'Can he hear us?'
'I don't think so...'
'He looks terrible.'
'Hang on! Dom! Dominic?!'
Dominic's eyes were clouded, and he had to blink several times in order to see his three friends, and Serena, standing over him.
"Dom! God, you've been asleep for ages!"
Dominic continued to blink a few more times before he registered he was being spoken to. "What-how long have I been asleep for? What happened?" he asked, willing himself to sit up. However, as he did so Serena put a hand on his shoulder.
"Lay still Dr. Copeland, you're still going to need bed rest."
"You've been asleep for, like, 3 days Dom." Zosia chimed in, eyes never leaving Dominic, and filled with sympathy.
"Right... what happened?" Dominic asked again, his eyes now relenting and the fogginess was clearing.
"About that," Sacha and Serena exchanged a glance, and Serena pulled up a chair. Dominic didn't like the look of this, even Zosia and Arthur seemed edgy, "Well Dominic, to start with you had an allergic reaction to the sedative, benzodiazepines, and you're heart began to have irregular beats, to the point you arrested. We managed to bring you back, obviously, and we think we know what the problem is." Serena paused to Dominic a chance to catch up.
"So, I'm allergic to benzodiazepines, does that mean anything?" he asked, side stepping his actual illness entirely.
Serena looked at Sacha to continue, Zosia and Arthur were standing nearby, "Well, dizziness, blurred vision, headaches, confusion, change in heart rate, trembling weakness, dreaming and nightmares. The actual allergic reaction can cause itching, swelling, dizziness again and a trouble breathing. So far I think you've only dealt with two of those-"
"What do you mean! I only just had the drug, how could I have dealt with any of it?" Dominic asked, aggression coming clearly through is tone.
"What Sacha is saying is, while you were unconscious you had trouble breathing, like the allergy would do, but you also had nightmares. I thought you'd remember those." Serena said gently.
Dominic looked away from them all, he didn't know what more to say. Allergic to a sedative. Great.
"But, back on topic," Serena said, her doctor voice now engaged, "we believe you have lung contusion plus pulmonary embolism. I know that doesn't sound good, and it isn't. The pulmonary embolism is very life threatening, Dominic, and you are lucky that we were able to slow the bleeding. The lung contusion, however, doesn't help matters, and now you are awake, we can discuss treatments and surgery. Are you with me so far?"
Dominic looked away, he couldn't believe this. No, no this wasn't happening.
"Dr. Copeland?" Serena said gently, when there was no response she looked up at the other three. "I think he needs some time." Serena moved from her position on the bed, and stood.
Zosia looked over at Dom, who was staring blankly into space. "Dom, call us, ok, call us when you want to talk." Zosia said gently, leaving the room. Arthur stood there for a few seconds, gauging his friend's reaction, then followed Zosia out of the room.
Dominic sat there for a few moments, unblinking as he realized he really had gone too far this time. So far his life was in danger.
Zosia leaned back against the desk, staring at her phone.
"Zosia, he isn't going to call you any faster if you keep staring at your phone. Help me clean up will you?" Arthur said, shoving some folders into her arms.
"Aren't you even the tiniest bit worried for him Digby?" Zosia asked, slipping the phone into her pocket.
Arthur slowed slightly, then continued to stride ahead, "No, he-he brought it on himself..."he said, 'besides', he thought to himself, 'something isn't right here.'
Serena stared at the x-rays, blinked, and then looked again.
"Do you see what I see?" Sacha looked up from his papers, and slid his glasses off his nose. He frowned at the x-ray.
"This looks like he was hit, hard in the chest, not like falling over, or just a natural compression. It looks far worse than that. Is that a broken rib?!" Sacha exclaimed moving closer and running his finger along the white, slightly blurred, image.
"Yes, I'd say so. But how on earth did he break a rib, and if he did, how long has it been there?" Serena voiced both of their questions as they scrunched up their eyebrows.
There was a soft knock before entered. "Ah, there you both are, I was just looking for you two. What going on? Whose x-ray is that?" He asked, entering the room.
"Dr. Copeland, he collapsed several days ago, coughing up blood, dizziness, I suggested it was lung contusion plus pulmonary embolism, he is also allergic to the sedative benzodiazepines." Serena informed him, still observing the x-ray.
"I see, and has he explained how he has two broken ribs, and why he appears to have had his chest crushed?" Guy Self asked, narrowing his eyes.
"He only woke up today, Guy, and he was a bit in shock at the information, we decided to give him some time." Sacha said, pulling his eyes away from the x-ray to meet Guy's.
"Yes, but if we want to treat him we need answers now."
Dominic sat up, running his hand through his mess of hair. His eyes locking onto the door. All he had to do was change, and walk out of that-
The glass door was pushed open, and the shadowy blurred figure came around the side.
"What are you doing Dominic?" Arthur asked, coming fully into the room, closing the door behind him.
"Like you care Digby. I'm getting out of here." Digby moved quickly to Dominic, putting a firm hand on his shoulder.
"But look Dom, they've alleviated your symptoms, no more coughing up blood and passing out. Come on just see what Serena has to say." Arthur pleaded.
"No, Digby, I've gotten this far on my own." Dominic said, eyes sparking with frustration.
"Dominic, what happened. The damage to your lungs can't be natural, please," Digby begged, kneeling in front of Dominic, "I want to help you."
Dominic hesitated, then grumbled, "It's none of your business."
"Your health is our business." Came Serena's voice, the door just opened a crack. Serena, followed swiftly by came into the room.
"Dominic, how about you tell us what happened." Dominic fixed them all with an angry glare.
"I don't-" he coughed, sharply a few times before continuing, "have to telly you anything." he said, eyes watering as he continued to cough, until he felt the familiar warm liquid oozing through his fingertips.
"Dominic, lie back on the bed," Serena instructed, Digby moving aside as the woman eased Dom backwards while he convulsed with coughing.
"I see what you mean," murmured Guy, watching as Serena hurriedly mopped away the blood, and turned to Digby.
"Book an operating room for an hours time, I don't care who has that spot, move it." Digby nodded, giving Dominic a quick, suspicious look, before leaving.
"Right, , do you want to tell us what happened?" Dominic briefly felt the urge to tell them, to tell them what happened, why it had all happened, and that it was all his fault. But he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He sighed and shook his head.
"No, sorry. If it isn't important, then it's on a need to know basis." Dominic said, his eyes dropping.
Serena exchanged a look with Guy, then stood back, and leaned against the wall. "It is important Dominic, it could seriously affect your surgery." She said gently, as Guy walked to the end of the bed, leaning on it and fixing Dominic with a stare. Even though Dom wasn't looking up, and preferred to stare at his hands, he knew that Guy was watching him, intently.
"Dominic I need you to at least tell us when it all happened. When did your symptoms begin, how long have you been dealing with this alone?" Serena said gently from her perch by the wall. Dominic sighed, and huffed.
"About a week. The actual, the actual-" he paused, feeling the familiar nausea and knowing that he may not make it to the end of his sentence, "the incident." He gurgled quietly, putting a hand to his mouth cautiously, but he relaxed when he felt the sickness die down again.
"Ok, a week. A week. How did you deal with the two broken ribs?" Guy asked.
"What?!" Dominic yelped in alarm, "two broken ribs, I didn't think I'd broken anything. I never felt any pain, or anything from my ribs." Dominic quickly moved a hand to his rib cage and massaged a sore spot, it was barely noticeable compared to everything else.
"So, you didn't know then?" Serena asked, more to clarify it with herself and Guy.
"Listen, Dominic," Guy said, aggression and doctorly authority coursing through his tone, "we must know what happened, exactly." Dominic looked at Guy, then his head drooped slightly, eyes moving slowly to the side.
"Please Dominic." Serena said lightly, moving to the bed and squeezing his hand, "It never has to leave the room. We won't tell Zosia and Arthur, or anyone else if that is what you want." Guy fixed Serena with a questioning glare, but Serena shrugged it off.
"Ok, as long as no one else knows." Dominic said, realizing suddenly that he was sniffling, and only now noticing the tear that had trickled down his cheek.
Guy Self pulled one of the chairs around to sit beside , the two waiting patiently.
Dominic straightened himself up, not meeting their eyes, looking just above where had her hand rested over his. "It was last Saturday, I think, I can't recall much from that day...
"Dom! Dom come on we'll be late!" yelled Zosia, pulling on her coat and grabbing her bag.
We-we were heading to a party. One of Arthur's friends, I think.
"Coming Zosh, hang on!" Dominic called back, trying to choose which tie went best with his shirt.
The three walked down the main road arm in arm, until they reached a large hall, they could already hear the music thumping from the street, and even Dom was starting to catch the 'party fever'. Standing outside the hall was a group of roughly 5-6 men, slightly older than Dominic himself.
I should have known, I should have guessed that they were up to no good.
They winked at Zosia, who Arthur quickly escorted inside, leaving Dominic trailing slightly. The men looked Dominic over quietly, nodding and letting him through. When they were inside the party, Dominic hurried over to the bar and ordered a vodka, exactly what the doctor ordered.
The party was fairly bland, a DJ who looked in his 50's was playing loud rock music, and the drinks tasted watered down. The people seemed more interested in talking, as the dance floor seemed abandoned, and Dominic half expected to see a tumbleweed, or at least hear a low western tune, but he was surprised he could hear anything over the rock music.
He had lost sight of Zosia an Digby, and had left them be, he knew they had a lot to catch up on and Dominic was enjoying his own company, until..
I could have shouted, or done something. I-I could have done anything but what I did...
The men from outside came in, and Dominic felt the mood change. They moved swiftly to the bar, and no sooner were they there then they had started to talk to Dominic.
"So," started one, his breath already husky from alcohol, "you're a 'queer' then?" Dominic wasn't sure what to say, so he said nothing and continued to drink.
"Oi, 'queer'! I was talkin' to you!" the man shoved Dominic's drink out of his hand, and turned Dominic to face him.
"Are you a 'queer'?" he asked again. Dominic trembled, and was still surprised no one had noticed. He scanned the people anxiously for Zosia or Arthur, but they were no where in sight.
"Um, I'm gay, if that's what you mean..." Dominic said, not meeting their eyes.
One of the large men let out a bellowing laugh, and snatched Dom up by the front of his shirt. "We don't 'ave queers in out 'all. Right lads?" The men around him let out a chortle of agreement.
Dominic barely knew what was happening before he was being hoisted up by one of the men and carried to the backdoor. It was a gloomy little alleyway.
I still could have run, I would have made it to the front door again by the time they caught up... But I didn't...
Dominic was throw, hard against the opposite wall, and he heard something crack as he slammed into the floor, presuming it to be some alleyway mess, he ignored it, until one of the brutes smashed his foot into Dom's ribs.
"Argh!" Dominic screamed, rolling into a ball, and trying desperately to protect his vitals.
"How does it feel queer, it's what ya deserve doh!" Laughed another man, ramming his hard toed boot into Dom's chest.
It felt like hours. They got my head, my chest. They didn't stop till I was out cold...
Dominic's eyes fluttered open, the men were gone, the sky was dark, and he had no idea where he was. He tried to sit up, but the throbbing in his head made him stay put. He reached into his jacket pocket, but his phone, wallet and everything else was gone.
Dominic managed to sit up, and eventually stood. He walked, stumbling out of the alley, oblivious to his appearance, for once. He hailed a taxi, which stopped instantly.
"Hospital, sir?" The man asked anxiously.
"N-no, take me home." Dominic directed the man as well as he could, and the driver was kind enough to not charge him, seeing as how he was just around the corner. The man hesitated to leave him, but Dominic made it back into the apartment.
Zosia and Arthur were together on the sofa, and he was lucky that they never locked the door. He managed to sneak inside, unnoticed and crept towards the bathroom.
Once inside, he didn't care if they heard him. He pulled his top over his hea,d and moved to the mirror.
What he saw nearly made him do a double take. But no, what he saw was right. A busted lip, minor, a bruise to the side of the head, sore, but still minor, a small, almost unnoticeable black ring around his eye, minor. His chest, heavily bruised, lumped and looking swollen, and not to mention throbbing insanely, definitely not minor.
I know, I should have gone to the hospital, but I didn't. I didn't want anyone to know.
Suddenly, as Dominic was washing his face with cool water, he had a coughing fit. It started small, but soon it rolled into a convulsion. He could hear Zosia and Arthur hurrying to the door, and Zosia's worried voice.
"DOM! Are you ok?!" she squeaked nervously, ramming her fist on the door.
Dominic noticed the bright red stain on his hands, and realised he had coughed up blood. He raced to clean it, and slowed his breathing until the coughing stopped.
"That's it, I'm calling an ambulance!" Arthur declared, racing to the phone.
"Wait!" Dominic's head came around the door, exhausted from the coughing. "Sorry, I was washing up, and swallowed some soap. My mistake." Zosia pulled him into a hug, and Dominic winced as she bumped against his tender ribs.
"S-sorry, did I hurt you?" she asked. He shook his head.
I-I told them I had met up with someone, that I slipped and hit my head on the edge of their sofa. I even made up his name, Alfred-Alfredo... something like that. They believed me and let me be...
"The next few days were unbearable, I stayed off of work the next day, claiming hangover headaches. But I had a fever, and I kept fainting. I was able to hide it from them, but it was hard, especially the blood. The blood was the worst part..." Dominic looked up at them, the tears now unrelentingly gushing down his cheeks.
"Oh Dominic!" Serena exclaimed, pulling him into a side on hug, holding his head gently and stroking his hair.
"Didn't you report these awful men to the authorities?" Guy exclaimed, scratching his head in confusion.
"N-no, I couldn't. Not without letting it out." Guy nodded, understanding.
There was a knock at the door.
A young nurse came in, and Dominic pulled away from Serena, lying back on the bed, and staring out the window.
"Yes Maisy?" asked Serena.
"That room you wanted is ready, shall we prep the patient?"