"Ethan?" A voice called across the central island of the surprisingly quiet ED.

"Mm-hmmm?" Ethan replied, attention focused on the notes he was completing for a patient, with multiple complex conditions and several injuries.

"Are you busy at the moment?" Connie asked, with such a strange tone, Ethan looked up at her immediately.

"Well... Yes, Mrs Beauchamp." Ethan answered tentatively; afraid the clinical lead would start shouting at him about treatment times again.

"Can it wait?" Connie asked, her voice outwardly polite, but with a steely undertone, indicating that there was a correct answer.

Ethan opened his mouth and closed it again before finally deciding that actually, yes, the notes could definitely wait.

"Great," Connie smiled, a tight-lipped serious smile, barely raising the corners of her mouth. "I need you to talk to Dr Chao."

Ethan span around instantly, his face surprised and a sudden urgency to his manner. "Lily! Why do I need to talk to Lily?"

"Dr Chao," Connie began cautiously, fully aware (like the majority of the ED staff) of the registrar's romantic feelings for the F2. Stopping to think, she began again. "Dr Chao," she repeated herself more confidently, but with clinical detachment, "Has been -frankly- rude to a patient in her care, through her insensitive questions and general attitude."

Ethan suddenly felt worry for the young women at whom Connie's growing rage was apparently aimed. "Has Li -Dr Chao deliberately insulted the patient or has she simply offended them with ill-considered remarks?" he asked carefully, pausing to select his words, all the while somehow retaining an outward appearance of calm, despite his heart at least feeling as though it was beginning to beat faster.

"Thankfully it is the later, or Dr Chao would be in even more trouble than she currently finds herself in. She simply cannot empathise with anyone, even other members of staff." Connie replied scathingly, as if daring the young man to contradict her.

"And I am required to talk to her, because?" Ethan asked, confusion and anxiety now showing plainly on his face.

"Because Dr Hardy, Dr Chao respects your opinions more than most." The phrase 'including mine' silently implied, with a hint of bitterness and anger. "I also cannot criticise your empathy or people skills, however your time management..."

"Leaves a great deal to be desired." Ethan finished abruptly. "I'll go and talk to her now, before she starts treating her next patient." He walked away quickly, leaving Connie shaking her head, over the volatility and "sheer stupidity and risk" associated with love -especially but not limited to, that of the unrequited lovers.

Ethan groaned as he saw Lily deep in conversation with Jemma (a chatty, incredibly smart young doctor) or rather, Lily being as talkative as an "ice-cold snow princess"-Caleb's imaginative description- could be: not particularly. Ethan stopped walking and stood watching the two for a while. Jemma was admittedly attractive, with life and happiness seemingly glowing in her smile and Lily was in no particular aspect that he could name "more" than her friend. However in Ethan's eyes, Lily was beyond pretty; she was almost perfect -according to his heart at least. Despite not wanting to interrupt their conversation, a glance at a glaring Mrs Beauchamp reminded Ethan of the severity of the situation.

"Lily, I mean, Dr Chao, can I talk to you for a moment?" He asked quietly, not wanting to make a scene. Lily looked at him, surprised, but she seemed to understand the importance attached to the question. Making excuses to Jemma, Lily followed Ethan to the staff room, where he stood, awkwardly, by the sink.

Ethan fought to get some semblance of order in his head before opening his mouth. Taking a deep breath he started talking.

"Dr Chao," he began before the look of confusion and (dare he say it) hurt, sent his heart tumbling. "Lily. Mrs Beauchamp has asked me to talk to you about," he frantically searched for an inoffensive way to explain, "bedside manner, especially 'empathising' with patients."

"Why?" Lily queried instantly, "I haven't done anything!" She continued, fear creeping in to her voice.

"That," Ethan thought silently to himself, "seems to be the problem."

Speaking aloud, he managed to be less cynical and far kinder. "It's not that you've done something wrong, per se, more that, you could possibly do more to ... relate to patients ... to make them feel that you care."

"But I help them? I would personally rather have treatment than smiles and polite conversation. Isn't doing my job more important than some grand show of solidarity? "

"Well, sort of. They are, in a way, the same thing. It just makes the patients feel more inclined to tell you information and they feel safer, more comfortable, if you're kinder."

"Right, okay. I'll try and take your comments on board, Dr Hardy."

Ethan suddenly understood the look of hurt that had appeared on Lily's face when he had addressed her as Dr Chao, that look probably now mirrored on his own countenance. It was the use of surnames; it put distance between them both, reduced them to merely, polite co-workers -nothing more.

He caught himself; they were nothing more than that.

Shaking his head, he removed his glasses and cleaned them as Lily returned to her conversation with Jemma. A few cursory glances were sent in his direction, leading to his decision to leave that area, for a while.

Seeing Mrs Beauchamp striding purposefully toward Resus, Ethan hurried to catch up with her. As they walked through the swing doors, Connie turned her head to fire several rapid questions at the younger doctor.

"Did you talk to her? What did you say? How did she take it? Is she going to improve?"

Ethan looked slightly to the side of her face as he answered.

"I talked to Dr Chao, but I don't think I explained myself particularly well and I think she's more offended, than inspired to take the initiative to work on her people skills. I'm sorry Mrs Beauchamp. It might be better for to you talk to her yourself."

Connie gave her trademark, disapproving scowl. Ethan shrank away, and disappeared into the rapidly moving crowd of people flowing through the ED.

Connie sighed. She really did not want to go have this conversation with Lily; she was just too tired.

Maybe... No, not him. Or her. Or her. She tried to think of someone she could delegate to. Maybe Robyn would like to talk to Lily? It couldn't hurt to try.

Lily was sitting in the staff room on a short break, waiting for a call back to cubicles. She started thinking about Ethan, more specifically his attempt to help with her "people skills". Lily cringed remembering her defensive response; Ethan had only been trying to help after all. Thinking clearly, no longer distracted by Ethan (or specifically Jemma's comment about him), Lily decided he was right, she did need to work on her people skills. And she knew just the nominally smiling nurse to ask.