Night shift - Completed

Chapter 32

Poppy's PoV

Amazingly, I'd told him and he still wanted to stay. I couldn't get my head round it. I'd assumed most people would run as soon as they'd heard the story, knowing I had a history with drugs and bad people. Knowing Calum was a celebrity made it worse for me, I thought he wouldn't want to have a story like that associated with his name - yet he didn't seem to mind. In fact somehow he saw what had happened to me as a good thing for me; something that helped shape me into the person I am today. I mean, he wasn't wrong - that experience had really showed me I wanted to help people, to stop them feeling how I felt when I couldn't help Amelia. That was why I took it so hard when I failed at that. Not that I told anyone that was the reason.

I headed into the living room where all the guys were, Ashton and Luke in the kitchen cooking up some food while Michael sat and flicked through the channels on the television.

"Hey." I said as I walked up to him, taking a seat on the sofa beside him. He turned and offered me a smile.

"Hey Poppy! Everything okay? You were in there for a while." Michael always seemed to ask what he wanted to know, never shying behind it which I liked. I smiled back at him.

"Yeah, it was just the paparazzi stuff we wanted to talk about really. Sorry that we were gone a long time." Michael nodded as he carried on flicking, stopping momentarily on the celeb news channel that Chanel presented, the one that had introduced me to who Calum really was. "Hey, that's the channel I watched when I found out about Calum." I said with humour in my voice but Michael shot a glare to me.

"This one? Chanel?" He pressed urgently. I gulped down a nervous feeling as I avoided eye contact with him.

"Yeah, I couldn't find my remote and it played. She announced that Calum had broken his ankle..."

"GUYS!" He shouted before I finished, making me jump in the chair. Seconds later, everyone including Dave were stood around us watching this channel. I bit my lips together, scared of what I might hear now that I was involved with the band. Chanel was back on the screen, looking as teen-like as ever.

"Hey guys, it's Chanel here and boy, have I got some juicy news for you! It's a little slow on the celeb front today but luckily, our friend has managed to get some more juiiiiicy gossip on five seconds of summer!" Michael paused the tv, making everyone groan in annoyance.

"I don't know if I wanna hear this..." he said, looking back at his friends. They all shot him a reassuring smile.

"Whatever it is, we will know about it and how to deal with it. Don't worry." Dave said, placing a hand on his shoulder for a second. Michael quickly resumed the show.

"So, the bassist Calum has finally come out of hospital after having surgery on his ankle. Complications arose when he was in hospital but it was nothing these great doctors and nurses couldn't solve. We've heard Calum even had a collapsed lung! Poor guy! He's at home now, resting, but even made time to show off his new girlfriend as they went out for a meal earlier today. Unfortunately, a diner became ill during their stay but Poppy tried her best to help the gentleman, who was then sent to hospital. Rumour has it that after the infamous night out with his friends, Calum said he was fed up of being lonely and was going to date the first woman he saw - whether that's true or not we don't know, but it's a little coincidental, right?!" Chanel carried on, gesturing around as she spoke. Calum tutted disgustedly at the tv, shaking his head. A small sinking feeling hit me as we watched this, scared of what else they were going to say. "We also have a feeling that the other 5SOS girlfriends aren't fans of Poppy because she's not famous. Both Crystal and Sierra had fan bases before they met their partners, so we're thinking they're not best pleased with Calum's choice. What's it got to do with them anyway? Finally, we've heard rumours that Calum isn't the only guy with eyes for Poppy... we've noticed her and Ashton talking alone on more than a few occasions. Could he have an interest in her too?" The boys all groaned in annoyance. "That's it for your 5SOS special, see you tomorrow!" Chanel waved before winking and blowing a kiss. Cheesy pop music played as the credits rolled yet we all remained shocked and silenced by the show.

"Where the fuck do they come up with this shit?" Luke was the first to spit out something about the show, and it was politer than what I was thinking. "I've spoken to Sierra and she literally can't wait to meet Poppy." He stood up and shook his head. "Surely no one believes this bull?" Without another word, he headed back over to the kitchen to finish the dinner.

"Why did you even put that on?" Calum spat to Michael, glaring at him. He probably thought I was upset with what I'd heard but the truth was the paps had already shouted those things at me long before that show.

"Poppy said she heard the news leak about you on this show. Whoever is leaking your information is going directly to them. I wanted to get something on them." He pointed up at the paused tv which displayed contact details. I looked over at that and back to Calum.

"There were very few people who worked both shifts - especially not who dealt with your collapsed lung, or even knew it happened! The leak is definitely a nurse or doctor in that ward, and I think I know who it was." I quickly thought again about the people I'd interacted with over the two shifts and who I'd seen for both. The boys looked on in anticipation as they waited for an answer, Luke even stopping dishing up the food to hear what I had to say. Nervously I stood up to announce my findings. "The nurse in charge was different, most people I worked with were different... the only person you encountered both days was Mr Shine." Calum's shoulders slumped as I told him the news, clearly upset and angry.

"It'd make sense. The day he was told who you were by the head nurse, your story was out. Not to mention the fact they knew what had happened with your lung." Dave added, knowing it was proof we needed. Calum shook his head again, clearly agitated.

"I'm so sorry Cal." I said, moving over to him and pulling him in for a hug. Reluctantly, he gave me one back.

"I'll call management. This guy needs sorting out."