"Are you going to tell me why you don't want me hanging around?" Caleb asked.

"You have to ask?" replied his younger brother, Ethan.

"Um... Yep! I mean who wouldn't want me around? Life and soul of the party, I am."

"That may be, but doesn't make you any easy to put up with."

"Come on Ethan, 'stay out of my way'? Last time you said that was..." Suddenly Caleb's eyes lit up. "Last time you said that was when you were in luuurve with that Annie girl."

"Anna was my third girlfriend for a week and your eighteenth girlfriend for the next month, remember?"

Caleb however was paying little attention, instead counting off on his fingers the many pretty doctors and nurses in the ED.

"Rita. Robyn. Sara. Zoe? Mia. No, I've got it! Miss Lily Chao."

"That's Dr Chao to you and no. I'm not in 'luurve' as you put it with Lily."

"You are! Not even you would let just a 'friend' blub all over your shoulder for nothing."

"To be kind?"

"Nope, you are totally in love with her!"

"Shut up Caleb!" Ethan blushed.

"Awww, is lickle Nibbles embarrassed?"

"I said Shut Up!", Ethan half-shouted, half-said as they approached the staff pub.
They walked inside together but soon split up, Caleb sitting with a group of slightly tipsy nurses and Ethan choosing a seat on the far wall.

Caleb was half way through his third pint when he saw something that made him cough up his mouthful of beer. Ethan was talking –flirting- to a girl. He couldn't see who from the back but he would guess from what he could see pretty, smart and eloquent. Not a one night stand. His attention was drawn back to the hot blonde on his left and the sexy brunette on his right.

Dr Hanna was waiting for her wine and looking around the pub picking out her staff, something she tended to do when bored. It was at this point that Ethan Hardy, (no, not his smooth talking older brother, but him) walked past carrying a pint and a red wine. There was nothing strange about that, except the fact that his table happened to also be that of a young woman wearing a tight dress and high heels. Not his normal drinking companion. As Zoe stored this useful piece of information away for use in teasing tomorrow, Ash returned with her drink.

Ethan couldn't believe his luck; a very pretty stranger had introduced herself to him and not for the sole purpose of learning Cal's number. As they drank and talked, Ethan found himself almost forgetting Lily. Almost that is until Maria, the pretty stranger, explained she had an early shift and had to leave now as her boyfriend would be home soon. Ethan was left alone with his thoughts until Max, shouting over the noise, caught his attention.

Egged on by 'Lofty', Robyn and two pints of the best bitter, Max stood up and announced a toast.

"I suggest a toast to the memory of Lily Chao at Holby Hospital. Thankfully now only a memory!"

Ethan refused to join in with the loud expressions of agreement, instead kicking himself as he realised he would be unlikely to see her again. Suddenly from close by he heard faint sobbing. Turning he saw Lily herself sat only a few tables along. He walked across slowly, so as not to draw attention to himself, and for the second time that day, offered her his shoulder to cry on.

Lily wrapped her arms around his neck while he held her tightly, allowing her tears to soak into his jacket collar. One by one, the other drinkers noticed the scene, the two tightly hugging figures, but were silenced by one word from Caleb or a glare from Ethan.

Finally Lily's tears dried up and she slowly opened her eyes, fully registering where she was. In the staff pub. With her arms wrapped around Ethan?

"What happened?" she asked quietly.

"I was sitting over there and I saw you crying so I thought I would offer a shoulder to cry on."

"How long have I been sitting like this?"

"Since Max's toast: half an hour."

"I've been crying for thirty minutes!" Lily exclaimed removing her arms from Ethan's neck.

"Uh-huh."

"Ethan, I'm so sorry, I didn't realise..."

"It's fine. Goodnight Lily."

Ethan replied abruptly, gently kissing her cheek. With that he got up and left the bar, walking past his brother and the even more tipsy nurses.
Slowly Lily stood but without Ethan's arms to protect her, she suddenly felt very afraid.

"What's happening to me? I'm not... it can't be... it's not... it might be... it won't be..." Lily murmured to herself as she made her way to the waiting car.

"What. The. Hell?" asked Caleb in shock, expressing the thoughts of most of the Holby City Staff.

"They sit there for half an hour and then he just leaves?"

"This is Lily we're talking about", commented Robyn.

"Yes, but this is my little brother, Ethan: he's 'loyal'. If he loves her -and he does- he won't leave her for anything. It's ridiculous."

"Whatever. Just ask him tomorrow."

"Yeah, I will."

So what do you think?

Hint I've split episode 20 in half: environmental activists are 'tomorrow'

P.S. I STILL DON'T OWN CASUALTY!