Cal's younger than Ethan, who doesn't have the gene. Includes the Cal and Taylor pairing as I liked that. But she's not pregnant.
This chapter was prompted by: guest: With the prompt: I don't care what you write as long as Cal doesn't die.
(Guest) Bobby: Thank you for the review. Sure, I can do that for you, it'll be a while, though.
The Secret Life Of Casualty
Chapter 314.
Cal was feeling depressed with his life, as a recent blood test had revealed he had the dreaded gene. He was 24 years of age, and had a life sentence hanging over him, which would eventually take his life, he and Ethan had both seen it with their mum, Emile, before she died. That's way he was in a bar, nursing a pint, ignoring the concerned messages on his phone left to him by Ethan. Suddenly, he spotted a woman dancing on a pole. She had long blonde hair, and looked like she was enjoying what she was doing. She looked up at him as she finished her dance and walked over to him.
"Hey," She smiled.
Cal looked at what she was wearing. It was a skimpy outfit. As this unnamed woman went back to her dancing, she slipped a piece of paper under Cal's hand. Cal unfolded it to see it was her number. "My name's Taylor, " It read with a number underneath.
"Caleb, but my friends call me Cal. " He replied, going over to where she was dancing. He left the club, that night, thinking he wouldn't see her again, until the next morning.
"Cal, there's a patient in cubicles, " Charlie told him as he entered the ED, the next morning.
"Right, " Cal nodded. "My names Doctor Knight, but you can call me-"
"Cal" The woman replied.
"Taylor, what are you doing here?" Cal questioned, an eyebrow raised.
"I need your help. " She whispered.
"Why?" He asked, he was suspicious of her behaviour.
"I run a charity, but we need money. " She said, her eyes wide, as if-playing vulnerable would encourage Cal to give her the money, but what she didn't realise was that Cal himself was in a vulnerable state.
"I can't Taylor, " Cal replied, wanting to keep Ethan out of it, as she didn't know about him, but she was holding a secret too. Her charity didn't really exist and once she had his money, she was planning on doing a runner.
"Please Cal. " Taylor asked. "You'd be doing me a favour, " She opened her handbag and handed him a card before leaving the cubicle.
On his break, Cal decided to have a look at Taylor's charity website.
"Alright, Cal?" Ethan walked in, opening the cupboard and filling the kettle.
"Yeah, " Cal replied as Ethan sat beside him, holding two mugs as he handed one to his brother.
Cal decided to ask his brother for advice. "I met this woman called Taylor, at a bar one night. "
"Right, " Ethan was confused to where this conversation was going.
"She asked me for money" Cal said, much to Ethan's shock.
"Cal, you don't really know this woman, " Ethan said, but Cal was staring at the laptop screen in shock. The web address that Cal had typed in displayed a message:
"I'm sorry but the page you are looking for doesn't exist," Cal thought there was a error with the computer system so he refreshed the page, but the same message popped up.
"Cal, we need to talk" Ethan said, taking a sip of his own drink.
"About what?" Cal asked.
"About you know " Ethan said, hoping he'd open up to him about how he felt having an incurable disease. Cal looked at Ethan, before running out of the ED much to the shock of his brother. Ethan bit his lip. Should he tell Charlie that Cal ran from the department? Usually he would, but he knew that Cal didn't need to be lectured right now.
As Cal kept running. his chest felt tight and beads of sweat started to form on his face, as his mouth dried up. He had an incurable disease, no girl would want him now. What girl would want a man who couldn't feed himself? Who wouldn't be able to perform in the bedroom? The "What if's" were going to drive him crazy.
Cal fainted.
A member of the public, who was walking her dog, seen the man slump down.
"Excuse me?" She asked. "Are you ok?" She asked, as her dog barked.
"Ethan?" Cal murmured. The woman didn't know who Ethan was. She looked near Cal to see if there was anything that could help her identify who "Ethan" was. She found a brown wallet which she assumed to be Cal's. She opened it and saw a picture of two young boys together, one had blonde hair, the other had brown. Then she found a phone and picked it up, going through the contacts. She pressed Ethan's name.
On a break, sat in the staff room, worried about his brother, his phone in his hand, Ethan jumped when it started to ring. He flipped it open. "Hello?" Ethan said. "Cal, is that you?"
"Ethan" Said to what seemed to him, an unknown voice.
"Yes, who is this?" He asked.
"I'm Charlotte, I was walking my dog when I saw your brother collapse. He called your name. "
"Where is he?" Ethan wanted to know.
Charlotte looked around her. "The park on Elton Street. Do you know it?"
Ethan didn't know it, but would only take him a few minutes to locate it on his phone. "Thank you, I'll be there as soon as I can, "
"I'll stay with him until you arrive, " She said as the call ended. Ethan located the location that Charlotte had given him, he saw it was a park.
"Doctor Hardy, where are you going?" Mrs Beauchamp yelled, but Ethan ignored her in his haste to get to his brother. He knew he'd have to explain his reasons later to her, but it was worth it. Ethan eventually reached his brother, smoothing back his hair.
"Cal, it's ok, I'm here now. "
Cal was lying on a on a bed in cubicles, a pulse oximeter on his finger. He was glad to see that Ethan was sitting on the chair beside the bed, looking sick with worry for his younger brother so for Ethan it was a relief to see his brother awake, an NG tube up his nose
"I'm sorry, " Cal whispered
"You've got nothing to be sorry for, do you hear me?" Ethan said, passionately, kissing his brothers forehead, as Charlie come in, informing them that they could go home.
"Thanks Charlie" Ethan nodded as Charlie left them both to it. Ethan guided Cal to the car and it was then Cal spoke. "
"I'm scared, " Cal whispered.
"I know, " Ethan sympathised when he thought he had, had the gene. Ethan put his arm around him as they walked to the car, Ethan unlocking the doors and helping Cal in.
"I have an idea" Ethan says, the next morning, he's in the kitchen.
"That's dangerous, " Cal replies, the as he walks in to the kitchen, and opens the cupboard, pulling out a cereal box, as he starts putting the food in his mouth absent - mindly.
"Caleb, use a bowl " Ethan scolds.
"What's the idea?" Cal asks, taking his brothers advice and getting a bowl and pouring some cereal inside and adding milk.
"How about we go to Australia?" Ethan says. Cal stares at him. They can't just leave work.
But Ethan speaks again. "I've cleared it with Mrs Beauchamp, she's hiring locums to cover us"
"Alright, " Cal replies. Ethan tells him more. Their flight is booked for that night. All Cal needs to do is pack. Ethan's own packing is a job half done with his suitcase open on his bed
At 17: 00, they leave their flat, they are boarding at 21: 00.
After checking in their luggage, they chill out, until they are informed their gate is opening.
Cal walks through the scanner, as it beeps. He'll have to be searched.
"Arms out please sir, " Says the male, as he pats Cal down. Ethan smiles reassuring as he waits for Cal to pass through.
Their flight lands the next morning, Cal has watched movies on his iPod, while Ethan has read a book or slept, after collecting their luggage from the airport, they get a taxi to the address of the hotel they are staying at.
Their hotel room, is a double room with two single beds in. Two wardrobes, and a bathroom, with a shower, sink and toilet. They unpack, order room service, and then decide to get their heads down, both exhausted.
Australia was a place that both brothers had wanted to see, but had never had the chance. Until now, that was. Ethan had booked them a hotel and they were looking forward to seeing what the place had to offer.
They were in their hotel room, one morning, when Ethan suggested doing something he thought Cal might like.
"How about we go surfing?" Ethan suggested.
"Are you serious?" Cal laughed.
"Yes" Ethan said.
"Ethan, we don't know how" Cal replied, thinking that Ethan was mad. And here, he was, thinking he liked to live dangerously.
"I've looked online. We can have lessons " Ethan said. "And then go out, "
Cal rolled his eyes at his brother, but secretly he was looking forward to trying this out. They headed to the local beach. Where there was an instructor. She was called Mel, she looked like she spent time in the water herself, judging by the wetsuit she was wearing.
"Are you here for the surfing lesson?" She asked, with a warm smile.
Ethan nodded. "Yes"
"As, it's your first time, you won't be going straight in to the water"
Ellie purchased two long boards from the "surfing shack" she worked at. They were long boards, the best type if you were going out for the first time. As well as two wetsuits, which she helped them on with, as they were tricky.
As either lad had never surfed before, they had a "dry lesson" on the sand. Ellie showed them how to stand on the board, feet slightly apart and to attach the leash to their foot, so if they come apart from the board in the waves, they won't be separated.
"Are you ready?" She asked.
Cal and Ethan looked at each other, they were both excited for this.
Now, it was time to put in to practice what the instructor had taught them. They both carried their boards to the water before lying on them and then started to paddle out, waiting for a wave.
Ethan fell off his board a few times, but he was smiling when he resurfaced, flattening a hand over his hair.
Cal managed to catch a wave, and stay on, which was impressive for a first time surfer. But Cal knew that he wouldn't be able to continue surfing once his diease took hold of him.
After their lesson, they found a pub and Ethan brought them both a pint and they sat in the corner of the pub, both thankful that they were here, alive. Ethan wasn't even going to think about the fact someday he'd have to put his brother in the ground where he'd lay rotting in the ground.
"That was good today, " Said Cal.
"Yeah, I don't think there'd be many waves in Holby though, " Ethan said.
"Maybe not, " Cal mused.
"Shall we go back?" Ethan asked.
Cal nodded. "Yep, "
The two boys headed out, back to their hotel.
"I love you" Cal said, as he watched TV, with Ethan sat beside him, having just had a shower to warm himself up from the cold water.
Ethan smiled. "Love you too mate "
Thank you for reading, this got longer than what I was expecting it too.
Next chapter: A day in a life of Richard and George as they work on the Casualty set. Prompted by Bronny9.
