A/N: So first of all, I don't have any first hand experience with bipolar or any other mental health issues, or the procedures that surround incidents like the one in Casualty - I've done my best at making this at least believable, but please don't be offended if it's inaccurate.
Seconomy, this is something I've wanted to do for aaages; it's the final scene of Series 32 Episode 27 from David's POV - I just think Dylan's great in saving the day in that episode, and I wish there were more moments like that one between the two of them. All the dialogue here is actually from the episode itself, so only the inner thoughts/monologue bits are mine, really... Enjoy!
...
David slides down the wall before he's even aware he's bumped into it; he keeps going, right down to he floor, pulling the blanket tighter round his shoulders until he's huddled in the corner, watching Robyn. His head is spinning and he can hardly hear himself think. He doesn't know how he got here, or what's happened to his friend, but she doesn't look ok. He remembers driving her... Somewhere. And then...
Was it him? Did he do this?
She can't even look at him as they bring her past - it must have been him. Oh God, he hurt Robyn. And... A sudden flash of memory hits him - Robyn's baby. He can hear a baby crying now, but he doesn't know if it's real or not. Probably not. He knows that his brother's voice isn't. Telling him all about how alone he is, how no one wants to be around a madman. The voice isn't real, but it's right. David closes his eyes tightly and leans into the wall further, because maybe if nobody notices him...
"David, there are some people here who wanna have a word with you." Jacob is saying, and David almost flinches at the tone of his voices. Maybe he does flinch; he's not sure.
"I'm not stupid, they're going to section me." He manages, opening his eyes but still looking down at the floor. Leave me alone, he thinks.
"Only if you don't go voluntarily." Jacob counters, and his voice is a little softer now. Pity, says a voice, but David doesn't listen.
"I'm going to end up like my brother if I accept it." He says, without thinking. (He's not been doing much of that lately, apparently.) He finally looks up at Jacob, and sees out of the corner of his eye that Dylan is here too. Please go away.
"Um; could you give us a minute?" Dylan says, of all people. David isn't sure he wants to be left alone with anyone right now, let alone Dylan, but he is glad Jacob is going. You'll only hurt him too, He can hear his brother saying, and he finds himself looking at the floor again. He tries, really tries, but he can't remember anything past the car journey with Robyn. "Tell me about this brother, David." Dylan says to him, and although he doesn't want to, David answers him.
"Killed himself. Depression."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that-" Dylan begins but David can't seem to control what he's saying anymore.
"Don't be, it wasn't recent." He interrupts. "I don't need grief counselling." The idea scares him almost as much as the thought of what he might have done to Robyn.
"Well, we all need grief counselling." Dylan looks thoughtful, even understanding for a second. He doesn't even seem to be judging David, who is slightly taken aback by the notion. But then the moment passes. "Um, see I'm in something of a predicament." He says. David abruptly stops thinking.
"You are?" He asks. The voices are fading now, and focusing on Dylan's voice seems to be helping.
"Mm, and... You're the only one who can get me out of it." There's a pause, and when he speaks again, there's something akin to guilt in his voice. "You see, when I was in charge, um, yesterday; I failed to notice in time the symptoms you were displaying." Dylan's voice is gentle, but David still winces when he hears the word 'symptoms'. How he hates it. "That's dereliction of my duty, and it's grounds for a tribunal, or maybe even a hearing. So, whilst it's not really reasonable for me to ask you, I'm going to ask anyway: will you do me a favour?"
David can't hear his brother anymore, and he's starting to shake off the foggy feeling that he didn't realise he'd been experiencing until just now. He doesn't feel quite up to smiling yet, but he manages to raise his eyebrows in what he hopes is a familiar gesture; one the old David might have used easily.
"The favour is that you actively seek support, before support actively seeks you. That way I won't be the consultant who had a nurse sectioned in his resus. I know it's a lot to ask and I'm ashamed to ask you but, what can I say? I'm a selfish man."
The last thing David wants is to hand himself over to 'support' - people who think he's crazy, who want to give him pills and medicines and tests to see if he's better yet. But when he looks into Dylan's eyes, he doesn't see a selfish man, or even a consultant trying to save his job. He sees through the doctor's charade; he sees a friend who is genuinely trying to help him, and that's unlike anything he's had in a long time. Robyn is - or was - his friend, but she didn't know how bad he could get, not really.
And so for Dylan, he decides, he'll do this one favour.
...