[Thread continued from here.]

Ben didn't wait. He marched on steadily, because he wasn't sure what else to do with himself - for anger or dread, he didn't know. They were going to have a Simon. And this time, he had even less control. He owed it to Paul to do something. But his hands were empty. 

No, he didn't stop. He didn't even acknowledge Elijah. He walked.

Elijah hurried to catch up to the older man. "Wait. We need to talk. Come on, Ben. Please!" He sighed feeling frustrated but had to speak to him.

"Then keep up," Ben grunted. He wasn't sure what he was going to do if he didn't keep moving. Moving seemed safest.

Elijah frowned as his long legs managed to catch him up with the older man.

"Where are we going? And talk to me! I know you're not happy, but my job is to protect people. Even if I don't agree with their choices."

"Lory's mam. She ought to know." Ben said grimly. "What else do ye want me to say?" He suddenly stopped, for he was out of breath. He leaned on a low wall and coughed.

Elijah looked concerned as he stood by him. "And how will that help?" He asked genuinely. "Will she find her another job that will help pay..whatever bills she has been using the money for?"

Ben looked sideways at him, injured. "This is not to pay t' bills! 'Er mam would never let 'er! We don't 'ave much, but we make ends meet." Surely if Mary didn't, she or the lads would have told him. The mere thought that Lory was doing this because... His hand balled to a fist on the wall. Then another coughing fit overtook him. He felt dizzy.

Worry etched Elijah's face as he grabbed him and steadied him. "I'd rather take you to the doctor. You can tell her later. It isn't like every moment you wait it'll get worse. But.. I worry that if you tell her. Lory will just work harder to hide it and put herself in more dangerous situations ..." Like maybe Simon did... he thought to himself.

"I don't need a doctor," he protested, though he leaned on Elijah to steady himself, before sitting on the wall. "I cannot hide this from 'er mother. If one of my lasses was doing such a thing..." God forbid. "... I'd want someone to tell me, wouldn't I?"

Elijah had known about Simon, and hadn't told him..., he remembered. But he was suddenly too exhausted to punch him in the face for it.

"She's at the Diamond Pony, Elijah," he breathed. "That's dangerous."

Elijah frowned. "I understand telling her. But lory is an adult and if you guys try to fight her on this, she may rebel harder and if something does go wrong, she will not want to tell either of you."

He immediately held Ben away from the wall and started to walk with him slowly. "We are going to the doctor
I won't hear another word of it!"