Choices

Chapter 17: Evans, isn't this your boy?

A week and a half goes by since Lucas left for New Zealand. He didn't call me for the first week and I didn't really mind because I assumed he was busy and the time zones were bad, that didn't mean I didn't miss the sound of his voice or him. We did text but he usually texted back when I was asleep and when I texted him he was asleep, it was a hard week but I also managed to log in hours with Brady in Ortho. On Thursday afternoon when all the residents are in the locker room swapping our scrubs for casual clothes Peterson walks in. I slip out of the changing room and dump my scrubs into the washing basket and he stands there with a smile on his face.

"This weekend is the St Anne's annual fundraiser. I need all residents working a twenty four hour shift on Saturday night because most of the doctors will be at the fundraiser." He says and I let out a mental groan. This weekend was supposed to be my weekend off and I planned on sleeping. However, I guess spending a night at the hospital won't be so bad considering the fact that all of us will be here.

"We will all be on call, so page us if you guys have any problems. Have a good evening." He walks out with a smile and leaves us behind.

"I was planning on getting drunk this weekend." James says as he puts on his sneakers and Jake scoffs.

"Well it's a good thing your plans got cancelled because the last time you got drunk you threw up all over the backseat of your fathers Range Rover." Jake pats him on the back and Jamie let's out a soft laugh.

"It isn't funny, he ruined my jeans." Dean mumbles under his breath and I'm glad I left with Lucas, otherwise I would have had James' dinner all over my dress.

The next day when I walk into the cafeteria during my lunch hour, I lock my phone and put it into the pocket of my lab coat. I haven't received a single text from Lucas and I am starting to worry, but part of me knows that he's on a business trip so that usually means a lot of work and no time to check your phone. James and Jake's eyes are on me as I walk through and even Sadie gives me a smile as she walks out the cafeteria, she barely acknowledges me on a good day, that's how I know something is going on. Jamie mumbles something to Dean when her eyes meet mine and she snatches his phone from his hand as I approach the table. "What the hell?" He snaps as he snatches his phone back from her and his green eyes meet mine as I sit across from him.

"Evans, isn't this your boy?" Dean says as he slides his phone to me. I pick it up and my eyes widen in shock when I see an i********: picture of Lucas standing on a yacht in all his shirtless glory. It's a group picture of a bunch of people but what catches my eye is the two girls on either side of him and each of his hands slung around their waist.

The girl on his right is familiar, it's Jamie's girlfriend Kirsten in a black bikini. However, the other girl on his left is blonde and her hand rests against his chest while her other hand is wrapped around his waist in a very romantic way. "It's Jamie's girlfriend's i********: post." Dean says and I slide him back his phone as I muster up my best smile. I'm not going to lie, I am burning with jealousy but there's no way I will be showing Jamie and Dean that.

"Yeah, he's in New Zealand for some business." I say with a fake Jamie and Jamie frowns.

"What?" I ask.

"Kirsten and him left New Zealand on Monday. Their business trip was over on Monday and they left to the Bahamas on Tuesday." I can feel my anger growing as the words leave her lips.

"Please excuse me for a second." I say as I stand to my feet and walk out the cafeteria. Jake and Lawson's eyes stay stationed on me as I walk out the cafeteria and I feel like an absolute i***t. Obviously they all saw the picture of Lucas living his best life in the Bahamas while I'm sitting around like a complete i***t thinking he's in New Zealand.

I step into the residents locker room and let out a breath as I dial his number. "Hello, my love." He answers on the second ring and two things are evident. One, the pounding music in the background and two, he's drunk.

"How's New Zealand?" I ask in a sarcastic voice. "Actually, don't answer that because I know exactly where you are. I'm not an i***t Lucas, don't take me for an idiot." I snap before he can answer my question.

"Woah, no it's not what you think." He says before a voice interrupts him. "Luke, what are you doing. We've got shots to take." A voice comes from behind him and I know for a fact it isn't Kirsten.

"If you wanted to see other people Lucas you should have told me before I wasted my time thinking you were too busy at work to answer my texts." He let's out a sigh and realization seeps in. Lucas is a man who has women chasing after him and for me to think for a second that him and I were getting serious was a complete joke.

"No baby, it's not like that." He says with a soft chuckle and it only fuels my anger at this point. If he thinks that this is a joke then I'll give him something to laugh about.

"You know what Lucas, do whatever you have to do. From now on there's nothing holding you back." I snap as I pace down the small space between the lockers and the bench.

"Madison, it's not like th-" He begins to say but I cut him off.

"You're right, it's not like that." I begin to say but my voice cracks a little and I stop before inhaling and exhaling a breath. "It's like this, whatever we had between us is now over. You don't have to lie to me anymore because you're free to do what you want." I want to hurt him the way seeing those pictures and finding out that he isn't in New Zealand but on a yacht in the Bahamas partying with other women hurt me. However, I fail because as the words leave my lips the pinch in my heart turns into a full blown punch.

"Madison, baby. Listen to m-" He doesn't even get the chance to finish his words because I cut the call before he can. I switch my phone off and punch the nearest locker in front of me as the door opens. I turn away from the door and wipe away the tears that roll down my cheeks.

"No, only I'm allowed to punch lockers around here." Dean says as he wraps his arms around me from behind. I let out a soft laugh through the tears and turn around in his hold before wrapping my arms around his waist and lean my head against his chest. The tears fall uncontrollably and he runs his hand along my back as I sob against his chest.

"He's a liar." I say through sobs and another arm wraps around me from behind and Jamie's familiar vanilla scent engulfs me.

"And an idiot." Dean says.

"And a cocksucker." Jamie says after a moment of silence and I can't help the laugh that escapes my lips.

"You need to get your s**t together. You've known him for a few months. He's not worth getting upset over." Dean pulls back and gives me a look as I take a seat on the bench and Jamie stands next to him as she swats his arm.

"Two months or two years, that s**t still hurts." She snaps and he holds his hands up in defence. "Don't listen to him Madison, his d**k couldn't even get hard last week." She says and he gives her a wide eyed look.

"What? Your girlfriend has a big mouth and doesn't know when to shut up." She shrugs her shoulders as she takes a seat beside me. "The point is you feel that s**t, if you want to drink the pain away then I am always here to do that with you. But don't just push it aside." She wraps an arm around me and I give her a smile.

"It's fine. I'm fine. It was for the best, I mean it's better that it happened now rather than later. Imagine we were months into it and he pulled this s**t then, it's better that it happened now rather than later." I wipe away a stray tear and she gives me a confused look. "But I'm still holding you to drinks." I say before putting my phone into my pocket and walking out the room.

Saturday evening rolls by and it's nearly eight in the evening, Lawson and I are having a conversation in the Pit. He's leaning against the desk and telling me something about the night we all went out a few weeks back when I see the double doors open. I've set my mind on work and thought less about Lucas, this resulted in me being alert every ten second of the day as to what's going on around me. A man stumbles through with a young girl in his arms, she has the same brown hair as his and it evident that she's his daughter. "Somebody help." He cries out and Lawson and I are by his side as a nurse rolls a bed in his direction. He places the girl onto the bed her pale complexion is turning into a light shade of bluish purple.

"What happened?" Lawson snaps as I grab my stethoscope and listen for a heartbeat. It's slight but there nevertheless.

"I came home from work and I thought she was asleep but she didn't respond to me and when I went to check on her she wasn't breathing properly." The tears roll down his cheeks as Lawson grabs onto his shoulders.

"She's going to be fine, can you please go down to the waiting room with the nurse and we will come update you in a few?" He resists as James drags him down the hall and with the help of another nurse we get her to bed nine and she shuts the curtains.

"What is it Evans?" Lawson asks as he pushes open the curtain and steps in.

"Skin tone is changing colour and her breathing sounds like a gurgling noise." I say as we hook her up to some machines.

"Death rattle." James confirms my suspicions and we both give each other a wide eyed look.

"Drug overdose." We both say in sync.

It took some time but we managed to get her heart beating again and gave her a drip to help bind the drugs in her system. Her father finds it hard to believe that his daughter did any sort of drug and it scares me that most parents know so little about their children. We find ourselves back in the residents locker room some time after ten. "Shall we find an on call room?" He suggests and I nod eagerly, some sleep wouldn't sound so bad right now.

The both of us manage to find an on call room with Jake and decide to nap, he is busy on his phone when I doze off to sleep and Lawson's soft snores come from the bed across me. I wake up to the buzzing of my pager and it's a 911 from General for the girl from earlier. When I slip out the room both Jake and Lawson are still fast asleep, I walk into the General ward to find doctor Edwards standing there in her scrubs and I frown. "Aren't you supposed to be at the fundraiser?" I ask as I walk over to her.

"It finished at around ten and most of the doctors came back, we were going to tell you residents to leave for the night but Candice in room 102 is asking for you." She points with her pen to room 102 and I frown before nodding and walking into the direction of her room.

When I push the door open I see the nurse standing over her bed fixing something on the machine. "She's asleep?" I ask and the nurse offers me a smile and nod.

"Did you need something?" She asks and I shake my head.

"I'll come by tomorrow." I bid the nurse goodnight and shut the door behind me.

Edwards said we could leave and when Jake and Lawson woke up they were thrilled to find out we could leave. I slip out the changing room in a pair of ripped denim jeans and a black polo neck sweater as Jamie sits on the bench putting her sneakers on.

"Want to head down to Joe's?" She asks Dean and myself.

"No, I'm headed home to sleep." He says and he looks like he's about to fall asleep against his locker.

"Another time Jamie, I need sleep now." I say with a smile and he shrugs her shoulders before grabbing her bag and heading out.

I say my goodbyes to Dean and find myself walking out the double doors at the front entrance. When I step into the cold night I wrap my arms tighter around my body. My long sleeve polo neck does nothing to protect me from the cold. I put my hair up and as I begin to tie it up with a band my eyes meet Lucas Parker.