the people yearn for the 2014-2017 era of biological bdsm aus-
His eyes widen in panic, and he scrambles to get off of Robby's lap and out of Jack's hold. "Fuck, fuck, fuck-"
"Hey, hey," Robby says, trying and failing to grab Dennis before he launches himself upright. "It's okay. Take a pause."
"I'm fine," Dennis snaps, even though he's clearly not. The Drop has left him sweaty, his body fighting against it's needs every step of the way. It wasn't even a good Drop, it was done out of pure necessity, so he barely feels any better than he did-fuck, how much time had passed?
"It's only been ten minutes," Jack says as if he can see Dennis running the calculation in his head. "That's all. You didn't want to stay down and we couldn't get you to listen."
"I didn't-" god, he's so fucking screwed if he doesn't fix this now. "I didn't Drop. It was just a low blood sugar thing. I'm fine."
"Dennis," Robby sounds pained when he says his name. "That was a Drop. A bad one."
"No. No, it wasn't. I'm not a-" he can't even get the word out so he just shakes his head. "I'm not that."
Dennis tries to head towards the door of the patient room that they've managed to sneak him into. But Jack blocks his path quickly, one hand keeping the door shut before Dennis can even try to open it, the other gripping his wrist with a vice.
"Sit down," Jack orders, his voice lower than Dennis has ever heard it. "Now."
Any hope of salvaging this moment goes out the window with that tone. Dennis shuffles back to the bed and plops down, avoiding making eye contact with either one of the doctors.
"Your file said you were a neutral," Robby says carefully. "Are you a late presenter?"
Dennis purses his lips and stares at the white sheets on the bed.
"Was that your first Drop?" Jack asks. "Or just your first one in a few weeks?"
He doesn't have to tell them. This is breaking so many HR violations. He didn't even Drop fully so there's nothing wrong with him. There's nothing to report.
"Dennis," Robby tries again. "Sweetheart-"
"Dennis," Jack snaps. "Start talking. Now."
Dennis can probably count on one hand the amount of times someone's used their dom voice on him. His dad when he told him he needed to hide his sinful nature from the church. A boyfriend who would use it to get him to stop crying.
So he doesn't have much of a wall to stop himself from talking.
"It was my second. I haven't Dropped since I was home. In Nebraska. I'm not a late presenter. I just lied on the forms because I didn't want to deal with it."
"How have you avoided a Drop for this long?" Robby asks softly.
"Subdrop meds. I take one a week. Two if I need."
"Are those prescribed?" Jack asks.
"No. I have a dealer. He told me this new brand wasn't as strong but I needed something."
A quiet falls over the room. Everything in Dennis wants to bolt for the door but he knows exactly how that will end. He's not fast enough to beat them out of the hospital, and he's a newly outed Sub that hasn't dropped in years. He'd have a APB out within seconds. Jack had connections. Dennis wouldn't make it down the street.
"What the fuck were you thinking?" Robby's voice is a lot angrier than it was a few moments ago. Dennis tries to shrink back but there's a grip on his jaw and he's forced to look up and make eye contact.
Dennis has seen upset Robby. He's seen mad Robby. But he's never seen those emotions directed at him, and he doesn't fucking like it.
"Do you know how stupid this is? How dangerous it is to be an unknown Sub that hasn't dropped in years? Working in a high pressure environment? You're lucky Jack and I caught it before anyone else did. Before no one did and you were by yourself out there."
"Take a breath," Jack tells Robby sternly, putting a hand on his husband's shoulder. "We got him. That's what matters."
"I'm sorry," Dennis says timidly. "It's-I've never had a problem before today."
"There wouldn't be a problem if someone knew."
"Yes it would," he says before he can stop himself. "It would. Because then there'd be questions and forms and mandated break days. You have no idea how much of a problem it would be. You have that luxury to do whatever you want. I don't."
"Those mandates are in place for a reason," Jack says firmly. "So things like this don't happen."
"Nothing happened," Dennis stresses. "You two made something happen. I had it under control."
"Is that why you had to practically run out of the room?" Robby asks. "Is that why we found you seconds from passing out in the ambulance bay? Because you had it under control?"
Dennis has a feeling he's not going to be winning this fight.