"Look Gran'ad!" James apparently takes a second too long to respond and Ben tries again. "Graan'aaaad! Look at the rocket!" The Rocket is a toilet roll tube that's been painted black and white. Sam had stuck a cone on the end and Ben has been happily running around and 'landing' on every surface he can find.
"How's the mission going Benny?"
"Good. But they losted one of the as'ranauts on Mars."
"Where's Mars then mate?" Ben points to the other side of the room.
"Mars on that patch of a'rug." James looks over, and sure enough, there's a Lego man standing on the rug, hands raised in the air.
"He does look like he's stranded there."
"He is. But its ok. Cos they gonna do a rescue mission af'er lunch."
"They're gonna make him wait that long?"
"Yeah. He got lotsa air and he's got a book."
"Well, that's alright then." Ben nods his agreement and carries on playing, breaking off every now and then to ask Hathaway whether you can have space suits for cows.
James looks up as he hears the footsteps stop. Ben had run in laughing a minute before, but now there wasn't any sound at all, and that set off alarm bells. He quickly drops the magazine he'd been reading. Ben is standing in the middle of the room, still holding onto the rocket loosely. But he's unfocused and disorientated, swaying slightly.
"Ben?" There's no discernible response. "Ben mate...can you hear me?" The boy blinks and takes a step forward, but he doesn't acknowledge his grandfather's attempt to get through to him.
Suddenly, he cries out and drops to the floor, limbs stiffening, his entire body juddering.
"Shit" James dropped down to the floor next to Ben, ignoring the stab of pain in his knee as he landed. The juddering has turned into rhythmic jerks. "S'alright mate. You're gonna be alright." He checks his watch quickly, before grabbing a cushion from the chair and easing it under his grandson's head, all the while, stroking the kids forehead. Choking sounds come from Ben's throat, and even as James knows that Ben isn't really choking, the sounds tear through him.
Ben hasn't had a seizure for three weeks, and they'd all thought that his medication dose had brought them under control. It seems not to be the case and just as they'd started to relax, it seems that the tests and the medication doses are all going to be changed again. For now though, the primary concern is the shaking child lying next to him.
The jerks slow down, and soon all that's left is a twitch in Ben's left arm. That too ceases, and James rolls the boy onto his side, hoping to drain any saliva to stop Ben choking on it.
Ben is still now, eerily so, and James starts to rub his back, checking his watch again. Ninety seconds. Not a dangerous amount of time. There's no need to call an ambulance so far. Just a regular seizure. He can feel Ben not breathing, and although he knows it'll only be ten or so seconds, he can't help but panic a little, as he does every time this happens.
"Come on kiddo. Breathe for me eh?" More circular motions on the kids back. "Granddad really needs you to breathe okay, Benny boy."
Almost on cue, Ben gasps and his eyes open. They close again almost immediately, but that's alright, as long as the kid is breathing.
"You're going to be fine matey. Its okay. I'm right here. Grandad's here Benny."
They sit there like that for another six minutes; James gently trying to comfort the kid. Eventually, the four year old opens his eyes properly and starts to try and push himself upright. He stops and starts to whimper, eyes filling up with confused tears.
"Nnnnnn"
"You back with me little fella? You just stay there for a short while Ben. It's okay." Ben whimpers for a second time, and again, tries to get up. When it fails to work, he starts to give tiny sobs.
"Oh mate, come here. It's alright kiddo. Its alright," James soothes as he sits back against the front skirt of the sofa, cradling the exhausted child in his arms. As Ben calms down, he gets more and more tired, but its now clear to James that the fit is done, and nothing abnormal happened during it. Ben just needs rest and a bit of a fuss. Even though he knows that, he needs to make sure.
"Hey Benny. You're a brave boy." Ben looks up at him, a minute smile playing on his face. "Do you know who I am kid? Who am I eh?"
"'Rana'"
"Can you say that again for me?"
"Gran'a" That's close enough James decides.
"Good boy. You're going to be just fine son." He gets up and gently lays his grandson on the sofa before digging out one of Ben's favourite DVD's and putting in the player. He then gets Ben lying with his head on James' thigh, all the while rubbing the boy's shoulder and gently stroking the back of his head. Exhaustion causes Ben to fall asleep less than ten minutes later, as he often does after a seizure. James is content just to sit there, mindlessly watching the kids programme and keeping a close eye on his post ictal only grandson.
.
Which is where Sam and Holly find them when they get back from the restaurant. Hathaway has moved on to watching a documentary about octopi, and Ben is still fast asleep, thumb in his mouth.
"Hi Dad...Was he well-" One look is enough to tell them that something wasn't right. Sam sighs. "How bad was it?"
"Only lasted a minute and a half. He was confused when he woke up, and upset. But he's fine. He's been asleep."
"I'm sorry Dad."
"Its not your fault Sam."
"I know, I just...there's us gone out and you had to-"
"-I don't mind." James re thinks what he said. "I mean, I mind that he has to go through it, course I do. I'd have them instead if I could. But I don't mind looking after him when it does happen." Holly smiles and James changes his tone. "So, did you have a good night?"
"We did James, thank you." Holly walks over and picks the now stirring Ben up. "Come on Benny. Bed time. Mummy and Daddy are home now, Granddad's been looking after you well hasn't he?" Ben's response is to sigh and stretch a little before huddling back down into her arms. They all know he'll sleep soundly all night now, providing he doesn't seize again. He'll feel absolutely fine tomorrow when he wakes up, ready to set up base camps all over the house. Sam and Holly take their little boy up to bed, and James makes moves to follow, limping heavily as his knee protests the rough treatment it got earlier.
Looking down, he smiles softly, and finally rescues the stranded Lego man, placing him on the table.