10.

‘Darren you need to get a serious wiggle on if we are going to make this appointment in time.’

Darren swore under his breath.

‘Can’t a guy even take a piss in peace?’ he shouted back.

Rinsing out his catheter, he shook it dry and then slotted it back in place. Happy that everything was as it should be he pulled himself up to press the flush before backing out of the downstairs bathroom.

‘At last.’ Daniel exclaimed. ‘I thought you had fallen down the kazi or something.’

‘Yes, very funny.’

Left at the first set of lights, over the next two, third exit at the large roundabout and hey presto they were back in Dr Walker’s office.

‘Good, thank you.’

‘How are you feeling today?’

‘Good.’

‘And how are all the wedding plans going?’

Darren opened his mouth to reply.

‘No let me guess. Good?’

‘Yep you’ve got it.’ Darren smiled.

‘Okay well that’s pleasing to hear. But I’m guessing the good days are still on the losing team?’

Darren and Daniel both nodded. Today was a rare good day but over the past few weeks there had been days when Darren didn’t even have the energy to let Daniel get him out of bed. The bad days were still winning.

‘Darren, I’m going to write you a prescription for some morphine and I’m going to show Daniel how to administer it. Is that alright with you?’

Darren shot Daniel a concerned look and Dan swallowed hard.

‘Yes, it’s fine.’ Daniel answered for them both.

‘Alright.’ Coming round from behind his desk, the doctor pulled up a chair close to Darren and motioned for Daniel to stand behind him so he could see exactly what he was doing. ‘Now can you make a fist for me please.’

‘Right lunch.’ Daniel declared as he wheeled Darren back to the car. ‘Whadda fancy?

‘I don’t know, you pick. It all looks the same by the time it gets to me anyhow, all tastes pretty much the same as well.’

‘In that case I know just the place.’

‘Where?’

‘Wait and see.’

‘Dan we can’t go in there?’ Darren protested when he saw where Daniel intended to eat.

‘And why not?’

‘Why not? It’s only one of the poshest brasseries in town.’

‘So?’

Darren turned his head up to look at Daniel and caught sight the wicked gleam in his eye. ‘So lead on.’ He chuckled.

‘You’ve got to mash it down into really small bits,’ Darren took great delight in informing the waiter, 'like ittsy, bitsy, microscopic bits.’

‘Doze I think he gets the picture.’

The waiter smiled and discreetly withdrew.

When he had gone, Dan reached across the table and took Darren’s hands in his, grinning.

Only in somewhere like this could you order pulped steak tartare and rely on the staff to be well trained enough not to do a double take.

When they had finished dining, Daniel ordered a bottle of champagne and had the waiter pour two glasses.

Darren brought out his straw and solemnly they toasted each other.

‘To us.’

‘To us.’

Some of the bubbles got up Darren’s nose and he started laughing.

When he didn’t stop Daniel got quite concerned.

‘You ok?’

‘Yeah, I’m fine.’ Darren giggled some more and then glanced down. ‘Oh shit,’ he cursed. ‘I’ve sprung a leak.’

Their good day was over.