Tanith Panic, thank you for your review. Honey is finding it painful in all kinds of ways at the moment. Frenchy's salon dream doesn't come true in Grease, but maybe I'll be able to think of something for Honey. Lofty's eyes are so eloquent! You're never too old to do cartwheels. I only wish I could join in.
Bonnie Sveen Fan, thank you for your review. It is horrible hurting your wrist - you really realise how useful hands are when you can't use one of them properly! There will be more news about Sebastian in this chapter.
"So can I go now?" said Rita, who was more than slightly bored with hearing all about Jacob's cleverness and how jealous Connie had sounded on the phone.
Jacob looked slightly offended. "Why do you want to go home? I thought we were having a good time. If we're going to do this, Rita, we've got to do it right."
"That depends on entirely what you mean by the word 'do this'," said Rita. "I'm happy to let you spend your breaks in my office. I might even allow the odd hand-holding and kiss on the cheek at work, but it will not, I repeat not, go any further than that."
"We'll see," said Jacob. "We shall see."
David couldn't help smiling as Lily joined him in the living room. He was glad she was here. It would have been awkward for him to help Alicia into bed. He was a nurse, of course, and would have done it in a professional manner, but Alicia was his colleague and he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable.
"She's in bed now," said Lily. "I hope she'll get some sleep."
"Are you going to stay?" asked David.
No surprise showed on Lily's face, but it was a full second before she replied. "Do you think that would be a sensible idea? Mrs Beauchamp will not appreciate having two doctors off work with a bad cold."
David could see her point. Connie would probably be annoyed enough that Alicia was off work for an illness that was usually very minor. But he found he was slightly disappointed. Lily had been so kind to Alicia. So… so wonderful.
"But I think perhaps Alicia needs someone to look after her," said Lily. "I will be very happy to stay."
She only gave David the tiniest smile, but his whole world seem to flip.
Dylan knew a lot of people were a bit scared of Tess, but he wasn't.
No. Definitely not.
Louise probably wouldn't be either, if she went back to nursing. And she would if Dylan had anything to do with it. Which he didn't, of course.
"Well?" said Tess, an edge of impatience creeping into her voice. She was a good nurse, but anyone who messed her around soon lived to regret it.
"Dr Grayling senior isn't coming," said Dylan. "And I see no reason to insist unless Sebastian requests it. Sebastian is an adult: he's perfectly capable of deciding if he wants to see his father."
Tess looked hard at him and Dylan wished she'd sent Fletch to talk to him instead. "Dylan? Did you call Sebastian's dad or didn't you?"
Dylan told himself again that he wasn't scared. He glanced at Louise, expecting to see derision on her face (it was an expression she wore a lot which didn't destroy her beauty but certainly lessened it… and where on earth had that thought come from?) but Louise merely looked encouraging.
Dylan faced Tess. "No. I didn't call Sebastian's dad. Owing to the uncertain nature of their relationship, I didn't believe it was what Sebastian would want."
"You're in no position to make that decision," said Tess. "You should have followed procedure and I will report this to Mrs Beauchamp."
"Oh, don't be such an old dragon," said Louise. "Patients are individuals. You can't treat them all the same. Dylan is Sebastian's mentor. I think he probably has some small idea of what Sebastian would want."
Tess frowned at her. "I don't see what it's got to do with a receptionist."
"Staff nurse, actually," said Louise. "Though your point still stands: it probably does have nothing to do with me. But I don't let that stop me from saying what needs to be said. We need to consider what the patient would want. We can't always act on it, but in this situation, it seemed reasonable. Dylan? Are you coming to see Sebastian or not?"
Dylan got to his feet and meekly followed her to Resus. Tess went with them, apparently too stunned to know what to say. Dylan was glad. He knew how brave Louise had been today and she didn't need Tess going on at her.
Not that he cared that much.
They walked into Resus together. Sebastian turned, a look of alarm on his face that relaxed only slightly when he realised it was Dylan and Louise.
"How are you?" asked Dylan awkwardly.
"Okay, thanks," said Sebastian. "Well, not okay. I've got a pounding headache and I'd be really grateful if the painkillers and antiemetics kicked in very soon, but I'm sure I'd have felt a lot worse if you hadn't been there."
"It was Louise who found you and gave preliminary medical care," said Dylan.
Sebastian looked surprised, but he smiled at Louise. "Thank you, Louise. They said it would have been worse without the preliminary medical care. Thanks for helping me."
"Anytime," said Louise.
"Sebastian, I, um, I didn't call your father," said Dylan. "I hope that was the right thing to do."
Sebastian's look of adoration wasn't quite the response he was looking for. "Thank you, Dylan. You always understand me. I don't feel strong enough to see him at the moment."
"Well, you don't have to see him," said Dylan. "You're an adult and you're more than capable of deciding who visits you. I'm sure the staff will honour your requests."
"Yes, of course," said Tess. Being Tess, she didn't sulk. She merely smiled at Sebastian and patted his shoulder. "Just let us know whatever you need."
Ethan was relieved Sebastian was going to be okay. It had been a horrible evening. First, he'd hurt Honey. Then Cal had behaved disgustingly towards Alicia. Then Sebastian had injured himself.
Lofty, who was sitting beside him, sent him a sympathetic smile. "Maybe we should head off home now, Ethan. We're not working and I'm not sure there's much we can do here."
Ethan agreed with him, but he didn't want to go home and find Taylor there with Cal.
Lofty patted Ethan's arm. "You can come and stay with me if you don't want to, um, disturb Cal."
Ethan accepted at once and soon they were back at the house Lofty shared with Robyn, Max and Jez. Lofty offered Ethan his bed, but Ethan said he'd be fine on the sofa and was grateful when Lofty brought him blankets and pillows to make him more comfortable.
"I'll leave you to it then," said Lofty. "Unless there's anything else you need?"
Ethan hesitated. He didn't want to bother Lofty with his problems, but Lofty looked so kind. "Do you think Honey will ever forgive me?"
"Of course she will," said Lofty at once. "Honey is very understanding. She'll know it was an accident."
Ethan looked at him gratefully. Lofty was always so good at making people feel better. Lofty patted him on the shoulder and was about to leave when they heard footsteps on the stairs and looked up to see Robyn. Her eyes were red and she stopped short when she saw Lofty.
"Robyn?" said Lofty, a look of concern on his face as he walked towards her. "What happened? Why did you leave the awards? Are you okay?"
"I was going to get a drink," said Robyn in a hard little voice. "But now I've realised I'm not thirsty." She turned and fled upstairs.
Lofty watched her go sadly. "I don't even know what I've done."
Jez moved his head slightly so he could see Jack's sleeping face. Even now, he wasn't sure if he'd done the right thing.
It had felt right – it had felt amazing – but it had only reinforced Jez's suspicion that this was something he wanted to do with Jack again and again,
He only wished he could be certain Jack felt the same way.
Jack had said the right things. He'd told Jez how amazing he looked and how special he was and Jez wanted to believe he meant it, but Jack was always so dramatic. So perhaps he was only playing the role of a loving partner.
But there were other possibilities which Jez was trying his hardest not to hope for. It was possible all the drama was a natural part of how Jack was and wasn't always the exaggeration it seemed to be. Or maybe Jack was much shyer than he seemed and putting on an act was the only way he could say his true feelings.
Jez hoped he'd get the chance to find out.
Zoe moved her head slightly so she could see Max's sleeping face. Even now, she wasn't sure if she'd done the right thing.
She loved Max. She knew that. Everyone knew that. She'd never met a man like him before. He always knew how to calm her down and help her to see more clearly. He helped her to feel more complete.
But marriage…
It was such a big step. Such a big commitment. To be with Max, potentially for the rest of her life. Never to be completely herself again; to have to consider Max's needs in everything. To have to compromise on everything. Could Zoe really be happy if she was always compromising? If she always had to consider her actions carefully and never act on a whim?
All she knew for certain was that she'd never been able to do it before.
You will not get away with this, Rita Freeman.
Connie had never liked Rita. The two of them were too different – or, as Jacob put it, too similar.
Well, he'd proved tonight how similar he thought they were. He obviously thought they were completely interchangeable.
I'll show you interchangeable, Senior Staff Nurse Jacob Masters…
Connie knew she could punish him. She was fairly sure she could win him back, though that would only be for the satisfaction of proving she could do it. She didn't actually want him back.
He was a cheat.
She'd always known he was figuratively beneath her, yet she'd allowed him to be literally beneath her more times than she cared to count.
Well, that was at an end now.
Jacob Masters would not so much regret his actions as regret the fact he'd ever been born.
But he was a man and he was weak. Rita was the one to blame.
Rita was the one Connie needed to focus on.