Inconsequential
Author: LudoJudo
Summary: Lofty goes to see Dylan on his boat. Set after 'Black Alert' (but with a different ending where Lofty doesn't yet know if he's got the promotion) and concerns the earlier conversation in cubicles. It looked like Dylan wanted to say something to Lofty but then Rita interrupted.
Characters: Dylan and Lofty.
Rating: PG. Just a bit of fluff.
Notes: This hasn't been checked, so sorry about that. I use a lot of commas and my spelling is the worst. I did my best with the Merriam-Webster dictionary app, so fingers crossed.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to BBC, Casualty, the shows various writers and probably a few other people, just not me, unfortunately:(
Feedback: If you want to, sure. But please be kind, I have a delicate system!
Lofty pulled his jacket tightly around him, the cold of the quayside biting more than usual on the cold January evening. He kept walking past houseboat after houseboat until he arrived at the familiar mahogany door. He hesitantly knocked, wishing he'd called ahead to make sure it was ok to go round. He could hear a light hum of classical music playing and the pleasing smell of warm food drifting up to meet him.
"It's open."
Lofty descended the staircase and was greeted by Dylan wearing a blue and white butchers apron.
"Ben, this is an unexpected pleasure."
"I hope you don't mind me dropping by like this."
"Not at all." Dylan said placing his hands on his hips in his now inimitable way.
"I should have probably phoned." Dervla came wondering over from her basket and began to rub her head against Lofty's knee.
"Dervla seems happy to see you as well." He said pointing at his canine companion.
'As well' thought Lofty, in addition to Dylan being happy? He put the thought to the back of his mind, his day had already been stressful and complex enough without adding more confusion to it. He reached a hand down and gently rubbed the top of Dervla's head "Hello girl." The grey scruffy fur was surprisingly soft and velvety under his fingertips.
"I wish you'd called." Dylan said returning to the kitchen area.
"Yeah, I'm sorry, I should have thought." Lofty became flustered. "I'll go. I can see you tomorrow."
"No, I just meant I could have made extra if I'd known." Dylan said referring to the food he was plating up.
"Right." Lofty's eyebrows raised in realisation.
"Have you eaten?" Dylan questioned.
"No, no I haven't."
"Well this will just about stretch to two. I always make too much." He explained.
"No, I don't want to put you out."
"It's no cheesy souffle." Dylan said remembering their first meal together "But it is an edible mushroom and ham tagliatelle. If that's ok?"
Lofty smiled. "Sounds great."
Dylan returned to the cupboard to fetch an extra plate. "What can I do for you?"
"What?" Lofty said while scanning the lounge, he always found something new and interesting that he couldn't remember seeing before, a book or a picture, even though it wasn't his first time aboard Dylan's new home, he was always fascinated by the paraphernalia.
"I take it you came here for a reason."
Lofty thought back on his day, the busiest the ED had ever seen. The responsibilty of running a make shift triage tent and the added stress of waiting for the decision on his promotion not to mention getting assaulted by a patient, meant he needed to see a friendly face. But he wasn't going to admit that.
"Oh, I just wanted, erh, to say thank you."
Dylan walked over to the table with two warm plates of food and set them down before taking a seat. Lofty followed his friends lead, removing his coat before sitting.
"What for?" Dylan said, getting back to the conversation.
"For today. In triage. You really helped."
"Well it is my job."
The doctor sensed something different about Lofty, a slight nervousness, maybe it was just a chill from the cold night air. He was sure the food would warm him up. They both began to eat the twisted and knotted ribbons of pasta, the slight taste of salt in the ham having Lofty reaching for his glass of water. They continued to eat in relative silence. Dylan finished his meal and placed his fork on the plate, he noticed Lofty pushing the remainder of his tangled tagliatelli around the plate.
"You didn't like it?"
Lofty looked up surprised. "No. I mean yes, it was great. I suppose I'm not that hungry." He explained.
Dylan could see something bothering Lofty and wondered if it was to do with the aggressive patient.
"I hope you're going to pursue assault charges against, Mr. Jennings."
Lofty reached a hand to gently touch the small white sticky strips covering a small knick from the glass wall he'd been pushed through.
"I don't think there's much point. He's not a violent man, not really. Just a moment of madness."
"You see good in everyone, don't you, Ben?" Dylan said warmly.
He felt a surprising easiness with Lofty, he had for the last few months. The more he worked with the nurse the harder it was to say goodbye at the end of their shifts. Dylan felt a pain when he watched him walk off home with Robyn and Max, and maybe a little jealousy, but he got a flutter when a new 12hr shift with him would start. He'd tried to ignore it but the flutter had returned with Lofty's arrival at the boat. He didn't like to see Lofty so gloomy, it wasn't really in the nurse's DNA. He remembered back to their earlier talk at the beginning of the shift.
"You know the hospital it runs like a machine with big cogs and little cogs and all the sizes in between."
Lofty leaned back in his chair wondering where Dylan was going.
"There's the little cogs, the cleaners, the porters. Larger cogs, nurses, doctors. And then a giant cog like Mr. Hannsen."
"Mr. Hannsen's a cog!"
Dylan blushed realising his metaphor was going miles off course.
"What I mean is, Mr. Hannsen or Ms Beauchamp might be bigger cogs..."
Lofty smiled, dying to laugh at what had started to sound like a euphemism.
"... erm, but without" Dylan stumbled, he noticed Lofty made him do that more and more these days.
"...without, the little cogs doing their bit the machine doesn't work."
"The machine being the hospital?"
"Yes! I'm not explaining myself very well."
"No, no, we're all cogs!" Lofty tried to sound as serious as possible but a slight smile played at the corner of his mouth. He'd started to feel lighter than only moments ago, he liked the way Dylan could make him feel like that without even trying.
"What I mean to say is..." Dylan paused and became serious, "You're not inconsequential..." He reached a hand across the dining table and hooked his fingertips onto Lofty's and gently squeezed not sure if he would regret his action. "...not to me."
Lofty's eyes widened at the declaration, he squeezed Dylan's fingertips and moved his hand, interlacing his fingers with his partners. He wiggled and twisted his fingers amazed at how perfectly they fit with Dylan's. Dylan looked surprised at the reaction and then realisation dawned.
"Why did you come here, Ben? Really."
Lofty looked lovingly at Dylan and back to their linked hands, secretly liking the way he used his given name. "For this. For you."