"Benjamin Chiltern, seventeen, GCS and Blood Pressure unknown, pulse 110, transported by car from scene of incident, severe vomiting has been stemmed, suspected rohypnol overdose" Dylan was fuelled by adrenaline as he ran into the ED, his son dangling limply in his arms, shirt stained with vomit. "We suspect a torn oesophagus as an explanation for the blood in his vomit; possible stomach ulcers or tears have been crossed out after stomach massage…"
Seb and Charlie sped over to where Dylan stood, rattling information off the top of his head – they'd never seen him looking worse. His strawberry blonde hair was rucked up and messy, tearstains smattered across his face and eyes bloodshot. "We need resus!" Seb shouted, gesturing across to where Iain and Jez pushed an empty trolley; they ran across the ED floor, and Dylan gently placed his writhing son down on it, not letting go of his hand as they all pushed the trolley through the double doors into resus.
"We're going to have to pump his stomach to get any of the remains of the drug up" Lily announced, replacing Charlie whose pager went off. "Ben, we're going to insert this plastic tubing down your oesophagus in order to prevent any further tearing… Can you blink twice if that's okay please?"
Ben stared groggily into his father's eyes and blinked twice, nodding slightly as tears began to blur his vision. Any mistakes Dylan had made before were long forgotten; Ben had never felt more weak and scared in his life, and he opened his mouth cooperatively as the plastic tubing approached his lips, silently begging for the pain to be relieved. Dylan squeezed his son's hand supportively.
"I promise I'm here" he told him softly as Lofty passed out again.
A long two hours later, Lofty lay, falling in and out of twisted sleep with Dylan beside him, still raking his one hand through his cropped fringe with anxiety. He couldn't believe he'd let this happen, though Ben's story was still unclear as he dropped in and out of consciousness.
Now though, he lay breathing evenly, his hand loose in Dylan's hold, fingers splayed. Dylan took a few deep breaths and dropped his head forward slightly. He'd been moved off shift by Connie, who said he was unfit to work after David had gone back to the boat and driven Lofty to the ED; the panic of the situation would have made him unsuitable for work for the rest of the day.
Dylan felt his head begin to drop forward further and sleep tinted the edges of his vision. He was about to succumb to sleep entirely, when his son let out a piercing cry.
"Ben, Ben it's okay I'm here!" Dylan's eyes snapped open and he watched helplessly as his son's face flooded with tears. Lofty sat bolt upright and pulled his knees into his chest as Lily whipped the curtain back to reveal his panic.
"What on earth is going on Dr Keogh?" she demanded, glaring at him, before gently placing a hand on Ben's shoulder, who flinched away like she'd burnt him.
"I don' wan' it, please don' give it to me, I can be better" Lofty begged, his eyes pleading with Dylan's and then Lily's; his words were sped up as though he were on fast forward as he shook violently.
"I think he's having a flashback!" Dylan cried, "Can you get Rita please, she used to work on an abuse clinic!" Lily nodded and hurried across the ED.
It was then Dylan felt a crushing wave of guilt – he was relying on other people to pull his son from his panic attack, when he himself knew what it was like to go through childhood abuse.
"Ben, Ben you're okay" he muttered softly, moving his hand to his son's back and beginning to rub soft circles, but couldn't keep it up when he felt how violently he was flinching. With that thought, Rita entered the cubicle in a hurry and crouched beside the bed on the opposite side.
"What happened?" She asked softly, addressing Ben, rather than Dylan, who simply took Ben's hand as before, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"A-Alex took… video…" He stuttered, pulling the hospital sheet tighter around himself for security, "I d-didn't wan' it"
"It's okay honey, we know you didn't" Rita told him and Dylan watched in what was almost surprise as Ben nodded back at her and his shoulders slackened considerably.
"D-dad?" He asked, almost as though he were checking Dylan was real, "Can I, can I hug you please?"
"Of course" Dylan smiled at him, taking him carefully into his arms. He smelt sterile, like the hospital, as opposed to the salty smell of the rohypnol that had covered him as Dylan had carried him before, "You're gonna be okay, son" Dylan whispered, "No matter what, I'll always love you"
Lofty just hugged back gratefully, and he knew Dylan knew.
An hour later, Lofty lay watching the ceiling of the ward; he was going to be kept in overnight in case the drug had any other effects on him, though it had worn off now as far as they were aware.
"You have a visitor Ben" Lily announced, drawing the curtain back from the right side of the bed to reveal a boy he hadn't seen in eleven months. Lofty let out a cry of happiness, sitting cautiously so as not to hurt himself.
"Max!" Tears of happiness dripped down his face, and Max trembled as he crossed the small strip of floor to Ben's bed.
"Lofty" He replied, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and holding him close; tears of joy and relief ran down both the boys' faces and Dylan watched in happiness – Max seemed good for his son, they were both so happy and they looked at peace.
"I missed you so mu-"
"Shh it's okay" Max whispered, "I missed you too" Their hold was finally broken by a nurse checking Lofty's blood pressure and pulse, before recording it and leaving them again.
"I'm going to get some coffee" Dylan announced, "I'll leave you two in peace for fifteen minutes."
Lofty noticed, and giggled as Dylan winked at him jokingly. "Da-ad" he joked back smiling, before turning back to face Max. "Max" he whispered, "You're really here…"
"Your… foster dad? Called me and told me what happened… I'm so sorry Lofty…"
Ben swallowed, before looking back up at Max, "It's okay… you're here now" He smiled again, pulling his boyfriend in for another hug, "That's all that matters now…"