Liz awoke suddenly in the middle of the night. She had no idea what had startled her awake but upon hearing Red's soft snores, she had a suspicion. She looked at him in the moonlight. He looked peaceful at last. However, she desperately needed the bathroom and so delicately extricated herself from his grip around her waist and tiptoed out into the hallway. His breathing pattern hadn't changed so she hoped she could make it to the bathroom and back before he awoke. She didn't want him waking alone.

Once Liz had finished in the bathroom she came back out into the hallway and turned to return to the bedroom. It was then that she saw a light coming from downstairs. It looked like either Dembe or Mr Kaplan was still awake. She decided Red would be okay for a few more minutes and moved down the stairs to see if there was any news.

Mr Kaplan looked up and smiled sadly as Liz entered the sitting room. 'Hi dearie, how's he doing?'

'He's fast asleep at the moment. I just thought I'd pop down to talk to you for a few minutes. I won't leave him long. I can't believe the state he's in. It's horrible. Why would anyone do that to him?'

'I have no idea, Elizabeth. I suspect they attempted to interrogate him but soon discovered that he's not a man who would crack under torture. I know I said he was unharmed physically but I only meant seriously unharmed. He does have some bruising and cuts. Nothing to worry about. So, once they realised they weren't going to get any information out of him, perhaps they just decided to cause him mental anguish instead. The Cabal would enjoy doing something like that to a man like Raymond. Or maybe the drugs he was given were just the first of many he would be given. Maybe they were hoping to break his mind. I suspect we'll never know, seeing as the brutes are all dead now'.

'Do we know yet what he was given or when it'll wear off?'

'No, unfortunately. I drew some blood and sent it to be tested but haven't heard back yet. I can only assume the condition won't last too long as he wasn't there long enough to have been given a big enough dose to have permanent effects. At least that's what I'm praying'.

Liz sighed, 'I hate feeling so helpless. I don't know what to do to help him'.

'Just be with him, sweetheart. One of the few things he did say after we rescued him was your name. Over and over again. He was adamant you were injured or…worse. I think his captors must have tried to persuade him that they had you in order to either give them information or just to make him suffer. He didn't seem to believe me or Dembe when we tried to persuade him otherwise'.

Just as Liz was about to ask another question, there was a crash from upstairs.

'Shit, he's awake', Liz blurted out as she headed for the stairs at a run.

She made it to his room in seconds only to be greeted with the sight of him standing by the window, clad only in a t-shirt and boxers. The water jug that had been by his bed was now lying smashed on the floor.

'Red, are you okay? Red? Raymond?'

'Lizzy, where were you? I woke and I was alone. I thought…. I thought maybe I'd imagined you being here. My mind's so fuzzy…', Red trailed off as he looked down at the smashed glass.

'Okay, don't move, Raymond. There's glass everywhere. Just let me quickly fetch a dustpan'.

Liz ran down the stairs and back to Mr Kaplan. 'He's okay. He just broke the water jug. Is there something I can use to tidy the glass?'

'Allow me, dearie. Cleaning up Raymond's messes is my forte', Mr Kaplan said, allowing herself a wry grin.

After disappearing into the kitchen for a couple of moments, Mr Kaplan re-emerged and they both headed back upstairs. When they got to the room, Red hadn't moved from the spot. He was now crouched down, hugging his knees and rocking slightly.

'Elizabeth, talk to him whilst I clear the glass', Mr Kaplan said as she headed straight for where Red was becoming increasingly agitated.

'Hey Raymond, I'm back. And Mr Kaplan's here too. She's just gonna clear that glass so you can move, okay?'

Red didn't reply as Mr Kaplan hastily went about her work. Within a couple of minutes the water was soaked up and all the glass was gone.

'Okay, Elizabeth. I'll leave you to it. You're all he needs right now', Mr Kaplan said as she gently stroked the top of Red's head and then headed for the door.

'Right, Raymond, you gonna get up and come back to bed?'

Red didn't reply. He seemed to be entering some kind of a trance almost.

'Please Raymond, look at me?' Liz implored as she crouched down next to him.

He still didn't reply. She sat forward and pulled him towards her. As he lost his balance he fell onto his side, his head landing in her lap. Immediately he fastened his arms around her waist and buried his face into her stomach. Liz gently stroked his arms and started making reassuring promises to him, shushing his soft crying and occasionally kissing his temple.

After a few minutes, he appeared to have calmed a little. She carefully removed his arms from around her waist and forced him to sit up.

'Okay, you, we're gonna get back into bed now'.

She stood up and Red docilely let himself be pulled up with her. He had stopped crying now but his eyes were still puffy and his cheeks wet. Liz rubbed her thumbs across both of his cheeks and smiled sweetly at him.

'Back to bed now, come on'.

She led him over to the bed and they both crawled back in. Liz lay on her back and pulled him next to her, his arms immediately going back around her waist and his head resting on her shoulder. She held him tight and leant her cheek against the top of his head.

'I was so scared Lizzy. So scared. I still am. I feel terrified but I have no idea of what. And so sad. I feel like my heart is breaking'

'I know, Raymond, I know. But you're going to get better. You will. And I'm so sorry I left you. You were sound asleep and I was only going to run to the bathroom but I had a quick chat with Mr Kaplan too. I didn't think you'd wake up, I'm sorry. I won't leave you again, I promise'.

'Thank you. Thank you. Please don't, Lizzy, please don't. I can't bear this without you. Even with you, I don't think I can put up with this for long'.

'I'm sure it won't last much longer, Raymond. And I'll be here until it stops. You'll be back on your feet in no time. And when you are, I'll let you take me out to dinner if you want. One of your fancy places where the linen costs more than the dress I'll wear', Liz said whilst smiling at him.

Red looked up and smiled softly at her. He sniffed and said, 'I'd like that, Lizzy. Very much. You deserve to be spoiled'.

'And you deserve to spoil me', Liz said, smiling back at him.

Red sighed softly and lowered his head back to her shoulder. He could feel himself starting to nod off again and before he did, he whispered softly to Liz, 'I love you sweetheart. I can't lose you. I can't….'

Liz heard him and smiled to herself. She knew he loved her. And seeing him like this, in this terrible pain, had made her realise that she loved him too. She'd kill a hundred men before she'd let anyone hurt Red like this again.

'Go to sleep, Raymond. You're not going to lose me. And I refuse to lose you'.

They both slowly dropped off back to sleep, once more hugging each other tightly and finding calm and hope in each other's presence.