Personal - The Complete Series, page 61
“Okay, let’s have a look at you.” He pulled on latex gloves and took cotton wool from the bag, then ran it under the tap. Ed sat still while the doctor cleaned away blood from above his eye and lip. Ed winced when the doctor gently touched the area around his eye.
The doctor stepped back, snapping off his gloves and dropping them and the cotton wool into the bin by the wash basin. “Right then, you don’t need stitches to that cut on your forehead, but you’re going to have some bruising to your jaw and eye. I can give you a couple of aspirin for the pain, if you require them, but that’s about all.” He waited.
Ed nodded. His head ached like a bastard.
The doctor took two white tablets from the bag and handed them to Ed. Then he took the plastic cup from next to the wash basin and filled it with cold water. He handed it to Ed who swallowed the tablets and water. The doctor regarded him keenly. “I’d put my head down for a while if I were you, until they’re ready to interview you.” He smiled, fastened up his bag and exited the cell. The door closed and Ed lay down, his head resting on the rectangular blue pillow.
He closed his eyes. Some Valentine’s Day this has turned out to be. He wasn’t worried about the police interview. He was fairly sure once any decent solicitor heard all the evidence, there’d be no case to answer. It wasn’t as if he was a football hooligan, for fuck’s sake. No, the only thing that worried him was Colin. Knowing where he was took away a fraction of Ed’s concern. Knowing nothing about the state of Colin’s health made his stomach churn.
God, look after him, okay?
He hoped God was listening, because at that moment, Ed had never felt so utterly useless.
Valentine’s Day - Blake to the rescue
Ed shook Simon Westfield’s hand. “Thank you so much, Mr. Westfield.”
He smiled. “A pleasure, and it’s Simon. Again, my apologies for making you wait so long, but when I got Blake’s message, I was about to give a keynote speech at a charity dinner.”
Ed grinned. “I did wonder about the tux.” He’d raised his eyebrows at Simon’s appearance when he’d been escorted back into the custody suite at ten o’clock to find the tall, well-dressed solicitor waiting for him. Once they were in the interview room, Simon had proved himself sharp, concise and efficient. He nodded as Ed told him everything that had happened at the stadium. When the interview had started, Simon had done all the talking. Ed was relieved that the police weren’t about to charge him with anything at that moment, but it was aggravating that he was bailed to appear back at the station within six to eight weeks, pending their inquiries. They were conducting interviews and getting statements from everyone they’d taken into custody.
“I wouldn’t worry if I were you,” Simon assured him. “I’m fairly certain nothing will come of this, but they have to go by the book. They’ll take statements from all those they took into custody, and when they have a clearer picture of what happened, you’ll be given a definite date to appear back here. From what you told them, I wouldn’t rule out receiving a phone call to say they would be dropping any idea of charging you.”
“Look at the state of you!” Ed spun around at the sound of that well-known voice. Blake Davis was standing behind him, dressed in a black greatcoat and deep red scarf. He shook his head. “I can’t let you go anywhere, can I?”
Ed had never been so pleased to see his friend and boss. He walked over to Blake and hugged him tightly. Blake returned the hug, patting him on the back, and then gave Simon his full attention. “Thanks for stepping in at late notice, Mr. Westfield. You came highly recommended by Dylan Trent.”
Simon smiled. “Ah, you’re one of Dylan’s, are you?” He shook Blake’s hand. “Glad I was able to assist.” He took two cards from his wallet and handed them to Blake and Ed. “I’ll be back on Monday when Mr. Fellows returns.” He nodded to them both. “It was a pleasure meeting you, gentlemen.” Simon flashed them a smile. “And now I’ll get home to that husband of mine.” With that, he patted Ed’s arm. “I hope your partner is all right.”
Ed smiled. “Thanks. Me too.” Simon nodded sympathetically and then exited the custody suite.
“Okay, what’s going on?” Blake frowned. “What’s wrong with Colin? Why isn’t he here?” Before Ed could speak, Blake held up his hand. “We can talk about that when you’re done here. Have you got all your belongings?” Ed nodded, holding up the envelope. “Great, then let’s get out of here.” He gave the desk sergeant a polite nod and then led Ed out of the police station.
“’Ow did you get ’ere?” Ed asked as they walked out into the brisk night air.
Blake pointed to the public car park at the rear of the station. “I drove.”
Ed stopped dead. “From London?” He glanced at his watch. “An’ ’ow many speed limits did you break on the way ’ere?” London had to be at least a couple of hundred miles from Manchester.
Blake snorted. “I kept to a steady seventy miles per hour, I’ll have you know. I just didn’t stop, that’s all.”
“Aw, Blake, you didn’t ’ave to do that.” Ed never ceased to be amazed by Blake’s generosity and good nature.
Blake smiled. “You daft sod, of course I did.” He pointed his key and the car alarm blipped. “Now, where is Colin and where am I taking you?”
“Colin is in ’ospital,” Ed said, his throat tight.
“Aw, crap.” Blake stared at him. “What happened?” They reached the car and got in.
Ed fastened his seatbelt. “We’re goin’ to the Manchester Royal Infirmary. You got any idea where that is?”
Blake shook his head and pulled out his phone. “I’ll find it and then use the app to get us there. You can tell me all about it on the way.” He looked up from the phone and regarded Ed keenly. “You okay?”
“Not really, no.” He took a deep breath. Now that he was finally out of the police station, he could let go of the tight rein he’d held over his emotions. “Fuck, Blake, you should’ve seen ’im. I sat in that bloody cell for hours, waitin’ for Simon to appear, an’ all I could see in me ’ead was Colin, lyin’ on the ground…” He swallowed and closed his eyes, as if that would make the image in his brain disappear.
Blake’s hand was warm on his. “It’s going to be okay. I don’t have a clue how I know that, but I do. So you need to believe that, too.”
Blake’s rich, confident voice eased a little of the tension in Ed’s spine. “Yeah, you’re right.” Ed did his best to keep his own voice even. His stomach chose that moment to growl, and he glanced downward. “An’ you can shut up, an’ all!” Eating could wait until he knew Colin was all right.
Blake let go of his hand and went back to his task. “Got it.” Blake stuck his phone on the dashboard in its holder and switched on the engine. “Right, let’s get out of here and go find your man. You can follow the directions for me.” He threw the car into reverse and pulled out of the car park.
Ed was grateful for the opportunity to concentrate on getting Blake to the hospital. It took his mind off… things. He still couldn’t believe Blake was there.
“I meant it, y’know. You didn’t ’ave to come, not once you’d arranged the solicitor.”
Blake sighed. “All right, so I was worried. Can you blame me? Besides, the moment I told Will, he just looked at me and said, “so how are you getting to Manchester?” He chuckled. “That husband of mine knows me far too well.”
Ed snorted. “After eight years, I should ’ope so.” But he knew the number of years had nothing to do with it. He and Colin were so in tune sometimes, it was scary. It made him wonder how he’d ever managed to live without him. Colin had fitted into his life like he’d always been there.
And there he was again, seeing Colin so clearly in his mind that the breath died in his throat and his chest became so tight, it was as if he would never be able to draw another breath.
“Easy, now.” Blake’s voice took on a soothing tone. “Come on, keep it together. Not long now and you’ll see him.” He reached across and laid his hand on Ed’s knee. “Breathe, okay?”
Ed nodded, forcing himself to inhale deeply. C’mon, pull y’self together. He tried to imagine what Colin would say if he could see him right then. That brought a smile to his face.
Less than fifteen minutes later, they pulled into the visitors’ car park for the Infirmary. Blake locked up the car and they hurried into Reception. Ed went straight to the main desk.
“I’m lookin’ for Colin Reynolds. He was brought in injured from Old Trafford early on this evenin’.”
The receptionist nodded and clicked over her keyboard, her eyes scanning the monitor. “Yes, Mr. Reynolds is on Ward 15, but I’m sorry, visiting hours are over.”
Blake stepped forward. “This is Mr. Reynolds’ partner, who’s just got out of police custody. He’s spent the last four hours or so frantic with worry. Surely he can go up to the ward and talk to the ward Sister to get an update on how his partner is doing?”
The receptionist glanced from Blake to Ed, and then nodded. “That should be okay.”
“Thanks,” Ed said with a smile.
She directed them to the right of the desk. “You need to follow that corridor all the way until you reach the blue zone. Then take the elevator to the third floor and follow the signs for Ward 15.”
Blake thanked her and they left the desk. The corridor twisted and turned, leading them through different departments. Everywhere was peaceful, but considering it was already past eleven o’clock, that was to be expected. Ed doubted A&E would be so quiet on a Saturday night. There’d been lots of stories in the media about how stretched the NHS budget had become, due to spending on alcohol-related issues.
They got out of the elevator and eventually found their way to Ward 15. A nurse at the main desk close to the door stood up as they approached. “Can I help you?”
“I’m here to see Colin Reynolds. He’s my partner.”
The nurse gave him a brief polite smile. “I’m sorry. Could you come back in the morning? Mr. Reynolds will be asleep now, along with the rest of the patients.”
A male nurse appeared at the desk, carrying a water jug. He snorted when he heard her words. “Mr. Reynolds is definitely not asleep, he’s grumpy as hell and keeps asking for his phone. I told him he’s supposed to be resting, but…”
A wave of relief washed over Ed, leaving him shaken. “Oh, thank God.” If Colin was complaining, that was a good sign.
The male nurse peered at him. “Please, God, tell me you’re Ed. He hasn’t stopped asking for you since he got here.”
Ed pushed out a shaky laugh which he quelled when the nurse behind the desk hushed him. Next to him Blake chuckled. “Can we see ’im? I promise we’ll be quiet.”
She frowned, but then the male nurse—Jon, according to his badge—intervened. “Oh, let them see him. He might actually get some rest then.” He grinned.
The nurse relented. “Okay, but only for five minutes.”
“Thanks,” Ed said fervently. He and Blake followed Jon to a side ward with four beds. Jon walked over to the farthest bed where Colin lay, wearing a hospital gown, two or three pillows propping up his head. There were a few stitches above his left eye and his left cheek was bruised. A monitor next to the bed registered his heart rate via a finger clamp.
The smile that lit up Colin’s face when he saw Ed….
“God, look at you,” Colin said softly. He held out his arms and Ed walked straight into them, kissing Colin on the mouth and wincing slightly. Colin’s forehead creased as he gazed at Ed’s face. “You’ve been in the wars, too.”
Ed kissed him again and then smiled. “Yeah, right. You’re the one in ’ospital, mate.” Behind him he heard Blake asking why Colin was being kept in.
“He had a nasty knock on the head, and was showing signs of concussion when they brought him in,” Jon said. “We’re keeping him overnight just to be on the safe side, to make sure there isn’t any brain injury. He has a few cuts and bruises, but the head injury is our main concern. If all’s well, he can be discharged in the morning, once the doc has seen him.”
Colin peered around Ed and his eyes opened wide. “Blake! What on earth are you doing here? I thought you and Will had some romantic, Sophie-free evening all planned out.”
Ed turned slowly to face his friend. He lifted his eyebrows. “Oh really?”
Blake sighed. “Okay, so Will and I had plans. But like I always say, plans shouldn’t be written in stone but on an Etch-a-Sketch.” He met Colin’s gaze. “Will told me to come, honestly.”
“Great, now I’ve ruined your Valentine’s Day plans, as well as my own,” Colin muttered under his breath, his brows knitted. “I keep telling those nurses, I feel fine.”
Ed took his hand and kissed it. “You always make such a lousy patient.”
“Ha!” Colin snorted. “That’s rich, coming from you.” He closed his eyes for a moment, his shoulders sagging.
“Okay, that’s enough, Mr. Reynolds.” Jon came around to the other side of the bed. “If you want to get out of here in the morning, you need to get some sleep.” He caught Ed’s eye and gave him a meaningful stare.
Ed nodded and moved closer. Colin opened his eyes and Ed smiled at him. “You’ve seen me now, yeah? So you can stop worryin’ an’ get some rest. Blake and me will be ’ere in the mornin’ to take you back to the ’otel, but only if the doc gives you the all clear, right?” He stared at his lover, unblinking.
Colin lay still, gazing up at him. Finally he nodded. “I’ll be able to sleep now I know you’re okay.” His eyes were already closing.
Ed let out a sigh. “Good.” Jon switched off the overhead light, and Ed leaned forward to kiss Colin one last time. He mouthed the words, I love you, against Colin’s lips.
Colin sighed. “Love you too, babe.”
For once, Ed wasn’t about to argue.
Blake patted the bed and whispered, “See you in the morning, Colin.” There was the faintest murmur of a reply: Colin was already falling asleep.
Jon led them away from the bed and back to the desk. He smiled at Ed. “Glad you turned up when you did.”
Blake snickered. “Yeah, that’s one of Ed’s superpowers—the ability to send people to sleep just by talking to them.” Ed gave him a mock-glare, but there was no real fire in it: he was too relieved that Colin was in one piece. Blake put his arm around Ed’s shoulders. “Now it’s time to get you back to your bed so you can get some much-needed sleep, too.”
Ed nodded, aware for the first time of how bone tired he was feeling. “Yeah, good thinkin’.” He shook Jon’s hand. “Thanks for takin’ care of Col.”
Jon shrugged. “It’s what I do. Now get some sleep. You’ll see: he’ll be fine.” He showed them to the ward’s main door.
Ed let Blake manoeuvre them through the hospital and out to the car park. Once in the car, he slumped in the seat and put his head against the head-rest, closing his eyes.
“That’s it, you sleep. I know where you’re staying.” Blake’s words registered faintly, but Ed was in that warm, drowsy state, everything nicely fuzzy, where sleep was only a heartbeat away. It seemed like mere seconds had passed before Blake was shaking him by the arm and telling him they were at the Malmaison. They got to the suite and Ed found the key card. It wasn’t until Blake had it in the slot that he remembered—
“Why’d you leave a Do Not Disturb sign on your door?”
—the bed. Shit.
“Bloody hell.”
He waited for the rest, but nothing was forthcoming. Blake simply stood in the lounge area, staring through to the bedroom and shaking his head.
Ed was about to defend himself, but a wave of fatigue rolled over him. Fuck it. He was too tired for this shit. “You know what? I don’t know ’bout you, but I’m gonna get some sleep. You can kip on the couch or on the mattress, makes no odds to me.” He stumbled past Blake into the bedroom, removing clothing as he went, and then padded naked into the bathroom. “Need a quick shower first,” he said over his shoulder.
The hot water felt bloody good against his body, washing him clean of dirt and worry. He leaned against the tiled wall, arms outstretched, head down, letting the torrent of water warm him thoroughly. He closed his eyes when he recalled Colin in that very position while Ed finger-fucked him. Was it only twenty-four hours ago?
Now he’d had a chance to soak away some of the day’s tensions, his recent words to Blake sounded brusque. Ed flipped off the shower and reached for a towel, only to find it handed to him. Blake stood in the steamy bathroom, undressed down to his briefs. Ed sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. That was rude of me.”
Blake waved his hand. “Like I paid any attention. You’ve had a hell of a day, and I had a long drive. You’ve seen Colin, and I’ve just spoken with Will, so all’s right with the world. Let’s just get some sleep, alright?”
Ed nodded, drying himself off. “Sounds good to me. Bathroom’s all yours, mate.” He left the damp towel on the heated rail and walked past Blake to the mattress. Ed pulled back the sheets and climbed in, his head sinking into the thick pillows. Bloody ’ell, that feels good. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax at last. Some part of his brain registered Blake’s quiet Goodnight, but by that time he was well on the way to being completely out of it.
Sunday
Ed opened his eyes when the smell of coffee filtered through to his brain.
Blake stood in the doorway, holding two cups. He was already dressed. “Morning, sleepyhead. I figured you might need this.”
Ed struggled into an upright position and picked up his phone, gazing bleary-eyed at the display. “It’s eight-thirty already.”
“Relax,” Blake told him. “Visiting hours don’t start until ten, which gives us time for breakfast. I promised Will I’d ring him when we had more news.” He handed Ed the cup of coffee.
Ed sipped it, wincing as it burned his mouth. Then he remembered what he’d been meaning to mention since the visit to the hospital. “So what did you an’ Will ’ave planned for last night?” His stomach growled.
