Rhodes' Sister

Chapter 14: Turn your back

"Okay" He chuckled. He didn't have as bad a hangover as Camille but he knew how to handle liquor the next day. He had wandered back to his room, answering it quickly before the dial tone rang out. Kelly returned with a grimaced look. "Babe.. You're needed in work."

"You've got to be kidding me" She groaned pulling the cell away from Kelly. "Hello, yeah, yeah. I'll be there. 35 minutes." She rushed quickly before hanging up and throwing the cell to her side.

"Do you want me to drop you off?" Kelly asked as he watched Camille pull herself up from the couch and begin to collect her stuff.

Camille shook her head, now stood in front of Kelly. Tilting her head up for the tall Squad firefighter she let him lowering himself down to place a kiss on her lips. Pulling away, Camille looked to her palms. Cell, keys, staff ID. "I got to go. See you later."

"See you later, babe." Kelly called as he heard the door slam shut behind Camille.

****  

Camille wandered to the locker room, quickly changing into her burgundy scrubs. The door that opened and closed just as quick made Camille get caught in her scrub top.

"You okay there?" Jeff Clarke chuckled as he placed his coffee mug in the sink. He had been on shift for two hours already so he was technically on his break.

"Wine. Head. Shut up." Camille shut her eyes tightly. She had a hangover from hell, the last thing she needed right now was to be taken the mick out of. She could usually handle drink, she was pretty sure this was Gabby Dawson's influence. 

"A good night then?" Clarke chuckled again, earning himself a glare from the young Rhodes. "Sorry" He muttered a quiet apology.

Camille hummed and continued to change into her scrubs. She noticed that Clarke wasn't leaving, tying the strings on the top of her scrub pants she looked up to him. "What's up?"

"Uh" Reaching a hand behind his neck he scratched it, in some sort of avoidance. "Your dad's here, with his lawyers."

Camille dropped her arms from where she had been attempting to tie up her short hair. Running a lip across her bottom lip in anger, she marched out of the room, pushing Clarke out the way with what little force she had.

Camille may have been only small but she was definitely scary, the stalking figure made everyone step back. Dropping her stethoscope to her neck, she stalked her way through the ER ignoring the calls she was receiving.

"Dr Rhodes-" April started to call from the nurses station.

"Not now, April."  Camille turned around quickly, her hands held up in exasperation. Turning her back she carried on going towards where her father, apparently was. She was quickly faced with her father's back, opposite him Connor seemed to be arguing with him about something. She kept her distance and watched from afar. 

"You gotta back away, dad." Connor tried.

"She nearly got herself killed, Connor. This hospital is not going to get away with it." Cornelius argued. 

Connor shook his head, he knew what his father was trying to do. "Dad. Look, Camille, she went through hell back then, her face in the papers, that didn't help. And what? 10 years later and she gets hurt again....She suffered dad! She went through hell!" Connor reminded his father. "It's not just about Thomas, is it?"

Cornelius bowed his head. "She was partying Connor, she was uncontrollable" He shook his head. "You wouldn't know" Cornelius hadn't been able to control Camille during this period, but he hadn't made much more effort then that.

Anger boiled inside of Connor, he stepped forwards angrily. "Yeah? Well I came back when she needed me. Major head trauma, Dad. C-spine." Connor could feel the tears prickle in his eyes. He had became Camille's carer during her recovery, he had been juggling his life during that period. He watched his baby sister struggle through the pain, he recalled the phantom pains she would suffer from time to time, or the nightmares that still woke her up in a panic. "A year dad. That's what it took for her to be able to move on her own. She needed someone, needed someone by her side."

Staff began to gather around as they learned the circumstances surrounding Camille Rhodes' rocky relationship between herself and her father. They had known Dr Camille Rhodes to be the compassionate and caring doctor who everyone had grown to love and respect, but they had very little information regarding her home life.

Cornelius shook his head. "That''s why she needs someone to look after her, Connor. She can't cope with this world on her own, she's too much- she's too much like your mom. Maybe if Camille hadn't- maybe your mom would have been able to cope, she would still be here, son."

Connor had been ready to blow up at his father. How dare he use their mother against Camille. He knew Cornelius Rhodes essentially blamed Camille for their mother's rapid decline, so did Claire, but Connor didn't.  

"I'm not mom, dad." Camille's voice startled the two men, making them face her quickly. Her co-workers quickly rushed away, noticing the calm tone in her voice they didn't doubt the possibility that she would just explode.

"Camille-"

"Dad. No. I did this" She gestured to her stethoscope. "I got into med school. I made my life better. But this guy, he's on trial, for murder, not for attacking me. I'm not going to let him ruin my life, because you want it to."

"Camille, that's not-"

Camille held her hand up stopping him. "No, dad. This hospital, it's like my home now, they're my family. I can't just turn my back on them- not like you turned your back on me."

Cornelius Rhodes had been ready to argue but Camille stopped him again.

"You can go ahead and file that suit, but I'm not a part of it. I'm not turning MY back on family. Not for you." She shook her head again before she turned away and stalked back to the locker room. She needed to be alone right now.

****

POLL) WHAT HAPPENS NEXT WITH KELLY AND CAMILLE?