Steve found Kate in a cubicle in the Emergency Department, shortly afterwards. He had rushed there frantically as soon as he'd received the phone call from the police officer. He had been pacing at home wondering what was going on with Kate and Mark, wondering how long it took someone to tell them they were leaving them and wanted a divorce when the phone had finally rang. It wasn't the call he was expecting.
He found himself looking at two sets of identical blue eyes as he entered the cubicle. Kate was sat on the edge of the trolley with Josh on her lap talking quietly with him before they had been disturbed. Josh was refusing to let go of his mother since he had crawled in to her arms back in his bedroom.
Kate could see how worried Steve was with one quick glance and tried to convey wordlessly that he didn't need to be. She was going to be ok. "Josh," said Kate. "This is my friend, Steve," she continued. "I work with him," she explained as she introduced her son to Steve for the first time.
"Hi mate," Steve said, trying to appear friendly. He wanted this meeting to go well. "Pleased to meet you at last," Steve said as he held out his hand to Josh. "I've heard a lot about you from your mum,".
Josh just sat and stared at Steve warily. He didn't shake Steve's hand or say anything in reply.
Starting to panic that this wasn't going well, Steve knew he had to find a different topic to befriend Kate's son. The answer came to him quickly. "I like your pyjamas," Steve tried, hoping this would be a better ice breaker. "Spider-Man aren't they?".
"Uh huh," Josh said as he sat up straighter and puffed his chest out to show Steve the spider emblem on the front which confirmed the fact. Kate smiled. Josh seemed to like Steve.
"Hey Josh," Kate said. "Do you think you could show Steve your Spider-Man book that we packed whilst the doctors check me over?" she asked. It had proved difficult for them to do so so far with a child glued to her lap.
"OK Mummy," Josh said as he got off Kate's lap and went over to the suitcase Kate had packed and got his favourite book.
Steve looked a little alarmed at Kate for her suggestion. He hadn't really had much interaction with children before and was worried she was throwing him in the deep end without any notice. But he sucked it up and was determined to give his best effort. He was in love with the little boy's mother and he was determined to do a good job.
Sitting in the chair in the cubicle, Josh started to climb up on to Steve's lap without asking permission. It proved rather difficult for the little boy and Steve took pity on him, lifting him up on to his lap instead. "Let's have a look at this book then," he said to Josh.
With Josh distracted, the doctors were able to examine Kate. Her wound needed some stitches and with Josh and Steve providing her distraction as they got to know one another, she let them go about the task.
By the time they were done, Josh was fast asleep on Steve, his head on Steve's shoulder, snoring slightly. Kate smiled at the cute sight. "Sorry," she said to her partner, fully aware that he wasn't used to being used as a pillow for a child.
"It's ok," Steve replied. "He's a great kid, Kate," he admitted truthfully. It hadn't been as hard as he had thought it would be to form some sort of relationship with the child. Josh had been talking non stop to him until he'd fallen asleep.
"I just hope that what he saw earlier hasn't traumatised him for life," Kate said. Steve took in the dressing over Kate's wound and the bruises that were starting to appear on her neck. He himself was traumatised thinking about what Mark had done to Kate, let alone the three year old who witnessed it.
"With lots of love and reassurance I'm sure he'll be fine, Kate," Steve said. Kate hoped he was right. "We should get going," Steve said.
"You sure?" Kate asked. "I know we talked about me moving in but we didn't talk about a little person joining me straight away,".
"Of course I am, Kate," said Steve. "You two are a package deal,".
"For the moment at least," Kate clarified. She had to find out what was happening to Mark before she knew whether it would be permanent or not. Carefully she got off her trolley and approached Steve. "You want me to take him?" she asked.
"No," said Steve. "He's fine where he is," he continued as he carefully got out the chair he was sat in whilst still cradling Josh. "You take the suitcase," he instructed Kate before they headed to Steve's car.
Steve finally surrendered Josh to his mother once they got to the car. With no child seat available, Kate got in the back seat and Steve gave her Josh before the seatbelt went around them both.
Once they made it to Steve's, Kate carried Josh so as not to disturb him again whilst Steve took the suitcase. They entered Steve's flat and Kate went to sit on the sofa with Josh whilst Steve took the suitcase to the spare room.
They hadn't discussed sleeping arrangements yet. Whilst Steve was happy for Kate to join him in his bed he didn't know how Josh would like sleeping by himself in a strange place, or what he would think of his mother sleeping with another man that wasn't his father. Steve decided to make up the double bed assuming Kate would sleep with Josh at least for the first night.
When he appeared back on the living room, he found Kate fast asleep on the sofa. Her head was resting on the armrest and she was still clutching a sleeping Josh close to her. Not wanting to disturb either of them, Steve put a blanket over the pair before heading to his bed.