Crash and Burn

Chapter 10 – Thirteen at the Table

With Dee heavily drugged, there was little to occupy Ryo as he sat and watched his lover breathing steadily, the gentle sound accompanied by the regular beeping of the heart monitor. He looked so gaunt Ryo thought; as if he'd lost seven or eight pounds over the short space of five days. Occasionally, he would reach over with a cloth and blot the beads of perspiration from Dee's face, as the fever continued to stubbornly attack his body. Half an hour had passed before the door opened and a nurse entered wearing a sympathetic smile and carrying a cup of tea, which Ryo accepted gratefully. Less than thirty minutes after that, Dr Sims returned to check on his patient, his smile after he had completed his tests indicating that there had been some improvement in the gravely ill man's condition.

"His temperature's falling," he announced to Ryo, who immediately let out the breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. "Fingers crossed but we may have stopped the infection in time."

That positive piece of news was just what he needed and whilst the doctor continued his checks Ryo excused himself and went back to the office to use the phone. Knowing Bicky should be back from school he dialled Cal's aunt and jumped as it was answered on the first ring.

"Ryo?" It was Bicky's voice; Cal's aunt obviously having explained why Ryo had wanted him to stay there for the night. "You've found Dee right? Is he okay?"

Bick wasn't stupid and there seemed no point in lying to him so Ryo proceeded to tell him everything the doctor had said. "But his temperature's starting to come down," he said finally, keen to end the conversation on a positive note.

"So can I come and see him?" Bicky asked, wanting to see for himself.

Ryo sighed. "I'm sorry Bicky… Dee's too ill for visitors at the moment."

"But you just said…" Bicky started to protest.

"I know," Ryo replied gently, "But he's still got a long way to go. Now you behave at Cal's and I promise I'll call if there's any more news."

"Okay," Bicky agreed grudgingly, "Take care Ryo."

The blond man smiled into the phone, knowing that was as close to a declaration of affection as the tough street kid could manage. "You too Bicky," he replied before ending the call.

Evening came, and aside from one further check from Dr Sims who announced Dee's temperature had fallen yet again, there was little to occupy Ryo's mind as he sat beside his lover's bed, holding Dee's hand as it were a priceless antique. As his thoughts turned to work, he suddenly recalled his conversation with the young police woman on the stairs and realised that in his rush to get away from the precinct, he had taken with him the papers she had asked him to pass onto Rose. Worried that the commissioner may need them, Ryo reached for his briefcase to find out what they were and if they were important enough to ring Rose and tell him that he had them. When he located them amongst him own files, he scanned through the first couple of pages, noting that they seemed to be nothing more than a pile of out of date documents, most likely due for shredding. Doing one final flick through the sheath of papers, he frowned as he could have sworn he saw Dee's name. Backtracking, he found the appropriate document and pulled it out, his eyes running across the page, taking in the words that made his blood run cold. It was a memo, dated several days previous and although it was marked 'highly confidential', Ryo couldn't help but read it once he knew what it was about.

To: Chief of Police

From: Commissioner Rose

Re: Dee Latener.

I know Detective McLain's been asking about what we intend to do with regards to hostage negotiations so I thought it important to make our position implicitly clear. Under no circumstances are we to negotiate Detective Latener's release by freeing the suspect we have in custody. There will be no debate regarding this decision and any indication that you have shared this information with anyone will result in disciplinary action against you.

That was it; short and completely to the point but it still took Ryo several re-reads in order to take it all in. His heart pounded furiously as he realised what it all meant. No wonder the chief had seemed so short with Rose when he'd seen them together. He thought back to when the chief had wished him luck when they'd set off to search the factory where they'd found Dee. The look he'd shot Rose as he'd seen him watching had communicated more than he'd realised at the time. All along, Rose had had no intention of 'dealing' despite all he'd said to him. Ryo then thought back to when he'd asked Rose that very question earlier that same day. Of course it was easy for Rose to lie then; they'd found Dee so there was no need to enter into any negotiations but if they hadn't found him… Ryo shivered at the thought.

"He lied," he said out loud in sheer disbelief before a movement distracted him and he looked up from the incriminating memo to see Dee stirring. As his glazed emerald eyes flickered open, this time he seemed to look straight at Ryo and an expression of relief flooded his features.

"Ryo?" he asked tentatively, his voice heavy with sleep, "Is that really you?"

Ryo threw the papers to the floor, the memo from Rose temporarily forgotten as he clasped Dee's hands in delight. "Yes it's me baby. God Dee, I'm so glad you're awake."

He went to kiss the other man but froze as Dee flinched at the movement. Confused by the look of fear that flashed across Dee's face, Ryo pulled back, instinctively wanting to give him the space he looked like he needed.

"I'm sorry," Dee said suddenly, unable to miss the hurt in Ryo's eyes, "I don't know why I did that." His hands went to cover his face and Ryo didn't know how to respond. He desperately wanted to throw his arms around his lover and hold him protectively but seeing how he'd reacted when he'd gone to kiss him he thought better of it.

"Dee?" he said gently, placing a hand on the bedcovers. "I'm here for you love and I won't leave your side unless you want me to." He paused and looked at Dee expectantly. "Do you want me to go?"

"No! Don't leave me!" Dee's hands flew from his face and grabbed Ryo's outstretched limb as if his life depended on it. He looked terror-stricken and this time Ryo couldn't stop himself from flinging his arms around the other man and hugging him tightly.

"I'm going nowhere," he promised firmly as he began to rub soothing circles on Dee's back. They stayed that way for several moments until Dee's breathing calmed enough for Ryo to let him go. Their eyes met, communicating a multitude of emotions as Ryo pushed Dee's hair back from his battered face. "Oh Dee," he said, his voice wavering as he spoke, "I love you so much. We'll get through this together, I promise."

He watched as Dee nodded slowly, his expression still somewhat haunted. He seemed to glance around distractedly, taking in the various machines and tubes connected to his body as if he hadn't noticed them before. His eyes lit on the bloody mess on the inside of his left arm and he turned the limb slightly so Ryo could see what he was looking at. "What happened here?" he asked, confused.

"The doctor said you pulled some tubes out when you awoke before. I guess that was where you pulled them from," Ryo explained. "You had a fever so you were hallucinating. You wouldn't let anyone touch you, even me."

Dee put his head in his hands again as he recalled some of the nightmares he had truly believed were real. Slowly, the memories of his days in captivity started to impinge on his consciousness and his body started to tremble as a result. Seeing his distress, Ryo embraced him again, stroking the tangled ebony hair as he whispered words of comfort to reassure his wounded lover.

"I… I thought he hurt you," Dee said suddenly, the last part of the sentence almost lost in the strangled cry that escaped his throat. "He told me he watched you at our apartment. I thought he'd…" He never finished what he was going to say as his voice dissolved into sobs, his tears staining Ryo's shirt as he clung to the other man until his grief was spent.

"Nothing happened to me," Ryo said firmly, desperate to convince Dee that he had nothing to fear. He looked so vulnerable it made his heart ache. "You're the one he hurt so let's worry about getting you better, okay?"

Before Dee could respond, the door opened and Dr Sims stepped into the room to carry out his hourly check. He paused as he made eye contact with Ryo, still hugging Dee tightly, before he spoke.

"Detective McLain, there's been a telephone call for you," he said as he made his way over to the machines monitoring his patient's condition and began to note down the details displayed on each one. "Another detective; said his name was Drake." Feeling the body in his arms tense with someone else in the room, Ryo let Dee go so he could see the doctor although he kept a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you," Ryo replied, "I'll call him back later." He glanced at Dee, who hastily wiped away his tears as the doctor leaned in to look at the row of monitors to his left.

Once he'd finished writing on his clipboard, the medic came and stood by the side of the bed, offering Dee a broad smile. "Now Detective Latener," he said brightly, "How're you feeling? You've had a bit of a rough time with a fever caused by a wound infection but the worst seems to be over."

Dee lowered his head, embarrassed after what Ryo had told him. "I'm sorry if I was behaving a little crazy. I really didn't know what I was doing."

"That's perfectly natural," the doctor reassured him. "Overheating tends to make your brain act a little screwy. Things do seem to be improving though although you're likely to need some surgery to repair the wound on your face at a later date. We've taken some blood samples and should have the results in the morning so we'll have a better idea of what's going on then. Other than that, you should try and get some rest. We'll have to re-set your leg first thing tomorrow."

Recalling the damage to his already injured leg, Dee nodded morosely. "Fortunately, it's quite a clean break," the older man continued, "So it should heal quite quickly."

"That's what they said last time," Dee muttered, unable to subscribe to the doctor's more optimistic outlook.

Dr Sims nodded as he replaced the clipboard at the end of Dee's bed. "Well let's hope things are better this time. Now think about getting some rest. I'll be back to check on you in an hour."

The middle-aged doctor strode out of the room leaving Dee and Ryo alone once more. "I should ring Drake," Ryo said, patting Dee's hand and smiling at him gently. "And Bicky for that matter. They're all waiting to hear how you are."

Dee looked as if he was about to protest at Ryo leaving him even temporarily, before he nodded his agreement. "You can go home if you want to get some sleep," he said, although the doubt was clear in his voice.

"No way," Ryo said, pushing some stray hairs away from the emerald eyes he loved so much. "I'm just gonna go make those calls and then I'm coming straight back."

Dee managed a smile as he nodded, relieved that Ryo wasn't going to leave him, despite his offer. There was a pause as Ryo debated what to do next before he gave into his urges and leaned in to kiss his lover. He was worried Dee wasn't ready for such an intimate gesture but dark haired man didn't recoil from his touch as the lips grazed the skin of his cheek. Instead, he turned slightly so their lips met and for several long moments, they simply enjoyed the act of kissing. Eventually, Ryo pulled away gently to gaze into those deep green eyes. "God, I love you Dee," he breathed, his voice husky with emotion. "I'll go and make those calls. I promise I'll be quick."

With a last glance back at his bed-bound lover, Ryo hurried to the office where he dialled the precinct. The police officer on reception informed Ryo that Drake had left for the day but that he had been instructed to put Ryo straight through to Rose if he rang. Before Ryo could protest, not wanting to speak to Rose at that moment as the thought of the memo raced through his mind, the commissioner's crisp tones came onto the line. "Hello Ryo. Have you any news on Dee?"

Ryo swallowed hard, not wanting to let Rose know that something was amiss. "He's conscious now Sir, the doctor thinks he might be over the worst."

"That's good," Rose replied, "Is he ready to be interviewed about what's happened?"

"I don't think so Sir," Ryo replied hastily, shocked that Rose would be so insensitive. "Physically he's over the worst but he seems quite distressed. I don't think he could cope with an interview just yet."

"Fine," Rose said dismissively. "Let me know when he is."

And that was it. He agreed to Ryo's request for a couple of days off, said goodbye and hung up the phone; no 'give my regards to Dee' or anything like that. Deeply annoyed by what had just taken place, Ryo dialled Drake's home number, needing someone to vent his frustration to. The other man listened intently as Ryo told him first about Dee and then about Rose, finishing finally with the memo he had stumbled across. He swore Drake to secrecy but the other man insisted that he help Ryo get to the bottom of what he'd learnt, such was his own level of outrage at the contents of the note.

Finally Ryo rang Bicky, who when he found out his guardian's lover was awake, told him to give Dee a playful punch in the arm from him until he could come and visit. Reluctantly, Ryo then had to broach the issue of the boy staying at Cal's for another night. Bicky agreed but was curious to know why Ryo wouldn't be coming home soon. "Dee's a little upset," Ryo tried to explain calmly. "He won't rest unless he knows I'm here with him so I need to stay. I'm really sorry Bicky. I know this isn't any good for you." Bicky dismissed the apology, telling Ryo it wasn't needed. Although he still felt jealous at times of Dee and Ryo's relationship, he clearly understood that the situation couldn't be any other way at the moment. So with all his phone calls made, Ryo returned to Dee's room to find the occupant fast asleep, clearly worn out by the day's events. Ryo smiled as he moved to the bed and covered Dee with the blankets before he settled into the moderately comfy chair and prepared to get some rest himself.

Morning dawned and Ryo awoke, feeling far from refreshed at the night's sleep he'd had. After Dr Sims had left some time around ten pm, the night shift doctor on duty had come in every hour to check on Dee and although the patient himself had slept through each of these examinations, Ryo had woken every time, his anxiety preventing him from sleeping too deeply. At eight am, Dr Sims returned to announce that they would be taking Dee down to surgery at nine so Ryo duly woke the other man in preparation. But nine am had been and gone before the doctor came back, his expression serious despite his friendly disposition. After he had carried out his various checks, he found a chair and came to sit on the other side of the bed from Ryo, glancing down at the notes in his hand before he started to address his patient.

"How are you feeling this morning Dee?" he asked, pen poised and ready to write anything of note.

"I'm fine," Dee replied as he rested against the mountain of pillows Ryo had used to prop him up in bed. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't hurt like hell but that just proves I'm alive, right?"

Dr Sims smiled, glad that Dee seemed to be a little more relaxed than he had the evening before. "That's good to hear," he said "But I just want to ask you a few questions. Tell me Dee, do you feel thirsty?"

The ebony haired man frowned at the question before he contemplated an answer. "I guess so," he said, glancing at Ryo anxiously.

"Can you remember when you last had something to eat or drink?"

Dee shook his head as he reluctantly recalled the last few days. "It's got to be two or three days ago. I started to feel really sick and couldn't keep anything down.

The doctor nodded as he wrote something down. "Just a couple more questions," he said kindly, "Now, before you were taken hostage, did you feel well?"

"I guess so. A little tired maybe but I've not been back at work long after I broke my leg. I just put it down to that."

"I see," the older man replied, "Any blurred vision or sudden weight loss?"

"I don't know," Dee answered, finding hard to think. He looked so worried that Ryo turned to the doctor and said, "I'm sorry Dr Sims, but what is this about?"

The doctor sighed as he put down the notes and looked straight at Dee. "I'm sorry to have to break this to you at such a difficult time Dee but I'm afraid you have diabetes."

Dee's eyes widened as he remembered a girl at the orphanage who had had the condition. Penguin had had to sit them all down and talk to them about her after someone had started spreading rumours that she was on drugs. "You mean like I need injections and stuff?" he asked in a small voice.

The doctor nodded. "I'm afraid so. You have type one, usually known as juvenile onset diabetes."

"Juvenile?" Ryo said in disbelief.

"Yes; it's called that because most type one sufferers are diagnosed before the age of thirty. We'll need to stabilise your condition first and then you'll be placed on a course of insulin injections."

"How long for?" Ryo asked, knowing little about the condition. He glanced at Dee's blank expression, realising that his lover already had a good idea about the answer.

"I'm afraid the injections are for life," the doctor said, watching Dee's reaction carefully. "You'll be taught how to inject yourself and how to check your blood glucose levels," he said, "It'll also mean some lifestyle changes, for instance your diet will have to change to keep your blood sugar level stable but you'll learn more about that from the diabetes clinic I'll refer you to. In the mean time, if you have any questions I'll be happy to answer them for you."

"Are you sure about this?" Ryo asked, wanting desperately to know if there was a chance the doctor could be wrong, but the medic replied in the negative. "This is the second blood test that's shown a high blood glucose level. The first was when you were in hospital at Christmas and it should have been followed up but wasn't I'm afraid."

Dee looked up suddenly, the vacant look disappearing from his eyes. "Is this because of what's happened to me?"

Dr Sims paused before he shook his head. "Unlikely. Sometimes there is an environmental trigger like a virus but you probably have a genetic susceptibility to the condition anyway. It's quite often hereditary; did either of your parents have diabetes?"

Dee responded with an almost imperceptible shake of the head. "I… I don't know. I was an orphan, abandoned as a baby so I have no idea who my parents are."

His pain was felt by the other two men in the room. Ryo squeezed Dee's hand as Dr Sims offered him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, that must have been a difficult question."

Dee smiled, although there was sadness in the expression. "I guess it doesn't really matter does it? It doesn't change the fact that I've got diabetes."

"I know it's a lot to take in," Dr Sims said kindly, "And there will be support available to help you adjust to all the changes you'll have to make. Now we still want to re-set your leg this morning, we just need to stabilise your blood glucose level before you go down to surgery."

Dee nodded numbly as the doctor turned and began to prepare the first insulin injection Dee would need. Once the doctor was ready, Dee offered him his arm, wincing slightly as the needle pierced his skin before the medic turned and left. As Dee's eyes turned to meet Ryo's, the blond couldn't help but notice the fear reflected in those green orbs. He looked like a child; lost and scared as his life seemed to be spiralling further out of control and Ryo did the only thing he could think of and wrapped his arms around his vulnerable lover. "I'm here for you Dee," he murmured in the other man's ear, "Just remember we're in this together. I love you so much."

He felt the other man nod against his shoulder as the door opened behind him and they pulled apart to see a pretty young nurse enter the room, her expression apologetic as she interrupted their moment of intimacy. "I'm sorry," she said softly as she set down the equipment she'd brought with her. "Hi Dee, my name's Sally and I've come to prepare you for your surgery." Seeing the men's anxious expressions she smiled reassuringly. "You can stay until premedication takes effect," she said to Ryo before her gaze fell upon the ebony haired man in the bed. "You'll be fast asleep soon and before you know it, you'll be waking up in the recovery room."

"Can I be there when he wakes up?" Ryo asked, his hand resting gently on Dee's shoulder.

The young woman smiled broadly as she nodded. "Of course. We'll let you know when Dee's out of surgery so you can come down to the recovery room and sit with him."

Ryo acknowledged her gratefully as she handed Dee some pills and a plastic tumbler of water. He took them both from her and swallowed the tablets, wincing as they scratched his throat, despite the liquid. He handed the cup back to her as she gestured for him to lie back down. Ryo helped her take away some of the pillows as Dee settled back into the bed, his expression blank as his mind raced with everything he'd just been told.

"I'll be here when you wake up," Ryo promised as he stroked Dee's hair tenderly and before long, his blinks started to get longer until eventually his eyes closed altogether.

Once he was asleep, the nurse gently removed the naso-gastric tube from his nose and replaced it with a thinner piece of piping that would send extra oxygen to his lungs during and after surgery. She smiled at Ryo as she worked, sensing his anxiety about the patient as his protective touch remained on the sleeping man's arm.

"You obviously care a lot about him," she said, keen to break the silence.

Ryo looked up, startled by the sound of her voice. "Sorry? Oh yes… I love him very much."

The nurse smiled. "Have you been together long?"

He gazed at Dee for a moment before he looked back to where she was starting to unhook the plethora of machines around the bed. "We've kind of been together for a couple of years but we moved in together at Christmas."

"How's that going?" she said with a chuckle, "You find out a lot about a person when you live together."

Ryo laughed and nodded in agreement. "That's true. Dee's not exactly big on housework but I wouldn't change him for the world."

"I can see that," the nurse replied, watching as the handsome man's attention returned to the man in the bed. "Well, I'd better get him down to surgery."

"Okay," Ryo said as he stood and stretched, wincing at the ache in his back. As the nurse raised the sides of the bed, Ryo leaned in and kissed Dee gently on the lips. "See you soon love," he said before he went and held the door as the nurse wheeled his lover away.

TBC…