Night shift - Completed

Chapter 57

Poppy's PoV

We'd been given the all clear to leave the venue and go back home which we were all delighted with. Every second spent in that changing room was a huge reminder to us all of what had happened. Michael has been especially nervy since then. Crystal had clung to him, offering support and trying to get him to come out of his shell again. I could imagine this was hard on her because even I already missed the normally boisterous, outspoken Michael and it'd only been a few hours. Dave had managed to get a replacement security guard whilst Jack was in hospital although none of us were sure on this guy. He'd arrived at the building and began bossing us around like a drill sergeant, ordering us to do this and that and scolding any step that was one inch wrong in his eyes. His name was Diego. He looked like a classic army guy; buzz cut hair and incredibly strong stance. He marched around when he patrolled the area and the boys were having a whale of a time taking the piss out of him. I, though, just kept an eye on him and his movements. I didn't want him to get angry at me. I'd had enough problem getting the other guards to like me.

"Car will be here in ETA 1 minute. Everyone head towards the backstage entrance to the building." Diego ordered as he checked the time. We all stood up silently as he began to march off, us following him like rats to the pied piper.

"This guy is a moron." Calum sighed, shaking his head as he walked along with his crutches assisting him. I offered him a smile as I walked beside him, not sure on what else I could do to make him feel better. I wanted to hold his hand, but they were on the crutches helping him walk, so I settled for a less touchy approach.

"Jack will probably be out for a few months, providing he didn't need surgery." My nurse hat was back on again. "If he did, maybe longer. I did suspect a bone had fragmented but I could have been wrong. To be honest I'm hoping I was." We both fell silent again as we walked, weaving through corridors that were clearly staff only by the lack of decoration.

"Pops, I'm sorry I've been so shit to you recently." Calum sighed as he glanced over to me. "It shouldn't have been Ashton that went after you earlier, it should have been me. We'd all had a massive argument about safety and fans and it just got to me. When you walked in and tried to speak I should have at least answered you." His tone was full of regret as he spoke, making my stomach knot anxiously. I didn't want him to feel bad, not when something like this had happened to him and his friends. I shooed his words with my hand.

"I was fine, I just wanted to give you space. Ashton came to thank me for saving him. We talked about him and Bex and then came back again, it wasn't anything exciting." I smiled back, once again his body language was tensing telling me things weren't all they seemed. I'd never seen him so irritated as when I'd walked in with Ashton and my bet was on the fact it was us two together. I had to clear this up before it blew way out of proportion.

"I'll make it up to you." He said suddenly as Diego halted us with a mere hand gesture. Everyone waited in tense silence as he swung the backstage door open and like a military operation, proceeded to shout at us all to move. We all rushed to the minivan and jumped in, the driver speeding off under the intense pressure of Diego beside him.

"You don't need to Cal." I finally grabbed his hand like I'd wanted to this whole time and soothed it with my thumb. "As long as everyone is okay, I'm okay. It was a tough thing for all of us but most of us came out unharmed. Jack should make a full recovery so let's just focus on going forwards." Calum sighed and looked out of the window, making me feel like I'd said the wrong thing as he composed his thoughts. My phone began to ring in my pocket and I yanked it out quickly.
"Hello?"

"Poppy, it's Yvonne. Sorry to call you now but we're a little short staffed for tomorrow mornings shift. Would you be able to cover?" Calum's head had turned back towards me whilst Yvonne had been speaking and it made me think he'd heard what had been said. He drummed his fingers on his leg as he waited for me to answer.

"Sure, no problem. Which ward?" I asked quickly, feeling like all eyes were on me despite it only being Calum's.

"King Edward's." Yvonne answered straight away. "They're our overflow but they desperately need some beds. We need you to fix and shift patients." I smiled to my phone, happy with both the ward and job I'd been given.

"Sounds good. I'll see you at 8am."

"Thank you so much Poppy! Enjoy the rest of your day!" Yvonne said cheerily as she hung up the phone. The moment I put the phone away and Calum knew the call was over he began to talk again.

"Are you still going to be doing shifts?" Calum asked me. It seemed like a stupid question at first, but I suddenly realised the meaning behind it. For every day I was with him, my fame would increase and soon that was probably going to make my life and job very difficult. Everything would be under the sneaky watchful eye of paps and who knew if they'd be bad enough to disrupt my care.

"Yeah Cal, it's my job. I can't give it up, people need me." I said honestly to him, giving him a loving look.

"But paps will be everywhere and you're open in those wards. Any patient who knows who you are could go to the papers about your care. It's going to be tough." Cal warned me, staring down at me like a parent to a child. "I..." he sighed before he continued, making me nervous. "I think you need to give up that job."