Stunned silence reigned in the staffroom.

"Dr Knight I suggest you make sure your side of the story is as straight as it can be," Connie said shortly, before confidently striding from the room. Cal stared at the floor.

"How much could you hear out there?" he asked tensely, his left cheek glowing with an outline of Lily's hand clearly visible.

"People stopped what they were doing to wonder why Dr Chao had suddenly lost it, does that answer your question?" Of course Ethan was impressed that Lily cared enough to defend him like that, but now everyone knew how badly he was coping, and his girlfriend could lose her job.

"Oh come on Nibbles, she just went off on one at me!"

"I take it you didn't actually listen to anything she just said? You don't give me any respect – I'm not just a little boy you can push around any more! And in case you're wondering, yes we're together, which is why she knew exactly how hard things have been for me. Because of you, she's facing a disciplinary hearing for sticking up for me, which is more than you've ever done." Ethan spoke with such conviction that Cal didn't dare follow him when he left the room.

Meanwhile in Connie's office, Lily was pacing tensely, having pulled the blinds tightly closed. She picked at the skin around her left index fingernail, frustrated that she could have let her feeling get so in the way of being professional. She sat down dejectedly in the chair in front of Connie's desk, wiping a tear from her eye impatiently. Perhaps fate was getting in the way of her avoiding the five year plan. Putting Ethan aside for one moment, she loved her job and couldn't bear the idea of having to leave. How could she have allowed herself to lash out like that? She'd put her reputation and her whole career at stake for the sake of putting Cal in his place. On reflection, he wasn't even worth it.

Connie entered the room and put a momentary stop to Lily's racing thoughts.

"What in God's name were you thinking?" she said, her every syllable shaking in anger. Lily stared at the tiled floor of the office, wishing two things. One, that she could go back and repeat the last five minutes of her life. Two, that she was anywhere else but here. "There isn't a circumstance in the world that would mitigate what you have just done. We are meant to be professional doctors, remind me exactly which part of your job description read 'I have the right to bring the reputation of the hospital into disrepute'. I hope that at the very least you have a rock solid reason." Lily remained silent, trying to contain all of her thoughts and spin them into a believable account. "I'm waiting, Dr Chao. Explain yourself." Slowly, Lily began to explain it all, starting with the night she had spent at Ethan's house and the conversation they had shared over breakfast the next morning. As she spoke, Connie's expression changed from one of fury to one that, if Lily wasn't mistaken, was etched with concern.

"I want you to tell me one thing," she said. "Were your allegations against Dr Knight, in the region of his treatment of Dr Hardy, completely truthful? Is there any possibility that in your anger you exaggerated the facts to meet your ends?" Lily considered the events of the last ten minutes, then further back to the night shift when Ethan had needed her help. She shook her head. "Lily, this is very important." She nodded to show she was listening. "Is there any way that your feelings towards Dr Hardy may have impaired your judgement of this situation?" Lily's cheeks burned, it seemed Zoe may have been economical with the truth when she said their relationship wasn't common knowledge. Although nothing got past Connie, there would have to have been whispers for her to know anything.

"I understand how this must look, but I'd be equally as appalled by how Dr Knight has treated his brother recently, even if we weren't-" Lily took a deep breath. "Even if we weren't in a relationship. Please understand Mrs Beauchamp, Ethan was my friend first and I'd defend him just the same if all this had come out six weeks ago."

"I believe you Lily." Lily let out a deep sigh of relief. "But it doesn't excuse your actions. Nothing gives you the right to assault a colleague, regardless of your intentions. If Dr Knight decides to take this to a hearing, there's nothing I can do to stop him."

Lily bowed her head, wishing there was something they could do about Cal's atrocious treatment of his brother. If Ethan was just another colleague, he could lodge a complaint for old-fashioned bullying. Although there was nothing stopping him doing just that, both doctors knew he'd never do it.

Connie changed the subject abruptly. "If you feel you're calm enough to maintain a civil tongue and return to work, then you should go back out there. I'm not demanding you apologise to Dr Knight. I know you well enough by now to know that would be a terrible idea. If you're going to speak to him it will be when you;re shifts are over. I'll separate you on any new cases for our convenience more than anything else. If it comes to a hearing," Lily looked up sharply. "You have my full backing, despite your behaviour."

"Thank you, Mrs Beauchamp," Lily said, not quite believing what she was hearing.

"I would very much appreciate it if you kept this quiet," Connie said uneasily. "I don't want Guy Self berating me for advocating violence, or Dr Knight breaking down my door for favouritism in the department."

"Of course, this can stay between us. Thank you again."