2nd May 2013. Here's the celebration in the Vic... with their friends and family.

Chapter 29.

Joey drove the four of them over to Walford. All of them were tense about tonight and Joey was probably the worst of all of them. He stopped the car outside Lauren's parent's house and the four of them climbed out. Oscar opened the door, smiling broadly at his sister and holding his arms up for a hug.

The five of them stood in the hallway, the atmosphere slightly calmer now they were in the house. That calm evaporated in an instant when the lounge door opened and Abi stomped out of the room and up the stairs, a scowl sent towards her sister before she disappeared from sight. Joey saw the slight sag in Lauren's shoulders at her sister's reaction to her presence. While she said she'd resigned herself to not having her sister in her life, Joey knew it hurt to have Abi treat her like that. He knew how close they used to be and he hated the fact she no longer had her sister to talk to. He knew there were times when she really wanted to talk to Abi about things and that wasn't possible any more. He brushed his hand down her back and kissed the side of her head and she relaxed a little.

Max and Tanya walked down the stairs, both hugging Lauren when they reached her. "Sweetheart, your dad told me your news. We're so proud of you, darling." Tanya said. She took Oscar from her daughter and it gave Max the opportunity to hug his daughter tightly. It was nearly the breaking of her and if it wasn't for Joey squeezing her hand, she would've fallen apart. Tonight was going to be a difficult night.

*JL*JL*

The family congregated in the Vic a short while later. Lauren's friends had also joined them and Joey was pleased to see Lauren was laughing and having a good time. He glanced around the pub and saw the small portion of the room where the atmosphere was slightly darker. Abi had been made to attend the evening, mollified slightly by the presence of her boyfriend but she was sitting and frowning in her sister's direction.

The door to the pub opened and Joey's heart sank as he saw his father walk into the room. The noise in the pub quietened slightly as his presence was felt. Jack and Max walked over to him and spoke to him quietly, making it clear he was to go nowhere near Lauren or Joey and his family. The smile had disappeared briefly off Lauren's face but Fatboy saved the day and said something which made her laugh again. Joey didn't fail to notice how Tyler and Fatboy moved to form a wall between Lauren and his father.

*JL*JL*

The family was sat at the table, waiting for their food. Derek was sitting at the far end of the table, Abi, Jay and Bianca sitting near him. Lauren and Joey were at the other end of the table, protected from him by Max and Jack.

Joey was watching his girlfriend in concern though. He could see the cracks beginning to appear in the facade she'd been displaying all night and he was worried she was going to have a complete meltdown. He knew he wasn't the only person to notice, both her parents and his mum were watching her closely although none of them voiced their concern to him. They could all see something was wrong... but only Joey knew what it was.

*JL*JL*

Joey stood near the bar, staring intently at Lauren. He was very close to stepping in and taking her home. He had never seen her like this before and it worried him.

"Are you sure she's not drinking?" Max asked as he came and stood next to him nephew.

"No. I've been buying her drinks all night. She's been on orange juice. She wouldn't do that anyway. She's knows that would be bad." Joey said, glancing at his uncle.

"She's acting how she used to be when she was drunk." Max said tiredly.

"I think she's just excited to see you all and to see her friends. It's not often she gets to see them. I know she misses them." Joey watched as Abi and Jay joined the small group of Lauren's friends. They'd been sitting on the periphery of the group on and off all night and although it added tension to Lauren's frame as she saw them she didn't let it worry her.

*JL*JL*

Lauren sat down suddenly, her hand on her chest. She didn't feel right and she wasn't sure what was wrong. None of her friends seemed to have noticed, all carrying on with their animated conversation. She looked around them and met the eyes of Joey, seeing him frown at her. He was striding across the room quickly and pushed through her friends to sit at her side, "Talk to me, baby..." he asked her softly.

"Heart's racing..." she gasped. "Can't breathe." She added.

"MAX!" Joey called out, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her close. He picked up her glass and sniffed it. Lauren watched as he took a sip and frowned when she saw his face. "Who got you the drink?" he asked her, his voice harder than she'd have liked.

"You did..." she whispered.

"Lauren, this isn't the drink I bought you... there's vodka in it. Who bought you the drink?"

Lauren lowered her head and focused on taking deep breaths as his words sunk in. "You did," she gasped. "Joe, I'm scared..." she whispered.

His focus on her drink disappeared as he saw how frightened she was by what was happening. "It's okay, baby."

Max appeared, "Lauren?" he said when he saw his daughter in obvious pain.

"There's booze in her drink. She's struggling for breath and her heart is racing. She needs to go to hospital." Joey said calmly.

"I'll call an ambulance..." Max said, not quite as calm as his nephew.

The rest of the family seemed to notice that something was going on and were beginning to gather round. Joey looked at Tyler and Fatboy, "Can you get them to give us space?" he asked them softly. "Last thing Lauren needs is everyone staring at her..." he added, glancing at his fiancée. Tyler and Fatboy nodded and began to usher people away from the table. Tanya appeared though and was visibly upset. He shook his head as she started to speak, knowing that Lauren didn't need any accusations from her. He could tell her breathing was becoming worse. If it wasn't for that he would've driven her to the hospital himself but he knew she needed medical assistance now so it was best to wait for the paramedics. Joey needed to reassure himself she was going to be okay and he pulled her onto his lap. He looked at her face and could see she was markedly paler than she usually was. Her lips were paler too but it was her eyes that really scared him. They had a slightly glassy appearance to them and she seemed barely aware of his presence. It was only the way she was clutching his hand that gave him some slight hope she knew he was there. Joey looked up and he saw her friends standing not too far away from them. Whitney and Lucy were both clearly upset at seeing their friend in distress and he knew their emotions were only a fraction of what he was feeling.

The doors to the pub opened and two paramedics were there. "Can you give me any details?" One of them asked Joey.

"This is my fiancée, Lauren. She's was diagnosed with alcoholic cardiomyopathy about eight months ago, but it's in the very early stages and it's been being managed. Someone has spiked her drink tonight though because her drink has vodka in it and I know that wasn't what I've been buying her. She's struggling to breathe and she told me her heart is racing."

"How long has she been feeling this way?"

"It's about ten, fifteen minutes since she began to struggle breathing." He said.

The paramedic pulled an oxygen mask out of her bag and slipped it over Lauren's face, turning on the oxygen cylinder once it was connected. The tension in Lauren's body lessened slightly once it was a little easier for her to draw the air into her lungs. The paramedic continued to examine her, connecting her to a heart monitor and even Joey could see her heart was very irregular and too fast. "Right we need to get Lauren to the hospital..." the paramedic eventually said. "She's extremely tachycardic."

Joey lifted her in his arms and got to his feet, not wanting to waste any more time. The paramedic went to protest about him carrying her patient but stopped when she saw the hard expression on his face. She picked up her kit and the oxygen tank and led Joey out of the pub. Joey glanced at Max as he walked past and Max walked behind him, knowing his nephew needed his presence to keep him calm. Both men climbed into the back of the ambulance and Joey gently lowered Lauren onto the stretcher. He took a seat on the other side of the ambulance, hating having to relinquish his hold on her but knowing they needed to treat her. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Can you tell me what treatment she's been receiving?"

"She's not currently on medication." Joey admitted and the paramedic looked at him quickly. "She came off the medication just under three months ago as we want to try for a baby. Her condition has been okay, mainly." Joey felt Max tense beside him as he heard the last word. "Lauren had an appointment with her consultant this morning. It was her second one since she came off the medication. The last one was six weeks ago. There had been a slight decline in her heart function in that six weeks but her consultant wasn't too concerned and said she was still fine to stay off the medication." He looked at Max and Joey knew his uncle would be able to see the pain on his face. "Is she going to be okay?" he asked again, his focus turning back to Lauren.

"We need to regulate her heart rate... until that happens, I can't say." The paramedic said as she connected Lauren to more leads and wires. One machine started making a frighteningly familiar beeping sound but last time they'd heard it, it was Joey the machine was attached to.

Joey went to move to her side but Max grabbed him and held him back. Both watched in dismay as the paramedic cut open Lauren's blouse. They both flinched when the paramedic injected adrenaline directly into Lauren's heart and they looked at the screen hoping to see some sign of improvement. The paramedic announced she was going to have to shock her, calling out to her colleague in the driving seat to notify the hospital of Lauren's situation. She placed two pads across Lauren's chest and then called out clear, pressing the button and making Lauren's body jump on the stretcher. Joey wasn't sure if his heart stopped at that moment or whether it just relocated to his throat but he was pretty sure his uncle was experiencing the same problem. It took another, more intense shock before Lauren's heart rate stabilised and Joey was able to breathe again. "Thank god..." he whispered.

"Well she's more stable now but she's not out of the woods yet." The paramedic said. "I'd have to say I think there's a good chance more than one drink was spiked for her to be in this condition, especially if you say she's only in the early stages of the disease." The ambulance stopped and the paramedics eased the stretcher out of the vehicle and through to the A&E department. Joey and Max were told to wait outside the room.

*JL*JL*

"Why didn't you tell us about the change in her condition?" Max asked, his voice soft but his words harsh.

"We were going to... but Lauren wanted to wait until after tonight." He laughed bitterly, "She wanted one night where there wasn't some drama about her..." he said. He looked at his uncle, "I should've listened to you when you spoke to me about how she was acting earlier." He said.

"You weren't to know, Joey. I could've stepped in just as easy as you could have." Max said.

There was the sound of footsteps and Tanya, Lesley, Alice and Jack all rushed into the corridor. "Max, is she okay?" Tanya cried as she rushed to her husband.

"They're treating her now..." he said as he tried to calm her.

Lesley rushed to her son's side and as she put her arms around him she felt his body begin to shake. She brushed her fingers through his hair, seeing the rest of the family watch him disintegrate against her. "She's going to be okay, Joe..." she said to him softly.

The doors to where Lauren was being treated opened and the family froze. A doctor stepped out, a familiar face despite the different surroundings. It was the same doctor who'd treated Lauren and Joey. "I wish I could say it's a pleasure to see you again but I think we can all agree this was a reunion we all could've lived without."

"How is she, doctor?" Max asked.

"They're running her bloods now to ascertain how much alcohol is in her system. Her heart has settled back to a regular pattern but we're going to monitor her over the next few hours to make sure that doesn't change. Her breathing is still an issue so she's going to remain on the oxygen. I've also called her consultant. I understand she saw him today and I think he needs to check her again because he's the expert, not me." The doctor looked at Joey, seeing how upset he was. He crouched down beside him, "Joey, she wants to see you..." he told him. "While you're in there, can you reassure her that you're not angry with her? She's working herself into quite a state because she thinks you are. And we need her to stay calm or she could have another episode like she did in the ambulance."

"What happened in the ambulance?" Lesley asked.

The doctor was staring at Joey as he spoke, "Her heart stopped and the paramedic had to shock her twice to get it started again." Lesley felt her son tense in her arms. "Are you ready to see your girlfriend, Joey?" the doctor asked.

"Fiancée..." Joey said softly.

"Congratulations..." He said, smiling at him, "You're a lucky man."

"I know." Joey said, smiling for the first time since entering the hospital. He pulled himself upright, kissing his mum's cheek softly and wiping away the emotions on his face. "I'm ready." He told the doctor.

*JL*JL*

Lauren looked in his direction as soon as he walked through the door and he smiled at her tenderly. He walked to her side and took her hand in his, squeezing it softly. "I thought we agreed no drama, baby girl?" he said lightly.

"I'm sorry, Joey." She whispered through the oxygen mask.

"Hey, you did nothing wrong..." he told her, brushing her hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. "Your consultant is coming in... the doctor called him." He kissed her forehead, "It was a surprise seeing him here."

"He's covering for someone... he told me while he was treating me." Lauren whispered. Her breathing became difficult again and Joey noticed.

"Hey, you rest, okay. Let me do the talking for a while. You just sit and listen." He told her. He sat on the edge of her bed and stroked the back of her hand. "You had me worried there for a few minutes, baby girl." She opened her mouth to say something but he squeezed her hand, "Uh, uh... my turn. Take it easy. I know this wasn't your fault, baby. I bought every one of your drinks tonight and there was no alcohol in any of them." He paused slightly, "You understand why I had to ask earlier, right?" he asked her softly. She nodded. "Did you leave your drink alone at any time?" She thought about it for a while until eventually she nodded again. "When?" he asked softly.

"I went to the loo a couple of times." She whispered.

"And your drink was left behind when you did?" she nodded in response to his question.

The door to the room swung open and the doctor walked in, some paperwork in his hands. "Well there is alcohol in your blood, Lauren. You have a blood alcohol reading of point oh three. The paramedic told me you said there was alcohol in her drink?" he said, looking at Joey.

"Yes. I tried a sip of it. There was vodka in it."

"Was it very strong?" he asked.

Joey thought back, "No. It wasn't, now I think about it."

"I would say that more than one of her drinks tonight was spiked. From her blood alcohol count, I'd say its equivalent to approximately three small vodka's over the night. Whoever did this would've had to be very close to her to be able to slip these into her drinks without her or anyone else noticing."

"God..." Joey glanced at Lauren. "Well it can't have been Derek... he was nowhere near you."

"Abi..." she whispered.

Joey's hand tightened on hers and she could see the fury in his eyes. "She wouldn't, would she?" he said softly. Lauren shrugged. "We should tell your parents..." he said quietly.

"No..." Lauren said, squeezing his hand, "I don't want them to know."

"But they should know what she did..." he protested.

"Joe, no." She whispered. "They can never know what she did. I won't give her another reason to hate me."

"And what if she tries again?"

"If there is a next time, you can tell them." She said, breathing deeply. "I promise..."

"I'll trust your judgment on this, baby... but I'm going to be watching her very closely from now."

"Okay." She whispered.

The door opened again and her consultant walked in. He stood on the other side of the room discussing what had happened with the doctor then walked over to her. "Lauren Branning..." he said, looking at his young patient with a smile. "I'm not supposed to be seeing you again for another six weeks. Now, you may be one of my favourite patients but that doesn't mean I want to see you twice in one day, young lady." All the time he was speaking to her he was watching the heart monitor she was hooked up to. "We're going to need to repeat the usual tests on you, Lauren." He said sadly, "I can't swear this won't change circumstances." He added, watching her reaction. She shook her head stubbornly.

"Lauren..." Joey said softly.

"No... I'm not going back on the medication." Lauren whispered, staring at Joey. "I want to have a baby."

"Even if it means your death?" he asked, swallowing after the word left his mouth. Lauren just stared at him but her heart picked up speed.

"Joey... maybe you should take a few minutes to calm down," the consultant said. "I'll stay with Lauren. Come back in about twenty minutes." Joey stared at Lauren, seeing the tears in her eyes. He could hear her heart continuing to speed up and he knew he had to do as he was told... for Lauren's health. He walked out of the room, seeing their family assembled outside the room, looking at him expectantly. He couldn't speak to them. It felt like he was dying inside. He turned and walked out of the hospital.

TBC

A/N: Well I don't think I've done too bad... 29 chapters in and this is only the second real cliffhanger. I think we may be in for a bumpy ride. Back tomorrow...