Daniel’s head
and began to delicately groom his woozy friend. Spen stroked them both, wishing Myko’s attentions to Kani would somehow
stimulate Daniel to consciousness. But Daniel didn’t wake or even twitch. Spen
settled in to wait, keeping hold of Daniel’s hand, determined to not to leave
his side for a second.
Nearly two hours later, Daniel roused
fully, blinking green eyes open and staring uncomprehendingly at Spen. “Hey.
How do you feel?”
“‘m I?”
“Hospital. What do you remember?”
“‘bout what?”
“Having drinks with Tony?”
“Um...I don’t.” He struggled to sit up, but
even with Spen’s help, it was beyond him. He sank back down. “Feel crap.”
“I know. Just going to find the doctor.”
Daniel’s hand gripped Spen’s and his green eyes widened in panic. “It’s okay. Myko’s here. Back in a minute, I promise.” He gave Daniel’s
hand a pat. “Promise.”
Daniel let go. Myko licked his face, and
Kani, now much brighter and with it, cuddled against his chest. Daniel gave his
kem a dozy pat. “Don’t understand,” he mumbled.
“I know. Just wait.”
Dr Ali was attending to another patient,
but Spen caught her eye and she came out to see him. “He’s awake. He doesn’t
remember anything. Not yet.”
“I’m not surprised. The tox results show
almost no blood alcohol content, but GHB is present.”
That was an acronym Spen hadn’t heard since
his student days. “The date rape drug?”
“One of them, yes. Doesn’t prove how it got
into him, though. I’ll just go and speak to him. Would you like to wait out
here?”
Spen hovered outside the cubicle, while the
doctor spoke quietly to Daniel. He tried not to eavesdrop but it was hard not
to get most of it, and understand that Daniel was adamant that he didn’t want
the police involved, and he refused to consent to a rape kit. When the doctor
came out, she shrugged at Spen. “Can’t say I’m surprised.”
“But you’ll keep the drug results on
record?”
“Yes. But the police won’t attend unless he
makes a complaint. If he changes his mind, he can contact them at any time.”
“Can he go home?”
“I’d rather he stayed an hour or two but
he’s determined to leave. GHB leaves the body fairly fast so he’ll probably be
all right. You’ll stay with him?”
“Yes, and get him back here if he seems to
be worse.”
“Then he can leave.” She went to the
nurses’ station and picked up a leaflet, which she handed to Spen. “He might
need this.”
Spen looked at it. “Rape counselling?”
“It’s likely, yes.” She looked up at him.
“Take it easy with him, Spencer.”
“I will.”
She nodded and went off to another cubicle.
Spen stared at the leaflet then shoved it into his pocket with a shudder.
Someone had assaulted Daniel tonight. More than assaulted. The police should be
involved.
Inside the cubicle, Daniel, now detached
from his leads and the oxygen, was making a fairly futile attempt to get
dressed.
“The doctor thought you should hang around
for a little bit, Daniel.”
“I’m fine. I just want to get out of here.
Help me, will you?”
Spen helped him into his trousers and
shirt. Trying to identity the odd smell on them was driving him nuts.
“Where are my shoes?”
“Here, don’t panic.” He bent to help Daniel
put them on. “You should really speak to the police.”
The foot jerked out of Spen’s grip. Spen
looked up and found its owner glaring at him. “No. Not now, not ever. I won’t
get my family into more crap.”
“Daniel, someone drugged you.”
“Maybe. But I’m fine and I don’t want to
think about this any more. I’ve got a headache, I’m tired, and you know as well
as I do the police won’t be able to do a damn thing. I’ll end up spending hours
at a police station for no reason.”
“What about stopping whoever it was doing
it again?” Spen ached to mention Noble by name but he didn’t want to
contaminate Daniel’s evidence, if he
and began to delicately groom his woozy friend. Spen stroked them both, wishing Myko’s attentions to Kani would somehow
stimulate Daniel to consciousness. But Daniel didn’t wake or even twitch. Spen
settled in to wait, keeping hold of Daniel’s hand, determined to not to leave
his side for a second.
Nearly two hours later, Daniel roused
fully, blinking green eyes open and staring uncomprehendingly at Spen. “Hey.
How do you feel?”
“‘m I?”
“Hospital. What do you remember?”
“‘bout what?”
“Having drinks with Tony?”
“Um...I don’t.” He struggled to sit up, but
even with Spen’s help, it was beyond him. He sank back down. “Feel crap.”
“I know. Just going to find the doctor.”
Daniel’s hand gripped Spen’s and his green eyes widened in panic. “It’s okay. Myko’s here. Back in a minute, I promise.” He gave Daniel’s
hand a pat. “Promise.”
Daniel let go. Myko licked his face, and
Kani, now much brighter and with it, cuddled against his chest. Daniel gave his
kem a dozy pat. “Don’t understand,” he mumbled.
“I know. Just wait.”
Dr Ali was attending to another patient,
but Spen caught her eye and she came out to see him. “He’s awake. He doesn’t
remember anything. Not yet.”
“I’m not surprised. The tox results show
almost no blood alcohol content, but GHB is present.”
That was an acronym Spen hadn’t heard since
his student days. “The date rape drug?”
“One of them, yes. Doesn’t prove how it got
into him, though. I’ll just go and speak to him. Would you like to wait out
here?”
Spen hovered outside the cubicle, while the
doctor spoke quietly to Daniel. He tried not to eavesdrop but it was hard not
to get most of it, and understand that Daniel was adamant that he didn’t want
the police involved, and he refused to consent to a rape kit. When the doctor
came out, she shrugged at Spen. “Can’t say I’m surprised.”
“But you’ll keep the drug results on
record?”
“Yes. But the police won’t attend unless he
makes a complaint. If he changes his mind, he can contact them at any time.”
“Can he go home?”
“I’d rather he stayed an hour or two but
he’s determined to leave. GHB leaves the body fairly fast so he’ll probably be
all right. You’ll stay with him?”
“Yes, and get him back here if he seems to
be worse.”
“Then he can leave.” She went to the
nurses’ station and picked up a leaflet, which she handed to Spen. “He might
need this.”
Spen looked at it. “Rape counselling?”
“It’s likely, yes.” She looked up at him.
“Take it easy with him, Spencer.”
“I will.”
She nodded and went off to another cubicle.
Spen stared at the leaflet then shoved it into his pocket with a shudder.
Someone had assaulted Daniel tonight. More than assaulted. The police should be
involved.
Inside the cubicle, Daniel, now detached
from his leads and the oxygen, was making a fairly futile attempt to get
dressed.
“The doctor thought you should hang around
for a little bit, Daniel.”
“I’m fine. I just want to get out of here.
Help me, will you?”
Spen helped him into his trousers and
shirt. Trying to identity the odd smell on them was driving him nuts.
“Where are my shoes?”
“Here, don’t panic.” He bent to help Daniel
put them on. “You should really speak to the police.”
The foot jerked out of Spen’s grip. Spen
looked up and found its owner glaring at him. “No. Not now, not ever. I won’t
get my family into more crap.”
“Daniel, someone drugged you.”
“Maybe. But I’m fine and I don’t want to
think about this any more. I’ve got a headache, I’m tired, and you know as well
as I do the police won’t be able to do a damn thing. I’ll end up spending hours
at a police station for no reason.”
“What about stopping whoever it was doing
it again?” Spen ached to mention Noble by name but he didn’t want to
contaminate Daniel’s evidence, if he
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