Page 2 of Deep Down
“You should’ve been finished before now. You’ve wasted time, and time is money.”
“I’m sorry. There were a few issues—”
“I don’t care. You’ve lost money because of it.” Darren’s voice was sharp, but Craig stifled his flinch, not wanting to drop the plate.
He placed the finished dinner in front of Darren, the large plate filled to overflowing with meat and vegetables and small portions of mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing. As Darren was a personal trainer, Craig was well versed in what foods he could and couldn’t eat and in what portion sizes. In contrast, his own plate showed mainly mashed potatoes and vegetables and a small piece of meat and a tiny amount of gravy. Darren had explained that Craig couldn’t consume as much because he didn’t have an energetic job. He was grateful for everything Darren taught him, especially as he needed to watch what he ate so he didn’t gain weight.
Once dinner was finished, Darren traipsed off for a shower as was his usual routine, and Craig tidied, ensuring the kitchen was once again spotless. It took him longer than usual, but it was done, although he was in more pain than he had been in the morning. It was time to bite the bullet and discuss it with Darren.
When Darren returned, Craig approached him slowly.
“What?” Darren barked.
“I know I asked this morning, but I need to visit a doctor about my shoulder. It doesn’t feel right.” Craig bit his lip.
“Hmm. Show me.” Darren reached for Craig’s t-shirt and lifted it, revealing the blue and black bruising, and the usually curved-shape of his left shoulder was now square-shaped. Darren’s jaw clenched, but he nodded. “Alright. Let’s get it fixed now. I’ll have to miss my programme.” He sighed.
“Would you like me to set it to record?” Craig hated Darren would miss it.
“Yeah. You do it while I get sorted. I need to take a piss first anyway.” He stormed off, leaving Craig to fiddle with the TV.
Within half an hour, they were on their way to the A&E in Cambridge. They lived on the outskirts of the city in a lovely detached house on a quiet cul-de-sac. Craig loved the view from the windows of the house, it was one of the reasons he had bought the house originally. It didn’t hurt to find out the neighbours were neither noisy nor nosy after he moved in, too.
Parking the car, they trailed towards the entrance. Darren spoke before they entered the building.
“You need to be more careful when walking at night. Muggers are always around.” Darren’s voice was sad.
Craig nodded. Darren didn’t need to voice the reminder as it was Craig’s mistake anyway. He would never say anything to bring Darren trouble for something which wasn’t his fault. Darren pointed to a seat in the waiting room, and Craig lowered himself tentatively, watching as Darren stood in line at the reception desk before speaking to the person behind the counter and whirling around to approach him.
“The wait is around two hours, but they might be able to get you in quicker.” He sat next to Craig, bumping against his shoulder. Craig winced but gritted his teeth, not a whimper escaping.
Darren flipped through some magazines, interjecting it with checking his phone, while Craig stared at the comings and goings of people through the doors. The disinfectant smell was not unique to hospitals although recognisable all the same; there was an almost tangible acidic taste in the buzzing atmosphere. Craig’s name was called over an hour and a half later.
“Follow me, please.” The doctor indicated the corridor and strolled ahead until he reached a room. “Have a seat on the bed, please, Mr Talbot.” The doctor swung around to Darren. “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
“Darren Corrigan. Craig’s boyfriend.” Craig watched Darren reach out a hand for the doctor to shake, which he did.
“Nice to meet you.” The doctor fixed his piercing blue eyes back on Craig. The doctor was handsome, Craig could admit, what with his military-short hair on the sides and back and the longer strands on top spiked up. The suit he wore under the white coat appeared to be in pristine condition and fit his frame exactly. The doctor’s words brought Craig out of his observation, “My name is Dr Alexander Wick. Mr Talbot, what seems to be the problem?” He flicked through the file he was holding while he waited for Craig to answer.
“Craig was mugged last night. I’ve been asking him to come to the hospital all day, but he kept saying no. I finally put my foot down.” Craig left Darren to answer the doctor’s questions.
Dr Wick glanced at Darren, then at Craig. “Is that so?” Craig nodded. “You need to report it to the police.”
“We have done that already. They’re investigating,” Darren countered.
The doctor nodded slowly, studying the file before putting it on the table and shuffling to where Craig was perched. “Let’s check you over, shall we? Do you need help taking your t-shirt off?”
Craig nodded again. Dr Wick helped him manoeuvre to put less strain on his injured arm, and he whistled in response as the injury was visible.
“Yeah, it appears to be a dislocated shoulder to me. We’ll take you down to X-ray to confirm there’s no other damage. If it’s confirmed as a dislocation, we will give you some pain relief and work on setting it back in. Once all that is done, you’ll need to wear a sling for a few days to rest the joint.” Dr Wick focused on his computer as he talked and clicked a few buttons before twisting back. “I see you have a black eye, and your lip has been bleeding. Do you have any other injuries I need to be aware of?” The doctor stared straight at Craig as he asked.
Craig’s eyes moved to Darren, observing his minute nod before glancing back at the doctor. Craig nodded. “I have pain in my back, as well.”
The doctor strode around the bed to stand behind Craig. “I’m going to touch your back. I apologise if my hands are cold.”
Craig jerked slightly as hands prodded his skin on his lower back, caressing softer than he was expecting. Fingers probed his skin back and forth before two hands rested either side of his spine. He could feel a light flow of warm air against his skin.
“Were you kicked in the back at all?” the doctor asked.
