We'll Always Have Holby : pt 7
We'll Always Have Holby
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
No way he won't be there. Louis' exact words. She'd believed him. She'd truly believed him. Closing her eyes she could still see the brightly coloured balloons Noel had brought along. Tess had told him to because Louis had mentioned it. That kid…
Charlie was supposed to be here. If nothing else he was supposed to say goodbye. They were supposed to have that at least.
"He'll be here," Tess said, reading her friend's mind.
"Cutting it fine," she said, glancing at her watch. They were already making the first calls for her flight. At this rate it was going to be one of those last-minute dashes you always had in the movies.
"So where's Natasa?" Noel asked, batting away a rogue helium balloon that was floating in front of his face.
"With Immigration," Maggie said. "They'll escort her and the others onto the plane."
"Making sure they leave?" Noel asked, then realised the lack of tact he'd displayed.
Maggie tried to smile, but then there was a tap on her shoulder. Hopeful and expectant she turned around.
"Couldn't let ya slip away, doc," Abs said, holding out his arms for a hug.
She plastered a smile on her face and accepted the hug.
"That's enough," Jeff said, all but pulling Abs off. "We gave you a lift, you can't hog her."
"A lift?" Maggie asked, looking at him and Dixie.
"Yeah. Wanted us to put the lights on and everything," Jeff grinned.
"You didn't?"
"No, we didn't," Dixie interjected.
"So where's Charlie boy then?" Jeff asked as the last of the hugs were exchanged. "Oh…"
"It's fine," Maggie said, trying more to convince herself than the others. "It's his decision…"
"Wrong one though," Jeff muttered to Dixie. "Ow!" he exclaimed when she hit him.
"He's probably been held up," Tess said, putting a hand on Maggie's arm.
Maggie turned to face her and smiled sadly. "It's fine."
"No, it's not. This is stupid." Tess started to rummage in her bag for her mobile.
"Tess." Maggie put her hand over Tess' to stop her. "He's made his choice."
"Want me to pass on a message?"
"No. It's fine." She turned to face the crowd and shrugged. "No point prolonging the agony. First thing they teach you at med school; just rip the band aid off."
"Never let it be said that you doctors don't know stuff," Abs quipped.
"Thank you all for coming… Oh hell," she said, hurriedly wiping her eyes as they filled with tears. "I need to go before I make an absolute fool of myself."
"Shoulda left ages ago then," Jeff quipped.
"Oh don't say that," Tess said. "Have a safe trip and stay in touch, yeah?"
Maggie nodded. "Of course. Emails, postcards, the works." She glanced over at the departure board and noted the gate number. "OK. Here goes nothing."
"You're not nothing," Louis called out from behind her. When she turned to see him there - alone - he shrugged. "I tried. I'm sorry."
"How did you get here?" she asked.
"Hitched."
"You didn't?"
He shrugged again.
"Oh Louis…"
"I had to say goodbye. I don't know why Dad… I'm sorry. He's an idiot."
"Maybe." Louis came over to her and gave her a hug. "You look after him for me, OK?"
"Yeah, I will." When they parted Louis glanced over Maggie's shoulder and broke into a grin. "But you get to tell him that."
Turning around she saw him, heading over. Dropping her carry on bag to the floor she started to walk before picking up speed. Throwing her arms around him she felt his wrap in return and in that moment she felt safe, secure and loved.
"I'm sorry," he muttered into her shoulder.
"Me too."
"I really don't want you to go."
"I know."
"I'm sorry."
"You said that."
"I'm really sorry."
She had to laugh. She buried her head in the crook of his shoulder for a second before pulling back, meeting his mouth. When the kiss finally ended she rested her forehead on his, sighing gently.
"This is so hard," she admitted.
"Then stay."
"Charlie…"
"If you leave…"
"I'm coming home," she said suddenly, standing upright and looking at him. "I promise. I'm not selling the house, I never was. Toby got the wrong end of the stick when I said I'd been in touch with the estate agency. They manage lettings too, I wanted it sorted out."
"Right."
"And even if I was selling… you," she said firmly, holding his face in her hands, "are all the reasons I need to come back. OK?"
He nodded, keeping her gaze.
"I love you, Charlie Fairhead."
He moved his hand from her waist, rummaging around in his jacket pocket. When he pulled out the ring box it seemed to almost ruin the mood.
"Charlie…" she began, wary of what was coming next.
"Hear me out," he said. "I was worried about you leaving because… because I thought that when you got out there then life here would seem… I don't know. People move on, it's what happens. Not that I'd have blamed you. I want you to stay for selfish reasons and I want you to come back for selfish reasons. I could go on about how Holby's not going to be the same without you, and it's true; it won't be. But that's not the point.
"If you decide that you've had enough of travelling the globe then I want you to know what you have waiting here for you." He pressed the ring box into her hand. "I'm not proposing so you have to come back. I'm not even proposing," he added with a grin. "Just… take it with you."
"Charlie…" She studied his face for a moment, taking in everything about him for what felt like the last time. "I can't," she said quietly.
His face fell.
"It's just… Rings don't belong in the box," she finished.
For a moment he wondered if he'd heard right, but when she opened the box - seeing the ring he'd bought for the first time - he knew. Taking the box in one hand he lifted the band out with the other.
"I'm sorry it's not…" he said, suddenly ashamed at the simplicity of the ring.
"Doesn't matter," she cut him off. As he put it on her finger she ran her right hand down his face. "I will come back. I promise."
"See you then."
Hand in hand they walked over to their friends, Maggie picking up her bag. Saying their final goodbyes their friends filtered off, Noel happy to offload the balloons to a young child who'd become enamoured with the bright colours.
Then there were three.
"Call me," Charlie said, "the second you get there."
She nodded.
"And stay safe."
"I will be."
"Promise me. I know Belgrade's OK, but… Promise me."
"I promise. I'll be fine, Charlie."
"And I'll still worry."
Louis scoffed lightly. "I'll keep him in check," he said.
"You do that," Maggie said, letting go of Charlie's hand so she could give him a hug.
"Go wait in the car," Charlie said, handing over the keys to his son. "And don't think we won't be talking about you coming here!" he called out after him.
"Don't you be too hard on him," Maggie chided.
"You know he hitched?"
"Yeah, I did. How did you?"
Charlie faltered. "Jade."
"The girlfriend?"
"Assume so. She was worried."
"You're going to have to keep me informed, you know that. Louis, the department… Want to know everything."
"Knowing how you like to gossip, my phone bill's going to be through the roof."
"Tell me about it. So I think we should set some ground rules. Try and cut down on call times."
"Like what?"
She pressed her lips together and tried to smile. "Don't ask me to come home. Please. Because I know I'm going to miss you like mad and I know that if you ask me then I won't be able to say no…"
"Sounds like a reason to ask," he said before nodding. "OK."
"And I don't need to hear you say 'I love you'."
He opened his mouth to protest, but caught her eyes. She silently pleaded with him on this and he remained silence.
"When you talk to me, I hear it, Charlie. In every single word you say. I know how you feel. Saying it means I say it back and not being with you… It doesn't seem fair."
"Not a lot about this does," he said.
"I know."
"Any other rules I have to abide by?" he asked.
She shook her head before moving forward for a kiss. It seemed to last a lifetime and she was back on the roof of the hospital that night, asking him to come with her. But he was tied to a hospital that felt empty without him and a son who needed him more. This felt like that kiss, the shivers that it sent down her spine, the complete ease and comfort that she felt with him.
"You'd better go," he whispered.
"Yeah."
"Have a good flight."
She nodded, unable to say anything else. For a moment they just held the other's gaze before sharing a final kiss. Then, without anything else, she turned and hurried through the security doors, bursting into tears as soon as she was clear of them.
~~
Louis said nothing when they pulled off the road onto the verge. He stayed seated when Charlie got out and walked around the back, leaning against the car. From where they were the airplane seemed almost toy-like in size, but they had a clear view as it raced towards them, pulling up in the air and soaring overhead.
Then, without saying a word, he got back in the car and they drove home.
~~
At a thousand feet and climbing, Maggie stared out of the window as her life fell away before her, blurring through her tears.
tbc...
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
No way he won't be there. Louis' exact words. She'd believed him. She'd truly believed him. Closing her eyes she could still see the brightly coloured balloons Noel had brought along. Tess had told him to because Louis had mentioned it. That kid…
Charlie was supposed to be here. If nothing else he was supposed to say goodbye. They were supposed to have that at least.
"He'll be here," Tess said, reading her friend's mind.
"Cutting it fine," she said, glancing at her watch. They were already making the first calls for her flight. At this rate it was going to be one of those last-minute dashes you always had in the movies.
"So where's Natasa?" Noel asked, batting away a rogue helium balloon that was floating in front of his face.
"With Immigration," Maggie said. "They'll escort her and the others onto the plane."
"Making sure they leave?" Noel asked, then realised the lack of tact he'd displayed.
Maggie tried to smile, but then there was a tap on her shoulder. Hopeful and expectant she turned around.
"Couldn't let ya slip away, doc," Abs said, holding out his arms for a hug.
She plastered a smile on her face and accepted the hug.
"That's enough," Jeff said, all but pulling Abs off. "We gave you a lift, you can't hog her."
"A lift?" Maggie asked, looking at him and Dixie.
"Yeah. Wanted us to put the lights on and everything," Jeff grinned.
"You didn't?"
"No, we didn't," Dixie interjected.
"So where's Charlie boy then?" Jeff asked as the last of the hugs were exchanged. "Oh…"
"It's fine," Maggie said, trying more to convince herself than the others. "It's his decision…"
"Wrong one though," Jeff muttered to Dixie. "Ow!" he exclaimed when she hit him.
"He's probably been held up," Tess said, putting a hand on Maggie's arm.
Maggie turned to face her and smiled sadly. "It's fine."
"No, it's not. This is stupid." Tess started to rummage in her bag for her mobile.
"Tess." Maggie put her hand over Tess' to stop her. "He's made his choice."
"Want me to pass on a message?"
"No. It's fine." She turned to face the crowd and shrugged. "No point prolonging the agony. First thing they teach you at med school; just rip the band aid off."
"Never let it be said that you doctors don't know stuff," Abs quipped.
"Thank you all for coming… Oh hell," she said, hurriedly wiping her eyes as they filled with tears. "I need to go before I make an absolute fool of myself."
"Shoulda left ages ago then," Jeff quipped.
"Oh don't say that," Tess said. "Have a safe trip and stay in touch, yeah?"
Maggie nodded. "Of course. Emails, postcards, the works." She glanced over at the departure board and noted the gate number. "OK. Here goes nothing."
"You're not nothing," Louis called out from behind her. When she turned to see him there - alone - he shrugged. "I tried. I'm sorry."
"How did you get here?" she asked.
"Hitched."
"You didn't?"
He shrugged again.
"Oh Louis…"
"I had to say goodbye. I don't know why Dad… I'm sorry. He's an idiot."
"Maybe." Louis came over to her and gave her a hug. "You look after him for me, OK?"
"Yeah, I will." When they parted Louis glanced over Maggie's shoulder and broke into a grin. "But you get to tell him that."
Turning around she saw him, heading over. Dropping her carry on bag to the floor she started to walk before picking up speed. Throwing her arms around him she felt his wrap in return and in that moment she felt safe, secure and loved.
"I'm sorry," he muttered into her shoulder.
"Me too."
"I really don't want you to go."
"I know."
"I'm sorry."
"You said that."
"I'm really sorry."
She had to laugh. She buried her head in the crook of his shoulder for a second before pulling back, meeting his mouth. When the kiss finally ended she rested her forehead on his, sighing gently.
"This is so hard," she admitted.
"Then stay."
"Charlie…"
"If you leave…"
"I'm coming home," she said suddenly, standing upright and looking at him. "I promise. I'm not selling the house, I never was. Toby got the wrong end of the stick when I said I'd been in touch with the estate agency. They manage lettings too, I wanted it sorted out."
"Right."
"And even if I was selling… you," she said firmly, holding his face in her hands, "are all the reasons I need to come back. OK?"
He nodded, keeping her gaze.
"I love you, Charlie Fairhead."
He moved his hand from her waist, rummaging around in his jacket pocket. When he pulled out the ring box it seemed to almost ruin the mood.
"Charlie…" she began, wary of what was coming next.
"Hear me out," he said. "I was worried about you leaving because… because I thought that when you got out there then life here would seem… I don't know. People move on, it's what happens. Not that I'd have blamed you. I want you to stay for selfish reasons and I want you to come back for selfish reasons. I could go on about how Holby's not going to be the same without you, and it's true; it won't be. But that's not the point.
"If you decide that you've had enough of travelling the globe then I want you to know what you have waiting here for you." He pressed the ring box into her hand. "I'm not proposing so you have to come back. I'm not even proposing," he added with a grin. "Just… take it with you."
"Charlie…" She studied his face for a moment, taking in everything about him for what felt like the last time. "I can't," she said quietly.
His face fell.
"It's just… Rings don't belong in the box," she finished.
For a moment he wondered if he'd heard right, but when she opened the box - seeing the ring he'd bought for the first time - he knew. Taking the box in one hand he lifted the band out with the other.
"I'm sorry it's not…" he said, suddenly ashamed at the simplicity of the ring.
"Doesn't matter," she cut him off. As he put it on her finger she ran her right hand down his face. "I will come back. I promise."
"See you then."
Hand in hand they walked over to their friends, Maggie picking up her bag. Saying their final goodbyes their friends filtered off, Noel happy to offload the balloons to a young child who'd become enamoured with the bright colours.
Then there were three.
"Call me," Charlie said, "the second you get there."
She nodded.
"And stay safe."
"I will be."
"Promise me. I know Belgrade's OK, but… Promise me."
"I promise. I'll be fine, Charlie."
"And I'll still worry."
Louis scoffed lightly. "I'll keep him in check," he said.
"You do that," Maggie said, letting go of Charlie's hand so she could give him a hug.
"Go wait in the car," Charlie said, handing over the keys to his son. "And don't think we won't be talking about you coming here!" he called out after him.
"Don't you be too hard on him," Maggie chided.
"You know he hitched?"
"Yeah, I did. How did you?"
Charlie faltered. "Jade."
"The girlfriend?"
"Assume so. She was worried."
"You're going to have to keep me informed, you know that. Louis, the department… Want to know everything."
"Knowing how you like to gossip, my phone bill's going to be through the roof."
"Tell me about it. So I think we should set some ground rules. Try and cut down on call times."
"Like what?"
She pressed her lips together and tried to smile. "Don't ask me to come home. Please. Because I know I'm going to miss you like mad and I know that if you ask me then I won't be able to say no…"
"Sounds like a reason to ask," he said before nodding. "OK."
"And I don't need to hear you say 'I love you'."
He opened his mouth to protest, but caught her eyes. She silently pleaded with him on this and he remained silence.
"When you talk to me, I hear it, Charlie. In every single word you say. I know how you feel. Saying it means I say it back and not being with you… It doesn't seem fair."
"Not a lot about this does," he said.
"I know."
"Any other rules I have to abide by?" he asked.
She shook her head before moving forward for a kiss. It seemed to last a lifetime and she was back on the roof of the hospital that night, asking him to come with her. But he was tied to a hospital that felt empty without him and a son who needed him more. This felt like that kiss, the shivers that it sent down her spine, the complete ease and comfort that she felt with him.
"You'd better go," he whispered.
"Yeah."
"Have a good flight."
She nodded, unable to say anything else. For a moment they just held the other's gaze before sharing a final kiss. Then, without anything else, she turned and hurried through the security doors, bursting into tears as soon as she was clear of them.
~~
Louis said nothing when they pulled off the road onto the verge. He stayed seated when Charlie got out and walked around the back, leaning against the car. From where they were the airplane seemed almost toy-like in size, but they had a clear view as it raced towards them, pulling up in the air and soaring overhead.
Then, without saying a word, he got back in the car and they drove home.
~~
At a thousand feet and climbing, Maggie stared out of the window as her life fell away before her, blurring through her tears.
tbc...