Work Text:
The sky is an ominous steel colour above their heads as Aaron and Gerry put in a shift at the scrapyard. Big, fat raindrops batter the cars they're valiantly trying to scrap and drip off the sleeves of their sodden hi-vis vests and outdoor coats. They have so much work to do, but getting his face lashed with heavy rain is becoming tiresome and it's making Aaron grumpier than usual. He can't even complain to Robert because he left in his nice dry car for a meeting several hours ago and he hasn't heard from him since. That's not unusual when they're both busy, but Aaron stops for a moment to slide his phone out of his pocket to have a quick look.
No messages, no calls.
He sighs as the wind whips up and the sky suddenly flashes bright with lightning then follows with a booming ripple of thunder. The rain seems to fall even harder afterwards and Aaron reaches his limit when Gerry quickly jumps backwards and part of a red Ford Sierra tumbles from his hands to the gravel.
“Ow! For fu - “ he goes to say then notices Aaron's scowl and cuts himself off. “Tried to gimme an electric shock!” he grins instead, already over the offence.
Aaron shakes his head slightly and walks past him, gesturing with his head to the portacabin. “Come on, I've had enough of this.”
Gerry immediately catches up to him, probably glad to be shirking work again. “Fancy a brew?”
Aaron nods before he's distracted by his ringing phone stuffed in his pocket. Roughly shoving off the hood of his coat, he dries his face with the back of his hand and answers the call without looking as Gerry clangs about making tea for two. “Hiya, have you finished yet?” There's a beat of silence and the tiny portacabin is briefly illuminated by another burst of lightning and a clap of thunder. Bugger it, work is cancelled. With that decided, Aaron looks at his phone, confused, and sees a number he doesn't recognise instead of his husband. “Sorry, who's this?”
“Hi, my name is Therese and I'm a A&E nurse at Hotten General,” a sweet high voice replies and Aaron's stomach plummets to his feet.
“Is it Liv?” he panics, “What's she done now? Is she alright?” As far as he knows, he waved her off to the bus to school this morning, but when has that ever stopped her from getting into trouble?
It's the nurse's turn to sound confused as, at the mention of her name, Gerry glances up at Aaron with curious eyes. “I'm sorry, but are you Robert Sugden's next of kin?”
If Aaron felt bad before, now his blood has turned to ice. “I'm – yeah, I'm his Aaron – I mean, I'm Robert's husband. What's going on?”
“Can you get here as soon as possible?” Therese counters, “Try and get someone else to drive you.”
Aaron grits his teeth when he hears her sympathetic tone and they say their goodbyes. He's already discarding her advice and hunting for his car keys when he realises he hasn't told Gerry what's happened. “I've gotta go,”
“Out in that?” he says, nose wrinkled. “What you wanna do that for? Stay in 'ere, all cosy, with me,”
“Gerry, Robert's in hospital,” Aaron replies tersely, finding his keys under a pile of paperwork he should've dealt with at least a week ago. Gerry's eyes widen. “Yeah, so I've gotta go”
One minute he's making tea, the next Gerry has plucked the car keys from Aaron's slack fingers. “I'll drive. You fret.”
It's such a simple but kind gesture that Aaron nearly crumples there and then, but he pulls himself together quickly and he and Gerry run out of the portacabin, practically tearing the doors off his car. He has to get to Robert. Robert needs him.
---
The drive to Hotten General feels impossibly long and the only reason he trusts Gerry to park his car properly is precisely because he's not thinking of anything but his husband and finding out how he could kiss him goodbye that morning and then be subjected to whatever nightmare awaits him. He jumps out at the entrance of A&E and runs into the reception area, hands slamming down on the desk and his breath caught in his throat.
“Robert – my husband – Robert Sugden's been brought here,”
“Okay, well, if you take a seat - “ she starts calmly and Aaron bares his teeth.
“No – no, you don't understand! I need to see him! I need to see Robert!”
“Alright, sir.” There's an edge to her voice now as she stands up and he knows he sounds unreasonable but he can't help it. “If you'll - ”
He tunes her out and tries to look through the doors to the left of the desk instead, craning his neck as a nurse emerges. The automatic doors also open behind him and Aaron feels a presence behind him that he knows is Gerry as he pounces on the nurse. “Sorry, but I was told to come here – Robert Sugden?”
He's barely making sense, but her eyebrows shoot up in recognition and she nods at the worried receptionist. He's found Therese. “I can take you to one of our quieter, more private rooms.”
That pulls him up short, Gerry almost colliding with his back. “What? No, I want to see my husband. Why can't I see him?”
“You can, you will,” Therese smiles, standing in front of him as cool as anything. He supposes she deals with this sort of thing – people like him – all day everyday. He's not coping so well. “You just need to sit tight for five whilst the doctors check on Robert. You're Aaron, right?”
As she's talking, she leads them past curtained-off areas and hordes of staff running around after patients, saving patients. Gerry sticks close by and Aaron can feel the unusual anxiety roll off him in wave, but his determination keeps him strong now. They also pass a room blocked with two swinging doors with a sign on the wall beside that reads:
RESUSITATION
Inside, a group of doctors and nurses are crowded around one bed. All he sees are feet. No, shoes. A pair of brown brogues belonging to long, splayed legs. Aaron would know those legs and shoes anywhere.
“Aaron?” Therese calls when he stops, staring wide eyed through the window. “Aaron, follow me, please.”
He glances at her but they probably both know he's made his choice as he barges through the doors, shouting. “Robert! Robert, can you hear me?”
He rounds the drawn curtain on one side to see Robert being lifted from a stretcher to the bed, restrained with a neck brace and his suit jacket and shirt already open. Moving him about, Aaron catches a glimpse of his back where a strange pattern branches up from his waistband. Aaron chokes back a sob and someone bumps his shoulder. “What's he doing in here? Nurse! Get him out of here right now!” a doctor in surgical gloves barks.
Tears spring to Aaron's eyes as he resists Therese's hold and someone moves their ear close to Robert's mouth. “He's not breathing!”
A nurse promptly gives them an oxygen mask with a bag attached, which they begin to pump in their hand, watching Robert's chest for any signs. His pulse is weak apparently, but present and Aaron hates seeing him so helpless, so lifeless. It reminds him of Christmas a few years ago and he feels exactly the same now. “Robert, please,” he whimpers, “Please don't leave me – no! Robert!”
Therese catches one arm and Gerry appears on his other side, pointedly turned away. “Mate, come on. Let them do their stuff.”
With the fight rapidly draining out of him, Aaron lets himself by dragged out of the room but refuses to go anywhere else, staring at Robert as he stays separated by the two doors.
---
If he thought that the car journey was long, Aaron knew nothing yet. He stopped counting the minutes he was away from Robert ages ago and Therese and Gerry managed to convince him to move to a nearby quiet room, mostly because he was getting cold sitting on the floor. He felt guilty for possibly being under people's feet, but he needed to know Robert was going to be okay. Finally, a man in clean blue scrubs strides into the room. Aaron eyes him warily. He looks entirely spotless, but he's careful not to take it as a good sign that he's not covered in Robert's blood as he could've changed before he was coming to break the news. Even so, Aaron is out of his seat before he really thinks about standing.
“Robert Sugden's family?” he enquires politely.
“Yeah – I mean, he's my husband. Is he okay? What's happened? Why won't you let me see him?” Aaron blurts out, his eyes welling up again.
“Easy, it's alright,” the man says, placating palms raised. He smiles a little. “My name's Dr Chen and I'm the A&E Consultant here,”
“Look, I don't need your life story,” Aaron says tightly, “I need to see Robert. Can I see him?”
“Of course,” Dr Chen nods, “I just want to explain a few things first. Robert came into us after a 999 call was made from someone who found your husband unconscious by the roadside.”
Aaron frowns. “What? How?”
Dr Chen indicates the comfy chairs and Aaron reluctantly sits, Gerry to the right of him, Dr Chen to the left. “It seems that with today's bad weather, Robert sustained injuries from a lightning strike.”
“Lightning?” Gerry gasps, “Whoa!”
“It's why he stopped breathing.” Dr Chen adds gently. “Sometimes lightning kills outright, other times it's a much slower process. Most of the time though, patients make a full recovery. Robert is back to breathing unaided and there doesn't seem to be any concussion from his earlier unconscious state. It's more than likely that the lightning threw him to the ground, knocking him out for some time. He'll be groggy for a little while yet and confused, but you can see him when you're ready.”
It's so much to take in at once that Aaron almost doesn't realise what Dr Chen has said. “Wait – he's alright? I can see him?”
The doctor smiles. “You can. With victims of lightning strikes, our paramedics and staff have to be extremely vigilant and make sure there's nothing left around the patient to cause a further reaction. That's why you weren't allowed to be too close to him.”
“Oh.”
Gerry breaks the moment of reflection. “It's a shame he won't get superpowers, innit?” Aaron would normally roll his eyes, but he gasps a relieved laugh and pinches the bridge of his nose. His hands are still shaking. Dr Chen smiles at Gerry's sunny disposition before he politely explains it might be best if Robert sticks to one visitor at a time for now. He still has multiple checks to go through, but he's out of immediate danger. “Ah yeah, it's cool,” Gerry waves them off, staying in the room as Dr Chen and Aaron make their way down the corridor to Robert.
Hand on the door to resus as Robert's temporary bed, Dr Chen regards Aaron again. “Mr - ”
“Aaron. Just Aaron.”
“Aaron, there's one more thing you should be aware of.” He stares at the doctor, happy that his husband is alive and already mostly well. “Whilst Robert has some superficial burns to his back from the heat impact of the lightning, he's also become temporarily deaf in one ear.”
That was the last thing he expected Dr Chen to say. “Deaf?”
“Hmm. If close to the centre of a strike, the noise produced can perforate the eardrum. Like I said, this is usually just temporary and should heal within a few weeks, but he was quite agitated for a while.”
Aaron breathes in deeply. He's married to him; he can handle Robert in his worst moods.
They enter the room to Robert sat upright in the bed, his shirt untucked but loosely buttoned again. His jacket has been placed on a nearby chair and he's still hooked up to machines that are monitoring his pulse. Dr Chen lets them know that his ECG was all clear and that he'll have another before he is released to make sure his heart is tickety boo.
“Great,” Robert says, deadpan.
He still seems a little woozy and a lot annoyed. However, Aaron's so relieved to hear his voice that he forgets his own earlier rudeness and thanks Dr Chen for looking after his husband. The doctor leaves to give them some time alone as extra tests are ordered before Robert can go home. He automatically goes to sit on Robert's right, but he shakes his head then winces, feeling the effects in his ear.
“Not there, this side. This is my good side now,”
“You have a good side?” Aaron snorts loudly, to which Robert glares. He softens a bit when Aaron sits on his left instead and reaches for his hand, squeezing. “Go on then, tell me how the hell you got struck by lightning?”
“What?” Aaron opens his mouth to instantly repeat before he spots the beginnings of Robert's dimples at the edges of his smile. “Yeah, I heard ya. Serves you right for talking so loud. I'm off-balance, that's all. And...all I remember is my car breaking down and that I had no signal on my phone, so I got out of the car. It was - ” He squints, trying hard to recall and grounding himself with Aaron's thumb pressing into his knuckle, their fingers entwined. “It was raining hard, so loud and then I saw this bright light – well, felt it really. It must've knocked me back,”
“Apparently some guy drove past,” Aaron fills in the blanks. “He saw you on the road, unconscious, and called an ambulance.”
“Thank god,” Robert sighs.
Seeing him here now, battered but alive, makes the love Aaron feels for his husband spring forth. They're much better at saying how they feel these days, on the whole, and especially when it's important and this is. “Robert, I never wanna find out something like that's happened to you again. I was so scared.”
He lunges for Robert's mouth in a desperate kiss and clings to his half unbuttoned shirt as Robert eases the pressure from the bruising lip-lock to something softer. Aaron lets go of the last of his panic and leans into Robert's palms gently cupping his face, pecking his lips until they're both smiling, foreheads rested together.
“Ah, you know what they say - ”
“Lightning never strikes twice?” Gerry appears to interrupt Robert's quip, grinning himself. “Alright, lovebirds?”
Robert raises his eyebrows at him then Aaron. “Gerry drove my car here. Nurse's advice, Therese.”
“I see. She seems...competent.”
“Isn't she just?” Gerry crows. “Really nice, like. Fit too. Although I s'pose only one of you's would notice that, eh, Rob?”
“How many times - ” Robert warns tiredly.
“Sorry, yeah, Robert.” He digs into the pocket of his joggers and holds up Aaron's car keys. “Want me to drive you's both back home? I could probably have a crack at being a good nurse, y'know,”
Robert looks like he'd rather actually die than leave Gerry in charge of his health, regardless of how big his kind heart is. Aaron clocks his souring expression and decides to save him. “Thanks, mate, but I think we're gonna be a while. Make sure Liv gets home from school okay, yeah?”
“Aye aye, captain!” he salutes. He tosses the keys to Aaron then looks thoughtful. “Ya think that Therese would be cool with me askin' her out?”
“Gerry...” Aaron begins.
“What?”
“Go away,” he and Robert chime in unison.
They share a laugh so it takes the heat out of the words and, oblivious as ever, Gerry gives a little wave and vows to meet them at home when Robert is discharged.
For a second there, Aaron wondered whether things would ever be the same again. He can take a few weeks of his husband being snarky about his hearing loss, if it means he gets to take him from the hospital and back to the Mill. Home sounds perfect.