by Elouise East
He sighed. “A case at work.”
“Oh.” She paused. “I know you can’t tell me anything, but I am here if you need me, Alex,” she said quietly.
“I know. Thanks, Ella.”
“I do have some news that might cheer you up a bit.”
“What’s that?” Alex thought he knew what she was going to say.
“I’m pregnant!”
Yep. “Congratulations! Another little bugaboo on the way. How far along are you?”
“Fourteen weeks.”
“Wow, you kept it quiet for fourteen weeks! That’s not the Ella I know and love!” He chuckled.
“Shut up, you.” She paused. “I’ll have you know I didn’t find out until two weeks ago.”
Alex guffawed at the pout in her voice. “You were three months pregnant before you realised?”
“Shut up!” She laughed. “I thought I had the flu because everyone else had it. I’m on the pill! I shouldn’t have been able to get pregnant yet.” She huffed. “Doesn’t matter. We’d planned to wait a few more months before we started trying. But this one decided it was impatient.”
Alex chuckled. “Yeah, that’s our family for you.” He sobered. “Honestly, though. Congrats. I know you want more children. I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks, Alex.”
They spoke for a few more minutes before ringing off. He was exhausted. He would catch up with his parents in a couple of days.
Chapter 9
Craig
Stretching his head from side to side to work out some of the kinks in his neck, he stared at the computer screen. No work had been completed for the last half hour, but he couldn’t get up the energy to be bothered about it. He’d explain it to Darren if he had to.
A knock at the door had Craig tensing, all previous efforts for tension release gone, and he considered not answering it. His instincts were telling him Alex was at the door again. But, as usual, Darren’s voice overrode his concern.
Trailing to the front door, he braced himself before opening it, letting out a sigh when he saw the next-door neighbour.
“Good morning, Miss Nora.” Miss Nora was a lovely lady, getting on in age now, but walking her little terrier, Trixie, every day without fail.
“Craig,” she greeted. “I wanted to check on you, dear. I heard the argument you had with the young man who came to visit, and I was concerned.”
Fuck, not good. Craig had hoped nobody had witnessed their interaction. “Yeah, everything’s fine. The doctor came around to check that I was alright and wasn’t working too hard.” He smiled, trying to make everything seem as okay as it should be.
“Good, good. Glad the doctor has been taking care of you.” She shuffled away. “Think he needs to work on his bedside manner if he’s yelling at you.” Craig didn’t think the words were for him as she murmured them as she waved over her shoulder to him.
It was only afterwards Craig considered the implications of telling her it was a doctor.
****
Darren had been more lenient on his working hours these past few weeks, but he’d nevertheless become angry when Craig’s hours had decreased slightly or when Craig explained he struggled to concentrate and his body ached; Darren kicked out but didn’t say a great deal. His apology was in his silence and in their lovemaking.
It was one area Craig knew would never be violent because it was Darren’s way of apologising. Darren would hold him tenderly, caress him gently, make love to him with sincerity. And Craig loved it.
There had been no more visits from Alex, thankfully, and Craig had relaxed enough to be back to normal. His body had fully recovered: the bruising was going, the aching vanished, and the headaches had receded for the most part. He got them more often than before, especially if he spent too long at the computer without pause, but they were manageable.
Craig was behind schedule with his workload, but he was catching back up again. Currently, he was designing for an art gallery, and he kept getting distracted by the paintings he added to the site. They were amazing.
Four o’clock came, and he signed off, heading for the kitchen to make chicken casserole for dinner. He retrieved the ingredients, and a sense of calm flowed through him as he continued with the recipe he knew by heart. The silence, except for the knock of the knife against the chopping board, through the house was cleansing. Craig paused what he was doing and closed his eyes for a short second, smiling. He busied himself again, and soon the smell permeating the air made his stomach rumble.
Craig heard the door open and close, and he switched off the oven, removing the dish. Placing it on the counter as Darren enter the kitchen, he whirled around with a smile. It froze on his face as he took in Darren’s demeanour: lowered eyebrows, white lips, flushed cheeks, narrowed eyes. Something was drastically wrong. Something the quiet snick of the front door closing hadn’t alerted him to.
“Everything okay?” he asked hesitantly.
Darren’s tongue came out to lick his lips before he spoke. “Imagine my surprise, when I got out of my car on the driveway, when I was asked if everything was alright with you now?” He paused and continued in a slightly higher tone. “Is Craig okay now? It was nice of the doctor to do a house call the other week, wasn’t it? Shame, he shouted at Craig. You would’ve thought doctors nowadays would have a better bedside manner than that. I checked on him. At the time. He said he was okay.”
Craig blanched when Darren threw his gym bag across the floor so hard it slammed into the wall, but he kept his gaze on Darren.
Darren shrugged and shook his head. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He paused, but Craig knew better than to answer. “Are you sleeping with him? Fucking him behind my back? While I’m at work?” He stalked closer until he was face to face with him. “Telling him secrets?” Darren raised his eyebrows in question.
“No—” Craig was prevented from continuing by a punch to the face, and he stumbled backwards into the fridge.
“Is my love not enough for you?” Hands grappled with the front of Craig’s t-shirt, and he was thrown out the kitchen door into the living room, landing on his side. “Everything I gave you…” he pulled Craig vertical again, “and you throw it in my face!” Darren shoved Craig back, and he fell over the sofa, into the coffee table. “I gave you love! I gave you a home! I gave you meaning!” With every sentence, Darren kicked a part of Craig’s body.
Craig tried to shelter to protect the most delicate parts of his body, but he hurt everywhere. Obviously, he hadn’t been as healed as he’d appeared to be. Blood was pouring from his face, and one of his eyes was closing again. Darren straddled him and grasped his arm, pulling it behind his back.
“You want to see your doctor again?” Darren pulled harder, and Craig tried not to say a word. Unfortunately, it was the arm he’d dislocated before, and he remembered what Alex had previously told him seconds before Darren pulled his arm out of the socket. Fire streaked down his body as Darren let go, and Craig tried to hold his arm to his body, but Darren lifted him up again and threw him towards the front door. “How can you do this to me! After everything I have done for you!”
Craig rolled to his back, trying to find the most comfortable position. Thoughts of Alex flew through his head: his smile…his laughter…his comments about abuse.
Darren straddled him once more, and Craig lifted his usable hand to defend his face. Darren gripped his throat, repeatedly banging his head back against the floor until Craig could no longer understand the words Darren was saying. Alex’s face floated in front of his face and black spots danced alongside it.
The next thing he knew, air was rushing back into his lungs and loud noises were filtering into his ears.
“Mr Talbot? Craig? Can you hear me?” Light shone in his eyes, and Craig moved his head away from it. “He’s responsive. It appears he has a dislocated shoulder, multiple gashes on his face, bruising appearing on his right eye and throat and…” a hand probed the back of his head, making him cringe, “possible gas
h or at least bruising at the back of his head.” More pressure on the back of his head, but something softer cushioning it.
Craig was jostled, and he gritted his teeth as pain flowed through his shoulder. “Craig? My name is Casey. I’m a paramedic. We’re going to be taking you to hospital. We need to move you, and I apologise in advance because this will most likely hurt, but once we get you situated, we will give you something for the pain.”
Craig tried to nod his understanding, but everything felt disconnected; he couldn’t tell whether he was making the movements or not. More people moved around him, their shadowy figures more blurry than distinctive until blinding pain focused him as he was bodily moved onto something slightly softer than before. Something covered him, and he heard clicks before a voice was back.
“Craig, we are going to move you to the ambulance now. As soon as you’re settled there, and we’re on our way, I will give you some pain relief. Alright?” The voice paused, causing Craig to try to open his eyes. He managed to open it enough to see a young dark-haired man peering at him, but the halo of light behind him made it difficult for Craig to discern his features. “Ah, there we go. Nice to see you, Craig. Let’s get going, shall we?”
Craig closed his eye and opened it again, hoping to make it clear he understood.
“Right. Let’s move.”
He assumed he was on a gurney from what the guy had said about hospital and ambulances, but the path was not at all smooth, neither was the ascent into the ambulance. But sweet relief was given, and the pain slowly receded.
“Okay, Craig, you should start feeling better now.”
Craig opened his eyes, one not as well as the other, and studied the paramedic.
“Hello. In case you didn’t catch it when we were inside, my name is Casey, and I’ll be keeping an eye on you until we get you into the hands of a doctor at the hospital. Are you able to tell me how you’re feeling?”
His body, although not as painful as before the medication, was stinging in places with the motion of the vehicle. He was able to catalogue some of the injuries. He was cradling his arm, so he slowly moved his fingers to show three—he didn’t want to chance talking because his jaw was tender.
“Ah, three out of ten, I’m guessing. Alright, we can work with that.” Casey rested his hand on Craig’s uninjured shoulder. “You’re in no danger now, Mr Talbot. You’ll be safe at the hospital.”
Craig frowned. Why would he need to be safe?
“Your partner has been taken into custody. You won’t have to deal with him any time soon.” Casey’s words had a slight anger to them, and Craig’s eyes widened.
Darren had been arrested. Why? He’d been angry because Craig had not told him about Alex’s visit, understandably. It was his own fault…or was it? Craig frowned again, closing his eyes to follow his train of thought. Why was Darren angry about that? He thought Craig had been having an affair, that’s why he was angry…but he didn’t let Craig explain. He started hitting him. Why didn’t he let Craig explain? Shouldn’t Darren be happy Alex was checking and making sure he was okay?
Craig’s thoughts went around and around in his head. He remembered the things Alex had told him, things he’d seen on TV when he had watched it, things he’d heard on the radio over the years. Was Darren abusing him? It didn’t seem to fit in with what he knew about abuse, but Alex might have seen something he hadn’t.
“Are you okay, Craig?” Casey asked softly.
Craig shook his head, wincing when pain flared up.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
Craig unclenched his jaw, waiting for more pain, but a slight ache was all he felt. Slowly, he spoke, his throat aching like he had swallowed glass. “I can’t figure out…why everyone…thinks I’m being…abused.” He licked his lips. “I thought he was overreacting…I don’t know…” He hesitated, not knowing what he was trying to say.
“Craig? Did you ask to be hurt?” Casey leaned into Craig’s eye line.
Craig thought about the question and peered at Casey. “I don’t think so.” He frowned.
“Then it’s abuse.” Casey sounded matter of fact about it.
Craig thought about all the other times it had happened over the five years they had been together. He had begun to need hospital visits recently, but the others were small things like a black eye or bruised ribs.
He felt the ambulance brake, and Casey spoke again, “We’re here. We’ll get you sorted in no time.”
It was all hustle and bustle as Craig was rushed into A&E. The bright lights pierced his retinas, and he closed his eyelids to get some reprieve.
“Okay, what have we got—? Fuck! Craig?” Alex’s voice compelled Craig to open his eyes, and he stared into eyes the colour of the sky.
Chapter 10
Alex
“Alex! Calm down. He’s going to be alright.” Casey’s voice came from close to his ear, and he was holding onto Alex. He was glad, he didn’t feel steady at all.
“What the hell happened?” Alex inspected Craig up and down, frowning.
“Alex!” Casey’s urgency had his gaze focusing on him. “He’s here now. We can help him. Get it together; otherwise, you’ll be no use to him at all!” He turned away. “Let’s get him to a room, people.”
Alex recognised, as Casey had, they were still in the entrance of A&E, and they quickly took Craig to a treatment room. Before they followed, Casey pulled Alex to one side.
“Are you going to be able to do this, Alex?” He was stern with his words.
He nodded. “Yes.”
“Alex, look at me.” Alex did. “Are you going to be able to do this?” Casey spoke slower as if making sure the words were understood.
Alex blew out a breath and nodded. “Yes.” He stared at Casey with conviction. Because he couldn’t allow anyone else to do it, he’d make sure he could. He couldn’t believe Craig was here for the third time and each time when Alex was covering in A&E. If Alex believed in fate, he would’ve thought they had something to do with it.
They entered the treatment room to find two nurses setting Craig up with the relevant equipment and writing in his file. Everything from this point forward would be noted down in case it is deemed useful later, especially as this was most likely going to be flagged up. Especially if Alex had anything to do with it.
He headed over to the bed, and seeing Craig covered in blood once again raised his blood pressure. If he ever got his hands on Darren…well, Darren wouldn’t be standing put it that way. It might make Alex no better than Darren, but Darren deserved it, whereas Craig didn’t.
“Hey, Craig. Can you tell me what day it is today, please?”
Alex saw his eyes flick over towards him from underneath the bruising. Craig cleared his throat and winced.
“Tuesday,” he rasped.
“Thank you. How are you feeling right now?” Alex asked automatically as he plucked his penlight from his pocket and checked his pupils.
“Just…peachy,” Craig bit out.
Alex practically wept with the sound of Craig’s sarcasm. “I’ll take that as ‘I’m feeling crap,’ alright?” He finished checking Craig’s eyes and took a visual scan of the injuries to his face.
Casey came up behind him. “He has a gash to the back of his head, which I put a dressing on before moving him to the ambulance. It appeared to have stopped bleeding when we got here. My initial assessment showed a dislocated arm, bruised ribs, a sprained ankle and a sore throat.”
“Thanks.” Alex brought the conversation back to Craig. “I’m going to remove your clothing now, Craig, then we can assess your injuries.” He braced himself as he grabbed some scissors and cut through the fabric of his t-shirt. As Craig’s torso was revealed, Alex hitched in a silent breath, seeing contusions all over the area. Glancing over him didn’t seem to indicate he had any broken ribs, but they could be hiding. “Can we arrange for a CT scan as soon as possible, please? Head, shoulders and torso area.” He glanced at one of the nurses.
&
nbsp; “Sure thing.” She hurried out of the room.
“Okay, Craig, I’m going to pull the fabric from beneath you now.” He did as he’d explained, wincing when Craig did. “I’ll get your trousers removed, and we’ll get you into a more comfortable gown.” He was jabbering now, but no one called him on it; he went to work, trying to ignore what he was doing and getting Craig as comfortable as possible.
As more skin was revealed, bruises in several different stages of healing littered the exposed areas. Alex had to bite his lip against the anger brewing inside him; he needed to concentrate on Craig now, not the asshole who did this. At that point, he felt a hand squeeze his shoulder, and he closed his eyes and inhaled slowly, Casey’s reminder echoing in his ear.
Alex kept Craig’s briefs on for the time being because there was no need to remove them, although they would be before a gown replaced his clothes. But Alex needed access to his body to fully assess what damage had been done.
“Okay, Angie, ready when you are.” He nodded at the remaining nurse.
“Go ahead.”
Alex took a breath and forced the doctor-calm into his voice for the delivery of the list of injuries. “We have a wound to the back of the head which appears to have coagulated. Severe bruising to both eyes and nose, don’t think the nose is broken but check to be sure. There is finger-shaped bruising to the upper and lower neck area, contusions can be seen along the collarbone on both sides. The left shoulder appears to be dislocated. Contusions of varying degrees of healing cover the torso, at least three types.” He took another silent breath before continuing. “Bruising continues down the legs, a limited number. The left ankle appears to be sprained.”
Craig made a noise, and Alex’s gaze rose quickly to his. “Are you okay?” He leaned forward to save Craig from straining.
“Back…” Craig spoke through a clenched jaw.
Alex frowned in confusion before realising Craig was telling him about more injuries. “Alright. This will be uncomfortable while we roll you to your right side, Craig. I’m sorry.”