I decided to update this because Casualty isn't on tonight.

This was prompted by "Sweet as honey" with the prompt: Ethan notices that his mum is acting strangely, what is behind the diagnose?

Emile is Ethan's mum, Matilda's is Cal's.

I hope I don't upset anyone with this chapter before the storyline aired on the show, I knew nothing about Huntington's disease, so anything about it comes from the net.

Emile may be different in terms of the character that us, as viewers, saw on the show.

Calvin is an OC and he's Ethan's dad as well as Emile's husband.

LindaAndrewsfan: Thank you for both of the reviews. I really enjoyed writing them.


The Secret Life Of Casualty.

Chapter 142.

His mum, Emile, had usually asked how his day was, had his tea on the table, so Ethan wasn't expecting things to be any different when he let himself in to the 3 - bedroomed house that he lived in with his mother and father after school.

"Mum" Ethan said as soon as he stepped in to the kitchen.

"Not now" Emile snapped, she was standing at the sink, washing dishes.

"But mum, I wanted to tell you that I got an A* on my English project..." Ethan trailed off, he was proud, English was his favourite subject.

"Be quiet now " Snapped Emile as she reached up to put plates in to the cupboard, but she kept dropping them, as her hands kept making jerky movements that she couldn't control.

"It's OK, Mum let me help " Ethan offered as he got the brush pan and brush and cleaned up the broken glass and then binned it.

"I've got it, Ethan " Said Emile, not realising she had cut her hand. Ethan seen the blood and opened a cupboard, getting out a bandage and bandaging Emile's hand up. But, instead of thanking him, Emile hit him with a shaky hand.

Horror struck Emile, as she realised she had hit her only son. Ethan fled the kitchen, tears in his eyes as his father come down the stairs.

"Sorry " Emile said, but it was too late as he had walked out.

"What happened?" Calvin asked.

Ethan didn't want to get his mum in to trouble.

"It's ok" said Ethan, heading up the stairs.

When, he reached the top of the stairs, he finally let his tears fall, unsure of why his mum was being like this. He walked further along until he got to his bedroom, he opened the door and walked inside, lying face down on his bed. His stomach rumbled and he realised that he hadn't had any tea.


"Ethan, how did you get that bruise?" His best friend Cal questioned him, at school. Ethan's hand went to his cheek but he said nothing. "Ethan?" Cal said again.

"It's nothing " He said.

"Doesn't look like nothing " Cal commented.

Ethan felt angry. "It's fine "

Then, the bell rang for the end of lunch and Cal, although worried, decided to drop it.


Emile and Calvin were in the hospital, waiting to be seen by a doctor, as Calvin was worried about his wife's mental health.

The doctor ran a number of tests that were could help detect Huntington's disease and they were: hearing, eye movement, strength, coordination, involuntary movements, sensation, reflexes, balance, movement, and her mental status. Once, he was finished, the couple went back home.

Two weeks later, Calvin answered a call, which could potentially have the power to change the lives of the small family. She listened to the doctor in silence and then in shock, dropped her phone.

"Calvin, I've got Huntington's disease " She told him, as she walked in to the living room.

"You haven't " At first, Calvin thought she was joking, but it wasn't a disease to joke about.

Emile nodded at her husband.

"Ethan, can you come down so we can talk please?" Calvin asked, to him it seemed like his voice wasn't his; it belonged to someone else.

Ethan heard his dad's voice and put the book he was reading, down. He sat down on the couch in the living room and looked between his mum and dads faces; Emile looked like she had been crying and Calvin was white like a ghost.

"Ethan, sit down, " Calvin said.

Ethan did as he was told.

"We have something to tell you " Calvin continued.

"What?" Asked Ethan, in a quiet voice, as he knew that something was wrong. He hoped his parents were not about to divorce

"Your mum has Huntington's disease " Calvin said gently, mentally preparing him for the questions that were likely to come his way. And sure enough, they did.

"What's that?" He asked.

"Its where they have a lack of drive to do anything, making them appear lazy, but that's not true, it's just the way the condition affects the brain. " Calvin explained.

"Oh. Ethan said as stood and walked over to where his mum was sat then he hugged his mum and then his dad.

When, Ethan went back up to bed, he sat at his desk and opened up his laptop, clicking on the "E" Icon, he waited for Google to load and typed in "Huntington's Disease "

"Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects muscle coordination and leads to mental decline and behavioural symptoms. Symptoms of the disease can vary between individuals and affected members of the same family, but usually progress predictably. The earliest symptoms are often subtle problems with mood or cognition. A general lack of coordination and an unsteady gait often follow. As the disease advances, uncoordinated, jerky body movements become more apparent, along with a decline in mental abilities and behavioural symptoms. Physical abilities gradually worsen until coordinated movement becomes difficult. Mental abilities generally decline into dementia. Complications such as pneumonia, heart disease, and physical injury from falls reduce life expectancy to around twenty years from the point at which symptoms begin. Physical symptoms can begin at any age from infancy to old age, but usually begin between 35 and 44 years of age. "

Ethan felt sick. He shut his laptop. And lay back down on his bed and cried at how life was unfair until morning come.


Usually, Cal couldn't get Ethan to stop talking, but today the young boy was quiet and he was staring in to, what seemed to Cal, thin air.

"Ethan, what's wrong?" Cal asked, he wanted to support him.

"Leave me alone!" Ethan shouted, shocking Cal, as he stood up and was striding across the playground, before Cal come to his sense and followed his friend down the playground. He sat down beside him when he reached him.

"What's wrong?" He asked again.

Ethan knew that he had to tell someone. "Cal, I need to tell you something "

"What, buddy?" He asked.

"My mum has Huntington's disease " He whispered, his head bowed.

Cal sat stunned, he wasn't expecting Ethan to say that.

"You can stay with me anytime you need too, " Cal offered, eventually and a bit awkwardly.

"Thanks" He said, it wasn't much, but he appreciated it.


"Caleb, Ethan " The boys looked up as they heard a voice, the voice belonged to their headmistress: Miss Constance Beauchamp. "You too should be in class"

"Miss Beauchamp " Cal said, turning round to face her. "Ethan's mum has just been diagnosed with Huntington's disease "

Now, Connie felt bad, although, she would never admit it, her father Michael Beauchamp, had, had Parkinson's disease and she had found it difficult, watching him slowly deteriorate and she She nodded and

At the end of the day, Cal waited for Ethan outside the gates and they walked home, just as they reached his door, Cal said "You can call or text me, when you want to chat about anything"

"Thanks Cal " Ethan said, he didn't have many friends, so he was grateful for Cal.

"It's alright, buddy " He patted Ethan's shoulder as he started walking down the street. Ethan walked in to the house.

"Dad?" Ethan whispered as he walked in to the living room and sat down on the couch.

"Yes, son" Calvin put down his newspaper and looked at him.

"I'm sorry about last night and I'm going to support mum as much as I can" He said, sincerely.

"I know, you will son " Calvin was proud of Ethan, but he didn't want his childhood ruined as he was still only young, and Calvin didn't want him to become a career for his mum. But, he knew Ethan wouldn't have minded as he liked to help people but he was a bright boy and Calvin and Emile knew he was bright lad, he would go far in his future.


Thank you for reading.

Next chapter: Jessica and Linda have a girlie day in town. Prompted by "Lindaandrewsfan "