Tanith Panic, it always annoyed me slightly that Casualty had two Bens - now I just feel grateful to the writers for giving me the opportunity to create such delicious confusion! Thank you for your review.
SassyRaydorGirl, I'm sorry Zoe didn't catch Lofty in the shower. Maybe I can use it in another story! I have to say the idea of Lofty in the shower isn't completely unappealing. Or you could write it? Thank you for your review.
I've just written Chapter 31 and the end of the chapter feels like a good place to end the story. However, as the story will be ending just before the wedding, and as the wedding and its aftermath have lots of potential for Ben-Dylan drama, I was thinking about writing a sequel. What do you think?
Ben paused for a moment outside the door of the ED. It felt almost as though he were an actor, taking on a new role. The role of the happy best man who doesn't have a boyfriend and doesn't even like Dr Keogh that much.
Ben honestly thought he'd find it easier to play Hamlet. But he donned stag horns along with the others and waited for Max to arrive.
"Did someone say stag night?" asked Ben, pasting a smile to his face when the groom finally appeared.
"What noise does a stag make?" asked Noel.
Big Mac walked up to reception. "Lofty! What kind of shenanigans have you got lined up for matey-boy here?"
Not a lot, as it happened. Ben had other priorities at the moment. He hadn't had a lot of time for thinking about other people's love lives.
"Oh… well, that would be telling, wouldn't it?" said Ben.
"Well, I've got a few ideas, if you need…" began Big Mac.
Noel turned to Ben. "Hold on. Didn't you say something about handcuffs and a boat?"
Ben really hoped he wasn't blushing. There might have been a slight experience he'd had involving handcuffs and Dylan's boat, but he absolutely hadn't said anything about that.
Had he?
He had had a few drinks with Noel a couple of nights ago, Ben remembered uneasily. He couldn't remember very much about it, though he remembered Dylan had been upset when Ben had come home, not just late but drunk. Luckily, it had only taken Dylan three hours to forgive him and they had eventually gone to sleep in each other's arms.
"Handcuffs and a boat?" said Ben. "Are you sure? Where would we get a boat?"
"I think you said something about Dylan's boat," said Noel, "but I'm not sure, to be honest. I was in a bit of a state that night. Honey had to put me to bed because I couldn't remember the way to the bedroom."
Ben stood for a moment in panic, but then he made a pretty good attempt at faking a laugh. "Don't worry about anything I said that night, mate. You were so out of it and I was telling you all kinds of rubbish. You believed everything I told you."
"So it's not true that Rita and Mrs Beauchamp are secret lovers or that Honey is moonlighting an exotic dancer?"
"Of course not!" said Ben.
"That's a relief," said Noel. "I was trying to work up to asking her about it, but I didn't know how to start. Honey, I mean. Not Mrs Beauchamp."
Ben felt very glad Noel hadn't asked Honey. Or Mrs Beauchamp for that matter. He decided he'd better stay much more sober on the stag night if alcohol made him say things like that.
"I suppose it's not true about Dylan being gay either," said Noel.
Oh God, had he said that too? Ben somehow managed a nonchalant shrug. "It could be. How would I know what he gets up to in private on his boat?"
Ben glanced around the staff room, noting with relief that there didn't seem to be anyone here apart from him and Jacob. It had been difficult getting the nurse to himself: it involved following him around in a way he must have noticed.
"So now you have run me to ground," said Jacob with a smile. "How can I help you, Lofty?"
"I was wondering when your lunchbreak was today," said Ben.
Jacob grimaced. "1.30 until 2.30. Quite late. Not my favourite time to have lunch. Why?
"How would you like to have lunch at twelve instead?" said Ben.
Jacob's eyes gleamed. "That sounds good to me. Do you have a date with your special man?"
Ben hesitated. He trusted Jacob, but he knew Dylan wouldn't appreciate it if he told Jacob everything. "He has an appointment with someone. I'd like to make sure he gets here safely and I want to give him a bit of support."
Jacob gave a broad smile. "He is a lucky man. Of course I can swap lunchbreaks with you. We'll have to get Rita to agree, but I know how to get round Nurse Rita." He winked and patted Ben's shoulder. "Just leave it to me."
Ben really wanted to spend his mid-morning break trying to reassure Dylan about his appointment, but instead he had to spend the time trying to organise the stag night he'd forgotten about. He was sure that, if Dylan was his official boyfriend, everyone would understand why he'd been distracted at the moment, but as he couldn't say anything, all he could do was try to pull something out of the bag in the next six hours.
It wasn't easy. In order to organise something, you really had to think of something to organise and Ben was so short of ideas, he even considered asking Big Mac for help, but he didn't really want to discuss best-man stuff with Big Mac. Max insisted that Big Mac being his best man was all a joke, but Ben had seen Big Mac looking sad once or twice when the wedding was mentioned and wondered if he'd known it was a joke.
If not, then the joke really wasn't funny.
So all I've got to do is help my boyfriend through one of the biggest challenges of his life and organise the best stag night ever in just a few hours and make sure Big Mac isn't left feeling sad he's never been a best man, thought Ben.
Even Cal and Ethan's FCEM exam – which they'd both failed, poor lads – had to be easier than this.
The day didn't get easier. First the bus driver cancelled, then the cowboy costumes turned out to be white frilly dresses. When two o'clock arrived, Ben was not only despairing but starving. He went home to discover Dylan wasn't ready. Ben helped him to get changed and packed his bag for him, making sure that Dylan had his money, credit cards and the number for a taxi.
Dylan was looking pale, scared and completely gorgeous. "I don't know if I can do this, Ben."
"I know you can," said Ben, taking Dylan's hands in his. "This is what we're going to do. We'll get the taxi to drop us around the corner. Then you start walking, slowly. I'll give you a bit of a start, then I'll start walking and catch you up and we can walk into the ED together. Okay?" Ben handed Dylan his bag and gave him a kiss. "You'll be fine, Dylan. And I love you."
At first, their plan worked perfectly. Dylan and Ben got out of the taxi and Ben said a few encouraging words. Then Dylan started walking slowly towards the ED. The closer he got, the more anxious he became, and he wished Ben would hurry up.
Then he realised someone was waiting for him.
"And there I was, thinking I'd have to go and drag you here," Zoe said with a friendly smile.
"Shall we get the nonsense over with then?" said Dylan shortly. It looked like he was going in on his own after all. He knew Ben wouldn't approach him if Zoe was there.
Zoe seemed to realise her presence was unwanted. She sighed and walked off, leaving Dylan alone in front of the hospital.
"Dr Keogh!" said a voice from behind him. "Good to see you back."
Dylan turned. All he wanted was to run into Ben's arms. "Oh. Hello, Ben." He started walking again.
"Are you working today?" asked Ben, falling into step beside him. "We're having the stag night tonight if you're interested."
Dylan felt a jolt as shock flowed through him. He spoke quietly, but his voice was hard. "This is the first I've heard of any stag night."
A horrified look came into Ben's eyes, but it was quickly masked. "Well, I'm the best man so I had to organise a stag night. You're welcome to come with us."
"No," said Dylan shortly. "I think I have better things to do with my time than watch girls take their clothes off."
"Not sure it's my cup of tea either, but it's all about the groom tonight," said Ben. "Last night of freedom and all that. Not that he's looked at any girl but Zoe for months."
Dylan heard the words but made no sense of him. He felt... he didn't know how he felt. As though he was walking and he'd suddenly realised there was no floor beneath his feet. Why Ben hadn't told him before? Why had he sprung it on him now?
He realised he was about to follow Ben in the direction of the staff room and stopped. "I'm going… this way," he said rather blankly
"See you around, mate," said Ben, as though he didn't care much either way.
He gave Dylan a quick, impersonal smile and left him alone.
