Dylan works on Keller for a shift. He sees what going on with Lofty and Dom before they get together. He feels the need to give Dom a warning about one of his favourite nurses.

In this story I am calling him Lofty, however anything from Dylan's point of view or in Dylans thoughts he will always be Ben. Sorry if it confuses you. Dylan/Ben are the same person throughout this story.

Dylan had to do a days rotation on a general surgery ward, and had been given Keller. Dylan would never admit it out loud, but he was intrigued to see Ben again. He'd often wondered what had happened to the nurse, and while a part of him was disappointed he hadn't stayed even though Dylan had gone out to buy a card, to show the board how great he was, he'd left. Dylan still remembered the hugs that Ben would so freely give, and how nothing fazed him, even Dylan's sour mood. He had put a lot of faith in Ben, and while he had been disappointed, he understood that he may have pushed Ben a little to hard. The biggest problem was he saw what Ben was capable of, but Ben didn't have that self belief any more that he could do it. He really hoped watching him work on Keller today, he would see some of that confidence return. As he arrived he saw Lofty sitting at the nurses station, chatting with a doctor and a blonde haired nurse. He walked over to the station

"Is anyone working today or are you just chatting amongst yourself?" He said

They all turned to look at him, Dom and Essie looking apprehensive but Ben had a smile on his face

"Dylan! What are you doing here!" Lofty exclaimed

"It's Dr. Keogh " Dylan answered

"Of course," Lofty answered before knocking the folder on the floor, he stooped down to pick it up

"Some things don't change, still dropping things Nurse Chiltern and being very clumsy?"

Dom was about to answer in Lofty's defence, and call Dylan out on this when he was surprised Lofty answered back without any fluster or embarrassment that he would normally show when he dropped something.
"Of course, still making patients cry?" Lofty retaliated

"Not recently..." Dylan admitted
"Your getting mellow in your old age" Lofty quipped

"Apparently not enough, as I have told to work up here" Dylan grumbled

"You will learn nothing but the best patient care from the nurses up here" Sacha said hearing the tail end of the conversation "I think we have two of the friendliest nurses in the hospital"

During this interaction Dom and Essie were looking in confusing, having never heard Lofty speak like that to another doctor. Who was this man?

"I see you remember Lofty from ED, which is good as you will be working with him today. Sasha general surgeon"
"Dr. Levey" Dylan answered

"That too. So let me introduce Dr. Copeland, Junior Doctor prize winner and Nurse De-luca nursing transplant co-ordinator"

"Well it looks like you guys have a bit more free time here" Dylan said

"We were just discussing Mr. Thomas's results" Dom answered "He has an unusual mass and we were talking about what we thought it could be, based upon his other symptoms. We've come to the conclusion that he needs a biopsy"
"Of course, well arrange it Dr. Copeland. Take Essie with you" Sasha said

"Lofty you will be accompanying Dr. Keogh on his rounds. I think you too can learn a lot from each other" Sacha said not fully realising how much they had worked together previously.
Lofty smiled and resisted the temptation to grab Dylan's hand and skip off to see the patients. That would have been just completely unprofessional.

"So Lofty knows Dylan from ED?" Essie asked Sacha

"Yes, apparently they made a relatively good team" Sasha said

"Really?" Said Dom "I wouldn't think of him having the patience for Lofty, nor Lofty wishing to work with him. I have heard about his bedside manner and attitude, and the way he greeted Lofty" Dom answered defensively

"I think opposites attract" Said Essie diplomatically "Lofty wasn't worried about him, he bantered right back, I mean you and Lofty are quite a bit different, if you remember how you when he first started"

"I know, but...well you know how Lofty is" Dom tried to finish
"Lofty's worked with Dylan before, and I have to say from what I have heard, if he can work with Dylan, he can work with anyone" Sacha answered "but we must really stop judging their relationship"

"Yeah, but his so..." Dom continued

"Green is a bad colour on you Dom" Essiies said in passing as she grabbed some folders from the desk

"Not helping!" Dom exclaimed though his eyes followed Lofty and Dylan.

"Besides his only here for the day, then his back in the ED tomorrow..unless he wants to stay longer" Sacha said looking directly at Dom. Dom sighed before continue his diagnoses and ordering the tests. He didn't like Dylan. No he didn't like him not one bit.

Sacha had heard a lot about Dylan's bedside manner, and thought that pairing him with Lofty was a good choice, to balance them out. Plus it seemed like Lofty was just as eager to spend time with Dylan. Sacha watched as Dylan and Lofty went about their patients.

Sacha noticed a lot about people. It was part of his job, but when he looked particularly close at what was going on between Lofty and Dylan, he couldn't help but wonder how they had stuck up such an accord. OK Lofty pretty much got on with everybody even people who didn't seem to like him, but even Dom had warmed to him, once he realised Lofty had no agenda. He watched Dylan and Lofty interact. He saw Lofty talking to patients and reassuring them, while Dylan assessed them. Lofty and him worked seamlessly. After a few hours, it was Lofty's break, normally he would break with Dom, when they were on the same shift. He saw Lofty come over to the nurses and Essie was then working, with Dylan. Sacha watched Lofty wait for Dom, before they went out for lunch. Dom had seemed unusually quiet that morning, he wasn't rude or anything, just not himself. Sacha was privy to a lot of what went on with his staff, his open and his caring nature to listen. To him the look Lofty gave Dylan was more a look of admiration mixed with fondness.

Dylan took his break after Lofty, and while Lofty did his checks and Sacha did some more rounds, Essie sat down to talk to Dom

"I don't know how Lofty can work with him" She said "I mean the way he spoke to Miss Mcguire, I thought she was going to throw something at him, I'm not sure I would have stopped her, but he is a good doctor"

"Why?" Dom asked

"His so brisk, and well not rude but not like any other doctor I have worked with. Very thorough, I don't know, just doesn't seem Lofty's type..oh you know what I mean" Essie said when Dom gave her a weary look

"He was so rude to Lofty this morning, and he keeps calling him Ben. He has never asked to be called Ben? Why does Dylan get a different name? Why does Lofty let him? Why doesn't he stand up for himself?" Dom knew that last comment was a bit unfair, Lofty had already shown he could stand up for himself.
"I don't know, I heard rumours though through the grape vine..." Essie began before a hand tapped her shoulder

"Rumours about what?" Asked lofty

"Oh nothing I should be talking about. I need to head on my break" Essie said disappearing into the staff room

"Strange" Said Lofty "Anyway I am heading over to Alby's after work if you want to join?"
"Is your friend coming?" Dom asked

Lofty's eyes widen for a moment before returning to normal and he smiled

"I will ask, however drinks are not normally Dylan's thing"

"Doesn't surprise…." Dom said without thinking, but then glancing at the confused look on Lofty's face added "He seems to be the all work, and no play kind of doctor" He finished diplomatically

"He knows how to play..." Said Lofty with a smile "Well play with me anyway, now I need to persuade Dylan, would be nice if he came even for a drink" Lofty said with a smile "Knew you'd be onboard"

Towards the end of the shift they were at the nurses station, and Sacha had suggested to the drinks, Dylan had politely declined stating his didn't go out after work. Dom sighed in relief, before Lofty turned to Dylan,

"Come on, one drink, I'll even buy" Lofty said

"No, No thank you, I must get home" Dylan said refusing to meet Lofty's eyes
"Oh come on, social norm dictates it rude to turn down a gift from someone" Lofty said again moving his face so he could make eye contact with Dylan "Besides you didn't come out when I left ED"

"No it's OK" Dylan said still failing to meet Lofty's eyes

"OK, it's a shame" Loft said with a look of disappointment across his features that Dylan was trying to determinedly not look at "I'm going to change. See you in a few"

Dylan watched him enter the locker room, before excusing himself and deciding to follow him into the locker room. Sacha looked at Dom and Essie

"They do have a strange relationship don't they" Essie said "I mean, Lofty was almost begging him to come, and he wouldn't look at him"
"Come on Essie, you know one look into those eyes and all hope is lost if you want to refuse" Sacha said said with a smile "Take a look at our Dom"

"Who wants to be a fly on the wall now?" Essie asked

"I wish" Dom said before deciding he needed to get his fleece, it was getting rather chilly all of a sudden. As he walked closer to the door he heard voices,
"Look I know you want me to come out, but it's still not what I do" Dylan spoke
"I know, I didn't think you had changed that much" Lofty said quietly

It was almost too quiet that Dom almost missed it

"Look why don't you come back to mine?" Dylan asked

"I have already said I would I would go to the pub. It would be rude to decline"
"Well go for 1, then I'll meet you and we'll go to mine" Dylan compromised

"That sounds good" Dom quickly opened the locker room before he could be caught and saw Lofty hugging Dylan, Dylan wasn't returning it, but he wasn't pushing him away either

"Hey Dom" Lofty said with a smile.

A smile, Dom had wished for a long time that belonged to him., that really happy, shy smile that Lofty so rarely gave, when Dom had a feeling Lofty was so happy, he would burst. It stoked he little bit of jealousy in him and for that moment couldn't understand the appeal of Dylan.

Lofty went for the drink, before saying goodnight and excusing himself from the group. Dom knew he was being stalkerish but he wanted to see were Lofty was going. As he reached the door he saw Lofty greet a man (Dylan) he assumed and walked off. He thought for a fleeting second about following them, but realised he had no claim on Lofty.

Next Morning

Dom is sitting at Pulses the next morning, when Dylan walks in.

"Dr. Copeland" He greets

"Dr. Keoge, what can I do for you?" Dom asked defensively

"I wanted to talk to you about Ben" Dylan

"Why do you call him Ben?" Dom asked

"Because its his given name. He doesn't mind. Look I know you are..um...interested in Ben and well … it is apparently customary for friends to warn potential lovers of the consequences of any bad actions towards a friend. So I am going to tell you something.. I mean I didn't know Ben was into men."

"You don't get to dictate who Lofty goes out with, you don't get to become a bully controlling peoples actions.." Dom said thinking about what Isaac had dome to him

"That's not what I was thinking of, Look Ben is...his different. He doesn't care about himself...he has the gift of human connection, which is far harder for me to understand as I think for you...Ben, he gets hurt really easily. He doesn't always show it. The reason he left the ED still bothers him...and I saw you watching him around the ward. I may not pay attention to what people say, but I uh...know about you and your history with people. You are doing well...I guess I...look if you want to date Ben, don't forget him. He..um..can do more than he lets on, he can become more...but don't push him to hard, I believe I made that error and he wasn't ready."

"OK So your warning me..."

"I am saying don't hurt him. I am uh not big on the whole relationship outside of work thing, but he is...different and I don't want him hurt. I can't stop what's already happened, but I can um..warn you. I know how these can work"

Dom took a moment to study Dylan. He realised for a second how alike they were and how protective they both were over Lofty, even if Dom hadn't realised it to then. Lofty saw the good in people, that much was true, but he also saw what other people often missed and somehow had managed to befriend this doctor whose wall was so tall, that Dom was sure no one would penetrate it, but somehow Lofty had gotten through the cracks in his wall. Dom saw in that instant that the older doctor cared for the nurse, more than he was willing to admit. Since finding out Lofty was into men maybe he had become interested. He still wasn't sure how Dylan felt about the younger nurse, but he knew he couldn't let it bother him.

"I know what you mean" Dom said "Why though? Why would this bother you?"

"Like I said, his different, he cares so much more than people deserve sometimes and for some reason he befriended me and well that's not always an easy thing to do" Dylan finished awkwardly before adding one final warning

"I um plan to be around now for a while, and I don't want to hear about you playing around with his feelings anymore. If you wish to date, and he agrees that's good, I mean you seem to know what you are doing, just don't forget him, play with his feelings more than you have or hurt him. He only ever wants what's best for others, and I know people who have tried to take advantage of that. Don't be one of those people" Dylan finished before getting up from the chair before Dom could reply and heading back to ED.

As Dom sat there drinking his coffee, he thought briefly about what Dylan had said, and would have laughed had he not heard the underlying threat. Dom normally overlooked things like that, he wasn't sure what Dylan would do, but it was obvious Lofty had spoken to Dylan concerning him, otherwise how would he have known about the playing with feelings (which had been unintentional). Dom knew he had some serious thinking to do, before contemplating taking things further with Lofty