The hallway was busy just like the people running past me, pushing past one another. I sat numb, completely oblivious to their sounds. I was lost in the emptiness that my pessimism had created. I only thought the very worst.

They told me that I'd have to wait to go in and see you. I suppose they were cleaning you up and waiting to see if you were stable. They shouldn't try and spare my feelings. People in conditions like that, it's nothing I haven't seen before. I wouldn't have gotten in the way. I just felt it was my duty to be close to you.

When everyone's wrapped up in their own problems it's so difficult to get somebody's attention. I heard myself so quietly speaking. 'Excuse me', excuse me…' I realised that if I wanted to get any answers I would have to make myself heard. Finally, a much louder, "Hey!" A doctor taking coffee from the machine across the hall was the one to finally admit that he'd heard me.

"Yes?" His voice was exhausted.

"The guy in that room, 7, when can I go in and see him?"

"Oh yes, you must be Rude?" My look was a blank one. I didn't see what it mattered what the hell my name was. He was probably just trying to be polite. "He's stable now, you can go see him."

I thought to myself, what the hell was this guy saying? Nobody had appeared to have gone in or out of that room for ages. I could have been in there with my partner. You idiot! Don't you even care? I decided though that this man didn't really need me shouting at him. It wouldn't help things. You were the most important thing to me at that moment, most moments. I took a deep breath and turned into the room that they'd put you in.

"Thanks," I said plainly as I left him standing in the crowded corridor.

Even through all my years as a Turk I have never seen something as terrifying as I saw coming through that door. Lying in that bed I saw the strongest person I've ever known. My little Reno, the person I'd grown to lean on, rely on; the one person I truly needed at that time… was the one that couldn't help me.

Without you I didn't know what to do. I never needed you like this before, it was a growing thing. It crept up on me. I never knew how much until now. Could I hug you? Touch you? Would I hurt you? Did you even know I was there at all? Then it all came flooding back to me.

"Reno come on, I think we should get out now." I remember saying to you at first.

"Don't worry Rude, It's safe. I'll be fine, I'm Reno." That stupid grin on your face, not taking anything seriously. Or maybe I over worry, but not in this case. You shouldn't think you're so indestructible you know.

"I don't think it is, we should go back Reno."

We were sent to investigate an old building rumoured to have been used for dealing drugs from and other crimes. It had also been discovered to be a hideout for a group that had plotted and fought against Shin-Ra. So our orders were simple enough. To search the building and if there were any members of this group there deal with them, or if there were squatters to deal with them too.

So go in, have a look around, deal with anyone we find and report back. Simple in theory but the place was a bigger mess than we'd first thought. If there was anyone using it now, their 'home' was seriously dangerous.

"Rude, I just want to get a further look, just for a second." You went further into the building and out of my sight thinking that nothing could touch you. I feared that a single move from me would trigger something.

So I shouted, "Reno please, come out ." If anything did happen, if the walls began to fall in, the ceiling come down… there'd be nothing I could do. You wouldn't be able to get out before being crushed and I in turn would not be able to get to you.

There was dust trickling from the ceiling in random places. Just our presence and our footsteps seemed to make these become greater and more frequent; with pieces of stone and plaster also falling to the floor. More suddenly a larger piece of plaster came from the ceiling and fell onto the floor just behind you and in between us.

"Reno the ceiling's about to come down, come on!"

"Yeah… maybe you're right." You turned around and looked around you. "Ok." You started to walk towards me which was a slight relief from all the ridiculous images that were going through my mind of you getting hurt.

I turned away from you and looked into the light through the open door. And when I did, that's when it happened. I heard you fall after tripping and then a much greater sound of the walls and the ceiling crumbling and falling on top of us.

I was lucky. Nearer the entrance there was less of the debris to fall over me. I managed to push myself out from amongst the remains but you were completely crushed. The weight of all that fell onto you, I thought that it might kill you. Not just the stones but the ceiling and the furniture from the floor above, the slates from the roof. They could easily slide through the skin. I couldn't see you at all.

There was nothing still standing that was any taller than me. I can barely remember getting you out or how long it took. I just pulled back anything that was in between us, throwing it behind me. Thoughts of you came into my head and covered up my physical pain, it just didn't seem as important.

When I saw your face a list of possible injuries came racing through my head. Broken ribs or crushed bones from the great force of the weight on top of you? Or maybe internal bleeding, brain damage… you were completely lifeless. Maybe I was overreacting and it wasn't that serious, or maybe it was more serious than I'd guessed. I didn't really have a clue, I couldn't think straight.

I made my way carrying you to the nearest hospital and that was all a blur. When I got you there it was nowhere near as busy as it became. I suppose it's because it was later at night by the time I actually saw you.

More and more people came in and they became more like numbered ailments than the people themselves. They put you straight into a room, probably something to do with the uniform and I had to wait. At least I hoped it was the uniform.

All of the others I saw pass me as I sat in the hallway meant nothing to me. It didn't effect me at all. There was blood and people with bones coming through the skin. Children were crying, people were screaming but it all went in as one solid noise to me. I watched also what I thought was a doctor delivering news of death to a group of women huddled together and I prayed that that wasn't going to be me. But I was probably just letting my mind get out of control.

I thought that if all of those others died it would be ok as long as I had you. All of those others in the hallway… I couldn't really see their faces, just shadows. You were the only one filling my mind. The impact of the other tragedies didn't really hit me.

You looked so peaceful lying there quietly, just like it was any regular sleep. There was blood on your face left over from when they 'cleaned you up'. Cuts and scratches that couldn't be cleaned. In a way, seeing that was a lot worse than when I'd found you after digging you out of the mess.

I wanted to hear your voice. I needed to hear that everything was going to be ok. Not from a doctor or nurse but I needed it to come from your lips. At the time I tried to talk to myself, 'stop it Rude, he's going to be fine. When he wakes up you need to be strong for him, tell him that it's going to be ok.' Sometimes appearances of strength aren't what they seem at all on the inside.

When I looked at you again all of the good times with you came to me. Everything good that had happened, our strong friendship, the laughter and the sex. Just, everything. I needed to hold your hand, touch your skin and stroke your hair to remember it. You looked so fragile. Things become intensified like that at moments when you fear you'll never experience them again. Even a slight, irrational fear that you try to push aside.

It was such a relief to hold you again after being forced to wait. I could feel your warmth, from your hands anyway. Your face was so cold. I counted your breaths on my neck as I leaned in close to you but they were rough and slow. I had to whisper just in case there was any chance you would hear me. "Reno…"

"Bald," came your hushed reply. You said it in that joking way that you always do. When you're messing around and call me that. It always makes me smile. Except this time you sounded so weak. It was as if it pained you to speak.

My dark glasses couldn't hide the emotion in side me. A single tear fell down my face and it tickled. It was cold.

"I'm glad you're alright, well… you know." I kissed your forehead.

"Bald, hey," you pulled a weak smile to the side of your mouth.

There was something that I needed to tell you right then. Something I've never told anyone before in my life. "Reno." I said. You looked at me, moving your head a little.

"I love you." I leaned in again and gently kissed your bruised lips, stroking your forehead and your fiery hair. "Always will."