Georgy-Girl, I know the feeling well! It was a story by Tanith Panic that made me fall in love with Dyfty - and I'm just so happy the writers are developing their friendship too! Thank you for your review.
Tanith Panic, thank you for your review. You know I love Dylan and Lofty together, even just as friends, and I'm really starting to love Connie and Jacob together too. I'm really happy you like the way I write them. No, Robyn isn't the best at keeping things to herself - which could prove useful for this story!
CBloom2, thank you for your review - I'm really happy that you read and enjoyed it, even though our favourites were absent! But I've made up for that in this chapter, I hope.
Tato Potato, I do need to make a decision about what to do with Cal... miraculous recovery or something else? Either way, I think Ethan will cry! Thank you for your review - I really am thrilled you enjoyed the chapter.
beckyboogle, I am planning on as happy an ending as possible for some of the characters, but there is more emotion and sadness to come! Thank you for your review.
Honey had expected tears, but there were none. Instead, Ethan was shaking in Honey's arms, his tremors so violent that Honey couldn't help but shake along with him.
Ethan was a brave man. Honey had seen a lot of evidence of that today. More than she'd ever believed possible. But when it came to Cal, Ethan was just one human being fearing for the life of another. Someone he loved very much.
It might have made him seem weaker, but Honey didn't think so. You needed strength in order to love someone.
She'd nearly made the weak decision of leaving Ethan. She'd told herself that he was boring, but in her heart, she'd been afraid she was the dull one. She'd believed her lack of intelligent and knowledge could never make Ethan happy. Her inability to understand what seemed so obvious to him didn't make him boring. It made her not good enough.
But now she'd seen him fight, both literally and… what was the opposite of literally? Oh yes: she'd seen him fight literally and illiterately. She'd seen him fight for the brother he loved and cry for him too. And Honey wanted him. Forever.
"I can't lose him," said Ethan.
"You won't lose him," said Honey. She massaged up and down his spine. "I saw his lifeline. It's okay."
"Do you really think everyone's life is mapped out from birth?" said Ethan.
Honey looked at him in slight confusion. "Of course I do."
"You're could be right," said Ethan, and fell silent again, through the trembling didn't stop.
"I love you, Ethan," said Honey. "And whatever happens, I'm not going nowhere."
"You're not going anywhere," whispered Ethan distractedly.
"No: I'm not going anywhere neither." Honey kissed him. "Are you going to tell me you love me or what?"
"Of course I-" began Ethan, but then the door to Cal's room opened and he froze in Honey's arms.
As Honey looked at the expressionless face of the doctor, she realised she was frightened too. She reminded herself of Cal's lifeline, but it didn't help.
The doctor touched Ethan's arm. "Ethan, I'm sorry."
It seemed to Honey almost as though Ethan's bones had disappeared. He seemed to fold up as he collapsed onto the floor with Honey's arms around him.
"Ethan, are you all right?" said the doctor.
"Of course he's not all right!" said Honey. "You've got a degree in doctoring; I haven't even got no GCSEs. But you just told him his brother's dead. What do you expect him to do? Dance a Clementine Tango?"
The doctor knelt down too. "I apologise, Ethan. I was unclear. I meant I'm sorry for causing you so much worry. The alarm was Cal's intracranial pressure monitor, telling us that the pressure on his brain has decreased. I can't say he's going to be all right, but the signs are more promising than they were a few minutes ago."
Ethan moved his mouth, but no signs came out. It looked like he was trying to say 'thank you', but Honey was less generous.
"You really need to work on how you break good news, don't you?" she said. "Come on, Ethan. Let's go and see Cal."
Louise entered the staff room to find Lily scrolling through her phone. "Who are you phoning?"
"That's absolutely none of your business," said Lily.
"I just thought I might have known the number?" said Louise. "Seeing as I did use to work on reception and everything?"
Lily lowered her phone with a sigh. "I'm sorry. That was rude of me."
"But understandable after the day you've had," said Louise, mollified by Lily's apology. "I shouldn't have been sarcastic. I'm sorry too."
"I think sarcasm is understandable after the day we've had too," said Lily. She sighed and put her phone on the table. "I don't suppose you know the number for St James'?"
"Yeah, but if you want to know about Charlie and Rita, wouldn't it be better to call Jacob?" said Louise, having already considered and dismissed the possibility of calling Connie.
Lily picked up her phone and started scrolling again. "I don't seem to have a number for Jacob."
Louise looked at the phone. "Why are you looking for Jacob under S?"
"He is Staff Nurse Masters," said Lily, as though this was obvious. "I use my phone for professional purposes."
"I've got his number," said Louise, and produced her own phone. "There you are. Use my phone if you like."
She wasn't surprised when Lily declined. Lily dialled the number and pushed her attractively-cut hair behind one ear so she could use the phone more easily.
"Jacob?" said Lily. "This is Lily Chao from the ED."
Louise tried not to roll her eyes at Lily's method of introducing herself. There was professionalism and then there was ridiculousness.
"I am very well," said Lily. "Dr Knight has a head injury, but I can give you no further information. He is being treated in the main part of the hospital. Dr Hanna has an ankle injury but appears as mentally sound as ever."
Louise smiled at that. She was sure Lily intended it as a positive comment, but it was amusing all the same.
"Max, one of the porters, has a number of injuries but is expected to make a full recovery," said Lily.
Louise shook her head and wondered if Lily really believed Jacob might not know Max.
"Dr Keogh and Nurse Miller are rather emotional but unharmed," said Lily. "Nurse Chiltern is his usual self… I'm sorry? Could you repeat that, please?... no, he hasn't dropped anything. I meant that he is very calm with an excellent bedside manner."
This time, Louise's smile held no amusement. It was good to hear Lily praise a nurse, especially considering how brilliantly Lofty had coped. Louise's admiration for him had risen by the hour and she now suspected Lofty could handle anything that was thrown at him, as long as he wasn't expected to catch it.
Then she sensed a change in Lily. She had gone very still and Louise, with her nurse's training, detected a slight quickening in her breathing.
"What?" said Lily, her voice very soft, through it was stronger when she next spoke. Her hand tensed slightly around the phone. She lifted her other hand and touched her cheek, running a finger over it. There was a sharp intake of breath and Lily spoke again, her voice higher than usual. "I think it's best if you tell me, Jacob."
There was a silence as Lily's eyes first opened wider, then were screwed tightly shut. They opened again as she shot a horrified glance at Louise, then they closed again. Her chest heaved and emotions passed across her face. She covered her mouth with her hand. She was completely silent and from that point, completely still.
Louise heard the faint sound of Jacob's voice, but she could decipher no words.
She wanted to get up and run out of the room; to hide from or deny whatever terrible news Lily had been told, but she couldn't move. All she could do was watch and wait.
At last, Lily spoke again, her voice stilted. "Thank you, Jacob." A muscle moved near her mouth. "Thank you for telling me. I will inform our colleagues. Goodbye."
She slowly lowered the phone to her lap.
Again, something in Louise's brain screamed at her to run, but she didn't. She reached out a shaky hand to Lily's.
"I am sorry, Louise," said Lily. Her voice was tight with emotion and she was blinking hard. "I have some bad news."