"Sorry we haven't sent you off to get that cast off of you just yet." Doctor Jenner apologized as he sat at his desk, typing away at his computer. "But I thought you'd want to know what further damage has been caused first."

"He doesn't need an operation does he?" Paddy asked hoping for the best. He didn't think Aaron could cope with an operation on top of the court case as well.

"He could really do without that at the moment." Jackson added, feeling the same.

"I'm afraid so." Doctor Jenner said sympathetically, putting the c-ray results on to his computer screen. "As you can see, despite the cast Aaron's still managed to cause further stress to the fracture." He explained as he turned the screen to face them. "Unfortunately we're going to have to use metal plates to align the bones once more. I'm surprised you're in suffering from greater pain. It's quite a serious fracture."

"Tough as ol' boots our Aaron is." Jackson told him. He was as Happy as the rest of them with the prospect of the court case and now an operation looming over them. How they would manage was unknown at the moment.

"So when will you operate?" Paddy asked the important questions.

"Today, hopefully." Doctor Jenner answered him. "I'll take Aaron's cast off, have a look at his leg myself, and then send him upstairs while he waits for a slot in theatre."

"Great." Aaron mumbled. He knew for certain to listen to Jackson from now on in the future. He wasn't going to do what he thought best ever again. Especially as every single time it landed him hot water.

Doctor Jenner soon had Aaron's cast off in a matter of minutes, because it was only a temporary cast he needn't use any special tools. Just strength was used to pull apart the already damaged cast. It was the part after that, that Aaron did not like. Yes, a nurse had given him some pain relief before he went for an X-ray but it barely covered the pain that Doctor Jenner coursed to resurface as he 'carefully' felt along his lower right leg.

"Finished?" Aaron gritted out through clenched teeth.

"Sorry." He quickly apologized finishing his examination. "It definitely needs to be operated on." He said. "Give me a couple of minutes to check if there's a space for you upstairs before I send you up."

"I should tell Chas what's happening." Paddy said as the Doctor disappeared again, already pulling out his phone.

"Do you have to?" Aaron pleaded. He knew his mum would be with in a shot and when she found out exactly why he needed an operation, due to his own stupidity, she would be sure to come down on him like a ton of bricks.

"She's your mother, therefore I have to!" Paddy reasoned. "Do you think I can call her in here?" He asked them, feeling as though telling her that her son was having an operation today wasn't appropriate to be sent via text message.

"I think you can make calls in here." Jackson answered him looking for any signs to tell them not to. "I texted you earlier from here, so it should be okay."

"If you're sure." Paddy said dialing her number. "And Aaron . . . You can stop looking at me like that. She's your mother and she'll kill me if I didn't tell her!"

Aaron rolled his eyes. There was no getting out of Paddy telling his mother.

Aaron had been settled upstairs, on an all male ward, for a couple of hours while he waited to be told when his operation was when Chas arrived. She's stopped by at Smithy Cottage to get Aaron a few things incase he needed to stay in hospital for any period of time. She was fully aware that her son would not be seen wearing one of the hospital gowns that they handed out, so she'd packed him a few essentials, hoping he'd be grateful. When Paddy had called her, she wasn't a bit surprised, nothing could shock her anymore where her only child was concerned. They didn't miss her when she arrived. She came bustling down the ward, her black skinny jeans on and purple high heels, clicking on the pristine floor, as she carried her son's grey duffle bag in both her arms. Who knew what she'd packed him, but it seemed to be a lot by the way she was carrying it. Near enough every male on the ward turned to watch her as she approached her son's bed, a huge welcoming smile on her made up face.

"Sorry I couldn't come quicker." Chas apologized as Jackson rushed to his feet to help her with the teen's bag she was struggling with. It weighed a ton! "Couldn't' get cover at work, had to twist Gennie's arm!"

"Don't worry we weren't missing you." Aaron mumbled under his breath, as he wanted the floor to swallow him up. Near enough everyone was still staring at his mum and he hated it. Another reason why he didn't want her coming, she attracted the wrong sort of attention and he hated it.

"What was that?" Chas snapped with a sickly smile as she took a seat by his bed. Jackson took the other seat available, after ditching the duffle bag in Aaron's bedside locker meaning to unpack it later on. When Paddy got back from getting them all a coffee each he'd have to fetch another for him.

"Nothing." Aaron smiled straight back at her.

"Good. I've packed you a few things." Chas said indicating to the bag in the locker.

"A few?" Jackson choked trying not to laugh.

"Okay. I wasn't sure what you wanted so I threw what I found in." Chas admitted to them. "Once I found my way round that Danger Zone you call a bedroom."

Before Aaron could snap back a comeback at his mother, a man sitting up in a hospital bed across from them called out to Chas. "You can find your way round my bedroom any day, sweetie!" He teased.

Chas, who was used to the attention she attacked from men, laughed a little. "Sorry love, I already know my way round my boyfriends."

"Mum!" Aaron hissed, horrified.

"What love! We're only messing, mean nothing by it." Chas giggled at her son's disgust. "Don't we?" She shot over to the man who was the same age as her.

"Sure, Hun! But don't be afraid to ask for a guided tour!" He said back with a knowing wink. "Whenever!"

Chas laughed again, but Aaron didn't find it at all that funny. He hated it. It just brought up a feeling of disgust inside of him. How could this man act like this and his mother be so fine with it? "Can't you take a hint mate!" Aaron growled at him. "She's not interested."

"Aaron!" This time it was Chas's turn to hiss at her son.

"I'm only messing lad, like she said." He tried to reason. Just like Chas had said earlier, they didn't mean anything by it.

"No! How dare you talk to her like that!" Aaron roared, causing other people to stop and watch them now.

"Aaron, calm down." Jackson warned him. He didn't want Aaron to cause a scene. It was a bout of harmless flirting. "Sorry mate, he's under a lot of stress at the moment." Jackson apologized to the man.

"What? Bullshit! Don't go apologizing for me." Aaron shot at Jackson, hitting out at anyone at the moment. He didn't like the feeling the man had stirred up inside of him.

"Aaron. . ." Jackson said with conviction. "Leave it."

"Good job I brought an extra coffee!" Paddy announced as he rounded the corner, spotting Chas sitting in the chair beside Aaron's bed. "Had a feeling you'd be here by now."

The older man placed the cardboard drinks tray/holder on the table at the end of Aaron's bed and began to hand them out to everyone who thanked him in return.

"I'll just got get an extra chair." Jackson told him as he remembered there was a shortage of chairs around Aaron. He disappeared into the family room round the corner and appeared with another navy plastic chair.

"Thank you." Paddy said taking the seat from Jackson and moving it closer to the other two chairs. "So . . . Have you found out when you're operation is yet?" He asked Aaron.

Aaron shrugged his shoulders. "In no rush."

"Haven't they told you yet?" Chas questioned her son.

"Obviously." He snapped sarcastically.

"Right then, I'll go see what's keeping them." Chas said as she stood up. "You've been waiting for hours."

"Mum don't!" Aaron called after her, he didn't want his mum to make another show of things. It was bad enough she was flirting with the men in the other beds. But it was too late, she was already matching off towards the Nurse's station.

Aaron sighed and rested back against the pillows.

"She's a feisty one!" Another man in different bed commented, not meaning for Aaron to hear.

"You can shut it as well! You filthy perv!" Aaron yelled at him.

"Aaron!" Paddy scolded. He was beginning to grow tired of hearing his name being said like that.

"Why don't you all go home? I don't need you all here, it's just a poxy operation on my leg!" Aaron snapped out, his temper barely hanging.

"Any operation is serious Aaron! We want to be here for you." Paddy argued.

"Yeah, well I don't want you here." Aaron flew at him. "Just go home."

"Aaron-."

"You too Jackson!" Aaron cut off. "You can take her with you!" He added wit spite, nodding his head towards the dark haired woman who was talking to a nurse.

There was a few seconds silence as both men tried to think of a sensible way to approach the new situation. Aaron was obviously upset about something, but they couldn't get to the bottom of things if he was going to act the way he was with them. They'd have to do as they were told and come back later on.

"Fine, but we're not going home." Jackson said breaking the silence. "We'll be in the café if you need us."

"I won't." Aaron snapped glaring at them.

Paddy didn't say anything, knowing best, as he followed Jackson to the nurse's station where they told Chas what had happened. When Aaron looked over it looked as though they were trying to talk her round to not going out and having it out with him, like she usually would do. Instead she followed them out with one last look in his direction offering him a reassuring smile.

Unlike the other's on the ward, Aaron didn't partake in any conversation that flittered from bed to bed. Even though the other men had tried to get Aaron involved he wasn't having any of it. He was the only teen on the ward, so they had laughed and put it down to hormones when Aaron just glared at them or ignored them when they tried to speak to him. He just didn't want to talk with them, he didn't feel comfortable and if anything he wanted to Jackson back there with him. But yet again he'd been stupid, taking out whatever he was feeling on those closest to him which resulted in him being on his own. He didn't deserve Jackson.

Else where, Jackson, Paddy and Chas were all walking down towards one of the many hospital café's dotted around the building. Chas had witted on to them all the way down the ward that she should go talk to Aaron make him see sense, but both men had told her it was wise not to.

"I don't understand why he's acting like this." Chas let off as they took a seat at one of the tables after grabbing themselves another coffee but this time something to eat as well.

"I think I do." Jackson admitted. Both older adults looked at him, waiting for him to explain. He'd been thinking about what was getting to Aaron all the way to the café. He hated it when Aaron was acting like this. The only way to stop him from acting how he was, was to get to the bottom of the cause. He'd been thinking about what it may be and he'd only come to a few conclusions. "Well. . . Earlier we found out the court case has been pulled forward-."

"Hold on! How come I don't know about this!" Chas shrieked, angry she hadn't been informed of such important revelations.

"We only just found out this morning." Paddy explained. "We were going to tell you later, when things calmed down a bit."

Chas scoffed, but Jackson ignored and carried on. "Any way, I think it may all be connected with the court case." Jackson started. "It's gonna bring everything he's tried to ignore and put to the back of his mind for the past couple of weeks back again. He doesn't want to remember anything about it ever again and obviously he's going to have to."

"Oh. . ." Chas said as if something just clicked in her mind. "Earlier on the ward. . . "

Jackson nodded his head. "I think the way that man was talking to you, just made a few things fresh in his mind." The younger man said. "But it's not your fault, cases like that are going to pop up where ever he is, he's got to learn to deal with them sooner or later." He quickly added when he caught the look of hurt flash across her face.

"So you think all that with Darrel is troubling him again." Paddy questioned, as he ate his muffin.

Jackson nodded his head again. "Pretty much, we just need to be there for him. No matter how hard it's gonna be."

"Trust me, it's gonna be incredibly hard, have you met my son!" Chas laughed trying to lighten the heavy mood that had descended upon them at the realization.

"When's his operation? You never said." Paddy asked.

"Oh, later on this evening. Seven I think." Chas told him. "Sorry, forgot to say."

"Long wait then. . ." Paddy commented as he checked his wrist watch.

"Look I don't' expect you to wait around." Chas said patting him on the leg. "The surgery will be needing you."

"Honestly Chas, I want to be here." Paddy protested. He wanted to be there for the young lad he'd grown to love as a son.

"Sure?" Chas questioned. "You can come back later on, before his operation if you want? There's no point all of us waiting around."

"Y-you sure? I could nip back for a couple of hours, make sure things are running alright at the surgery." Paddy stumbled as he thought.

Chas smiled as she nodded her head. "Go on, I'll see you later."

"Alright then, bye." Paddy said. "I'll be back later, make sure you tell him that!"

"Will do!" Chas called after him as he made his way out. "Right then!" She said after she finished off her coffee. "Let's go make sure he's okay!"

Jackson raised a questioning eyebrow, but got up and followed her back to the war neither less.

A/N – After receiving what you all thought (Thank you very much) about Aaron needing the operation or not, I decided to follow through and have him need it. I thought about all the different complications it could arise throughout different aspects of the storyline and thought why not! So I hope you like this update and I look forward to hearing from you all!