(no subject)

Guppy has tried to pretend that he doesn't know the young man in bed eight with one leg. Not out of animousity, or spite, but by mutual agreement that doing so would reveal that the patient was somewhat... wanted.

It's hard, seeing Jake lying there and not being able to be more than a doctor. It's hard remembering to call him Colin. But it's cheering seeing him quickly get used to prosthetics, and going with the cheerful attitude that he wouldn't have started riding a motorbike if he hadn't been prepared for the risk of loss of limb.

Today though, Jake beckons him over for a quiet word. Guppy moves to close the curtain, but the man shakes his head.

"I'm in trouble Fish." he whispers. Guppy crouches next to the bed.

"What do you mean?"

"I was spotted when I came off the bike. By someone who knows who I am and would very much like me in prison for emptying their bank account."

Guppy pales for a moment, then hisses back...

"Jake, I thought you only did the Lamberts."

"I did, it was Tommy that saw me."

Beat

"Can't be. He's dead. I saw him die."

"He's a one in a million. Revived in the morgue. It was in the paper, but I, er, stole it from your doorstep so you wouldn't worry about him. He won't come near you, I tracked him down, told him my men would know if he ever hurt you again."

Guppy frowns, and looks worried.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but what else have you been 'protecting' me from? Why do you even care about me any more?"

"Because you cared about me every day of my lousy childhood. Even if it meant you got beaten up. And nothing, actually, apart from that. Though I kept an eye on you, obviously. There's just one thing I need to do now."

"Which is?"

"Make sure you don't go down for hiding who I am in here. The police will have tracked me down by the end of the week, they'll take me to court and make me stand trial. And then, I'll be a free man. No way am I going to end up in prison for a robbery ten years ago that I since paid back."

"You want me to turn you in?"

"No Fish, you already hid me a couple of days, they're not stupid. You're about to go and report me for threatening you not to spill the beans, and backdate it a few days as to how long it's been going on, understand?"

"But I don't have any evidence..."

"I will never hurt you."

Before Guppy can protest, Jake pulls a scalpel from under the bed, grabs Guppy by the throat and says in an overloud snarly voice.

"Don't you dare tell them who I am, you hear? I've done so much for you, and you've never appreciated it. I may not be able to walk yet but I swear I will cut your whiny little throat!"

"Oi! Stop that!" One of the patients comes over on crutches from the other side of the room. Another has moved out the door towards the nurses' station. The man on crutches approaches, looks at the frightened doctor and the apparently insane man, then flicks the crutch up to knock the scalpel away. "You leave him alone, he does his best."

Jake gives a look of exhaustion so well feigned that Guppy doesn't quite know what to make of it. Then lets go of Guppy's throat and turns away.

"Do what you have to do." he mutters.

One of the nurses rushes in, in time to see the scalpel knocked away. Guppy, finally understanding both the threat and the witnesses, mumbles a thank you to the patient then hurries out of the room.

He understands. It will be hard. But once the hard part is over, he'll be setting his friend free at last.