, as Ethan and Lofty put their arms around Jamie, Clearly, he was upset about something. Alicia moved closer.
"Have you really got to go with them?" asked the blonde woman. "Couldn't you stay here with me?"
Alicia breathed in sharply. This made her cough; she ducked behind a car and stifled it as best she could.
"Um… well, I could," said Cal.
Ethan spoke exasperatedly to Cal. "Well, isn't this just typical of you, Caleb? But it's fine. We don't need you."
Lofty nodded. "Jamie doesn't need all of us. You stay and enjoy the party, Cal."
"Oh, I will," said Cal, turning to the blonde woman. His arms encircled her waist. "I'm going to enjoy the party very much. Especially if it continues back at my place."
Alicia stared at them, tears welling up as Cal's lips met the women's. It was long and passionate and Cal's hands were in all sorts of places. He'd never tried touching Alicia there: he was too much of a gentleman. Or so she'd thought.
"I'm not even going to tell you what I think of you, Caleb," said Ethan. "Come on, Jamie. It's this way."
Alicia stayed where she was, tears streaming down her face. She heard doors slamming, then the sound of Ethan's car driving away.
And still Cal and the woman kissed.
"I think we'd better go to my car right now," said Cal. "Before it's too late."
The woman laughed softly. "I'm right behind you, Dr Knight."
"I'd rather be right behind you," said Cal.
"Yeah. I bet you would. But I'm sure that can be arranged."
Cal gave her another kiss, then he put his arm around her and led her to his car.
Alicia collapsed on the cold ground and felt her heart breaking.