Home Sweet Home

[Ludub]

Loved it :-) 'Receding hairline guy' is a great line.

[JosieTash]

There's sooo much to love bout this chapter, especially ......

 

She liked the fact that he was rough on the outside but really sweet on the inside. She liked that despite what everyone thought of him he still walked around with his head held high. She liked that he was able to admit he had flaws, people like Nate aren't able to do that. She liked that even after everything he had gone through he still smiles everyday, April doesn't know how he does it. She just wished that he could see himself through her eyes, he'd like himself much better if he could. 

 

and

 

"This is why I want you to see someone Heath. I know you haven't called that therapist I asked you to make an appointment with, I don't know why you're so scared of talking about your feelings," April said quietly. Heath took a shaky breath.
"Talking about my feelings would mean admitting that I have them, and that's against one of the rules in the how to be a boy handbook.April, the only person I want to talk to about these things is you, I don't want to talk to some old guy with glasses and a receding hairline who will tell me things I already know. I want to talk to you because I know you understand everything I'm going through, receding hairline guy has just studied about it, you've lived it with me," Heath said. April couldn't help but feel the exact same way he did.

[Red Ranger 1]

I loved April's thoughts about Heath and the subsequent chat between them, very well written.

[Phoebe]

Thank you everyone! My weekend plans got rescheduled for next weekend so here is chapter ten!

 

Chapter Ten

 

April wasn't surprised to see an exhausted looking Dex sitting on Casey's bed the next morning when she walked in to check how Casey was getting on. Dex's eyes had bags underneath them and April recognised the change in the colour of his eyes from all of the sleepless nights of studying they did together during high school and early college days before they broke up. She smiled at them both, Dex manged to pull the corners of his mouth up into a half hearted smile that looked more like a grimace to April. April grabbed Casey's clipboard out of the holder at the end of his bed and read over all of the medication he had been given while she away and any improvements in his health that had been made. April snapped it shut and smiled at them both.
"How are we feeling?" April asked. She sat on the other side of Casey's bed, trying to be more of a friend than a doctor at that point in time. Casey's eyes were like slits, he could barely keep them open. Dex looked at his boyfriend to see if he was up to speaking.
"Uh, his head hurts and he's tired but other than that he's fine," Dex said, deciding that Casey wasn't up for speaking. April nodded her head. The headache was to be expected, Casey would be sporting a huge hangover for quite some time. April rested her hand on Casey's and gave him an encouraging smile, one of the tactics she was taught in medical school to give the patient hope. Casey was already improving remarkably, he would be out within the next day or two he just had to wait.
"I can get some pain medication for your head if you'd like? It's to be expected considering the amount of alcohol you consumed last night Case, how much had you already had before I got there last night? Did you have more when I dropped you back home? I need to know," April said turning the pages of the clipboard open until she got to the blank piece of paper at the back where they were to write down the details of what was wrong with the patient. Nate had already scrawled alcohol poisoning at the top and underlined it a few times. She looked at Dex who stood up and walked towards the door. "You don't want to stay?" April asked confused. Dex just shook his head and left. Casey sat up and sighed. He started fiddling with one of the tubes that was giving him the fluids in the bag hanging up beside his bed.
"He doesn't want to know the details, it disappoints him I think," Casey said. His voice was hoarse and scratchy sounding. April grabbed the glass and the pitcher of water and poured him a glass and handed it to him. He drank it and smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you for that, I needed it. I think I had about five of those drinks I was drinking when you got there, oh god I can't even remember what I was drinking. I know when I got home I found some beers in the fridge, I think I had three before I passed out. I was ridiculous," Casey said dragging his hands over his face. April wrote down what Casey had said on the piece of paper. April reached into the back pocket of her jeans and grabbed hold of the pamphlets she was required to hand out to the patients that came in with what Casey had. Her cheeks warmed at the thought of what she was about to have to do. April pulled them out of her pockets and sat them in front of Casey, he stared at them like they were bomb about to go off. "You're kidding right?" Casey asked with disbelief in his voice. April took a deep breath.
"Unfortunately no, I have to give those to you. I'm also meant to talk to you about the dangers of alcohol addiction and suggest some support groups," April told to him. He scoffed.
"If you're going to treat me like an alcoholic then I might as well become one April," Casey spat out. April closed her eyes and counted to ten. She knew Casey wasn't an alcoholic, everyone who knew Casey knew he wasn't an alcoholic but she didn't have a choice. Casey pushed the pamphlets into her hand and she pushed them back.
"If you don't take the pamphlets I'll get in trouble, I'm not saying you're an alcoholic Casey but you did a stupid thing and now you have to deal with it. Why do I feel like I'm talking to Darcy when she's freaking out over a test she didn't study for, you're an adult I shouldn't have to talk down to you Case. You scared Dex to death last night, you scared all of us to death last night. I want to make sure that never happens again, okay?" April said. Casey looked at her like a scolded child. He looked down at the pamphlets and picked them up and sat them on the little table beside him. April smiled triumphantly like she had won some epic battle.
"If it will help you sleep at night," Casey muttered. April smiled and got off the bed.
"I'll get a nurse to bring you some pain medication," April said. She walked out of Casey's room and over to the nurses station and instructed one of the nurses that April hadn't learned the name of yet to give Casey two of the weaker pain medications they had for headaches. April turned around to continue her rounds to see her step daughter in her school dress sneaking into Casey's room. April placed her hands on her hips and cleared her throat. Darcy tensed up and turned around slowly. Darcy looked at April like a deer caught in headlights. "Funny, I didn't know that this was Summer Bay High, did you?" April said turning to another one of the nurses who put her hands up as if to say that she wasn't part of it and walked away. Darcy kicked at the ground with her school shoe clad foot and bit her lip. "Well?" April said, her anger and disappointment showing in her voice.
"I just wanted to see him," Darcy mumbled. April shook her head and grabbed Darcy's arm and dragged her into the break room that she knew was empty and turned to Darcy.
"So you thought you could sneak into my place of work and not get caught? You really should've just waited until after school, I told you I would take you to see him," April said, her voice slightly raised. Darcy flinched and grabbed onto one of the straps on her school bag so hard her knuckles turned white.
"I'm sorry, I just wanted to make sure he was okay," Darcy whined. April closed her eyes and counted to ten to try and think straight. She had to get Darcy back to school, her and Heath could decide on the punishment when she got home later that night. April opened her eyes and looked at Darcy who had started to cry.
"I told you he's fine now. Let's go, you need to get back to school," April said grabbing Darcy's arm and started pulling her towards the door. Darcy pulled her arm away and April narrowed her eyes at her.
"Can I at least go and see him?" Darcy asked. April shook her head and grabbed Darcy's arm again. This time Darcy allowed herself to be pulled through the hospital's door and to April's car in the car park, for a moment April thought she was going to have to lift Darcy into the car but to her surprise Darcy got in without a single complaint. April knew she would get in trouble for leaving, she hoped that her boss would be understanding of her situation. They drove in complete and utter silence, April didn't even turn the radio on. They pulled up to the school and unbuckled her seat belt and went to get out but April stopped her.
"Give me your phone," April demanded. Darcy went to protest but she must of decided against it because she handed over the phone and hopped out of the car without saying goodbye. April stayed and watched Darcy walk through the doors before driving off.

 

After April got back she wasn't in the mood for anything, she found her snapping at patients who didn't understand what she was telling them or who demanded too much, her boss happened to walk by when she was yelling at an elderly man who didn't want to take his medication because it wasn't the one he took before. Jane beckoned for her to come out of the room with a stern look on her face. April muttered an apology to the old man who replied by swallowing the pill. Jane led April to her office where she gestured for April to sit in the chair across from her desk. April sat down and folded her hands in her lap. April gulped, this was where she gets in trouble for either yelling at Mr Thompson or for leaving work in the middle of her shift without permission, either way she was in a lot of trouble.
"What's going on April? That's not like you," Jane said. Disappointment filled her voice, April felt like a scolded child. April took a deep breath and closed her eyes, she hoped her reason was good enough to excuse her behavior.
"I caught my step daughter sneaking in here when she was meant to be at school just an hour or so ago. I haven't calmed down yet but I promise I will soon," April said with her hope in her voice. Jane pursed her lips and crossed her arms in front of her chest. April stared at the grey haired woman and hoped that she would see that April can't afford any type pf punishment right now, she wouldn't be able to cope.
"Well Dr. Scott, we can't have you yelling at the patients in the mean time. Go home," Jane said. April breathed a sigh or relief and stood up. Jane stood up too and moved to the other side of the table to face April. "Make sure your daughter is punished, that's not acceptable behavior, yeah?" Jane said to her. April nodded her head and held up Darcy's phone that she had kept in her pocket.
"Already started. Thank you Jane," April said nodding her head. . April walked out of Jane's office and into the break room where her handbag was and collected her things and left the hospital. She walked to her car and got in. She drove to Angelo's because she knew Heath was working. She walked through the surf club, ignoring someone's call and ran up the steps to Angelo's. When she got to the top she saw Heath behind the counter pouring someone's drink. He smiled when he saw her and waved. He picked up the drinks and walked them over to the people who must of ordered them and then walked over to April. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek.
"Is it lunch time already?" Heath asked as he rested his chin on the top of her chin. April sighed and leaned into his embrace more. He looked down at her more seriously. "You didn't lose your job did you?" He asked worried now. April chuckled a little bit and shook her head.
"No, I got sent home because after catching Darcy sneaking into Casey's room when she should've been at school I wasn't in the best mood. The patients don't appreciate that apparently," April said bitterly. Heath's face went from confused to angry. He looked at April with a little of disbelief in his eyes.
"You caught her doing what?" Heath whispered yelled, trying not to disturb the customers who were eating their meals and drinking their drinks peacefully.  April sighed and grabbed one of Heath's hands.
"She ditched school to see Casey," April repeated. Heath's mouth pulled into one straight line and his eyes narrowed to slits.
"She is in so much trouble."

 

[Ludub]

Love this chapter.

I understand April wanting to maintain  her professionalism but I think it was a little unreasonable of her to not let Darcy see Casey. If you think about what happened with Bianca it would be understandable if Darcy was anxious about her uncle. She might think they were keeping things from her, protecting her from the truth. She'd probably be imagining all sorts of things.  It would have been better to let her see him and put her mind at ease. April and Heath aren't the only ones who lost Bianca and the baby, Darcy would be traumatised too and they need to make some allowances for that.

Great writing 

[Red Ranger 1]

Looks like things could be difficult between Casey and Dexter... April could have let Darcy see Casey but I can see why she didn't, hopefully they don't punish her too harshly though. Looking forward to more!

[Inactive User]

Great chapter

I think April should have let Darcy see Casey for a while.

Update soon please xx

[JosieTash]

Part of me thinks that this is just typical teen behaviour form Darcy ...whilst other parts of me think that Darcy is being a brat [or are those two things one in the same???]

 

She's certainly causing April adn Heath all manor of "fun".

 

Not surprised how April treated Casey .....all officail line and all with the alco issue.

 

 

  

[Guest]

Great chapter

 April should of let Darcy in to see Casey for a while.

I look forward to more

Update again soon

[hward]

Just caught up with the last few chapters

Glad Casey's going to be ok and I loved what Heath said at the end of the chapter before this one