The last hour had gone by in a haze. Dannel had developed tunnel vision, focusing entirely on the detectives who were waiting for the department’s CCTV operators to locate where Osian and Chris had been taken. He’d refused to be taken home; not without answers.
Not without Osian.
From one second to the next, the detectives’ energy changed rapidly. Detective Inspector Khan had taken a call. He’d spoken urgently into his phone while several other officers hovered around him.
“I’m going with you.” Dannel forced himself to hold eye contact with the detective. “You’ve found him.”
“We might—”
“You’ve found him.” Dannel cut off the detective before he could put him off. “I heard you. You’re all preparing to rush out. You wouldn’t do that unless there was concrete information.”
He considered Dannel briefly before eventually nodding. “Fine. Come on, then. You’re in the car with me.”
They drove through familiar streets and finally stopped at the end of a street across from a row of houses. Dannel thought they appeared so ordinary. Detective Inspector Khan warned him to stay in the vehicle.
Despite nodding his agreement, Dannel climbed out of the back of the unmarked car the moment the police had breached the front door. He waited impatiently, trying to peer inside the house. What was taking so long?
He knew from being called out to fires involving police arrests that they were noisy. Always. He worried what the absolute silence coming from inside the house meant.
A crackle on the radio in the vehicle drew his attention. The detectives were calling for an ambulance. Paramedics. Who’s hurt? Dannel was suddenly imagining the worst.
He started across the street and stared down the constable who tried to stop him. “I won’t go inside until the house is clear.”
He might.
The constable didn’t have to know.
Agonising seconds later, Detective Inspector Powell led out Joel Brown. His hands were cuffed behind his back. She left him in the hands of several constables and returned inside.
Georgina Lloyd came out next. She struggled against the officer. They dragged her down the pavement, cursing the entire way.
With both of the suspects secured safely, Dannel rushed up the stairs into the house. He rushed through room after room before following Detective Inspector Khan’s voice to a narrow set of stairs. The man shook his head disapprovingly when Dannel joined them in the basement.
Dannel didn’t hear a word the detective said, his entire being focused on the limp body stretched out prone on the floor. “Ossie.”
Chris caught him by the arms when his knees threatened to go out from under him. “He’s alive. Just suffering from a concussion.”
“Just suffering from a concussion?” Dannel knew how dangerous head trauma could be. “Where’s the sodding ambulance?”
“Ortea. Haven’t heard your lovely dulcet tones in a while. Why don’t you back up and allow us to check on our patient?” Freya Davies eased him out of the way with her bag. “Make room, lads. We’re bringing in a spine board to allow us to get him up the steps and onto a stretcher.”
Some of the fear in his heart eased at the confidence from Freya. She was one of Osian’s good friends and Abra’s ex-girlfriend. They’d remained close and ran the LGBTQIA+ first responders coalition together.
“Dan. Breathe. He’s going to be fine.” Freya spoke over her shoulder. She coordinated the efforts of the four other paramedics in the room. “We’ll take excellent care of our boy.”
His hands trembled too much for him to offer any assistance in carrying the stretcher. He simply watched. Chris stepped up beside him; he was holding a broken broomstick in his hand.
“Are you hurt?” Dannel gave him a once-over.
“I’m fine.”
“He’ll be coming along with us for a thorough check over or Abs will never forgive me.” Freya stared pointedly at Chris until he followed after her. “We’ll meet you at the hospital, Dan. I’ll take good care of them both.”
Within minutes, the paramedics had disappeared with their two patients. Dannel stared around the room in shock. He crouched down to pick up a broken cable tie from the floor. Had Chris or Osian been kept captive with it?
“Mr Ortea?”
Dannel knew the detective had spoken. He couldn’t process the words. His fingers closed around the plastic strips. “Sorry. What?”
“Mr… Dannel.” Detective Inspector Khan came over to him. He gently removed the cable ties from his hand, placing them into an evidence bag. “Let’s get you to the hospital. The scene can’t be processed with you here.”
Despite nodding his agreement, Dannel didn’t know if his feet were capable of moving. He reminded himself Osian was alive. Maybe not conscious, but he’d definitely been breathing when they carried him up the stairs.
“Come on, son.”
Dannel glanced up in confusion at the familiar voice. “Chief?”
“Davies thought you might want a friendly face to get you to the hospital. Your brother’s waiting.” He walked over and wrapped an arm around Dannel’s shoulder. “Let’s get out of the detective’s hair.”
The hand on his shoulder guided him up the stairs, through the house, and into the chaos of outside. Officers had cordoned off the street. He wasn’t overly surprised to see a crowd of onlookers.
“Rolly.” Dannel spotted his brother waiting for them. “Rolly.”
“Easy, big brother.” Roland came over to give him a hug. “Inside voice. Let’s not give the crowd a show.”
Dannel didn’t get a chance to respond. His brother shoved him into the back seat. “Did you call Mum? What about Ossie’s family?”
“Texted Liv the second I arrived. They’re all gathering at the hospital. Prepare yourself for hugs. You’re going to be smothered.” Roland reached back to pat him on the leg. “Breathe.”
“Will you wankers stop telling me that? I haven’t suddenly forgotten to inhale and exhale.” Dannel yanked the seat belt across his body, shoving the clip in to secure it. “I’m not magically calming down because you remind me to breathe.”
“Inside voice.”
“Use your own damn inside voice.” Dannel flicked his finger against his leg repeatedly. He was teetering on the edge of a meltdown and desperately trying not to do so. Being agitated in a hospital wouldn’t help anyone. “Just leave me alone for a bit, all right?”
Instead of responding, Roland pulled his phone out. He connected the Bluetooth, and seconds later one of the tracks from In The Heights began to play, a cast album both Dannel and his brother had enjoyed greatly.
They’d connected with the idea of being the children of immigrants even if they weren’t living in New York City. London was big and metropolitan. It hadn’t been that much of a stretch to them when the play had come out.
“We’re here.”
Dannel had lost himself in the music. One full playthrough of the album usually helped him bleed off the energy; he barely had time for a couple songs before they arrived at the hospital. Neither his brother nor Chief Wilson commented or complained about him singing at the top of his lungs. “I don’t know if I can go inside.”
“Of course you can.” Roland slid out of the front seat and came around to open the passenger door. “I’ll help.”
Staring at his brother’s hand, Dannel waved him off and climbed out of the back seat. He stood up to his full height and inhaled a ragged, painful breath. The hospital loomed in front of them, more terrifying than it had been the last time he’d been here with Ian.
Between his brother and Chief Wilson, Dannel made it through the hospital to the small waiting room where their family and friends had gathered. They’d been in A & E more in the past month than in the last few years. Dannel hoped the arrest of Joel and Georgina would bring an end to the trend.
“Where is he?” Dannel ignored the questions thrown at him by everyone.
Olivia caught him by the hand and pointed toward the first room on the right. “The doctors just finished up with tests. They’re waiting for him to wake naturally. They believe he’s going to be okay. There wasn’t any bleeding on the brain. He’s going to be okay.”
Sidestepping both of their mums, Dannel snuck into the room. He didn’t care if they were supposed to wait outside. Osian wasn’t going to wake up alone.
Dannel closed the door behind him. He eased around the curtain to find Osian hooked up to wires and covered with a blanket. “Ossie.”
Quietly shifting one of the chairs in the room next to the bed, Dannel sat down and picked up one of the limp hands. He hated seeing Osian so still. Why did you go out with Thames on your own? Bloody hell, Ossie.
“I can hear you complaining about me.” Osian opened his eyes enough to squint at Dannel. “Too bright.”
“Hang on.” Dannel went over to pull the curtains shut, blocking out the rare bit of London sun. “Better?”
“Loads.” Osian opened his eyes completely. He gave a tired grin. “Hello, love.”
“Ossie.” Dannel dropped into the chair with an exhausted grunt. “‘Hello, love?’ Are you honestly starting with that?”
“Is there a better way to start than with telling you how much I love you?” Osian reached his arm out toward Dannel, gripping his hand tightly. “Particularly when I thought I’d never get to say those words again?”
Dannel rested his forehead against their joined hands. He wanted to crawl into bed with Osian and nap for days, though the doctors probably wouldn’t approve. “Next time you run off on an adventure... take me with you.”