We'll Always Have Holby : pt 5
We'll Always Have Holby
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Happy endings, right? Wasn't that how it was supposed to go? Boy meets girl and all kinds of wonderful things ensue.
Chance would be a fine thing.
All the once upon a times lied he mused as the day went from bad to worse. It was like he was watching it all fall apart in slow motion and there was nothing he could do to stop it. When you're a child you believe that people can live happily ever after, that - in the words of The Beatles - love is all you need. When you had that, everything else was just window dressing.
"And how is the bear today?" Adam quipped as Charlie pulled the curtain back over on the cubicle.
Charlie stared at him.
"Still got a sore head?"
"Very funny."
"From the gossip I would have thought it would have been all rainbows and bunny rabbits."
"Bunny rabbits?"
"Yeah, you know? Sun shining, birds singing, the sweet sensation of love..."
"And what would you know?" he snapped, walking away while he resisted the urge to punch something.
"I was just asking!" Adam called out. He turned to find Tess regarding him. "What?"
"Leave him be," she said. "Maggie's still leaving."
"All the more reason to be enjoying the time that they have got together I'd have thought," he said before walking off.
Tess had to concede that he had the rare valid point and began to follow Charlie. Before she had a chance to catch up with him she was sidetracked by Kelsey asking for help and she had to make do with a resolve to talk to her friend at a later time.
~~
Hi, you've reached Maggie. Leave me a message and I'll call you back…
"It's me. Again. Look... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did. It was stupid of me and I'm sorry. I just don't want to lose you. I can't lose you. I know you have to do this, I know you want to do this. I... I just want to talk to you. Please?"
~~
Sat at home, Maggie watched from her vantage point on the sofa as the answering machine finished recording.
"That's the third message," Toby pointed out.
"Don't you have to be at work?" she snapped. "Sorry," she added.
He just shrugged and shuffled off to get ready. Maggie gave a small groan and flopped back so she was staring at the ceiling. Three messages, all saying sorry. And he sounded it. But she couldn't shake the part of her that thought that maybe this was for the best. In a week's time she'd be on that plane, flying away for God knows how long. Maybe a clean break was just what she needed, what they both needed. Right person, wrong time. Just a case of bad timing. Really bad timing.
~~
Charlie's day was not getting better. She'd not made any attempt to return his phonecalls as far as he knew, and Toby would only confess to her being at home, not giving away any details beyond that. So he came to the conclusion that she was avoiding him and it did not help his mood one bit.
~~
"Cubicle three, laceration needs seeing to," Tess said, "and try and be nice."
"I'm always nice," he replied.
She just raised her eyebrows.
"Bad day."
"I noticed. So has everyone else."
"It's Maggie."
"I'd figured that part out. Want to talk about it?"
"Not really," he said, glancing over the patient notes. "Her family been called?" he asked, noting the date of birth.
"She's refusing to let us," Tess said.
"She's sixteen..."
"And legally entitled," she reminded him.
"Not much older than Louis. I'd want to know."
"Not up to us though, is it?" she reminded him as he set off.
Everyone doing what they want without a thought for anyone who might give a damn, he mused as he approached the cubicle. Pulling back the curtain enough he stopped as he saw Snezana still by her bed.
"How would you feel if you were in your mother's position?" Snezana asked the girl.
"I just want to get this seen to and go home," the girl said. "I don't want Mum here. She'll only over react and that's the last thing I need."
"You're going to need help..."
"Can I have a word?" Charlie said forcefully, getting Snezana's attention. Once they were outside the cubicle he turned to her. "And what do you think you're doing?"
"Her parents have a right to be told," she replied.
"And it's her right not to tell them."
"You're a parent, Charlie, you'd want to know."
"Yeah, I would. And I'd hope Louis would tell me. But the simple fact is that he won't have to if he doesn't want to."
"It's stupid," Snezana sighed. "Family should be there for each other."
"That's a bit rich, isn't it?" he asked, unable to stop himself.
"I'm sorry?"
"And were you thinking about family when you sent Maggie on a guilt trip? Telling her to go to Serbia and leave everything here?"
"I was actually," she replied, defiant. "Natasa has no family left here..."
"What about Maggie's family? Her daughter, her granddaughter?"
"What about you, you mean," she countered.
"Well, yes," he snapped. "Louis is gutted she's leaving."
"It was her decision, Charlie, I didn't force her to do it."
"Maybe not, but you hardly made it fair, did you? Did you beg? Did you..."
"Jeff's looking for you," Tess interrupted forcefully, moving between the two of them and addressing Snezana directly.
She nodded and looked back at Charlie. "I'm sorry," she said.
"Tess..." Charlie began.
"Office. Now," she commanded.
~~
Tess closed the door behind them, waiting until Charlie had taken a seat.
"Do you want to tell me what all that was about?" she asked.
"Me overreacting," he replied.
"It's not Snezana's fault."
"I know."
"Do you?" she challenged. "Charlie, I know this is tough…"
"I'll be fine. Really."
"It's OK not to be. When Sam left…"
"No offence, Tess, but it's not the same thing."
"Still hurts to watch someone you love leave."
"We had all of five minutes…"
"You had a lot longer than that. I'm not stupid, Charlie, nor am I blind."
"I survived without her once..." he began, then stopped. "And I really don't know how I'm going to cope when she leaves."
"When will that be?"
"Next week."
"Go home," she ordered. "Go spend some time with her."
"While I still can? No thanks."
"Charlie. I know you'd rather be out there..."
"It's over," he snapped, cutting off her gesture. "And it's probably for the best. You know, my Mum always said you shouldn't start something if you can't finish it."
"I don't understand."
"That makes two of us, Tess. But whatever Maggie and I had we don't have it anymore. And maybe it's for the best. She leaves next week, stops us getting more attached. Stops me making a fool of myself."
"What happened?"
"She's leaving, does there need to be any more to it than that?"
"Yes."
Charlie looked up at her and realised she wasn't joking.
"You knew she was leaving and you two still went home together."
"How...?" he began, then gave up. Everyone knew everything around here.
"She might come back."
"She might not. And even if she does come back she won't come back here."
"No, but she'll come back to you. And to Louis."
"There's a whole world out there for her, Tess. What could possibly top that?"
"Love," Tess replied.
And with that she left him. He waited for a moment before picking up the phone.
~~
Maggie switched off the TV and sighed. So many things she should be doing and here she was, procrastinating like she had all the time in the world. Just as she managed to get to her feet the phone rang. Ignoring it, she let the answering machine click into life.
"Maggie, it's me," Charlie's voice echoed through the room. "Look... I don't care if you're leaving next week, next month, next year or even tomorrow. If we can still have some time then that's better than nothing. I miss you. And I'm sorry, I was an idiot. Probably don't deserve forgiving but won't stop me hoping you will. Or that you'll maybe drop by later? Buy you a coffee."
By the time he'd hung up she'd already grabbed her bag and keys and was heading for the door.
tbc...
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Happy endings, right? Wasn't that how it was supposed to go? Boy meets girl and all kinds of wonderful things ensue.
Chance would be a fine thing.
All the once upon a times lied he mused as the day went from bad to worse. It was like he was watching it all fall apart in slow motion and there was nothing he could do to stop it. When you're a child you believe that people can live happily ever after, that - in the words of The Beatles - love is all you need. When you had that, everything else was just window dressing.
"And how is the bear today?" Adam quipped as Charlie pulled the curtain back over on the cubicle.
Charlie stared at him.
"Still got a sore head?"
"Very funny."
"From the gossip I would have thought it would have been all rainbows and bunny rabbits."
"Bunny rabbits?"
"Yeah, you know? Sun shining, birds singing, the sweet sensation of love..."
"And what would you know?" he snapped, walking away while he resisted the urge to punch something.
"I was just asking!" Adam called out. He turned to find Tess regarding him. "What?"
"Leave him be," she said. "Maggie's still leaving."
"All the more reason to be enjoying the time that they have got together I'd have thought," he said before walking off.
Tess had to concede that he had the rare valid point and began to follow Charlie. Before she had a chance to catch up with him she was sidetracked by Kelsey asking for help and she had to make do with a resolve to talk to her friend at a later time.
~~
Hi, you've reached Maggie. Leave me a message and I'll call you back…
"It's me. Again. Look... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did. It was stupid of me and I'm sorry. I just don't want to lose you. I can't lose you. I know you have to do this, I know you want to do this. I... I just want to talk to you. Please?"
~~
Sat at home, Maggie watched from her vantage point on the sofa as the answering machine finished recording.
"That's the third message," Toby pointed out.
"Don't you have to be at work?" she snapped. "Sorry," she added.
He just shrugged and shuffled off to get ready. Maggie gave a small groan and flopped back so she was staring at the ceiling. Three messages, all saying sorry. And he sounded it. But she couldn't shake the part of her that thought that maybe this was for the best. In a week's time she'd be on that plane, flying away for God knows how long. Maybe a clean break was just what she needed, what they both needed. Right person, wrong time. Just a case of bad timing. Really bad timing.
~~
Charlie's day was not getting better. She'd not made any attempt to return his phonecalls as far as he knew, and Toby would only confess to her being at home, not giving away any details beyond that. So he came to the conclusion that she was avoiding him and it did not help his mood one bit.
~~
"Cubicle three, laceration needs seeing to," Tess said, "and try and be nice."
"I'm always nice," he replied.
She just raised her eyebrows.
"Bad day."
"I noticed. So has everyone else."
"It's Maggie."
"I'd figured that part out. Want to talk about it?"
"Not really," he said, glancing over the patient notes. "Her family been called?" he asked, noting the date of birth.
"She's refusing to let us," Tess said.
"She's sixteen..."
"And legally entitled," she reminded him.
"Not much older than Louis. I'd want to know."
"Not up to us though, is it?" she reminded him as he set off.
Everyone doing what they want without a thought for anyone who might give a damn, he mused as he approached the cubicle. Pulling back the curtain enough he stopped as he saw Snezana still by her bed.
"How would you feel if you were in your mother's position?" Snezana asked the girl.
"I just want to get this seen to and go home," the girl said. "I don't want Mum here. She'll only over react and that's the last thing I need."
"You're going to need help..."
"Can I have a word?" Charlie said forcefully, getting Snezana's attention. Once they were outside the cubicle he turned to her. "And what do you think you're doing?"
"Her parents have a right to be told," she replied.
"And it's her right not to tell them."
"You're a parent, Charlie, you'd want to know."
"Yeah, I would. And I'd hope Louis would tell me. But the simple fact is that he won't have to if he doesn't want to."
"It's stupid," Snezana sighed. "Family should be there for each other."
"That's a bit rich, isn't it?" he asked, unable to stop himself.
"I'm sorry?"
"And were you thinking about family when you sent Maggie on a guilt trip? Telling her to go to Serbia and leave everything here?"
"I was actually," she replied, defiant. "Natasa has no family left here..."
"What about Maggie's family? Her daughter, her granddaughter?"
"What about you, you mean," she countered.
"Well, yes," he snapped. "Louis is gutted she's leaving."
"It was her decision, Charlie, I didn't force her to do it."
"Maybe not, but you hardly made it fair, did you? Did you beg? Did you..."
"Jeff's looking for you," Tess interrupted forcefully, moving between the two of them and addressing Snezana directly.
She nodded and looked back at Charlie. "I'm sorry," she said.
"Tess..." Charlie began.
"Office. Now," she commanded.
~~
Tess closed the door behind them, waiting until Charlie had taken a seat.
"Do you want to tell me what all that was about?" she asked.
"Me overreacting," he replied.
"It's not Snezana's fault."
"I know."
"Do you?" she challenged. "Charlie, I know this is tough…"
"I'll be fine. Really."
"It's OK not to be. When Sam left…"
"No offence, Tess, but it's not the same thing."
"Still hurts to watch someone you love leave."
"We had all of five minutes…"
"You had a lot longer than that. I'm not stupid, Charlie, nor am I blind."
"I survived without her once..." he began, then stopped. "And I really don't know how I'm going to cope when she leaves."
"When will that be?"
"Next week."
"Go home," she ordered. "Go spend some time with her."
"While I still can? No thanks."
"Charlie. I know you'd rather be out there..."
"It's over," he snapped, cutting off her gesture. "And it's probably for the best. You know, my Mum always said you shouldn't start something if you can't finish it."
"I don't understand."
"That makes two of us, Tess. But whatever Maggie and I had we don't have it anymore. And maybe it's for the best. She leaves next week, stops us getting more attached. Stops me making a fool of myself."
"What happened?"
"She's leaving, does there need to be any more to it than that?"
"Yes."
Charlie looked up at her and realised she wasn't joking.
"You knew she was leaving and you two still went home together."
"How...?" he began, then gave up. Everyone knew everything around here.
"She might come back."
"She might not. And even if she does come back she won't come back here."
"No, but she'll come back to you. And to Louis."
"There's a whole world out there for her, Tess. What could possibly top that?"
"Love," Tess replied.
And with that she left him. He waited for a moment before picking up the phone.
~~
Maggie switched off the TV and sighed. So many things she should be doing and here she was, procrastinating like she had all the time in the world. Just as she managed to get to her feet the phone rang. Ignoring it, she let the answering machine click into life.
"Maggie, it's me," Charlie's voice echoed through the room. "Look... I don't care if you're leaving next week, next month, next year or even tomorrow. If we can still have some time then that's better than nothing. I miss you. And I'm sorry, I was an idiot. Probably don't deserve forgiving but won't stop me hoping you will. Or that you'll maybe drop by later? Buy you a coffee."
By the time he'd hung up she'd already grabbed her bag and keys and was heading for the door.
tbc...