Not the only one (formally Chloe)

Chapter 21

"Hi, I'm Miss Goddard, how have you been feeling Mrs White." Chloe asked.
"Call me Elsie love. I'm alright, was just feeling a bit off and my niece called an ambulance because I was a bit breathless and my heart was a bit fast. She's such a worrier my niece Lauren. I'm worried I'm waisting your time." Elsie an elderly woman said.
"Don't worry. We always have time for you. And you can call me Chloe." Chloe smiled "Can we do an FBC, U&E and an ECG" she asked the nurse. "Is Lauren here?" She asked Elsie "no, no I told her to get back to work. She's an accountant you know." Elsie said proudly.
"Well if you want me to ring her you just have to ask." Chloe smiled as she listened to Elsie's chest. "Thank you love" Elsie smiled "but I'm okay for now."
"Ok, I'll come and see you once your blood results are back."
Chloe was having a good day. She was sitting at the nurses station and jumped when she felt and hand on her shoulder "sorry, didn't mean to scare you little sis." It was her half brother Dominic. "Sorry Dom I was away with the fairies. In my own little world."
"You okay Chloe?" He asked bending down to kiss her forehead. "I'm good, Naylor's away so that makes everything easier." Chloe said talking about her boss who was formidable for sure. "Zosia says she's just a pussycat." Dom said.
"Really?" Chloe asked.
"No" Dom answered and they both laughed. "Anyway since I'm here do you fancy a coffee or hot chocolate on your next break?"
"Sounds good, Half an hour?"
"Half an hour." Dom agreed.
"Are you asking mum?" Chloe asked.
"If that's cool with you."
"Sure."

"Chloe, you seem to have an admirer of that rather dashing English doctor" Elise the elderly patient said.
"Sorry?" Chloe asked. Evan hadn't been on the ward since Elsie had been here.
"Dr Copeland, is he your chap? I saw you laughing and he kissed you." Elsie's eyes twinkled.
"What, Dom, no Elsie, you've got that all wrong Dom's my brother, and he's gay! my boyfriend does work at the hospital but he's not been up here in the last few days."
"Your brother?" Elsie asked "but he was talking to Mr Santos, and he sensed to have an English accent. And you sound like your from Scotland, not Glasgow, Aberdeen maybe, or Dundee? I'm not brilliant at placing Scottish accents." She looked at Chloe's face. "Sorry love, I had no right to ask. Me and my big mouth. You'd think I'd have learned to think before I speak by now." Elsie apologised after seeing the smile drop of Chloe's face, but she put it back on again "no it's fine, he's my half brother really. We have the same mum. and you're pretty spot on with my accent. I grew up in Arbroath, near Dundee until I was 10 then we moved to Aberdeen. My mums from Glasgow so we all have very different accents. Although English people usually just lump us together as Scottish."
"Your mum must be very proud. Two doctor children." Elsie said. Chloe smiled in reply. Her mum never really said she was proud of Chloe. Maybe she was though. Chloe wasn't sure.

"Hey," Chloe's smiled at her half brother in the coffee shop. "Hey Chloe, what can I get you? Hot chocolate? Flat white? I'm having a skinny latte with syrup."
"I'll just have a green tea?" Chloe replied passing him her reusable cup.
"Green tea?" Dom asked "when did you go all detox"
"Evan's idea, I'm trying to cut down on caffeine and sugar. I hated it to start with but I don't mind the taste now."
"Whatever" Dom said "cheaper for me anyway"
He bought the drinks and popped a green tea and a chocolate muffin in front of her.  "Thanks Dom. Although what don't you get about cutting down on sugar." She passed the muffin towards Dom.
"I won't tell Evan if you won't, you shouldn't be eating healthy for him."
"I'm not, I'm doing it for me. Better sleep, more energy, improve focus. There's so many benefits, even less anxiety apparently." Chloe said pointedly.
"But chocolate tastes good."  Dom said sliding it across the table towards her.
"I will be fine with my tea Dom!" She said strongly pushing it back towards him.
"Ok, ok." Dom said. "One of my patients thought you were my 'chap'" she said using her fingers as inverted commas.
"Her gaydar must be well out of order." Dom smiled as they both laughed "she is in her late 80s." Chloe giggled. She really liked Dom, even before she knew he was her brother. She was angry with him for a little while. Her mum told him a lot about Chloe. Things that were personal, before Chloe even knew she had a brother. But that was mum not Dom. And they were repairing their relationship. "Is mum coming?" Chloe asked.
"No, she's in theatre."
"Oh ok."
"How's it going between you two?"
"It's okay." Chloe said "I think I need to talk to her. You know, properly talk."
"Do you want me to be there?" Dom asked.
"No, why would I want that!" She snapped.
"Ok I was only saying." He said defensively. "How's Zosia getting on with the baby." Chloe asked changing the subject. Zosia had worked in holby for years then came back for a few months at a similar time to when Chloe started But she was Dom's best friend but had moved to America. "Oh baby Arthur's so cute." Dom gushed "he's started crawling!" Dom got his phone out to show Chloe. Chloe thought babies were cute but she was never one of those girls who got super broody. Her friend Sophie has always talked about how much she wanted to be a mum and had chosen the baby names she'd like by the age of 11. She had 2 children already. Callum and Evelyn. Chloe used to laugh and say she could be Auntie Chloe to Sophie's kids and Chloe could just have baby animals instead. She hoped that she could convince Evan to let them get a hamster. They're not too hard to look after them she knew. Fiona had one when they were in school. "Me and Zosh are trying to meet up at some point. Don't know if it will be here or in the states. She wants to get Baby Arthur christened- her mum was a Pole, so a devout Catholic. Zosh has asked me to be his Godfather." Dom said proudly.
"She's putting you in charge of her sons spiritual well-being? Brave Choice." Chloe laughed. Dom laughed too. "Good point!" Dom laughed, "I'm a terrible role model." They both laughed. "I'll be the one inviting him over at 18 to take him out to a gay bar." They giggled. Dom's pager went off. He looked at it and sighed. "Sorry Chloe. Duty calls."
"No worries." She smiled.
"I'm going to leave this with you." Dom said placing the chocolate muffin in front of her. Treat yo-self and all that." He walked off. Chloe looked at the muffin. It looked so so good. But she couldn't could she. Chocolate was awful. So much sugar. So many calories. She picked it up and slyly put it in the bin.

"How did the coffee with Chloe go?" Ange asked Dom later that day.
"It was nice, she mentioned that she was beginning to feel ready to talk with you."
"I hope so. Did you manage to get any food into her?"
"I'm not sure, she had a green tea, I bought her a chocolate muffin. She didn't eat it in front of me but then I was paged and I left it with her. Should we talk to her about her weight?" Dom asked.
"No." Ange said. "My mum, Sheila, tried that a few times over Christmas and got her head bitten off. With Chloe it's best to just give her love and support and wait for her to come to us."
"Will she?" Dom asked.
"I hope so. I tried to mention it to Evan but
he just said they were trying to be healthy and he'd look after her."
They looked at each other. Neither of them were convinced. Ange felt her phone vibrate in her pocket she pulled it out.
Hi mum,
Are you free tonight, can I come over?
Love you
Chloe x