From Death to Destiny

5

They sat like that for a long time, nearly half an hour. Ben rubbed Danny's back with his good hand and told him over and over that it would be okay, that no one was there to hurt either of them.

A Child Protective Services agent walk into the hospital going to Danny and Ben after talking to a nurse. She didn't even bother going to check on the children that she was actually there for.

They all introduced themselves, by then Danny was able to pull himself together. Ben mostly talked as the woman listened to what had happened. It was the second time that night that they had explained what had happened, the first time being to a police officer. She talked to them about how no one was really at fault she just had to make sure she had the whole story for the records. It was just a case a wrong place wrong time, no ones fault at all. Danny didn't think that way though.

The voices told him again that it was his fault. Danny buried his face into Ben's neck again as he tried not to start crying again. “Tell them to stop. Tell them to stop,” he begged Ben gripping tightly onto his shirt.

“Danny? What's wrong love? Who do I need to tell to stop?” Ben asked again grabbing one of Danny's hands and lacing their finger together.

“The voices! The voices! Tell them to leave me alone!” Danny yelled out. His voice cracked as he let out his tears.

They were pulling him apart slowly. Bit by bit they were painfully yanking at his insides until he was ready to just end it all. It he wasn't with Ben he probably would have.

“Dan no one talking but me and this really nice lady right here. We're not gonna hurt you mate,” Ben said softly into Danny's ear.

“In my mind. They're in my mind and they wont stop. They wont go away Ben. They just wont go away,” Danny sobbed out. He seemed to be in a bit more control of himself but he sounded scared. Danny sounded like he was terrified of these voices, Ben could tell that this is what was wrong with him.

“Let's go talk to a doctor. Okay Danny? Is it okay if we go talk to a doctor?” Ben asked his tone sounding as if he was talking with a child, not a grown man.

“Make 'em stop Benji,” was all of an answer that Ben got out of Danny.

Ben apologized to the woman who they had been talking to. She was nice about it, got up and walked away to leave the two alone. “Come on Dan,” Ben said lightly trying to get Danny to stand up. He may not have been hurt all that bad but he was in no shape to carry Danny.

Danny held onto Ben's arm like his life depended on it as the two walked to the nurses station. Ben explained what was going on as best as he could to a nurse. Then he lead them up to the psychiatric ward of the hospital. He left Danny and Ben up there with a doctor who Ben explained to what he knew.

Danny and the doctor talk alone for a while in a room while Ben sat in another waiting room. He used his time alone to call the other guys and fill them in on what had all happened. They were probably, hopefully, wondering where the two had been.