Tanith Panic, Louise had to make amends for what she said about Lofty earlier in the story! I'd like a happy ending for Charlie and Louis, but I think that might be stretching the realms of possibility too far. Reassurance isn't Lily's strong suit, unfortunately! Thank you for your review.

beckyboogle, thank you for your review. Ethan isn't getting out quite yet, but I won't be locking him away for a hundred years. Cal is really struggling, but they will be back together before the end of the story. Whenever that will be!

Gillian Kearney Fan, thank you for your review. I'm sorry for being cruel to Cal again! I do actually completely love him to bits!

CBloom2, I think Cal would be very happy for you to take Lily's place! She's a brilliant doctor but not such a good comforter. Thank you for your review - I'm glad you enjoyed the update.

Georgy-Girl, and I love love love your reviews! Thank you and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

20BlueRoses, thank you for your review - I'm glad you liked the way I wrote Cal's panic and fear. There will be brother time eventually. I wouldn't let an opportunity like that go to waste!

Tato Potato, Ethan won't be back with Cal just yet, but Cal really needs Ethan's comfort and I doubt Ethan is overly happy about being arrested so he'll be glad to be with his brother too. Thank you for your review!

ETWentHome, thank you for your review. Cal is really struggling without Ethan, but I'm going to be mean and keep them apart for a little bit longer. Connie's return to the ED will definitely be an interesting moment - I'm slightly scared about writing that!

Ethan sat in the interview room and wondered if he'd ever felt so scared.

He wasn't that scared of the policemen. Ethan had acted to protect Honey and he knew Honey would be able to corroborate his story. He was fairly sure the legal issues would all be resolved fairly soon.

But he was still afraid.

What if Cal woke up and he wasn't there?

"I'm terribly sorry if this sounds rude or in any way suspicious," said Ethan, "but when do you think I might be able to return to my brother?"

"I can't say, Dr Hardy. We'll need to speak to the victim again, as well as to Miss Wright."

"Victim?" said Ethan disbelievingly. "He's not a victim. He was attacking and blackmailing Miss Wright. She is the only victim."

"That's exactly what we've got to determine, Dr Hardy. For what it's worth, I have no problems in accepting your side of the story, but we need to do this properly. I imagine it's similar in your job. Even if you're absolutely sure of a diagnosis, would you send them for treatment immediately or would you want to be absolutely sure?"

Ethan slumped back in his seat. "Unless delaying the treatment meant considerable risk to the patient's life, I would always make absolutely sure."

"How are you doing?" asked Lofty as he sat down beside Robyn.

Robyn shrugged and tried to smile, but her eyes filled with tears. "Everything just keeps getting worse."

Lofty put his arm around her. "But Max is doing much better and he's out of danger."

"That depends on your definition of danger," said Robyn bitterly.

Lofty looked confused.

"He knows there's something I'm not telling him," said Robyn. "I told him to ask Zoe. But if she doesn't tell him the truth, what do I do?"

"You could tell him yourself," said Lofty.

Robyn nodded sadly. "But how's he going to feel when I tell him? Will he even believe me?"

Lofty gave her a hug. "You won't know until you tell him. At least this time, it's not coming out of nowhere. He knows something isn't right."

"But it might hurt just as much," said Robyn.

"Yeah," said Lofty. "It might. But I'll be here for both of you. I know there's not much I can do, but I will be here."

Lily looked down at the distressed man in the bed and could hardly believe this was the arrogant Dr Knight. She moved her chair closer to the bed and tentatively put her arm around him. "Cal, it's all right. You have a head injury. That's why you're confused. But you're okay."

Cal carried on crying. "I want Ethan."

"I think it's best if I try to explain everything from the beginning," said Lily. There was a coldness in her heart telling her that Cal could be brain-damaged. But he could simply be confused, frightened and unwell. "There was a bomb scare at the hospital."

"Bomb?" sobbed Cal, an expression of terror on his face. "Where's Ethan?"

"Ethan is fine," said Lily. "He wasn't in the hospital. He was out on a call. But you thought he was in the hospital so you went inside to look for him."

"Booty call," said Cal, almost as though he was speaking to himself. "Ethan."

Lily honestly couldn't tell if he was just repeating things or if he was able to make an intelligent guess. "Yes, Cal. That's right," she said soothingly. "Ethan was on a…a booty call, but you thought he was in the hospital. You went into the hospital and the bomb exploded. You hurt your head and your wrist."

Cal began to tremble. He clutched at Lily and whimpered. "Where's the bomb?"

"It's gone now," said Lily. She realised she was close to tears. Much as she hated Cal's arrogance, this was far worse. "The police got rid of the bomb. It's not going to hurt you or Ethan." She handed Cal a tissue. "Can you wipe your eyes and nose for me, Cal?" Apart from the fact he needed to, it would give her some idea of whether he could understand simple instructions.

Cal looked at her uncertainly, but then he did as he was told.

Lily knew it didn't prove much, but he could obviously understand a little bit. "Well done, Cal. Can you tell me your name?"

"Dr Caleb Knight, registrar." Cal paused. "Where's Ethan? Dr Ethan Hardy, registrar?"

Lily had to swallow a lump in her throat. When someone asked Cal a stupid question, he usually made some sort of smart reply.

"The police wanted to interview some of the doctors," said Lily. "They asked to speak to Ethan. Ethan is the most senior doctor who isn't injured or unwell. Cal, do you know what an intracranial pressure monitor is?"

Cal shook his head and started to cry again. He pushed his head into Lily's shoulder. "Lily, where's Ethan? I want Ethan."

Lily blinked back tears. "Ethan will be back soon, Cal. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

Dylan knew as soon as he saw her. Zoe was agitated and upset. She had something to say – and most likely something to confess. Dylan also knew he wasn't going to like it.

"Dylan, I think I've done something terrible," said Zoe.

"Yes, well: we all do terrible things sometimes," said Dylan. "We haven't fallen out so far so I doubt we'll fall out over this."

Zoe was biting her lip. "I… I told Max everything is fine and we're happily married."

Dylan felt a sinking feeling, but it wasn't disappointment. He also wasn't surprised. This was Zoe: he'd expected no more, no less. "Have you thought about what you're going to do when he remembers, or if someone else tells him?"

Zoe's head turned sharply towards him. "Dylan, you wouldn't…"

"Of course I wouldn't," said Dylan. "But someone else might."

"I don't know what I'm going to do," said Zoe, as tears filled her eyes. "I just want to be happy with him, Dylan."

Dylan couldn't help thinking she should have thought of that before she'd slept with someone else. "I know. But he's going to find out, Zoe." He wished Lofty was here. Lofty was sensitive. He'd know what to say.

Zoe put her head in her hands. "Why did I do it, Dylan? Why? Why did I throw it all away?"

"You don't really expect me to know the answer to that, do you?" said Dylan. He had enough trouble disentangling the workings of his own mind without worrying about the workings of the feminine mind too.

"No, I suppose not," said Zoe sadly. "But what do I do, Dylan? What do I do?"

Connie didn't want to walk away when Charlie needed her. He said he'd be fine, but Connie didn't understand how he could be. He'd had another heart attack; he'd lost a valued nursing colleague and Louis was being his usual self, just when Charlie had begun to feel some hope for them.

But Charlie was right. The ED needed her.

"Are you sure you don't need me to come with you?" said Jacob as they waited for the taxi Connie had called.

Connie wanted badly to say yes. She was afraid of going back to the ED. She didn't know what she was going to find when she got there. Cal with a head injury. Max, 'expected' to make a full recovery, which meant a full recovery was not guaranteed. Dylan, upset of course. Understandable but it made things difficult. Zoe would be worried about her husband; Ethan about his brother.

And Rita... everyone would be upset about Rita.

"Connie?" Jacob laid a hand on her arm.

"No. Thank you, Jacob. I don't need you."

"I live in hope," said Jacob with a smile as a taxi came around the corner. "I think this is you."

"Hardly a flattering comparison, Jacob," said Connie.

"Oh, I don't know," said Jacob. "That taxi is beautiful on the outside, but tough on the inside. It has to be to stand the rigours of the job; to keep going, day after day, for hours. Breaks determined not by its needs, but the needs of the people around it. I think you're a lot like a taxi, Mrs Beauchamp."

Connie gave him a withering look. "I won't tell you what you're like, Jacob. It would be most unprofessional to use words like that."

Jacob laughed, as she'd known he would. "On that note, boss, I'll say goodbye."