CHAPTER 15

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Emmerdale or it's Characters, they belong to ITV

A/N: Thanks for the reviews...xx

"Paddy!...Paddy...I think he's coming to again...!" the voice echoed.

Aaron tried his best to focus, he blinked several times, the bright light hurting his eyes.

" Aaron babe...it's yah Mam...can you hear me, love"

Aaron could see the blurred outline of Chas leaning down to him, "Mum..." he managed to mumble, barely a whisper.

Chas took off, and immediatly returned with a plastic cup of water, that she placed at her son's mouth, " drink some of this..."

Aaron took a freshing sip of the water, and tried to move himself up into a sitting position, his head was banging with pain, like he was suffering from a massive hangover.

"Hey...easy..." soothed Chas, taking the cup away from his mouth, Aaron's vision cleared and he suddenly realised that he was lying upon a trolley parked in the corridor of the A&E at Hotten General. His first thought was panic

"Why...why...how..." Aaron tried to climb off the trolley, but Chas stopped him " No love..."

Chas swung around " Paddy!...stop flapping about with that water machine, and go and get the nurse or something!"

"Yeah...I'll do that..." Paddy said quickly and hurried off up the corridor, Aaron turned to face Chas,

"Mum...why am I here, wh...what happened..." he asked again, Chas smiled and rubbed his shoulder, " you not remember anything, love..." She seemed choked up, and her hand was over her mouth...

"Mum, what is it...!" Aaron's voice became slightly raised, " I wanna know why I'm in here!"

The nurse then came up the corridor with Paddy in tow, the nurse carried out a few checks on Aaron, and smiled warmly at Chas and Paddy, " he's fine...I'll just inform Dr Holland"

Paddy nodded with a smile, but Chas waved her arms at him, " He keeps asking what's happening to him, Paddy..." she said through gritted teeth.

Aaron rubbed his eyes, " Me heads banging...was I bladdered...I came remember being at Bar West..."

Chas shook her head, grabbing Paddy's arm " Bladdered...!...and the rest" she hissed.

Aaron's hearing was like radar " What does she mean by that...Paddy...PADDY!" he asked staring at him.

Paddy got Chas to sit on a nearby seat with a nod, and then moved to Aaron's side at the trolley, " Aaron...can you remember anything...absolutely anything, about last night..."

Aaron looked up " last night...what time is it..." he asked confused, Paddy looked at his watch, it's nearly 10 in the morning...you've been out for the count for hours...don't you remember anything at all..."

Aaron nodded, trying to fatham out his clouded mind, " just...that I was at Bar West...I had a curry with Ben before...because...I had to tell him something...and then we went to the club, and I remember Ben leaving..."

Paddy smiled " But it's all a blur after that..." he asked,

"Yeah..." Aaron nodded, " did I have too much to drink...Paddy I can't remember...why...how I got here..."

Paddy glanced at Chas, then turned " you were found outside Bar West, a clubber stopped you and some bloke getting into a cab...the clubber, Tom, I think they said, thought you were more than just drunk...and was suspicious, when he tackled the guy you were with...he scarpered..."

Aaron tried to picture this in his head, but couldn't raise the memory, Paddy gently placed a hand on Aaron's shoulder " you were unconscious on the pavement by then...they didn't know what to do so they called for an ambulance...somebody must have got my number from your phone...they called me when you got here..."

Aaron looked up to him " I can't even remember having that much to drink, Paddy...to get into this state..."

Chas stood up, and joined them " There's more...Paddy tell him...tell him because..."

She looked upset and turned away,

"What's up with her now!" cried Aaron rolling his eyes, " I was just bladdered you silly mare!"

Paddy bit his lip, " Aaron mate...there was not that much booze in your system...me...me and your Mum had a long chat with Dr Holland...she's really nice, by the way..."

Chas gave a just get on with it glare at Paddy, he continued " Well...seeing that you were at a club, and by what that clubber said...you might have something else in your system, so they did a urine test...can't you not remember doing that Aaron...it was when me and your Mum got here..." Aaron couldn't remember, he just looked up at him, pulling a frown,

"What...I only drink beer, or lager!"

Paddy shook his head, " No...no...I mean...a drug..." he muttered, watching Aaron's reaction.

" I do not do drugs!" snapped Aaron defensively.

" No...not that...they think it's Flu...Fliert..." he scratched his head and looked at Chas,

"Rohypnol..." She hissed at him...

" Hey...I don't drink fancy coloured drinks..." laughed Aaron, " those drinks are pretty Gay!" he said in jest.

Chas turned " Listen, Aaron...she snapped " please babe..."

"Alright!" cried Aaron, " keep your hair on!"

Paddy sighed and turned toward Chas, " Maybe it's just best if we let the doctor explain things to..."

" No Paddy!...I'm not having some stranger tell him..." Chas squealed.

"what the hell is it, just spit it out will yahs!" blasted Aaron with frustration that they were now hiding something from him.

"your drink was spiked Aaron, we are talking of date rape, babe..."Chas said, her eyes watering, " you've been...you were gonna be..." she just couldn't get the words out throught the sobs.

It took Aaron a few minutes to absorb what his mother had told him,

" Date...rape...but...but...that's what happens to birds when they are..."

Aaron's heart began to race as he started to realise what they were telling him, he snapped his head up " Have...Have...Have I been..." he started to get angry and upset.

Chas came forward reasuringly giving him a hug " " No love...no...like we told you the scumbag scarpered before anything could happen babe...you're safe..."

Paddy put a reasuring hand upon Chas's shoulder " hey he's gonna be fine..."

Aaron went quiet...it was so damned frustrating...he could remember having a curry with Ben...they had ended up at Bar West...where he had finished with him...then Jackson came...

Jackson! his heart raced...he must never find out about this...find out how stupid he was for letting this happen.

best to keep him well clear of it...

Aaron's thoughts were rudely interrupted " Hello Aaron, I am Dr Holland...we are going to have a nice chat...", she turned toward Paddy and Chas, " I've made a copy of the results, if Aaron wants to take this further...because for the interest of others he should..."

Dr Holland's voice faded away as his mind wondered to one last image in his head...

...a horrifying image of him sitting at a table, drinking...with Ben...

it was his last memory...

TBC