Cowritten with @fairheads. Set towards the end of series 32. What might have happened if the writers had let Chuffy talk through their issues like the adults they are...
Duffy sighed as she scraped the plate of cold food into the bin. He'd sworn he'd be home by 8pm. It was now almost 10pm. She understood that it would take a bit of time for Charlie to get back into the swing of being nursing manager again but it was getting beyond a joke! He hadn't finished a shift on time in almost two months and seemed determined to put them on opposing shift patterns so they barely saw each other. She was beginning to feel like his wife in name only.
Charlie scratched his head, looking at the clock he realised he’d missed dinner again. He sighed, he hadn’t meant to let her down but had been stuck late at the department again. He picked up his phone to call her.
She heard the phone ring but ignored it, turning the TV up until she heard it click over to the answer machine.
“Duffy? Duffy? I’m sorry love. I should be home in half an hour. I... I’ll see you then.” Charlie left a voice mail, wondering if she had purposely not answered.
"I'll believe that when I see it!" She muttered darkly from the sofa as she heard him hang up.
Charlie made it home just before 11pm, later than he said. He was tired and hungry after a long day at the ED. Opening the door, he listened for a moment trying to figure out whether Duffy was still up watching tv or whether she’d gone to bed. He’d hoped the former was the case, he felt like he hadn’t seen her properly in weeks.
The sound of the TV blaring out floated through from the lounge.
Standing in the doorway, he lent against it. “Hey...” He greeted her softly. She was curled up at one end of the sofa, covered in a blanket, her head resting on her arm.
"I see you remembered where you live..." She muttered, not turning to face him.
He was surprised by her cutting remark. “I’m sorry love.” There wasn’t much else he could say.
"You're always sorry. Doesn't change anything though does it?"
“No.” He sighed, internally berating himself. He didn’t want to fight with her, he needed her support but she needed him too and he wasn’t there. Taking his coat off, he walked through to the kitchen, putting the kettle on and opening the fridge.
"If you're looking for your dinner it's in the bin." She called through from the lounge.
He was again surprised by her unkindness, it wasn’t like her. He didn’t respond, instead he grabbed some bread and popped it into the toaster. “Can I get you a cuppa?” He shouted through.
"I'm on the early shift tomorrow, remember?"
Charlie had forgotten, his head was all over the place. “So no tea?” He confirmed with her.
The only response he got was a snort of derision.
Charlie sat down at the kitchen table with his toast and tea, he’d had the shift from hell and now his home was a war zone to top it off.
Duffy remained on the sofa, staring at the TV but not taking any of it in. If she was honest she hadn't really been paying attention since she'd turned it on earlier that evening.
Charlie finished his supper. How did they get to this, sitting in separate rooms? Never any time to properly speak? It worried him.
Hearing Charlie place his plate in the dishwasher, Duffy turned off the TV and prepared to head upstairs to bed.
Charlie turned and almost literally bumped into her in the hallway. “Sorry,” He apologised. “You off to bed?”
"Its almost midnight and I have to be up at 5.30am, what do you think?"
Charlie swallowed his words and looked down at his feet. “I thought we might have some time to talk...”
"Maybe you should have thought about that three hours ago." She retorted.
“It was a bad shift, I tried really hard to get back love.”
"Funny how I can always make it home on time but you can't..."
Charlie sighed and reached for her hand but she pulled away.
"I'm going to bed." She turned and began to head up the stairs.
“Duffy...” He tried, rubbing his neck. “Please, love...” He tried again, but she was gone.
He grimaced as their bedroom door was slammed shut.
Charlie sat on the sofa alone, he was finding his new role difficult and he found it impossible to time manage effectively. He wrapped himself in the blanket, it smelled like her.
Duffy sat on their bed feeling utterly ridiculous for sulking like a child but she'd had enough.
Neither one of them moved, they were both stuck in their private hell, above and below each other.
After several minutes had passed, Duffy stood up from the bed and quickly got undressed, throwing on an old pair of pjs before climbing under the duvet.
Charlie fell asleep on the sofa, waking up an hour or so later, cold and stiff. He climbed up the stairs, unsure whether he should sleep in the spare room or not.
He tentatively pushed open the door to their bedroom. Duffy was curled up under the duvet, turned away from the door.
His bedside lamp was on and a fresh glass of water sat beside it along with his heart medication.
Charlie smiled when he saw what she’d done. It was something she’d done every night since they’d been together, but he hadn’t expected her to bother tonight - she was so cross with him. He got undressed as quietly as he could, trying not to wake her. Swallowing his tablets, he carefully got into bed and turned the light off.
Staring at the wall in the darkness she waited to see what he planned to do next, if he was serious about wanting to talk.
Charlie tried not to move at all so he wouldn’t wake her, she’d been pretty clear about her early shift and he didn’t want to piss her off any more!
After a few minutes she couldn't help but sneeze, giving away the fact that she was indeed still awake.
“Can’t sleep?” He whispered, rolling over to face her.
She didn't pull away from his touch, instead just leaving her hand resting limply on the bed.
It was unlike her to be so unresponsive. “Want to talk?” He tried.
"Unless that talk includes you saying that you're sorry for being a totally crap husband recently and intend to do much better and actually mean it then no."
“Duffy...” He tried to get her to look at him.
"I'm starting to feel like I saw more of you when I lived on the other side of the bloody world!" She continued, still not rolling over to face him.
“Please turn over...” He urged, placing his hand on her hip.
She huffed and finally rolled over.
Charlie tenderly brushed her hair out of her face, cupping her cheek with his hand. “I’m so sorry Duffy, I’ve got this all wrong.”
"So you get that you have to actually put effort in to make a marriage work then?"
“I don’t want to lose you.” He stumbled over his words.
"I don't want to be taken for granted." She sighed.
“I thought I could do the job easily, thought it would be like putting on old slippers but everything’s taking me so much time. Tonight I really tried to get home in time to have dinner with you but it just seemed to be one thing after another. I didn’t mean to not have time for you. I’ve been really shit haven’t I?”
"I understand that it'll take you time to get back into the swing with the nursing manager job but why put us on opposing shifts? It's like you don't want to spend time with me." She sighed.
"The idea was that it would give us more time together." He sighed, “I guess I got it all wrong... I’ve been such an idiot.” He seemed genuinely remorseful.
"We promised each other that things would be different."
“I know and I want to work on us. I can do better. Can I try and make it up to you?”
"Depends what you had in mind."
“Anything... I’m sorry for being a totally crap husband recently and I intend to do much better and I actually mean it.” He echoed her earlier words.
"I understand your work is important to you, it's important to me too, but you need to remember that you have a life outside of that hospital."
“A very good life with a very wonderful woman...”
"Who doesn't appreciate being second best."
“Can you forgive me? Let me make it up to you?”
“I’ll try to make sure I get home earlier and try to swap so we’re on same shift for a start. I want to prove to you that you’re the most important thing to me, can I do that?”
“How else I can I make it up to you?”
"You keep saying I'm special to you but actions speak louder than words."
“Point taken. Can I kiss you?”
"I suppose..." A small smile was slowly creeping onto her face.
He held her cheek, leaning in to kiss her softly. “I’ve missed you.” He whispered, kissing her again.
"I've missed you too. This bed is awful cold without you."
Charlie nodded, “I know and for a moment earlier I thought I should go sleep in the spare room but then I saw you’d put my meds and water out and I thought what am I playing at? I have this beautiful woman who has the biggest heart who still loves me even though I’ve been a complete idiot. And...” He was still rambling, when she kissed him.
"You are a complete idiot but you're my idiot."
“I’m glad you still think so... I’m really sorry about dinner, I was going to pick us up some wine and I’d planned having a lovely evening with you, showing you that you are important to me and then everything that could happen, happened and the clock was just ticking. I felt awful.”
"I'm sorry I threw your dinner away."
“I don’t blame you, it’s not like it’s the first time this week is it..?”
"Still... It was quite childish of me. I shouldn't be throwing temper tantrums like that at my age." She blushed.
“I think I deserved it. Thank you for talking to me.”
"I don't like going to sleep on an argument."
“It didn’t look like you were getting much sleep. It’s your shift soon though...”
"I fell asleep on the sofa earlier waiting for you to arrive home and its thrown me off."
“Wide awake now? Did you worry I wasn’t going to come back at all?”
"A couple of times you haven't."
“I know... I’m not proud of that. The thought of you all on your own here, when I should be with you...”
"I'm used to being on my own but I never thought you'd treat me like that."
Charlie felt ashamed of his behaviour. “Me neither...” He mumbled.
"You were there through it all, saw the crap I went through..." She sighed.
He nodded, “I know...” He ran his hands through his hair, he was uncomfortable with the guilt he felt.
There was an awkward silence between them for several minutes. "How did we end up in such a mess?" Duffy sighed, finally breaking the silence.
“I don’t know but it’s all my fault.”
"How about we both try harder? Both at work and at home."
Charlie nodded. “I might need a hand at work...”
"I've been waiting for you to ask."
“It’s all got a bit on top of me. I could do with some help...”
"So what do you say..?" She teased.
“I’ll try harder, I promise.” He smiled at her.
"A simple 'please will you help me?' would have sufficed."
“I think I can cope and then it all becomes a bit much and I’m not very good at asking for help. Please will you help me?”
"Yes I will help you, you silly, stubborn old man!" She chuckled softly.
“I’d appreciate that. And please will you tell if I’m getting this wrong again? You are the most important thing to me, I don’t want to upset you."
“Time for a cuddle?” He asked.
"I suppose you've clawed your way far enough back into my good books..." She smiled.
"Very trying at times..."
He laughed, “Come here you... We haven’t had a hug in ages.”
She sighed contentedly as she shuffled over and he wrapped his arms around her.
He kissed her head as he held her in his arms. “I love you Mrs Fairhead and I’m really am very sorry.”
"It still makes my heart skip when you call me that." She admitted shyly.
“Mine too, which is why I know I’ve been a bloody idiot and I need to make it up to you.”
"Well you talk a good talk, now you've just got to back it up by walking the walk."
“I will. You should probably get some sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
"Yeh, sleep deprevation and twelve hour shifts don't mix well..." She yawned.
“Tell me about it! Night darling.”
Despite it only being a few hours til she had to get up for work Duffy slept better than she had in weeks. When her alarm woke her she was surprised to find Charlie also awake and a tray of breakfast waiting on the bedside table.
“Morning beautiful,” He smiled, as she stretched and groaned.
"What are you doing up?" She queried.
“I wanted to make you some breakfast before your shift?”
She tilted her head. "Who are you and what have you done with my husband?" She giggled.
