bronny9: Thank you for the review. I'm glad you loved it.

For this chapter: The lads mum is Matilda.

This chapter was prompted by guest with the prompt: Cal finds out he has the gene, will he accept comfort from Ethan?


The Secret Life Of Casualty.

Chapter 281.

"Are you ok Cal?" Ethan asked his brother. The two were at work and Ethan had noticed that Cal was off his game; he wasn't focusing properly, when filling in his patient notes, he kept making silly mistakes, and his hands were shaking.

"I'm fine Ethan. " Cal told him.

Ethan frowned, concerned, he didn't look fine. "Cal. Talk to me. "

Cal slammed the patient file on to the desk and turned to his brother, almost angrily. "I said I'm fine. " He started to walk away, but when he did, he tripped up, he walked a few more steps, before tripping again. Ethan took him in to a cubicle where the brothers had a hushed conversation.

"I'm tired Ethan." but as he spoke, his hands started to shake again.

But still, Ethan was concerned about his brother, so he booked him a doctors appointment. Cal didn't want to go, but Ethan convinced him, saying that they needed to know, what was wrong.

Cal knew that Ethan was right. But deep down, he was scared, scared of what the doctors would tell him. Ethan squeezed his hand, silently telling him that it would be ok. They left the flat, heading to their car and Ethan unlocked it, getting in to the drivers seat and starting the engine.

Ethan parked in to an empty space and turned off the engine as the two of then, got out of the car and headed in to the hospital. They went in to the lift and travelled up to the ward in which they were needed.

"Hi, my name's Caleb Knight and I have an appointment "

"Date of birth?" The receptionist asked.

"12 February 1984 " Cal told her.

"Take a seat and we'll call you when we are ready for you. " The receptionist told them, both.

"Thank you. " Ethan smiled as they went and sat down in the waiting area, he could tell that Cal was nervous. "Relax. " He said, in a calming tone, but Cal couldn't relax, he thought that the doctor was going to tell him some bad news.

The machine on the wall, which was displaying patients names, showed Cal's telling him that he had to go to room 1. He took a deep breath as Ethan stood.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Ethan asked.

Cal nodded.

"What seems to be the problem?" Asked the doctor.

Ethan spoke. "Cal's tired all of the time and he's falling over. "

Doctor Paul nodded. "I'm going to run a genetic blood test "

"Genetic testing which is essentially a blood test well they use blood to test your genes. " Said Cal.

"How did you know that?" Doctor Paul O'Connor looked surprised that Cal knew that, so Cal spoke.

"I'm a doctor. "

Doctor Paul wiped Cal's arm with a wipe and tied a tourniquet around his arm, before putting the needle in.

Cal's bloods were sent off to the lab were they were analysed, there was nothing the brothers could do now but go home and wait. They just had to forgot about it and get on with it.

Just when they were giving up hope, of hearing from the doctor, Ethan got a call telling him that Cal's results were in. Ethan was scared for him. They got in to the car and Ethan spoke: "If it's bad news, we'll get through it together "

Ethan and Cal sat down in the doctors office and waited as Doctor Paul O'Connor picked up an envelope from his desk and checked that it was the right one, before opening it up and scanning the papers, quickly. He sat down on the chair behind his desk, facing his two patients.

"I'm so sorry, Caleb, but the results show you have Huntington's Disease " Doctor Paul O'Connor told him.

The brothers looked at each other, and Ethan reached across to hold his hand, but Cal pulled it away and walked out of the office.

"It's a lot to take in. " Doctor O' Connor told Ethan.

"I know. " Ethan replied, as he thanked doctor O'Connor and left the office, intending to find Cal, but he wasn't in the hospital.

Ethan sat down besides his brother and stroked his hair, using the pad of his thumb to gently wipe away his tears, but more fell as he did so.

"Why me?" Cal turned to Ethan, with his bottom lip quivering, reminding Ethan of when they were children and Cal had taken biscuits from the biscuit tin and their father had told them they couldn't have biscuits, before dinner, but Cal had snuck some anyway. "Mum and dad didn't have it, why me?"

Ethan's heart broke as he replied. "I don't know. " Helping his brother up, with his head resting on Ethan's shoulder, the two walked to the car and Ethan unlocked it as he broke apart from his brother, running off.

"Cal!" Ethan shouted.

Cal didn't stop running until he reached their flat and burst through the door, up the stairs and fumbled with his key, but he dropped it a few times, before putting it in to the lock.

Cal started to crying, shaking on his bed, it wasn't fair. He realised he had needed the toilet, but had struggled to get there in time and had wet the sheets.

Ethan walked in to the flat, after his shift and went to see his brother.

"It's OK, " Ethan soothed as he changed the sheets and stroked his brothers hair.

"I don't want this, I should look after you, as I'm the older brother. "

"I don't mind that I have to look after you, in the future, you will still have time for your symptoms fully develop. "Ethan whispered, as he sat up heading to the kitchen. He got two mugs out of the cupboard and made the drink. "It's ok, if you have to ask for help. "

Cal nodded and cuddled up to him as they both sipped their hot chocolates, Cal's favourite drink from when they were children.

A few years later...

Ethan pushed Cal who was in his wheelchair to their mum's grave, he put the brakes on the chair and waited for Cal to put the flowers down. He put them down with a shaky hand.

"M-um w-we m- m-i-s-s y-yo-u " Cal spoke with tremors and stutters, but Ethan was proud of him in his own way, as he realised that he had come far from his days of running away.

"We love you, mum. " Ethan added as he pressed his fingers to the stone and kissed it.

The boys returned to their flat and Ethan helped Cal in to the living room were he got him comfortable and he put a blanket over him as he started to fall asleep, Ethan joined him.


Thank you for reading, I hope this is what guest wanted.

Next chapter: Ethan suffers a stroke, will he accept comfort from Cal? Prompted by Lauren.