Breaking The Silence

January 3rd

It was David's lunch break and he was worried. Worried that Dylan hadn't turned up to work today. He had not phoned in sick. He also hadn't responded to the numerous text messages/voicemails he had left his friend. David was that worried, that he went to the ambulance station to see if Sam was around. He'd never really spoken to Dylan's ex wife before, but he wanted to ask her if he'd ever done anything like this in their married life.

David found Sam and Iain. "Sam, can I have a word? In private?". Iain made his excuses.

Sam gestured for David to sit down. She had never really spoken to the nurse and wondered what he could possibly want.

"When did you last hear from Dylan?"

Sam was surprised at the question. And the realisation that since her first day back at Holby, she hadn't had a conversation with her ex. "He sent me a text wishing me a Happy New Year"

"Me too. He's not responded to any text I've sent since then"

"Maybe he's taken the boat away for a few days?"

"He was due in work today at 7. He's never late. Well, not this late"

Sam raised an eyebrow intrigued to know why Dylan would have been late previously. He was always a very punctual man. "When do you get off shift?"

"7".

"Ok, I'll meet you here then. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about"

*****

David couldn't help but worry in the ride over to the marina. Sam had taken an RRV with Iain's permission. They parked next to Dylan's Land Rover. Sam found it amusing that Dylan still had it. He was never one to get rid of things.

David could see Dylan's boat. The lights were not on. However, as they got closer, they could see Dervla tied up outside.

"Dylan would never leave Dervla tied up like this", Sam said untying her.

"It looks like someone's broken into the boat". Sam looked up as David made to go inside.

"Be careful. They could still be in there". David nodded as he went into the boat. The whole living area was ransacked.

Sam followed with Dervla. "She's cold and needs a blanket". David grabbed the blanket that was always on the sofa. How unusual that it was still there? "Any sign of Dylan?"

David shook his head and made his way to the bedroom. He was shocked to find the room littered with empty whiskey bottles, syringes and most of all an unconscious Dylan, slumped in the chair. "Dylan!". David checked for a pulse and was relieved to find one. "Sam, he's in here".

Sam was also very shocked at the sight that greeted her in the bedroom. He'd been drinking again. That much was obvious. Putting on a pair of gloves, she picked up a syringe. "Think that's some kind of sedative. This really doesn't look too good David"

David was trying to wake Dylan, unsuccessfully so. "Has he been attacked?". David couldn't see any physical damage to Dylan, apart from a cut on the left side of his face.

Sam's heart sank as she looked at the bed covers. Please no she found herself saying in her head. There was blood and semen stains. She looked over at Dylan, her heart breaking for the man she had once loved. She couldn't help but let the tears that had formed in her eyes fall down.

David looked up at her. "Sam?". He got up and went over to her. "Oh". He saw what Sam had seen. David hugged Sam. They stood like this for a moment until Dylan made a noise.

"Dylan? Dylan are you ok?"

"I feel.... like I've done..... twenty rounds ........ with Mike Tyson......". Dylan tried to stand up but winced in pain.

"Do you remember what happened?"

"Where's Der'bla?"

"She's fine"

"I think..... ran....off"

"We should get him to the ED"

Sam knew that this would be the last thing Dylan would want, especially if her suspicions were right. "No, we'll stay with him"

"We should call the police"

"No...no police"

"Dylan, the boats been broken into. You've been...hurt". Sam couldn't bring herself to say what she suspected. She didn't know how much he remembered. "I'll call the local SARC and see what they advise"

"We don't know for sure that he has been raped"

"I know David. But look at the state of those covers, the drugs. Dylan has never taken drugs"

"And the whiskey? I've never seen him drink"

"I have. He's a recovering alcoholic. He'd been doing so well" Sam suddenly felt guilty that he'd started drinking again because she'd returned to Holby.

"We need to talk. But later. Let's get him more comfortable"

"Ok. But we can't touch anything"

"No. But I want to check that he's not hurt"

Sam nodded. "We need to get him on his front"

Once Dylan was on his front, Sam burst into tears. There were not only blood and semen stains on Dylan's trousers but there was fresh blood too. David pulled on some gloves and with Sam's help, they pulled the trousers down.
Dylan wasn't wearing any underwear.

"You sure you're ok to do this?"

"As an army medic I had this task"

"Yes, but it wasn't someone you loved"

"And I love him enough to do this for him"

*****

The person at SARC Sam spoke to recommended they bring Dylan in for medical attention. She had told them she was more than capable of performing the exam herself but they advised she didn't.

"I still think we should have taken him to the ED"

"You know what happens. He'd be prodded and poked back at the ED. The humiliation of that alone, by the people he works with, would destroy him"

"And being raped won't?"

"You know what Dylan is like. He puts on an emotionless exterior but deep down he's the most emotional person you probably know"

David agreed with that. He'd seen first hand with how Dylan had dealt with Sanosi. From finding him on the beach in France to having to let him go.

"I think we're going to need help getting him to the car"

*****

Iain arrived at the boat with a wheelchair. He'd been shocked when Sam had told him what had happened on the phone. "Has he said anything about what happened?"

David shook his head. "He's been drugged. He refuses to let us call the police though"

"That's understandable. It's bad enough when someone's invaded your home without the police going through everything"

David nodded in agreement remembering when his own home was burgled. This didn't look like a burglary though to him. Nothing had actually been taken that he could see. Yet the boat had definitely been broken into and poor Dervla left outside.

Sam came out of the bedroom. "He's as ready as he'll ever be". She watched as David and Iain helped Dylan out of the bedroom and out of the boat.

Once safely secured into the wheelchair, Dylan noticed Dervla. She was more than happy to see him as he was her, and began to cry. He remembered her cries for him when he'd been so drugged up he couldn't get to her to comfort her.

Sam sat in the back of the RRV next to Dylan, taking his hand in hers for support.