London
Tired beyond anything he had ever known, Geoff chained his bicycle to the railing beneath the stairs. He groaned as he straightened, rubbing the ache in his lower back. A busy night in Casualty had been followed by an unspeakable day in the streets of London. As part of a triage team, he had seen everything from cuts and burns to broken bones and breathing problems. Sheer luck had spared him the necessity of descending into the Underground itself. Geoff shook his head and firmly pushed away the tide of memory. He was home, he was safe, and he was proud of the job they had done.
From overhead came the sound of the door being yanked open and then left to slam closed as a pair of feet pounded down the steps. In another instant, Jamie was in his arms.
"Are you all right?" Geoff asked, burying his face in untidy curls. "I was worried about you."
"Worried about you, too," Jamie admitted as he burrowed into Geoff's chest. "I rang your mobile all afternoon but it wouldn't even let me leave a message."
"I hoped you'd come here. Did you have a terrible time of it?"
"It took hours. I had to walk most of the way," Jamie told him as they climbed the steps together. "There weren't any buses, and the taxis were taking as many people as they could hold, but I couldn't find one that was going this way. "
Geoff hugged Jamie tight to his side and basked in the comfort it gave him. As they reached the landing on the first floor, his eyes went to the door at the top of the stairs, then to Jamie. "Is Tris home?"
"Not yet, and Robin hasn't heard from him." Jamie shook his head. "He's scaring me, Geoff. He's barely said a word all day, and he won't sit still. He's cleaned the flat from floor to ceiling, he's made dinner, and now he wants to bake. Tell him to calm down."
"Love, I'm not Tris. I can hardly march in and start ordering Robin about."
"He's beside himself with worry, Geoff. Just say something as his friend," Jamie urged. "He'll listen to you."
Knocking lightly (a habit he was trying to instil in Jamie), Geoff opened the door. A not-unpleasant combination of smells greeted him; the scents of cleaners and furniture polish mingling with garlic and spices. The lounge was spotless, and he had no doubt the bedroom was as well.
Robin stood in the small kitchenette, his face pale and drawn with a furrow etched between his brows. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides.
Geoff tried to smile. "I've stopped to tell you I was home," he said, crossing the few steps between them. He hugged Robin, not surprised to feel him trembling.
"I'm glad you're here," Robin said. "Jamie's been worried."
"Have you heard from Tris yet?"
Robin shook his head and his chin quivered. Taking a deep breath, he regained control. "The phone hasn't rung. I've waited here all day, just as he's told me I should, but he hasn't rung." He rubbed his forehead with a fist. "That was the plan. If anything ever happened, I would stay here and he would ring. They said that telephone service was disrupted all over the city, but that was hours ago, wasn't it?"
"It may be a bit before things are back to normal, Robbie," Jamie offered, hovering in the doorway. "Perhaps even a couple of days."
Robin shook his head. "Tris said he'd ring. He said, "If you're at home, stay there until I ring you." He turned beseeching eyes on Geoff. "I've been here all day. Why hasn't he rung?"
Geoff looked him over and spoke over his shoulder to Jamie. "Would you bring Robin an aspirin, please?"
"I don't want anything," Robin objected.
"How long have you had the headache?" Geoff asked gently.
Robin tried to move away, but Geoff's hand on his shoulder kept him still. "A little while," he admitted. When Geoff raised an eyebrow, he admitted, "Since noon."
"Have you had anything to eat at all today?"
Robin shook his head. "I-I haven't been hungry."
"I can understand that, but what will Tris have to say when he comes in?"
"I made dinner," Robin said, gesturing at the stove. "I'll eat then — with him. I don't think I can manage anything until I see him, Geoff."
"You should try." Geoff took the aspirin and cup of water from Jamie and handed them to Robin. "Do you have biscuits, some cheese?"
Robin nodded as he swallowed the tablet with some water.
Jamie made a shooing motion with his hands. "Both of you sit down, and I'll organize something to eat."
Geoff gave him a quick kiss. "Thank you."
"But I was planning to bake!" Robin protested as he dropped into the armchair.
Jamie looked over from the open refrigerator. "There aren't any eggs, Robbie. Can't bake much without eggs." He held a block of cheese to the light and peered at it. "Of recent memory?" he asked Robin.
"The weekend."
Stretching his legs out, Geoff keenly felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. He realised he must have groaned aloud when both Jamie and Robin turned to look at him.
"You were there, weren't you?" Robin whispered. "Jamie thought you were."
"Edgware Street," Geoff replied, shifting over as Jamie put down the plate of biscuits and cheese on the table. He took the glass of lemonade Jamie handed him and drained it by a half, then managed a biscuit and cheese. He did not particularly want it, but knew he should eat it, both for Robin's sake and his own.
For a time, there was only the sound of munching and Jamie prodding Robin to eat and drink. Robin ate doggedly, taking small sips from his glass in-between mouthfuls. Geoff had no doubt that he could taste nothing. After a few biscuits, he shook his head at Jamie's entreaties and set his glass down on the table. He drew his legs up and wrapped his arms around them, resting his chin on his knees.
Geoff pulled Jamie back to lean against him, whispering, "Let him be for now." For a few minutes, there was silence as he decided how much he would tell them. Robin, especially, did not need to hear a detailed account of the day's horrors.
"Was it terrible?" Robin asked.
"It's nothing I ever want to see again."
Jamie wove his fingers through Geoff's. "I don't know how you stood it."
"As horrific as it was," Geoff told them, "the people — and I mean everyone, not just the ones from the hospital — were amazing. When we first arrived, we used the Marks & Spencer as a treatment centre, and the staff stripped the store for anything they thought we might use. The Metropole opened its doors to us when the police found a suspicious package and decided we had to move. People who had any kind of training in first aid were offering to help. Other people were handing round cups of tea and sandwiches. We heard that several churches had opened their doors to help as well, especially for people who weren't hurt but needed somewhere to go."
"We saw some of it on the television."
Geoff tightened his hold, relieved to have Jamie safe and in his arms this awful day. "I'm so glad you're all right. No one knew exactly what had happened. We knew there were more explosions, but we didn't know how many or where."
"Four," Jamie told him. "They thought there had been seven at first with all the confusion."
Geoff looked at Robin who was staring at the clock on the wall, his growing anxiety clearly etched on his face. "Come and sit with us," he offered.
Robin tilted his head to look at him. "Suppose he's dazed, and he doesn't know his way home." He gulped, his words coming faster. "We shouldn't simply sit here and wait."
Jamie got up, moving to sit on the arm of Robin's chair. "Don't even think that!" he ordered. He nudged Robin, and once Robin moved over a few inches, Jamie slid in beside him.
"We should look for him," Robin told Geoff as he allowed Jamie to wrap an arm around his shoulders.
"Sweetheart," Geoff began, "when I left, other teams were already taking over. If Tris needs help, they will find him and get him to hospital as fast as they can."
"But then what?" Robin asked. "If he's lost his wallet, and he doesn't know who he is —"
"That only happens on television," Geoff told him firmly, "not in real life. Now, I think what you should consider is what Tris would want you to do — wait for him safely at home or go looking for him."
"Robin knows what he should do," a voice answered from the doorway.
Tris leaned against the doorjamb, his arm in a sling and his face marked with tiny cuts from flying glass. His clothes were covered with soot and grease and blood, and the smell accompanied him into the flat.
Robin leaped over the arm of the chair and flung himself at his partner, pulling away when Tristan flinched.
"Bruised ribs," Tristan told him. "Just be careful, love." When Robin did not move toward him, Tristan tugged him forward with his good hand. "I've been waiting for this all day, Robbie."
Robin carefully moulded himself to Tristan's tall form. "So have I," he murmured, his eyes closed tight. "Where were you?"
Tristan rested his head on Robin's hair, his eyes closed. "Everything took so long, love. We had to wait until they said it was safe for us to get off the train, and then we walked back to the previous station and up to the street. I lost my briefcase, and it had my mobile in it. I did think to ring…" Swaying on his feet, Tristan put a hand to the wall to steady himself.
"Sit down," Geoff said. "You're exhausted. Jamie, would you get Tris something to drink, please?"
"I should take off these clothes," Tristan replied, "and I want a hot shower."
"All in good time. You need to sit down and rest."
Pushing himself away from the doorjamb, Tristan took a moment to balance and gather his strength. Geoff moved forward to support him on his injured side as Tristan wrapped an arm around Robin's shoulders. Moving like a poorly trained circus act, they walked to the sofa. When Geoff helped Tristan remove his suit jacket, Robin took a reluctant step back. Tristan settled on the sofa and immediately reached a hand out to Robin to draw him down beside him before dropping his head onto the back of the sofa.
Geoff looked at the garment he held. "I don't think your suit is salvageable," he announced.
"I don't think so either. It's straight into the bin for everything," Tristan agreed. He took the glass Jamie offered him and drained it. "Thank you."
Robin looked at the ruined clothing and shuddered, but said nothing. Immediately Tristan's full attention was focused on him.
"Are you all right, Robbie?" he asked. "It must have been a hellish day."
"Better now that you're here."
"I didn't mean to frighten you —" Tris began.
Robin shook his head. "I wasn't frightened, I was worried. You were meant to ring, that was our plan."
"I know it was, darling. When I realised I'd lost my mobile, I thought I'd ring from the hospital," Tristan told him, "but every time I tried, they kept saying it would only be a few minutes more before I could leave." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, darling. I should've insisted."
"What happened? Are you all right?" Jamie asked.
"We stopped so suddenly that I lost my balance and fell, along with everyone else. Unfortunately, I was near the bottom of the pile." He looked down at the sling. "The doctor said I might stop wearing this by the end of the weekend."
"And you're here now," Robin said. He looked at Geoff who had settled on the arm of the chair with Jamie leaning on him and nodded to himself. "We're all here now."
"When did you come in?" Tristan asked Geoff.
"Less than an hour ago, I think," Geoff said, looking at Jamie for confirmation.
"But you're both fine?"
"Geoff's exhausted," Jamie reported. "He was in the triage centre at Edgware Road."
A flash of understanding lit Tristan's eyes. "You've had quite a time of it."
"It's been a gruelling day for all of us," Geoff said through a yawn. "I'm looking forward to my bed."
"We're all right," Robin announced. "I can take care of Tris."
Jamie looked at Geoff as they stood up, eyebrows raised in question.
Geoff had no doubt that Robin could manage the situation unaided. "We're just upstairs if you need help." Giving Robin a quick hug and Tristan a gentler one, he held his hand out to Jamie. "Come along, sprite."
Jamie also hugged Robin, but he faltered when he reached Tristan. "I'm afraid I'll hurt you."
"Not to worry," Tristan reassured him. "I'm not all that breakable."
Still looking apprehensive, Jamie hugged him then took hold of Geoff's hand. "I'll ring you tomorrow, right? See how you both are," he told Robin.
Robin nodded. "Not too early."
All Geoff's weariness returned as they climbed the flight of stairs to his flat. As he unlocked the door, he saw the well of tears in Jamie's eyes. "What's wrong?"
Jamie sniffed and wiped his eyes. "It's ridiculous, really. I just thought of what Robin said, we're all right — you're exhausted and Tris is banged up, of course — but we're okay. Some people won't be able to say that tonight, will they? We're very lucky."
Geoff wrapped his arms around Jamie, feeling his own tears come. "It's not ridiculous at all."
After a long soothing moment, Jamie pulled back. "Come on then, Robin is taking charge of Tris, and I'll do the same for you."
"All I want is several hours of sleep," Geoff said, following him in and locking the door. "I'm too tired for much else."
"You should have something to eat," Jamie told him firmly. He began looking through Geoff's assortment of tins. Choosing one, he pointed toward the bath. "Take a shower, and I'll make you the best beans on toast you've ever eaten."
"That sounds perfect," Geoff said, pulling his shirt over his head. "And a cup of tea?"
"My thoughts exactly, now do hurry up!"
Geoff paused and looked in the mirror before turning on the shower. The face reflected had not changed a whit in the hours since he had last stood here, but so much else had. The day had reinforced things he already knew about himself and the people around him. It had also made clear how much in his life he took for granted or did not know he cared about or gave more than a passing thought. Jamie was right, they were very lucky indeed.
Tristan and Robin Jamie and Geoff
From overhead came the sound of the door being yanked open and then left to slam closed as a pair of feet pounded down the steps. In another instant, Jamie was in his arms.
"Are you all right?" Geoff asked, burying his face in untidy curls. "I was worried about you."
"Worried about you, too," Jamie admitted as he burrowed into Geoff's chest. "I rang your mobile all afternoon but it wouldn't even let me leave a message."
"I hoped you'd come here. Did you have a terrible time of it?"
"It took hours. I had to walk most of the way," Jamie told him as they climbed the steps together. "There weren't any buses, and the taxis were taking as many people as they could hold, but I couldn't find one that was going this way. "
Geoff hugged Jamie tight to his side and basked in the comfort it gave him. As they reached the landing on the first floor, his eyes went to the door at the top of the stairs, then to Jamie. "Is Tris home?"
"Not yet, and Robin hasn't heard from him." Jamie shook his head. "He's scaring me, Geoff. He's barely said a word all day, and he won't sit still. He's cleaned the flat from floor to ceiling, he's made dinner, and now he wants to bake. Tell him to calm down."
"Love, I'm not Tris. I can hardly march in and start ordering Robin about."
"He's beside himself with worry, Geoff. Just say something as his friend," Jamie urged. "He'll listen to you."
Knocking lightly (a habit he was trying to instil in Jamie), Geoff opened the door. A not-unpleasant combination of smells greeted him; the scents of cleaners and furniture polish mingling with garlic and spices. The lounge was spotless, and he had no doubt the bedroom was as well.
Robin stood in the small kitchenette, his face pale and drawn with a furrow etched between his brows. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides.
Geoff tried to smile. "I've stopped to tell you I was home," he said, crossing the few steps between them. He hugged Robin, not surprised to feel him trembling.
"I'm glad you're here," Robin said. "Jamie's been worried."
"Have you heard from Tris yet?"
Robin shook his head and his chin quivered. Taking a deep breath, he regained control. "The phone hasn't rung. I've waited here all day, just as he's told me I should, but he hasn't rung." He rubbed his forehead with a fist. "That was the plan. If anything ever happened, I would stay here and he would ring. They said that telephone service was disrupted all over the city, but that was hours ago, wasn't it?"
"It may be a bit before things are back to normal, Robbie," Jamie offered, hovering in the doorway. "Perhaps even a couple of days."
Robin shook his head. "Tris said he'd ring. He said, "If you're at home, stay there until I ring you." He turned beseeching eyes on Geoff. "I've been here all day. Why hasn't he rung?"
Geoff looked him over and spoke over his shoulder to Jamie. "Would you bring Robin an aspirin, please?"
"I don't want anything," Robin objected.
"How long have you had the headache?" Geoff asked gently.
Robin tried to move away, but Geoff's hand on his shoulder kept him still. "A little while," he admitted. When Geoff raised an eyebrow, he admitted, "Since noon."
"Have you had anything to eat at all today?"
Robin shook his head. "I-I haven't been hungry."
"I can understand that, but what will Tris have to say when he comes in?"
"I made dinner," Robin said, gesturing at the stove. "I'll eat then — with him. I don't think I can manage anything until I see him, Geoff."
"You should try." Geoff took the aspirin and cup of water from Jamie and handed them to Robin. "Do you have biscuits, some cheese?"
Robin nodded as he swallowed the tablet with some water.
Jamie made a shooing motion with his hands. "Both of you sit down, and I'll organize something to eat."
Geoff gave him a quick kiss. "Thank you."
"But I was planning to bake!" Robin protested as he dropped into the armchair.
Jamie looked over from the open refrigerator. "There aren't any eggs, Robbie. Can't bake much without eggs." He held a block of cheese to the light and peered at it. "Of recent memory?" he asked Robin.
"The weekend."
Stretching his legs out, Geoff keenly felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. He realised he must have groaned aloud when both Jamie and Robin turned to look at him.
"You were there, weren't you?" Robin whispered. "Jamie thought you were."
"Edgware Street," Geoff replied, shifting over as Jamie put down the plate of biscuits and cheese on the table. He took the glass of lemonade Jamie handed him and drained it by a half, then managed a biscuit and cheese. He did not particularly want it, but knew he should eat it, both for Robin's sake and his own.
For a time, there was only the sound of munching and Jamie prodding Robin to eat and drink. Robin ate doggedly, taking small sips from his glass in-between mouthfuls. Geoff had no doubt that he could taste nothing. After a few biscuits, he shook his head at Jamie's entreaties and set his glass down on the table. He drew his legs up and wrapped his arms around them, resting his chin on his knees.
Geoff pulled Jamie back to lean against him, whispering, "Let him be for now." For a few minutes, there was silence as he decided how much he would tell them. Robin, especially, did not need to hear a detailed account of the day's horrors.
"Was it terrible?" Robin asked.
"It's nothing I ever want to see again."
Jamie wove his fingers through Geoff's. "I don't know how you stood it."
"As horrific as it was," Geoff told them, "the people — and I mean everyone, not just the ones from the hospital — were amazing. When we first arrived, we used the Marks & Spencer as a treatment centre, and the staff stripped the store for anything they thought we might use. The Metropole opened its doors to us when the police found a suspicious package and decided we had to move. People who had any kind of training in first aid were offering to help. Other people were handing round cups of tea and sandwiches. We heard that several churches had opened their doors to help as well, especially for people who weren't hurt but needed somewhere to go."
"We saw some of it on the television."
Geoff tightened his hold, relieved to have Jamie safe and in his arms this awful day. "I'm so glad you're all right. No one knew exactly what had happened. We knew there were more explosions, but we didn't know how many or where."
"Four," Jamie told him. "They thought there had been seven at first with all the confusion."
Geoff looked at Robin who was staring at the clock on the wall, his growing anxiety clearly etched on his face. "Come and sit with us," he offered.
Robin tilted his head to look at him. "Suppose he's dazed, and he doesn't know his way home." He gulped, his words coming faster. "We shouldn't simply sit here and wait."
Jamie got up, moving to sit on the arm of Robin's chair. "Don't even think that!" he ordered. He nudged Robin, and once Robin moved over a few inches, Jamie slid in beside him.
"We should look for him," Robin told Geoff as he allowed Jamie to wrap an arm around his shoulders.
"Sweetheart," Geoff began, "when I left, other teams were already taking over. If Tris needs help, they will find him and get him to hospital as fast as they can."
"But then what?" Robin asked. "If he's lost his wallet, and he doesn't know who he is —"
"That only happens on television," Geoff told him firmly, "not in real life. Now, I think what you should consider is what Tris would want you to do — wait for him safely at home or go looking for him."
"Robin knows what he should do," a voice answered from the doorway.
Tris leaned against the doorjamb, his arm in a sling and his face marked with tiny cuts from flying glass. His clothes were covered with soot and grease and blood, and the smell accompanied him into the flat.
Robin leaped over the arm of the chair and flung himself at his partner, pulling away when Tristan flinched.
"Bruised ribs," Tristan told him. "Just be careful, love." When Robin did not move toward him, Tristan tugged him forward with his good hand. "I've been waiting for this all day, Robbie."
Robin carefully moulded himself to Tristan's tall form. "So have I," he murmured, his eyes closed tight. "Where were you?"
Tristan rested his head on Robin's hair, his eyes closed. "Everything took so long, love. We had to wait until they said it was safe for us to get off the train, and then we walked back to the previous station and up to the street. I lost my briefcase, and it had my mobile in it. I did think to ring…" Swaying on his feet, Tristan put a hand to the wall to steady himself.
"Sit down," Geoff said. "You're exhausted. Jamie, would you get Tris something to drink, please?"
"I should take off these clothes," Tristan replied, "and I want a hot shower."
"All in good time. You need to sit down and rest."
Pushing himself away from the doorjamb, Tristan took a moment to balance and gather his strength. Geoff moved forward to support him on his injured side as Tristan wrapped an arm around Robin's shoulders. Moving like a poorly trained circus act, they walked to the sofa. When Geoff helped Tristan remove his suit jacket, Robin took a reluctant step back. Tristan settled on the sofa and immediately reached a hand out to Robin to draw him down beside him before dropping his head onto the back of the sofa.
Geoff looked at the garment he held. "I don't think your suit is salvageable," he announced.
"I don't think so either. It's straight into the bin for everything," Tristan agreed. He took the glass Jamie offered him and drained it. "Thank you."
Robin looked at the ruined clothing and shuddered, but said nothing. Immediately Tristan's full attention was focused on him.
"Are you all right, Robbie?" he asked. "It must have been a hellish day."
"Better now that you're here."
"I didn't mean to frighten you —" Tris began.
Robin shook his head. "I wasn't frightened, I was worried. You were meant to ring, that was our plan."
"I know it was, darling. When I realised I'd lost my mobile, I thought I'd ring from the hospital," Tristan told him, "but every time I tried, they kept saying it would only be a few minutes more before I could leave." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, darling. I should've insisted."
"What happened? Are you all right?" Jamie asked.
"We stopped so suddenly that I lost my balance and fell, along with everyone else. Unfortunately, I was near the bottom of the pile." He looked down at the sling. "The doctor said I might stop wearing this by the end of the weekend."
"And you're here now," Robin said. He looked at Geoff who had settled on the arm of the chair with Jamie leaning on him and nodded to himself. "We're all here now."
"When did you come in?" Tristan asked Geoff.
"Less than an hour ago, I think," Geoff said, looking at Jamie for confirmation.
"But you're both fine?"
"Geoff's exhausted," Jamie reported. "He was in the triage centre at Edgware Road."
A flash of understanding lit Tristan's eyes. "You've had quite a time of it."
"It's been a gruelling day for all of us," Geoff said through a yawn. "I'm looking forward to my bed."
"We're all right," Robin announced. "I can take care of Tris."
Jamie looked at Geoff as they stood up, eyebrows raised in question.
Geoff had no doubt that Robin could manage the situation unaided. "We're just upstairs if you need help." Giving Robin a quick hug and Tristan a gentler one, he held his hand out to Jamie. "Come along, sprite."
Jamie also hugged Robin, but he faltered when he reached Tristan. "I'm afraid I'll hurt you."
"Not to worry," Tristan reassured him. "I'm not all that breakable."
Still looking apprehensive, Jamie hugged him then took hold of Geoff's hand. "I'll ring you tomorrow, right? See how you both are," he told Robin.
Robin nodded. "Not too early."
All Geoff's weariness returned as they climbed the flight of stairs to his flat. As he unlocked the door, he saw the well of tears in Jamie's eyes. "What's wrong?"
Jamie sniffed and wiped his eyes. "It's ridiculous, really. I just thought of what Robin said, we're all right — you're exhausted and Tris is banged up, of course — but we're okay. Some people won't be able to say that tonight, will they? We're very lucky."
Geoff wrapped his arms around Jamie, feeling his own tears come. "It's not ridiculous at all."
After a long soothing moment, Jamie pulled back. "Come on then, Robin is taking charge of Tris, and I'll do the same for you."
"All I want is several hours of sleep," Geoff said, following him in and locking the door. "I'm too tired for much else."
"You should have something to eat," Jamie told him firmly. He began looking through Geoff's assortment of tins. Choosing one, he pointed toward the bath. "Take a shower, and I'll make you the best beans on toast you've ever eaten."
"That sounds perfect," Geoff said, pulling his shirt over his head. "And a cup of tea?"
"My thoughts exactly, now do hurry up!"
Geoff paused and looked in the mirror before turning on the shower. The face reflected had not changed a whit in the hours since he had last stood here, but so much else had. The day had reinforced things he already knew about himself and the people around him. It had also made clear how much in his life he took for granted or did not know he cared about or gave more than a passing thought. Jamie was right, they were very lucky indeed.
Tristan and Robin Jamie and Geoff