"What's this bloke's name again?"

"Her name," Gillian corrected. "Doctor Rosario."

"Oh right."

Lewis heaved a block across the room. Luckily there were only two other people in the waiting room and neither of them were in the road of the projectile. "Lewis," Gillian admonished. "Don't throw inside." She tried to get him interested in one of the fire engines with a retractable fire hose. She winced as she bent forward to show Lewis how the doors opened and little men could be put inside the cab.

"You all right luv?" Cal asked softly.

Gillian straightened up again. She checked the other occupants. One was a teenager with head phones clamped over his ears and the other was an older man, reading a newspaper, which he held up close to his face as if he couldn't see the small font. Neither of them were paying any attention to them. "My breasts are killing me," she complained in a quick whisper. She adjusted her bra. Now that she had drawn attention to them Cal felt he could safely stare at them for a half minute or so before he got a glare. They were engorged again because Lewis wasn't feeding. When she was desperately uncomfortable she expressed milk, but that was kind of beside the point.

"I can help if you want," Cal offered. "I'm very good with my hands."

Gillian shot him a dismal effort at a disparaging expression. Cal saw the glint in her eye though. "Maybe when we get home," she whispered even softer than before.

Cal gave a grin. His 'good boy' grin. Her sensitive chest was off limits at the moment. It was a shame really because the extra swell through her shirt looked so very inviting. The grin was wiped off his face by the nurse calling for them.

Cal hadn't stared at another woman in a long time. Seven long years of happily being with Gillian to be precise. He'd never felt the need. It wasn't that he hadn't noticed other women, because he did, he was male after all. He'd just never stared. But the doctor sitting in front of him was so classically beautiful. Dark hair, green eyes, smooth flawless skin, a little birth mark along her jaw line and another in the hollow of the opposite cheek. Her lips were full, her eyebrows perfectly manicured, the shape of her eyes almond. He couldn't help himself. He was sure if Gillian hadn't been distracted by a grumpy Lewis in her lap, who kept grabbing her breasts, which made her wince painfully, she would have glared at him. Finally, Cal reached over and took the fussing Lewis from his mother. He tucked the boy under his arm and held him firmly and although Lewis continued to fight him and whine, he was far less restless. And now that he held the toddler Doctor Rosario periodically looked over at Cal and Lewis and Cal was afforded the full warmth of her smile. So he did what he always did. He fell into his neutral mask and observed.

Doctor Rosario went over some of the same information Doctor Adler had. She explained all about the inner workings of an ear, what some of Lewis's problems could be, based on what she'd read in his medical file, and two of the next stage tests she was going to perform.

"When do we do those?" Gillian asked.

"We can do those today."

"Today?" Gillian was surprised.

"The first test screens for otoacoustic emissions. It'll take thirty seconds."

Cal had to remind himself what the hell she was talking about. It was a test for Lewis's cochlea. If he failed it then he would get more specific diagnostic testing and it meant his hearing loss was sensorineural. And that meant, Cal thought back, it meant, he had no idea; too many big words. It meant Lewis had hearing loss, that's what it meant.

Doctor Rosario crossed to the other side of her office where there were children's toys and comfy chairs to wait in and her equipment. The otoacoustic test was incredibly straight forward, even with Lewis screeching and squirming to get the hell out of there. Doctor Rosario produced a lollipop from her coat pocket. "They're sugar free," she explained to Gillian and Cal. "So they don't rot his teeth."

Lewis settled down after that and allowed the doctor to insert a small node into his ear, much like the bud of an earphone. He played with a stacking tower for the thirty second test in which tones were played and the resulting 'echo' recorded. There was no requirement for reaction; perfect for small children. The doctor noted down the results and then tested his other ear. A few seconds afterwards and she was giving them the results. Just like that.

"I'm sorry to say Lewis didn't pass the OAE test."

PJ

Cal strode up to the receptionist like a man on a mission from hell. The woman behind the desk looked a little scared as he approached, thunder on his face. "Excuse me?" He asked courteously, his expression and tone dropping into polite. "Is Docta Adla available?"

"He's just come back from his lunch break," the woman behind the desk answered. Then she looked abashed, like she shouldn't have told Cal that at all.

"Thanks lovely," Cal told her. He strode away again, hell bent on his target. Anger swirled beneath his surface and a loud voice in his ear told him to give the doctor what for. A very small voice, that sounded a lot like Gillian, told him to turn around and leave immediately. Too bad Cal liked to listen to the loud voice more than the little one. Especially when Gillian wasn't around. He burst through Doctor Adler's office door.

"Mr Lightman."

"That's Docta Lightman to you, you wanka," Cal cut him off as he slammed the door shut behind him and strode over to the desk where Adler was standing. "Did you perform a hearin' screenin' test on my son afta he was born?"

Doctor Adler didn't even get a chance to utter a lie. Cal saw the big fat 'no' in all the bunching, twitching muscles of his face.

"Were you aware that considerin' his Apgar score was low, due to a loss of oxygen at birth, you were unda obligation as a medical professional to perform a hearin' screenin' test on my son?" Cal growled.

Doctor Adler actually had the good grace to look ashamed.

"I take it then you're also aware that for every month that went by where Lewis couldn't hear properly you set him back two?"

Another yes. Cal felt the urge to put his hands around the man's throat and strangle him. He had never liked the guy. Actually, that wasn't true. He had liked the guy plenty enough when he thought the doctor was working to save his son's life. And then after that, less and less.

"And that a simple hearin' screenin' test while he was an infant would have detected a problem right from the start?"

Yes

"Why?"

"I," Adler started, then looked completely bemused. He didn't know why. He probably couldn't remember what had happened a year and several months ago. Not even Cal remembered exactly what had happened the day Lewis was born. There were so many people and so much fear.

Cal pointed a finger at the doctor pointedly. "You fucked up."

"Well."

"No, mate, you fucked up," Cal repeated and suddenly feeling deflated standing in front of this man blissful in his ignorance, Cal made for the door. He made sure he slammed it on his way out again. As to what he was going to do next? He had no idea. Aside from going back to work when he really wanted to just go home; he had no idea what he wanted to do about Adler. An investigation into his competence would take months. It would be a massive effort, and as Gillian had pointed out before, he was already stretched too thin. And at the end of the day, it wouldn't change anything for Lewis. Maybe some other kids along the way... Maybe Adler would think twice now anyway. Gillian would want him to stay out of it, to just worry about their son. Cal sighed as he slipped behind the driver's wheel. Just worry about his son. He was going to place a call to the appropriate health board though. And then just worry about his son.

PJ

"You're not really feelin' this are you?"

"Sure I am."

"No," Cal sat back. "You're not."

Gillian leaned up on her elbows, her chest and cheeks were flushed red and she gave him a look that was a cross between haughty indignance and unperturbed. They hadn't gotten far. Gillian still had her bra on although no underwear. And Cal had boxer-briefs on but nothing else. "I am," she half whined and dug her toe into Cal's thigh.

"You're not. You're bein' all," he waved his hand absently in the air by his head. "In anotha world."

Gillian's breathing started to return to normal. The colour in her cheeks started to fade before the blush crept from her chest. Her blue eyes were dark in the dim light but they shone. Cal just watched her, waiting for an explanation and marvelling at how beautiful she looked. In just about every damn situation.

"Ok fine," she conceded once it was clear Cal was not going to jump back on board unless she spoke. "I'm thinking about other things."

Cal gave a slight nod. "Lewis?"

"Yes."

A lengthy silence.

That's what their trouble was. Silence. It was like they had no idea what to say to each other about it. Cal suspected Gillian was annoyed he had broken her denial about there being a problem and Cal, well he was used to disappointing her in other ways. He didn't know how to deal with this kind of disillusionment. Especially when he wasn't the direct cause of it. Sort of. Not really.

Cal sighed. "Wanna talk about it?"

"No. I just wanted to forget for awhile."

"Can't. Sorry." He lay down next to her, readjusting the sheet over his waist and feeling his world shift. It wasn't just that she seemed distracted in her head. There were other things he was noticing too. She wasn't as turned on by him as she normally was. Her body wasn't reacting to him like it should. Cal had a mental image of hauling another heavy burden into an overloaded wagon. He was probably being dramatic. But right now, that's how he felt.

Gillian shifted into his side and he opened up his arm to put it around her. She rested her head on his shoulder and placed an arm over his abdomen.

Not everything was perfect right now. But lying with her like that felt close to it. Cal closed his eyes and concentrated on feeling her there with him. When he closed his eyes he could feel her presence. He could tell when she was near. As she settled it felt strange. She felt almost cold and then as he relaxed and his breathing slowed and Gillian's body warmth eased across his torso, Cal could feel a heat radiating between them, peace spreading, and he felt better in that moment. In that moment, he could convince himself that everything was all right.