Oh my goodness, thank you to my amazing readers and reviewers. I honestly didn't think that anyone would be bothered because really what we are all doing is waiting as patiently as we can for the real story to play out! This is the final chapter as I didn't want it running on forever - hence it's quite a long one. I'm no doctor so I don't know if the medical stuff makes sense or not, but its fan fiction so surely anything goes!

Seeing as I've already got this written, I may as well post it now.

Matilda - Chapter 2

Ethan felt his blood run cold and his heart start to falter at Cal's words. He jumped to his feet, coffee forgotten as both brothers strode towards Resus. Cal gently laid his daughter on the bed. Immediately, Ethan noticed a stiffness in her neck. He took her temperature - to high. He drew in a deep breath. He was suddenly aware that Charlie had joined them, "What can I do?" he asked, sensing the urgency in the room.

"Could you page Zoe for me please Charlie - I can do some checks on her but I can't treat her," Ethan's voice caught in his throat.

"What do you mean Ethan? What are you saying?" Cal demanded, fear coursing through him.

"I think you know as well as I do Cal what it could be..."

Cal began pacing as he nodded his head and ran a nervous hand through his hair. He was thinking the same thing as his brother, but he hoped more than anything that he was wrong.

Suddenly, without warning, Matilda opened her eyes and began crying...loudly. Ethan, who was still by her side, picked her up and began to comfort her, "Cal can you turn down the lights a little, I think it's hurting her eyes," he told his brother as he carried on soothing his niece.

Matilda quietened a little as the room became dimmer as she took hold of one of Ethan's fingers and put it in her mouth.

A few minutes later, Zoe rushed in closely followed by Charlie. She smiled sympathetically at the two brothers as Ethan laid Matilda back down. She could see the fear evident on their faces. She immediately got on with checking the baby, "What can you tell me?" she asked.

"I took her home and...well she just started screaming - she was hot - there were a few spots..." Cal told them.

On hearing this, Ethan began undoing her sleepsuit to reveal a small rash on her body. He felt his throat tighten, "Her temp was 39 degrees five minutes ago..." he managed to choke out as Charlie ushered him away from her side and took his place.

"Right, we need to get this temperature down," Zoe stated, "Let's get started on some antibiotics and fever reducer, then we need to prepare her for a lumbar puncture."

"Oh God," a strangled voice broke through the strained silence that had fallen over the room as Charlie busied himself getting everything together. Zoe glanced up and saw how scared the two young men were looking, "Ethan it looks like you were right to suspect meningitis and we're going to get some fluid from her spinal area to analyse to be certain. Er, you might want to be somewhere else while we do it," she told them kindly. Cal immediately shook his head, "No, I'm stopping. She needs to know that her dad is here for her..."

Zoe smiled as she made her way back to Matilda's side. Ethan felt his throat closing once more, so he just patted Cal's arm in a silent gesture of support.

Very soon, to soon for Cal, Charlie had Matilda on her side, holding her gently, yet firmly in place. She had a sterile drape over her back with just a small area exposed to allow Zoe access.

Ethan and Cal stood, filled with dread, at the foot of her bed. Cal involuntarily grabbed Ethan's hand tightly, as if he needed it to anchor him.

Ethan, sensing this, moved closer to his brother to offer support, even though he felt like he would break himself.

Zoe looked over at Charlie, who nodded that he was ready, so Zoe began.

Matilda had been sedated slightly (A.N. don't know if they do this to a baby) but she still flinced a cried out a little when she felt the pressure.

That was to much for Cal. He dropped Ethan's hand and barrelled out of the room. Zoe looked up in surprise as Ethan steadied his own breathing, "I'll go," he whispered as he left the room quietly.

After a few minutes of searching, and trying to avoid questions from their concerned friends, Ethan found his brother pacing frantically up and down the peace garden.

"Cal," he called.

Cal spun round, "Why aren't you in there with Matilday?" he growled, his eyes full of unshed tears.

"Why aren't you?" he replied quietly. The last thing he wanted to do was cause an argument, but he wasn't going to have Cal shouting at him.

Cal gulped in a couple of breaths, "I saw the needle...it made it real..." he trailed off.

"It IS real Caleb. I'm sorry but it is! But she's in the right place with the best doctors looking after her. She's got every chance of recovering well."

Ethan walked up to his brother and pulled him into an uncharacteristic hug, "She needs her dad by her side," he whispered into his ear as he held him.

Cal broke. Sobs wracked his frame as he clung to his little brother. Ethan continued to hold him as tightly as he could, trying to push down his own feelings of fear for his niece. After a few minutes, Cal calmed. He stood up straight and wiped his face, "I'm sorry Ethan," he whispered.

"Don't ever be sorry for feeling," Ethan told him, "Now let's get back to our Princess," he said as he led his calmer brother back to the room.

As they walked in, Zoe and Charlie were finishing up. Zoe laid a hand on Cal's arm, "We've sent the fluid for analysis - shouldn't take long. In the meantime, I've giving her everything that I possible can for someone so young. Her temp hasn't gone up so that's encouraging. Stay with her, talk to her. You can pick her up if you need to. You can both stay..." she glanced round to Ethan, who nodded his gratitude, "I'll be back as soon as I hear anything," she promised.

Once Zoe and Charlie had left the room, the silence became deafening, only punctuated now and again by the beeping of the monitor. Matilda was still laid on her side, fast asleep. Cal pulled up a chair and sank gratefully into it, taking hold of the tiny hand, "I'm here sweetheart," he whispered, "Daddy's here - you're Uncle Ethan is here too, so you don't have to worry - just rest now my brave baby girl - you're going to be fine." He stroked her cheek, smiling when he heard the quiet yet steady breathing of his daughter. Ethan, on the other hand, was almost knocked off his feet by a torrent of emotions coursing through him. He suddenly felt an incredible need to run out of the room, "Erm, shall I get us some coffees or something?" he suggested to his pre-occupied brother, "Mmm, yeah thanks," Cal answered.

Ethan turned and quickly left the room. As he dashed around a corner, he almost knocked Charlie over. After the initial shock, Charlie steadied himself and the young doctor, "Are you alright Ethan?"

The younger man looked away, not wanting the nurse to see the emotions threatening to overflow, "Yes, erm...I'm fine...I'm getting coffee...sorry...I...you know...nearly knocked you flying..." he stuttered nervously. Before Charlie could say anything else, Ethan had vanished.

It wasn't long before Ethan returned to his niece's room to find her laid in his brother's arms, Cal dozing slightly. When he saw his brother with the coffees he sat up straighter, "She was a little restless," he offered.

Ethan nodded and placed the coffee in a safe place.

The door opened to reveal Zoe, who was still reading the piece of pater in her hand, "Ok," she breathed," The sample tested positive but it looks like we caught it early enough."

The initial cold knot in the stomach that both doctors had felt after Zoe had confimed their fears began to dissapate, "Her temperature has started to decrease already, so I think that what we are doing is working, so we'll keep on with that. We're going to move her onto a ward after a few more hours of observation. Cal, would you mind coming and filling in some paperwork on Matilda please?" Cal looked unsure for a moment as he placed Matilda back on the bed, "Erm yes, of course. Ethan would you stay with her?" He asked his brother.

"Of course I will, you don't have to ask," Ethan assured him.

Cal laid his daughter back on the bed then followed Zoe out of the room, casting a glance back towards her before closing the door.

Once they were alone, Ethan began to feel apprehensive. What if something happened to her and there was only him in the room? How could he make all the decisions of how to treat her?

His heart rate began to quicken and he could feel the beginnings of a headache. He tried to concentrate on breathing deeply to breathe away his anxiety. He sat next to the bed and just stared at the tiny baby. She was so perfect - could she really be Cal's if she was this perfect? Was she Cal's? He hoped so with every fibre of his being. He loved this little girl too so it would break his heart as well if it turned out that she wasn't his niece. She suddenly started to get a little restless once more, so Ethan jumped to his feet and picked her up.

"Hey, hey sweetheart, it's ok," he whispered to her. She opened her eyes slightly as if she was looking to see who was talking to her. She gave him a ghost of a smile as her eyes closed once more. Her breathing evened out as sleep overtook her, "That's my girl. You rest as much as you need - your daddy and I will be here waiting for you when you are better. You are so brave..." Ethan tightened his hold on her slighly as he felt the emotions from earlier begin to rise back to the surface, "You scared us today little one. We've only known you for a few weeks but the thought of losing you...well it's just to much to bear," his voice caught in his throat, "I just hope and pray that when my brother finally gets round to doing a test that you are ours - we both love you so much and I know that I speak for your daddy as well as myself when I say that we couldn't bear to be parted from you."

"Well then, it's a good job I got a test done isn't it?" Cal's voiced drifted into the room causing Ethan to look up in surprise.

"How long have you been here?" he asked.

"Long enough..." he smiled.

Ethan cleared his throat, trying to look unruffled, "So you did a test then?"

Cal nodded and passed over a piece of paper with the Holby hospital logo on. Ethan placed Matilda back on the bed then took hold of the paper. He read the words as best he could due to the fact that his eyes were blurring with tears, but the words that he needed to see stood out as plain as day - we have determined that Dr Caleb Knight IS the biological father of Matilda Knight.

"Oh Cal," Ethan breathed as he sat down hard in the chair.

Cal beamed with delight as he covered is daughter lightly with a small blanket as she slept on oblivious to everything around her, "I knew she had to be mine - I told you, didn't I Ethan. Ethan?"

He turned towards his brother, who was sat in the chair with his face in his hands, trembling. Cal's smile left his face to be replaced with concern for his brother, "Ethan? Eth?" he questioned as he crouched down in front of the younger man. He pulled the young man's hands away from his face, shocked to see tears snaking down his face.

"They are tears of happiness and exhaustion," Ethan managed to explain as a fresh wave hit. Cal chuckled as he passed his brother a tissue, "Now we can make some proper plans," Cal told him as he once more turned to look at his precious daughter. He watched her sleep in silence for a few minutes, "She seems to be settled Ethan, why don't you go home and get some proper rest...you've had a hell of a day on very little sleep."

When there wasn't an answer forthcoming, Cal turned to find his brother curled up, fast asleep in the chair. He managed to find another blanket and laid it gently over his slumbering brother, his mouth turning up into a fond smile. He sat himself down on the edge of the bed looking between his daughter and his brother, the two most important people in his life, and he just knew that no matter how hard his life was going to be over the next few years, he'd have his brother backing him up all the way.

Ok, so the ending left a lot to be desired, but I had to finish it somewhere. I hope it wasn't to soppy from our brothers.

I can't wait for all this to happen in the show and I've got everything crossed that it turns out that Matilda is Cal's but I have a sneaking suspicion that she won't be - and I think that will tear him apart.

Til next time.