Game Changer - Chapter 26/35
Category: Slash - Dan (Ashcroft) & Jones
Rating: T
Summary: Dan does his best to stay by Jones's side in the hospital as they wait for results.
Warnings: some medical discussion, blood mention, swearing
Word count: 3273
Dan blows smoke into the cool air with his fist balled up in the pocket of his coat. He throws the stub of his fag to the ground angrily and stomps it flat with the heel of his boot. He’d been asked to go outside after yelling at the nurses for not helping Jones fast enough. Claire had gone with him after they’d attached one of those hospital bracelets to his wrist, and she promised him that she’d come back as soon as they knew anything. With every passing second Dan can feel the urge to punch the wall behind him grow, and he tilts his head back against it, squeezing his eyes shut and lifting his phone to his ear.
“Bruce Jones,” the voice on the other end says when the tone’s cut off.
“Hello Bruce,” he says uncomfortably. “It’s Dan, er, Dan Ashcroft?”
“Yes, hello Dan, what can I do for you?” he asks.
“Well, it’s- I… was just wondering if I could ask you, um, some… stuff?” he manages.
“Of course, go ahead. What’s troubling you?”
“Er, it’s, uh, it’s about Jones actually,” he stammers, blinking profusely. “What, um, what was it like- I mean, how did you know when he, erm, got sick?”
There’s a pause on the other end and the faint crackling of the line seems to go on for ages before he responds, “When you say ‘got sick’, you mean… the cancer?”
Dan’s insides go cold at the word, “Yeah.”
“Dan,” he says, and his tone is suddenly so hard it practically makes him jump. “What’s going on?”
“Jones is going to fucking kill me for calling you,” he mutters and takes a deep breath. “He’s been really ill and I’m worried about him. It started off and he was just really tired all the time and I just figured he wasn’t drinking as much coffee, or he’d been staying up too late with his music. But then, he was- he’s always covered in these bruises but it was like they were getting worse and I found out he’s got something called petechiae, which is like these pinprick bruises, and then he started being sick and he’s not been eating and there’s just been so much blood, he keeps bleeding-”
“I’m coming up there,” Bruce says and Dan runs a hand through his hair, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.
“Okay,” he says roughly. “I’ve brought him to A&E. Claire’s in with him know.”
“Okay,” Bruce repeats and there’s silence again.
“You don’t think it is the- the- you don’t think it’s come back, do you?” Dan asks quietly. “I did an internet search and…”
“I don’t know,” Bruce admits. “But it’s a possibility.”
“Right.”
“Thank you for calling Dan-”
“Yeah. Anyway I should probably go…”
“Right. I- I’ll see you, then.”
They both hang up without another word. Dan lets his head fall back against the brick wall, but he barely feels the pain as it collides with the hard surface. He closes his eyes again, rubbing them with a thumb and finger, and wishing that this is all a dream and he’s going to wake up to a cheery Jones finishing his third coffee.
“Hey,” Claire’s voice cuts through him, making his heart leap in his chest, and his eyes flicker open.
“Well?” he demands. “What’s going on? Where is he? Did they tell you anything? Is he alone? I’m coming in to see him.”
“Dan,” she says reaching out a hand, but he shrugs it off and pushes past her to the door. “Dan! Please! They want to keep him in the hospital overnight to run some tests.”
He storms through the hospital waiting room and Claire trails behind at his heels. She grabs desperately at the sleeves of his coat as he strides past the disapproving glares of the nurses.
“They’re just going to take some blood,” she tries to assure him. “And keep an eye on him until they know what’s wrong- Dan!”
“Where are they keeping him?” Dan mutters angrily. “He doesn’t like it here.”
“Dan, please just calm down,” she says harshly under her breath. “You know that they’ll let you see him sooner if you just relax. Please.”
He pauses for a moment, considering her words. She’s right. He sighs and lets Claire pull him down into a chair to wait. Dan buries his face in his hands, praying to some god he doesn’t believe in that he’ll at least be able to see Jones. He must be freaking out all alone in the hospital.
“Can I get you something to eat or some water or something?” Claire asks softly and he shakes his head. “Okay. Hey, it’s going to work, alright? Just play along and you’ll get what you want.”
He nods dejectedly, not lifting his eyes from the floor until a pair of white trainers appear in his field of vision.
“Mr. Ashcroft?” the nurse asks and he stands instinctively.
“Yes,” he gulps, nodding fervently.
“A Mr. Jones is asking for you.”
His heart does a somersault in his chest, “Can I see him?”
“Follow me.”
“Shall I wait for you here, or…?” Claire asks and he jumps, having forgotten for a moment that she’s there.
“Uh,” Dan stammers and the nurse gives them an impatient look.
“You go ahead, it’s fine,” Claire says, waving it off.
Dan practically sprints after the nurse as he’s led down the hospital’s corridors. He peers anxiously though partially open doors until the nurse stops and he finally catches sight of Jones. He looks up and his eyes widen at the sight of Dan. He lifts his arms out to reach for him and Dan practically runs into them. He places one hand on the back of Jones’s head and strokes his hair.
“Dan,” Jones says roughly.
“I’m here,” he replies is a whisper. “I’m here. I’m sorry Jones, I shouldn’t have got upset and got myself thrown out like that. I’m here now, I’m not going anywhere.”
“Okay,” Jones whispers back.
Dan notices the nurse’s disapproving look and clears his throat loudly, straightening up. He glances over his shoulder and fins a chair against the wall. He pulls it to the side of the bed and sits down so he’s at eye-level with Jones.
“How’re you feeling?” he asks, feeling the nurse’s stare bore into him.
“I wish I could go home,” he says, pouting at the circles he’s tracing in the sheets.
“I know,” Dan says sympathetically. “We’ll get you patched up and then we’ll get you home, alright?”
“Promise?” he asks.
Dan swallows hard, “Promise.”
“They took blood already,” Jones says, holding up his arm for Dan to see, the cotton ball in the pit of his elbow secured with a plaster.
“Yeah, so Claire said,” Dan mutters.
“Yeah where is Claire anyway?” Jones asks, popping his head up and looking around like she may be behind the large curtain.
“Back in the waiting room, she might-”
“Graham Jones?” a voice asks, cutting Dan off.
“Mhm,” Jones replies nervously.
“Hi, Dr. Wallace,” says the stout woman with her hair in a long plait. She shakes Jones’s hand, “Let’s take a look at you shall we?”
He nods meekly, shifting positions.
“Sorry, you are?” she asks and it takes Dan a minute to realize she’s talking to him.
“Oh, me? Oh, I’m, um… well I guess I’m his family for the time being,” he manages and Jones shoots him a questioning look.
Dan averts his gaze, suddenly immensely interested in the state of his boot laces. She makes a tutting noise of disapproval, but focusses back on Jones.
“Yes, I guess we can permit it if you give your permission?”
“Yeah, course I do. He’s my… flatmate,” he says it like it’s a question, quirking an eyebrow at Dan, who nods. “He’s my flatmate, so… y’know.”
“I’m going to ask you to lift your gown for me please and lie back,” she says, her voice is assertive and slightly accented. “Okay, I am going to feel around your lymph nodes as well as the abdomen area for any signs of swelling or irregularity.”
Jones lies down, his hospital gown pulled up, bunched at his armpits. He’s naked from the waist down other than his purple pants and mismatched socks. The doctor examines Jones’s bruises and begins to gently prod at his stomach.
“Do you feel any discomfort?” she asks, as Dan strokes the edge of his palm with one finger, his hand at his side.
“No, it’s like a relaxing massage,” he says and Dan has to supress a snort. Only Jones. “Yeah it’s uncomfortable, but no there isn’t any pain or specific places that are really bad, thanks.”
She makes a noise of discontentment and scribbles something down on a clipboard. She feels his lymph nodes next, and Dan notices one of Jones’s feet is moving non-stop. He squeezes the edge of Jones’s palm between his thumb and index finger, trying to comfort him and his shaking foot slows. The doctor also shines a small torch into his eye, asking him to look in different directions to inspect the burst blood vessel.
“Okay, for now I think what we are going to do is send you in for a scan because there is some definite swelling,” she says, looking over the top of her glasses as she scribbles on the clipboard. “We’ll look them over and go from there. If we need to, we’ll try and get you in for a CT scan, but for now the scan will suffice.”
“Can Dan come with me?” he asks, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze before using it to help himself up.
“If you wish,” she replies.
Dan helps him up and into a wheelchair and the nurse leads them out again, pointing them in the direction of the waiting area for scans. He wheels Jones through the halls, following the black and white signs until they find it and Jones speaks to the woman at a desk, showing her his bracelet. Dan pulls the wheelchair towards one of the plastic waiting chairs and sits down opposite Jones.
“So you’re my flatmate, huh?” Jones asks. He doesn’t look offended or anything, just puzzled.
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Dan says, taking Jones’s hands in his. “I just, I don’t know what else to say. Boyfriend sounds too weird. And partner sounds like we’re… I don’t know, like we’re running a business or detectives or something.”
Jones smiles, “Detectives, I like that. What about… this is Dan, my lover.”
Dan blushes in response and Jones laughs. He looks better when he laughs; not so ill.
“I don’t think so,” he replies bashfully. “You’re more like my…”
“Second half?”
Dan smiles, peering into the eyes that are still dazzling even with a burst blood vessel in one. He laughs softly through his nose.
“Yeah,” he says. “My second half.”
He releases Jones’s left hand and places his hand on his partially exposed thigh, rubbing a hand over his warm, and hairy, skin affectionately. Jones continues to hold his gaze, a small smile playing on his lips. He starts absentmindedly scratching his forearm and Dan’s eyes break away from his as he frowns. Jones stops and grabs Dan’s hand again, closing his eyes as he entwines their fingers.
The minutes pass by slowly and at one point Dan’s sure Jones has fallen asleep. Dan checks his wristwatch for the time and bites his bottom lip nervously. When he looks up again Jones is watching him. He sighs.
“Jones, uh, there’s something I should tell you,” he admits, looking down at their clasped hands.
“What is it?” Jones asks softly, but worry has crept into his voice.
“I know you’re going to be cross with me for this, but I just… I needed to talk to him about it.”
“Talk to who about what, Dan?” he asks, his tone getting cooler.
“I-” he starts and has to take a deep breath. It was for the greater good, “I rang… your dad.”
Jones lets go of Dan’s hands, sliding his fingers up his forehead and into his hair, grabbing fistfuls of it as he bows his head.
“I’m sorry Jones,” he says solemnly. “I had to. I couldn’t keep this from him, it was too much pressure, you’re too important.”
“Is he coming up?” Jones cuts in.
“Yes,” Dan answers in a low voice. Jones lets out a long breath. “I really am sorry, I’m just so worried. I needed to know what it was like when you first-”
Jones lifts his head and Dan chokes on his words, going abruptly silent.
“Um, what it was like when you first… get into the hospital,” he says in a forced sort of way. “You know, because when I got taken to the hospital last year I was unconscious so… y’know, I didn’t, erm, know what it was… like.”
There’s a flicker of something behind the blue of Jones’s eyes, “’m fine. It’s just a… a bit of a flu, or, um-”
“Graham Jones?” an attractive blonde woman asks, looking around the room as if there were more than five people in it.
“Yeah, that’s me,” Jones says, looking away and turning the wheel chair around as Dan gets to his feet.
“Come with me,” she says and Dan pushes the wheelchair after her.
They’re led to a dimly lit room where Jones lies down, hitching his hospital gown up to his chest again and the blonde woman sits in front of a computer screen. Dan takes a seat in a chair on the other side of Jones, but avoids his gaze. While the woman puts on rubber gloves, Jones reaches out and takes Dan’s hand in his own, giving it a light squeeze and withdrawing his arm again. Dan looks up at him and he gives him a weak smile that tells Dan that he forgives him.
“This is going to be a bit cold,” the blonde girl says, holding up a tube over Jones’s abdomen and squeezing out some clear liquid.
Jones frowns in discomfort at the cool gel, but she takes no notice of him as she starts to move the device around his midriff, watching the fuzzy black and white images on the computer screen. Dan doesn’t really understand what she’s looking for, everything just looks like a blurry grey blob with dots to him. Jones reaches for Dan’s hand again, and at first he thinks he’s upset, but when he looks at Jones, he’s grinning. He shoots Dan a quick wink and turns to the blonde woman.
“So, are we having a little girl or a baby boy?” he asks in mock anticipation.
Dan snorts loudly and covers his face with one hand as he laughs. Jones begins to giggle as well.
“Stop it,” the nurse says, but she’s smiling as well. “I can’t do this properly when you’re laughing.”
“So Dan,” he says, still beaming. “Would you like to tell dad he’s going to be a granddad or shall I?”
“You’re an idiot,” Dan laughs.
“Are you two brothers?” the nurse asks.
“Nah, he’s my wife,” Jones says with fake exasperation. “You know, the one who knocked me up?”
“I’m pretty sure that would make you the wife, there Jones,” Dan points out. “No, I’m his flatmate.”
“Yeah, I’m his best mate,” Jones says.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Dan says with a dramatic roll of his eyes.
“Oh please,” Jones says just as dramatically. “I’ve got me gown hitched up to my armpits, showing off my knickers, and you’re wheeling me around the hospital. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you fancied me.”
“Well it’s a good thing you know better then,” Dan teases. “Actually speaking of, I should probably call Danielle and let her know what’s up.”
“Don’t bother,” Jones says. “I’ll be fine by tomorrow, they’ll shoot me up with some antibiotic or something and I’ll be back home by tomorrow afternoon, don’t worry her for nothing.”
When Jones’s wiped off the sticky gel from his stomach, they’re taken to the room he’s to stay in for the night and Dan helps him into bed. It doesn’t take long before he’s fast asleep.
“We would like Mr. Jones to get some sleep now, but you are welcome to sit in the waiting room until we have results to share with you,” the doctor says when she appears in the room.
He thanks her begrudgingly and makes his way back down to A&E. He spots Claire sitting in a corner, and as he approaches her Bruce sits down next to her.
“Dan,” he exclaims when he sees him and gets to his feet.
“Hi Bruce,” he says awkwardly. “I see you’ve met Claire.”
“Yes, she found me actually.”
“Yeah, did you know Jones’s name is Graham?” she asks with the air of someone discovering a secret.
“Yeah,” Dan replies, smiling weakly. “Yeah I did.”
“Where is he?” Bruce asks.
“He’s in the room he’s going to stay in tonight,” Dan explains. “He’s asleep so I don’t think they want us in there, but the doctor said we can wait up there until they have the results.”
“Okay, great,” Bruce says, gathering up his coat.
“Listen, Claire,” Dan begins. “I really appreciate you being here, but you don’t have to stay, you can go home if you want to, we’ll probably just be waiting more.”
“No, it’s alright,” she shrugs. “I’ll stay.”
Dan nods and leads them back up to the place where they’re meant to wait for news. It seems like an eternity of waiting, the room darkens as the sun sets outside and the fluorescent lights give off their artificial glow. They sip tea out of polystyrene cups, the lemon eating away at the edges in a way that has got to be carcinogenic. Dan picks at some of the food Claire brings them in between pacing outside the door to Jones’s room. Checking his watch for what must be the thousandth time, his tense body craves a fag, but he doesn’t want to miss the doctor, so he stays where he is. Claire nods off leaning against his shoulder as he tilts his head back against the wall and closes his eyes. Bruce stares at an open book in his lap, but Dan knows he isn’t reading, he hasn’t turned the page in twenty five minutes. Finally the doctor appears and Dan jumps up, startling Claire awake.
“Hello, and you are?” she asks Bruce as they gather around her.
“Bruce Jones,” he says. “I’m Graham’s father.”
“Ah, good, yes,” she nods. “Well then, Mr. Ashcroft, if Mr. Jones is spoken for by a relative-”
“No, he can stay,” Bruce states quite firmly and Dan’s heart aches with gratitude. “He lives with Graham, it’s important that he and Claire know.”
“As you wish Mr. Jones,” she concedes. “There is good news and there is bad news.”
“Is it the cancer?” Dan blurts, his throat rough with emotion and urgency. “Has it come back?”
“Cancer?” Claire breathes, staring at Dan.
“The blood count suggests that his leukocytes are in a somewhat normal range for-”
“Please,” Dan practically begs. “Is the cancer back?”
“It does not appear the leukemia is back, no,” she says.
Dan runs his hands over his face and through his hair, letting out a long breath, “Thank god.”
“So what’s the bad news then?” Bruce asks. “What’s wrong?”
“The bad news,” she says, flipping the papers on her clipboard down and looking between Bruce and Dan. “Is that his liver is failing.”
Chapter 27
Rating: T
Summary: Dan does his best to stay by Jones's side in the hospital as they wait for results.
Warnings: some medical discussion, blood mention, swearing
Word count: 3273
Dan blows smoke into the cool air with his fist balled up in the pocket of his coat. He throws the stub of his fag to the ground angrily and stomps it flat with the heel of his boot. He’d been asked to go outside after yelling at the nurses for not helping Jones fast enough. Claire had gone with him after they’d attached one of those hospital bracelets to his wrist, and she promised him that she’d come back as soon as they knew anything. With every passing second Dan can feel the urge to punch the wall behind him grow, and he tilts his head back against it, squeezing his eyes shut and lifting his phone to his ear.
“Bruce Jones,” the voice on the other end says when the tone’s cut off.
“Hello Bruce,” he says uncomfortably. “It’s Dan, er, Dan Ashcroft?”
“Yes, hello Dan, what can I do for you?” he asks.
“Well, it’s- I… was just wondering if I could ask you, um, some… stuff?” he manages.
“Of course, go ahead. What’s troubling you?”
“Er, it’s, uh, it’s about Jones actually,” he stammers, blinking profusely. “What, um, what was it like- I mean, how did you know when he, erm, got sick?”
There’s a pause on the other end and the faint crackling of the line seems to go on for ages before he responds, “When you say ‘got sick’, you mean… the cancer?”
Dan’s insides go cold at the word, “Yeah.”
“Dan,” he says, and his tone is suddenly so hard it practically makes him jump. “What’s going on?”
“Jones is going to fucking kill me for calling you,” he mutters and takes a deep breath. “He’s been really ill and I’m worried about him. It started off and he was just really tired all the time and I just figured he wasn’t drinking as much coffee, or he’d been staying up too late with his music. But then, he was- he’s always covered in these bruises but it was like they were getting worse and I found out he’s got something called petechiae, which is like these pinprick bruises, and then he started being sick and he’s not been eating and there’s just been so much blood, he keeps bleeding-”
“I’m coming up there,” Bruce says and Dan runs a hand through his hair, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.
“Okay,” he says roughly. “I’ve brought him to A&E. Claire’s in with him know.”
“Okay,” Bruce repeats and there’s silence again.
“You don’t think it is the- the- you don’t think it’s come back, do you?” Dan asks quietly. “I did an internet search and…”
“I don’t know,” Bruce admits. “But it’s a possibility.”
“Right.”
“Thank you for calling Dan-”
“Yeah. Anyway I should probably go…”
“Right. I- I’ll see you, then.”
They both hang up without another word. Dan lets his head fall back against the brick wall, but he barely feels the pain as it collides with the hard surface. He closes his eyes again, rubbing them with a thumb and finger, and wishing that this is all a dream and he’s going to wake up to a cheery Jones finishing his third coffee.
“Hey,” Claire’s voice cuts through him, making his heart leap in his chest, and his eyes flicker open.
“Well?” he demands. “What’s going on? Where is he? Did they tell you anything? Is he alone? I’m coming in to see him.”
“Dan,” she says reaching out a hand, but he shrugs it off and pushes past her to the door. “Dan! Please! They want to keep him in the hospital overnight to run some tests.”
He storms through the hospital waiting room and Claire trails behind at his heels. She grabs desperately at the sleeves of his coat as he strides past the disapproving glares of the nurses.
“They’re just going to take some blood,” she tries to assure him. “And keep an eye on him until they know what’s wrong- Dan!”
“Where are they keeping him?” Dan mutters angrily. “He doesn’t like it here.”
“Dan, please just calm down,” she says harshly under her breath. “You know that they’ll let you see him sooner if you just relax. Please.”
He pauses for a moment, considering her words. She’s right. He sighs and lets Claire pull him down into a chair to wait. Dan buries his face in his hands, praying to some god he doesn’t believe in that he’ll at least be able to see Jones. He must be freaking out all alone in the hospital.
“Can I get you something to eat or some water or something?” Claire asks softly and he shakes his head. “Okay. Hey, it’s going to work, alright? Just play along and you’ll get what you want.”
He nods dejectedly, not lifting his eyes from the floor until a pair of white trainers appear in his field of vision.
“Mr. Ashcroft?” the nurse asks and he stands instinctively.
“Yes,” he gulps, nodding fervently.
“A Mr. Jones is asking for you.”
His heart does a somersault in his chest, “Can I see him?”
“Follow me.”
“Shall I wait for you here, or…?” Claire asks and he jumps, having forgotten for a moment that she’s there.
“Uh,” Dan stammers and the nurse gives them an impatient look.
“You go ahead, it’s fine,” Claire says, waving it off.
Dan practically sprints after the nurse as he’s led down the hospital’s corridors. He peers anxiously though partially open doors until the nurse stops and he finally catches sight of Jones. He looks up and his eyes widen at the sight of Dan. He lifts his arms out to reach for him and Dan practically runs into them. He places one hand on the back of Jones’s head and strokes his hair.
“Dan,” Jones says roughly.
“I’m here,” he replies is a whisper. “I’m here. I’m sorry Jones, I shouldn’t have got upset and got myself thrown out like that. I’m here now, I’m not going anywhere.”
“Okay,” Jones whispers back.
Dan notices the nurse’s disapproving look and clears his throat loudly, straightening up. He glances over his shoulder and fins a chair against the wall. He pulls it to the side of the bed and sits down so he’s at eye-level with Jones.
“How’re you feeling?” he asks, feeling the nurse’s stare bore into him.
“I wish I could go home,” he says, pouting at the circles he’s tracing in the sheets.
“I know,” Dan says sympathetically. “We’ll get you patched up and then we’ll get you home, alright?”
“Promise?” he asks.
Dan swallows hard, “Promise.”
“They took blood already,” Jones says, holding up his arm for Dan to see, the cotton ball in the pit of his elbow secured with a plaster.
“Yeah, so Claire said,” Dan mutters.
“Yeah where is Claire anyway?” Jones asks, popping his head up and looking around like she may be behind the large curtain.
“Back in the waiting room, she might-”
“Graham Jones?” a voice asks, cutting Dan off.
“Mhm,” Jones replies nervously.
“Hi, Dr. Wallace,” says the stout woman with her hair in a long plait. She shakes Jones’s hand, “Let’s take a look at you shall we?”
He nods meekly, shifting positions.
“Sorry, you are?” she asks and it takes Dan a minute to realize she’s talking to him.
“Oh, me? Oh, I’m, um… well I guess I’m his family for the time being,” he manages and Jones shoots him a questioning look.
Dan averts his gaze, suddenly immensely interested in the state of his boot laces. She makes a tutting noise of disapproval, but focusses back on Jones.
“Yes, I guess we can permit it if you give your permission?”
“Yeah, course I do. He’s my… flatmate,” he says it like it’s a question, quirking an eyebrow at Dan, who nods. “He’s my flatmate, so… y’know.”
“I’m going to ask you to lift your gown for me please and lie back,” she says, her voice is assertive and slightly accented. “Okay, I am going to feel around your lymph nodes as well as the abdomen area for any signs of swelling or irregularity.”
Jones lies down, his hospital gown pulled up, bunched at his armpits. He’s naked from the waist down other than his purple pants and mismatched socks. The doctor examines Jones’s bruises and begins to gently prod at his stomach.
“Do you feel any discomfort?” she asks, as Dan strokes the edge of his palm with one finger, his hand at his side.
“No, it’s like a relaxing massage,” he says and Dan has to supress a snort. Only Jones. “Yeah it’s uncomfortable, but no there isn’t any pain or specific places that are really bad, thanks.”
She makes a noise of discontentment and scribbles something down on a clipboard. She feels his lymph nodes next, and Dan notices one of Jones’s feet is moving non-stop. He squeezes the edge of Jones’s palm between his thumb and index finger, trying to comfort him and his shaking foot slows. The doctor also shines a small torch into his eye, asking him to look in different directions to inspect the burst blood vessel.
“Okay, for now I think what we are going to do is send you in for a scan because there is some definite swelling,” she says, looking over the top of her glasses as she scribbles on the clipboard. “We’ll look them over and go from there. If we need to, we’ll try and get you in for a CT scan, but for now the scan will suffice.”
“Can Dan come with me?” he asks, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze before using it to help himself up.
“If you wish,” she replies.
Dan helps him up and into a wheelchair and the nurse leads them out again, pointing them in the direction of the waiting area for scans. He wheels Jones through the halls, following the black and white signs until they find it and Jones speaks to the woman at a desk, showing her his bracelet. Dan pulls the wheelchair towards one of the plastic waiting chairs and sits down opposite Jones.
“So you’re my flatmate, huh?” Jones asks. He doesn’t look offended or anything, just puzzled.
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Dan says, taking Jones’s hands in his. “I just, I don’t know what else to say. Boyfriend sounds too weird. And partner sounds like we’re… I don’t know, like we’re running a business or detectives or something.”
Jones smiles, “Detectives, I like that. What about… this is Dan, my lover.”
Dan blushes in response and Jones laughs. He looks better when he laughs; not so ill.
“I don’t think so,” he replies bashfully. “You’re more like my…”
“Second half?”
Dan smiles, peering into the eyes that are still dazzling even with a burst blood vessel in one. He laughs softly through his nose.
“Yeah,” he says. “My second half.”
He releases Jones’s left hand and places his hand on his partially exposed thigh, rubbing a hand over his warm, and hairy, skin affectionately. Jones continues to hold his gaze, a small smile playing on his lips. He starts absentmindedly scratching his forearm and Dan’s eyes break away from his as he frowns. Jones stops and grabs Dan’s hand again, closing his eyes as he entwines their fingers.
The minutes pass by slowly and at one point Dan’s sure Jones has fallen asleep. Dan checks his wristwatch for the time and bites his bottom lip nervously. When he looks up again Jones is watching him. He sighs.
“Jones, uh, there’s something I should tell you,” he admits, looking down at their clasped hands.
“What is it?” Jones asks softly, but worry has crept into his voice.
“I know you’re going to be cross with me for this, but I just… I needed to talk to him about it.”
“Talk to who about what, Dan?” he asks, his tone getting cooler.
“I-” he starts and has to take a deep breath. It was for the greater good, “I rang… your dad.”
Jones lets go of Dan’s hands, sliding his fingers up his forehead and into his hair, grabbing fistfuls of it as he bows his head.
“I’m sorry Jones,” he says solemnly. “I had to. I couldn’t keep this from him, it was too much pressure, you’re too important.”
“Is he coming up?” Jones cuts in.
“Yes,” Dan answers in a low voice. Jones lets out a long breath. “I really am sorry, I’m just so worried. I needed to know what it was like when you first-”
Jones lifts his head and Dan chokes on his words, going abruptly silent.
“Um, what it was like when you first… get into the hospital,” he says in a forced sort of way. “You know, because when I got taken to the hospital last year I was unconscious so… y’know, I didn’t, erm, know what it was… like.”
There’s a flicker of something behind the blue of Jones’s eyes, “’m fine. It’s just a… a bit of a flu, or, um-”
“Graham Jones?” an attractive blonde woman asks, looking around the room as if there were more than five people in it.
“Yeah, that’s me,” Jones says, looking away and turning the wheel chair around as Dan gets to his feet.
“Come with me,” she says and Dan pushes the wheelchair after her.
They’re led to a dimly lit room where Jones lies down, hitching his hospital gown up to his chest again and the blonde woman sits in front of a computer screen. Dan takes a seat in a chair on the other side of Jones, but avoids his gaze. While the woman puts on rubber gloves, Jones reaches out and takes Dan’s hand in his own, giving it a light squeeze and withdrawing his arm again. Dan looks up at him and he gives him a weak smile that tells Dan that he forgives him.
“This is going to be a bit cold,” the blonde girl says, holding up a tube over Jones’s abdomen and squeezing out some clear liquid.
Jones frowns in discomfort at the cool gel, but she takes no notice of him as she starts to move the device around his midriff, watching the fuzzy black and white images on the computer screen. Dan doesn’t really understand what she’s looking for, everything just looks like a blurry grey blob with dots to him. Jones reaches for Dan’s hand again, and at first he thinks he’s upset, but when he looks at Jones, he’s grinning. He shoots Dan a quick wink and turns to the blonde woman.
“So, are we having a little girl or a baby boy?” he asks in mock anticipation.
Dan snorts loudly and covers his face with one hand as he laughs. Jones begins to giggle as well.
“Stop it,” the nurse says, but she’s smiling as well. “I can’t do this properly when you’re laughing.”
“So Dan,” he says, still beaming. “Would you like to tell dad he’s going to be a granddad or shall I?”
“You’re an idiot,” Dan laughs.
“Are you two brothers?” the nurse asks.
“Nah, he’s my wife,” Jones says with fake exasperation. “You know, the one who knocked me up?”
“I’m pretty sure that would make you the wife, there Jones,” Dan points out. “No, I’m his flatmate.”
“Yeah, I’m his best mate,” Jones says.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Dan says with a dramatic roll of his eyes.
“Oh please,” Jones says just as dramatically. “I’ve got me gown hitched up to my armpits, showing off my knickers, and you’re wheeling me around the hospital. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you fancied me.”
“Well it’s a good thing you know better then,” Dan teases. “Actually speaking of, I should probably call Danielle and let her know what’s up.”
“Don’t bother,” Jones says. “I’ll be fine by tomorrow, they’ll shoot me up with some antibiotic or something and I’ll be back home by tomorrow afternoon, don’t worry her for nothing.”
When Jones’s wiped off the sticky gel from his stomach, they’re taken to the room he’s to stay in for the night and Dan helps him into bed. It doesn’t take long before he’s fast asleep.
“We would like Mr. Jones to get some sleep now, but you are welcome to sit in the waiting room until we have results to share with you,” the doctor says when she appears in the room.
He thanks her begrudgingly and makes his way back down to A&E. He spots Claire sitting in a corner, and as he approaches her Bruce sits down next to her.
“Dan,” he exclaims when he sees him and gets to his feet.
“Hi Bruce,” he says awkwardly. “I see you’ve met Claire.”
“Yes, she found me actually.”
“Yeah, did you know Jones’s name is Graham?” she asks with the air of someone discovering a secret.
“Yeah,” Dan replies, smiling weakly. “Yeah I did.”
“Where is he?” Bruce asks.
“He’s in the room he’s going to stay in tonight,” Dan explains. “He’s asleep so I don’t think they want us in there, but the doctor said we can wait up there until they have the results.”
“Okay, great,” Bruce says, gathering up his coat.
“Listen, Claire,” Dan begins. “I really appreciate you being here, but you don’t have to stay, you can go home if you want to, we’ll probably just be waiting more.”
“No, it’s alright,” she shrugs. “I’ll stay.”
Dan nods and leads them back up to the place where they’re meant to wait for news. It seems like an eternity of waiting, the room darkens as the sun sets outside and the fluorescent lights give off their artificial glow. They sip tea out of polystyrene cups, the lemon eating away at the edges in a way that has got to be carcinogenic. Dan picks at some of the food Claire brings them in between pacing outside the door to Jones’s room. Checking his watch for what must be the thousandth time, his tense body craves a fag, but he doesn’t want to miss the doctor, so he stays where he is. Claire nods off leaning against his shoulder as he tilts his head back against the wall and closes his eyes. Bruce stares at an open book in his lap, but Dan knows he isn’t reading, he hasn’t turned the page in twenty five minutes. Finally the doctor appears and Dan jumps up, startling Claire awake.
“Hello, and you are?” she asks Bruce as they gather around her.
“Bruce Jones,” he says. “I’m Graham’s father.”
“Ah, good, yes,” she nods. “Well then, Mr. Ashcroft, if Mr. Jones is spoken for by a relative-”
“No, he can stay,” Bruce states quite firmly and Dan’s heart aches with gratitude. “He lives with Graham, it’s important that he and Claire know.”
“As you wish Mr. Jones,” she concedes. “There is good news and there is bad news.”
“Is it the cancer?” Dan blurts, his throat rough with emotion and urgency. “Has it come back?”
“Cancer?” Claire breathes, staring at Dan.
“The blood count suggests that his leukocytes are in a somewhat normal range for-”
“Please,” Dan practically begs. “Is the cancer back?”
“It does not appear the leukemia is back, no,” she says.
Dan runs his hands over his face and through his hair, letting out a long breath, “Thank god.”
“So what’s the bad news then?” Bruce asks. “What’s wrong?”
“The bad news,” she says, flipping the papers on her clipboard down and looking between Bruce and Dan. “Is that his liver is failing.”
Chapter 27