xXxAnInspiredWriterxXx, I am completely lost without my laptop. I'm always googling something or having story ideas! Thank you for your review - I'm really pleased you're enjoying the story.
beckyboogle, thank you for your review. I will do my best to keep on writing - I really enjoy writing and also reading reviews - it's nice to think I've given someone a bit of happiness.
Paradoxilla, I think I'm officially the only person in the world who has never watched Coronation Street, but I'm glad to have made an accidental reference to a popular show! Thank you so much for your review - I'm really happy you like the story.
ETWentHome, thank you so much - that's really kind of you. It is difficult juggling so many storylines and characters, but it's fun! I find Charlie the most difficult to write, but I hope I'll improve with practise.
Tanith Panic, I find Louise such an interesting character. She can be hard and unempathic, but she can also be really kind. I imagine what happened to her had a devastating effect and now she's afraid to show the softer emotions. I had to show Lofty's caring side because we love it! Thank you for both your reviews.
Tato Potato, I think Robyn will probably be less annoyed with Louise than a lot of people would! On the other hand, she's not afraid to take Dylan to task. Thank you for your review!
LittleBritishPerson, I think Honey showed quite a bolshy side in her first couple of episodes and she was quite rude about the dress Ethan bought her, but even so, I was shocked by her recent behaviour! Thank you for your review.
Dylan had known it would happen, but he was in no way prepared. Connie should have let him finish going through his checklist before asking him to help with the other patient, but as usual, she hadn't listened. The female patient in Bay 3 was now stable, but the male patient in Bay 4 had been in VF with no output for twenty minutes.
Dylan wasn't giving up, but he knew it was hopeless. He hadn't finished his checks and the patient was in Bay 4 – so what chance was there? In his therapy sessions, he'd been working on the idea of taking a step back from his fears and emotions and trying to think the situation through in a detached way, but this was impossible in practice.
"Dylan, I'm sorry, but I don't think there's anything we can do," said Rita.
Dylan was breathing hard, from the emotion as much as the physical exertion. "Take over, please."
Rita made no move to obey him. She fixed her eyes on Dylan's. Her voice was sympathetic but firm. "I really think you need to call this. If you won't do it, I'm going to get Connie over here."
"Fine," said Dylan. "Get Connie."
He saw reluctance pass over Rita's face. Everyone knew Connie wasn't her favourite person, but she nodded and went over to the clinical lead, who was speaking to Taylor, her voice unusually quiet and reassuring.
"Connie, I think there's nothing we can do over here, but Dylan doesn't agree," said Rita.
"I'll just be a minute," said Connie. She said a few more words to Taylor, then came over to Dylan. She checked the monitors, then asked Rita a few brief questions. "I really think we need to call this, Dylan. If you won't, I will."
"It's too soon," panted Dylan.
Then an alarm sounded through the hospital.
Cal hadn't told Lofty about Taylor before. Not the full truth. Lofty knew the relationship was over, and he'd realised Cal was heartbroken because he was very good at picking up on people's feelings, but that was all he knew.
Now, Cal told him everything.
They'd met Louise on the way to the staff room and asked her to find Ethan, there was no sign of him. Louise hadn't returned to the staff room either.
Lofty hugged Cal and murmured comforting words throughout his recital, but he couldn't help feeling shocked when Cal admitted to using Ethan's credit card to give Taylor £15000.
"I know it was bad," sniffed Cal as he wiped more tears away. "But Taylor seemed so upset and she needed the money so much more than Ethan did." He shook his head. "No. That's no excuse. I can see that now. But it didn't seem wrong then."
"Con-artists are very clever," said Lofty gently. "They're very good at deceiving people and it's difficult to think clearly when you're in love. You made a mistake, but Ethan's moved on and you should too."
"I don't know if I can," whispered Cal. He went to his locker and returned with a photograph. A photograph of him and Taylor.
Lofty opened his mouth to speak. Then an image flashed across his mind.
There was something he'd seen. Something odd. Something he'd meant to tell Dylan.
But Dylan had been focusing on the patient and he'd brushed Lofty aside. Lofty had meant to tell him afterwards, but he'd forgotten.
Lofty looked at Cal and considered telling him now, but Cal was crying, his tears dripping onto the photograph. Lofty couldn't tell him anything. Not now. He put his arm around Cal again.
A moment later, they heard the alarm.
Jacob's idea of playing games had really caught on. They'd just played Twenty Questions and now they were playing the ABC game with glamour models. Charlie didn't know many glamour models as they were all much too young for him and hardly his type, but he joined in the game happily enough and the other two boys were happy to help once he'd thought of a viable first name. As both boys were very well-versed in the subject, almost any first name was accepted.
"You can choose the subject for the next round," he'd been told very generously. "Even if it's medical terms or silent films or something."
"Silent films? I'm not that old!" said Charlie, and they'd all laughed together because Charlie knew that no offence had been intended and the boys knew that none had been taken.
Their fun was cut short by an alarm.
Honey looked genuinely upset. She put her hand on Ethan's arm and he didn't shake it off because it seemed a bit rude and besides, he liked the feel of it.
"Ethan, I do really like you and I still proper fancy you, but it's not working, is it?" said Honey.
"On the contrary: I would have said it was working very well," said Ethan, trying and failing to keep the hurt from his voice.
"But we don't have anything in common, Ethan," said Honey gently. "You like walking holidays and foreign films and reading about new medical research. I like shopping and Disney films and reading Closer magazine."
"But I don't think any of that matters," said Ethan. "I know I'm not usually keen on shopping and Disney films and celebrity magazines, but I do enjoy them when I'm with you. I love talking to you. Listening to you. I love your smile and the way you hug me and the way you make my whole world seem brighter. If I have a bad day at work, I can tell you about it and then you make me feel like it doesn't matter anymore."
Honey nodded sadly. "I know, Ethan. And I've tried so hard. You're the loveliest guy I've ever met. You're a gentleman and you treat me like a lady, even though you know I'm not. You don't care that I'm only a barrister and I used to be an exotic dancer. You see me as your equal. A lot of guys wouldn't see a woman as his equal even if she had a better job than him."
Ethan swallowed a lump in his throat. "You are my equal and you are a lady and I'm proud you're my girlfriend."
"But I don't want to be your girlfriend," said Honey.
Lily blinked back tears and tried to convince herself she needed to carry on with her work. There were patients waiting and both they and her colleagues were relying on her.
But she couldn't do it. She'd let a patient leave with a potentially serious injury. She'd tried her hardest and it hadn't been enough because she'd done it in the wrong way. She hadn't given Melissa what she needed and wanted; she hadn't given her what would have worked.
Melissa was being ridiculous, of course. Lily still believed that. It was childish to refuse to do what you knew to be the right thing just because you objected to the way in which the request was made. But some people were childish and there was nothing you could do to change that. The only thing you really had the power to change was your own behaviour – and Lily hadn't done it.
She hadn't even thought of doing it. It hadn't even occurred to her that this was what Melissa needed.
Lily felt tears running down her cheeks and brushed them away before heading to the loos.
She reached the door at the exact same time as Louise. "Lily? Are you okay?"
Lily wouldn't usually confide in a nurse. Especially not one who was very new to the job and lacked the politeness to address her as Dr Chao. But she realised she wanted so badly to tell someone and she had no close friend in the ED. Not since Ethan. "I... failed one of my patients today."
"So did I," said Louise.
They looked at one another for a moment.
Louise gave her a small smile. "Lily, do you want to go and grab a coffee?"
Lily felt the strangest stirrings of hope. Was Louise offering her friendship?
At one time, she would have scorned the thought. But not now.
She opened her mouth to reply.
Then the alarm went off.
Zoe was having a lovely dream. About Max. About being in his arms again.
It had been so restful, sitting in her office, hardly able to hear anything. She'd closed her eyes to savour it and fallen asleep.
She heard the alarm in her dream, but it seemed such a long way away.
She kissed Max again.