Scarlett: Thank you. I have a special Connie and Lily story planned for you. I'll be writing it soon. Also, there is a lovely Connie and Lily scene in this chapter as well.

A: You'll soon see! Thanks so much, I hope you enjoy the update.

LillyMayFlower: Hehe, you might have guessed correctly. You might not have. I don't like Louise either, maybe that's why I always make her so horrible in my stories. Thanks for reviewing.

Chapter Thirty-Four

"You were extremely lucky."

Connie was in the middle of checking Lily over. The front entrance of the ED had been badly burnt and needed to be refurbished, so she was currently perched on the wall outside. Connie and Elle were examining her, and Iain sat on the wall beside her so that she had some company.

"We all were," Elle laughed, trying to think positive for everyone's sake.

"Yeah," Connie sighed. "God knows how we're going to pay for the damage, but I'm sure we'll think of something."

"It could have been worse, Connie," Elle said. "The entire hospital could have gone up in flames, someone could have died."

"Having to transfer all of our patients to St Andrews was not what I had in mind though," Connie snapped. "I bet they think so highly of us now, don't they? What hospital has a major fire halfway through treatment?"

"These things can't be helped," Elle whispered.

"Do we even know what caused the fire?" Iain asked, as he sat and held Lily's hand.

"They found a lit cigarette in the pile of boxes by the door," Connie said. "Looks like someone could have been smoking but they didn't put out their cigarette properly, almost endangering Lily's life. Still..." She smiled to herself and gave Lily's arm a gentle rub. "She's alright, I suppose."

Lily smiled back, running her hand over the cover of her 'Alice in Wonderland' book. More than anything, she was pleased to see that it was okay.

"Connie?" Charlie's voice appeared and Connie turned to see him walking over with Louise. "Um...Louise has something that she'd like to say."

"What is it?" Connie asked, turning her attention towards the nurse, a serious expression on her face.

"I'm sorry," Louise apologised, looking towards Lily nervously. How was she supposed to apologise to Connie for her actions in front of the person who almost died in the fire. "I was the one smoking, and I threw the cigarette onto the boxes. I'm really sorry, but I thought I'd put it out properly."

"Louise," Connie whispered, shaking her had in disbelief at the young nurse.

Iain couldn't hold it in for much longer. His girlfriend had almost died, all because of Louise, someone who was supposed to be their friend and colleague. He left Lily's side and lunged at her, Charlie quickly stepping between them in case he did end up causing some nasty damage.

"I'm going to kill you!" He shouted, pointing a finger at her. "Do you not realise what you've actually done?"

"Iain," Connie scolded, subtly shaking her head, and quite aware of the fact that Lily was watching and listening. "Louise. You put our staff and patients in danger, and you could have caused some serious damage to the ED."

"It was a mistake, I'm really sorry," Louise whispered, a single tear rolling down one side of her cheek. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I'd never want to hurt Lily, or anyone for that matter."

Connie didn't know what to say. Clearly, Louise was sorry, but at the end of the day she'd still caused a fire to break out in the ED. She was going to say something, when she suddenly felt Lily give a hard tug on her sleeve. She turned to see what she had to say, but instead she just shook her head. Iain's hands remained in fist form, but he too stayed quiet for Lily's sake.

"What do you mean?" Connie asked her.

Louise and Iain exchanged glances with each other, shocked that Connie seemed to understand Lily's silent words. Louise didn't understand how it was even possible, but she didn't say anything.

"I'm giving you a warning, Louise," Connie said. "Lily's prepared to drop it, seeing as it seemed like a genuine mistake and that everyone is okay. I'm still not happy though and if something else happens, then you're out."

Louise nodded and Connie gestured for Charlie to follow her, so that they could go and check out the seriousness of the damage.

"Thanks," Louise whispered, taking Connie's place on the wall. "And I really am sorry. I guess I just didn't realise how much you were really going through, and I couldn't understand it."

Lily nodded, smiling so Louise knew that she was forgiven.

"Can we try and be friends?" Louise asked. "I'd understand if you really don't want to be."

Lily stayed silent, but moved closer and wrapped an arm around Louise's shoulder.

"Thank you," Louise said shyly. "I'll take that."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Connie asked as she walked into the flat with Lily and Iain.

Lily just faintly nodded, leaning against Iain as he held his arm around her. It had been a long day, and a difficult one as well, so Connie had agreed to come back with them and make sure that Lily was alright. She wasn't injured, but she did seem shaken up. She'd also gone back to her silent state as well.

"I'm going to put the dinner on," Iain offered, throwing his keys onto the table and making his way into the kitchen. "Get some rest, Lily."

Lily nodded and flopped down onto the sofa. Connie sighed and sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder to give her a hug.

"What's going to happen to the ED?" Lily whispered to her.

"Hey, there's that lovely voice," Connie teased. "It'll be fine, sweetheart. it can quite easily be fixed; in the meantime, all patients need to go to St Andrews. We can't have them being admitted to Holby, it's too dangerous."

Lily nodded against her and held out the book.

"Can you read to me?" She asked in a small voice.

"Now, that isn't how it works," Connie laughed, taking the book from her. "You're supposed to read to me."

"I know," Lily whispered. "I just feel like hearing someone else's voice for a change."

Connie nodded and opened the book for her.

"I didn't mean what I said, you know?" Lily then said, before Connie could even start reading. "When I said that I wanted to end my own life? When I was stuck in the ED and I saw the flames approaching, all I wanted was to get out of there alive. I realise that I shouldn't have said that now. I...I did almost die, and it was the most terrifying thing ever."

"But you didn't," Connie told her. "And you have a fit of the verbals, considering you haven't actually been talking."

"I can talk to you and Iain," Lily said. "I feel comfortable around you."

"Well, I am very glad to hear that," Connie said. "Come on then. I will read you a couple of chapters of this, whilst Iain gets dinner ready."

"Can I ask you a question?" Lily asked.

"Sure," Connie said, stroking at her hair. "Anything."

"Do you think Iain hates me?" Lily asked.

Connie was completely shocked. She wasn't expecting Lily to ask something like that, considering the fact that she and Iain seemed so happy together. Iain was a brilliant boyfriend to her, and he showed that.

"What makes you say that?" Connie asked her.

"Because I...I get scared when it comes to kissing, and even hugging," Lily admitted. "It makes me nervous. We don't even have sex, because I...I just can't. It isn't fair on him if he's in a relationship like that. Everything just makes me jumpy."

"If Iain couldn't handle that, then he would have said something by now," Connie said. "He loves you, and he doesn't care if certain things make you anxious. He understands that you've been through a difficult time, and he wants to be with you. Don't ruin the relationship, just because of a few anxieties or concerns that you have. It isn't worth it."

"I guess," Lily muttered under her breath, taking in what Connie had told her.

"You don't have to be kissing him all the time to show that you love him," Connie said. "You can do something else."

"Really?" Lily asked, with a glint in her eye. "Can you help me?"

"Of course I can," Connie agreed, and gave her a firm nod. "What did you have in mind?"

I hope you liked the chapter.

Just to let everyone who's reading Soulmates know that it is going through some editing at the moment. I'm not deleting the whole story but I will be amending some bits, so that I'm happier with the story x