Chapter Text
Slowly climbing out of her black sports sedan, Charlotte Wolfe closes the door behind herself. She looks up at the building before her, her thumb looped in the strap of the brown leather cross-body purse around her. A camel colored woolen overcoat warms her as she inhales and exhales slowly. Christmas is in the air. Carolers dressed in Victorian era clothing filling the air with song and she’s almost certain a hint of pine hits her nose.
Christmas Eve at Holby City Hospital has always been something to worry about. It was either incredibly quiet, or an overload. Charlotte’s very first one at the hospital, which was nice, actually. However, this one was different. She was actually granted the ability to have Christmas dinner with her family. Their first since her mother and Elinor Campbell’s sudden resurrections and Serena’s sobriety. Firsts all around.
“You know, they only start paying you once you’re inside.”
Her attention snaps over to the Nursing Director, standing on the other side of her vehicle. “Well, Fletcher, you look quite festive today.” The man wears a pair of Christmas print trousers and she’s sure there’s a suit jacket to match underneath his navy overcoat.
Adrian Fletcher beams to the younger woman, “thank you, Junior. I’ve a whole week’s worth to be able to have a different one each day. Tomorrow I’ve a blue one.”
“Well, I’m disappointed to miss it.” Charlotte offers him a soft smile, “but not really. Just take a picture and send it my way.” When he offers her his arm to her for them to walk together, “Evie spoke of heading over to Serena’s, are you getting to see your children at all?”
“In the morning, sure. I’m not in until a bit later. Hopefully I can speak to Ms. McGarry about just staying on call.” Fletch nods as they walk along, “how did you manage it?” When he notices her soft smirk, Fletch continues, “new kid on the block and you have a major holiday off...”
“I spoke to Ms. McGarry and she was quite generous...also, I’m set to work New Years’ Eve and the day after.” Charlie shrugs, seeming very nonchalant about it all, “doesn’t bother me any. Usually just a bunch of drunkards anyway.”
“Says you. Last year we had a fourteen vehicle RTC...that included a bus and several motorcycles.” Fletch smirks a little as they reach the top of the ambulance ramp. “Might call you back in anyway.”
“They can try, but I’m turning my mobile off.” Charlie winks to him as they part once entering the space. She casually makes her way toward the doors to AAU, waving her badge over the sensor to open the doors. She smiles at a passing nurse who welcomes her as she steps across the ward to her office. When she hears someone calling to her, she doesn’t look around, but is fully aware that someone is following her. “Can’t I just get myself settled?”
“No.” Cameron exhales softly, “Can I talk to you?”
Charlotte turns when she reaches her desk, absently removing her purse from across her chest before starting to unbutton her overcoat, “well, you’re good at annoying me, so...” She notices as he closes the door and enters the space a bit more. Pausing in her movements, Charlie watches as he takes a seat on her crimson colored sofa, “well?”
“Um...” Cam bites the inside corner of his mouth, “so, I know tomorrow is Christmas and-”
“I feel like I know where this is going.”
“I’ve been too busy here to actually...purchase gifts and-”
Charlie begins to nod, “yes, I was right.” She begins to scowl toward him, “I’m a bloody consultant, Cameron. I’m far busier than you. Know what I used? Online shopping...like everyone else.” She returns to removing her overcoat, placing it on a hook just behind her desk, her purse then placed in the lower drawer of her desk. She then stands upright, placing her hands onto her hip bones, studying him. “There’s something else to this or you wouldn’t be acting the way you’re currently acting.”
Cam begins to shake his head as he stands, “it’s fine, I’ll-”
“Cameron.” Charlie warns, “what’s going on?”
“It’s fine.” Cameron quickly leaves the office, not giving his sister any more time to grill him.
“Cam, bed seven. Male, mid-seventies, severely beaten and possible fractured knee. He doesn’t speak much English. Wife is with him, but she doesn’t speak much English either.” Donna follows up behind him, offering a patient folder.
“Well, what language does he speak? Can we get a translator?” Cam moves toward the bed, trying to get a bit of a look at the contents of the patient file. “Mister...” He trails trying to figure out his patient’s surname, “uh...Pee-wow-?”
The older woman sitting next to the bed motions to herself, “Helen Pi-vovad-chek.” The woman answers how to properly pronounce their surname of Piwowarczyk, “my husband, Josef.” She says a soft ‘y’ sound for the J, but Cameron knows the proper sleeping because of the file.
Cameron offers her a reassuring smile, “thank you, Mrs. Piwowarczyk. Your husband has some serious injuries. Might I ask how he obtained them?”
The elderly woman sits up a bit straighter, “It was those-” Her husband quickly places a hand on her forearm, almost as a warning. Helen gives a slight look toward the man before shaking her head negatively, “ I’m sorry. ” She switches to her native Polish language, her face downcast.
Glancing between the older couple, Cam glances to the nurse next to him, “Scans on the head and knee. Depending on the wait, I’ll do an abdominal scan either before or after. Also full bloods. I want to know his CBC among other things.” He nods to Donna, setting the patient file into the basket at the end of his bed. “I’ll return in a few.”
Donna nods slowly, walking next to the doctor as they return to the nurses’ station, “I...I don’t really want to be that person, but wouldn’t it be a good idea to get a consultant in on this? One Wolfe is in theater and the other just got in. I’m certain they would prefer if-”
“Do you think they’d offer up anything other than what I said?” Cam deadpans to the woman next to him.
“No, but I think-”
“Just don’t think, okay?”
Donna furrows her brow as she watches the cocky young doctor walk away from her. “Bad day, I suppose.” She mutters to herself, returning to her position behind the nurses’ station desk and taking a seat. She lifts her head when the doors to the operating theaters open and the other consultant on duty enters the space. “How did everything go?” She asks when Bernie Wolfe comes to a stop at the front of the department center desk.
“He’ll be touch and go for the next few hours, but it’s out of my hands now.” Bernie answers quietly, removing the olive drab colored head covering that Charlotte gave her a while ago, after she had returned as a surgeon to the Wyvern wing. “Charlie in?”
“Yes, just a few moments ago.” Donna answers quietly, noticing Cameron moving about the ward from the corner of her eye, but tries her best not to focus on him.
“Good.” Bernie nods, offering a quick smirk before making her way to her daughter’s office. She knocks on the door before typing the code into the metal keypad lock next to the door, giving her entry. “Morning.”
“Ah, yes. Good morning. I wasn’t aware there would be carolers at the staff entrance. Left quite the ear bug.” Charlie lifts a hand up, tucking a piece of her light brunette hair behind her ear. “Have you and Serena decided when dinner would be tomorrow?”
“Five or six?” The older Wolfe squints her left eye shut slightly, “honestly, I haven’t the foggiest. You should probably give her a ring. She and Elinor were supposed to be doing a bit of decorating.”
“Extended leave of absence and she’s just now decorating?” Charlie loops her stethoscope around her neck before standing from her desk.
“Serena used to love Christmas, but cut back quite a bit after we thought Elinor died and she needed all new decor. They’ve spent most of the time bringing Elinor back up to speed, getting her situated in her old room...going to the shops.” Bernie focuses on her daughter as the young woman nears her, “is that a rose gold stethoscope?”
“I have multiple stethoscopes. You know this.”
“That one just...looks really nice. I like it.” Bernie follows behind the younger consultant.
“Well, if you behave yourself for the rest of the day, maybe you’ll receive one for your birthday.” Charlie chuckles a little to herself as she steps over to the nurses’ station, pausing when the red phone begins to ring, “and here I hoped it might be a calm Christmas Eve.”