Hello! I'm back! Finally after what? 3 Years if not more. Taking a little break from writing somehow managed to turn in to a bit of permanent hiatus. But this idea has been floating around my head for sometime after re-watching series 8/9 of Waterloo Road on youtube. I realized how much I enjoyed Barry Barry's character and just how misunderstood he really was. Anywaaay enough of me babbling on. I hope you enjoy this story and that I haven't completely lost my touch.

Carol felt as if the whole world around her had stopped. This wasn't the way things were supposed to be. She wasn't supposed to have to make the decision of turning off Barry's life support machine. She wasn't supposed to be grieving for her son. She wasn't supposed to be planning a funeral for her eighteen year old son. This wasn't right. Mothers shouldn't have to think about burying their kids. Barry should be here alive and when her time was up, he should be the one organizing her funeral, not vice versa.

What would Barry want? What type of service should it be? These were questions that had no answers because this wasn't supposed to be happening. But she knew deep down that she had to get a grip of herself because it is happening right now and Barry's death isn't only effecting her. But it's also had a massive impact on her daughters. Kacey was still in a state of shock, she had only returned from her boxing training camp in America and she was grieving her brother. Dynasty on the other hand has completely shut herself off from her family.

It had been a little over a week since she had been forced to make that decision. A decision no mother should have to make for her own son. The decision to turn Barry's life support machines off and let him slip away peacefully. There had been too much damage done. He was brain dead. It would just have been cruel to keep him alive. Alive, being unconscious and not really there at all.

*flashback*

Barry lay motionless on the hospital bed surrounding by tubes and machines, the same tubes and machines that were keeping him alive. His condition had stayed the same as 292 hours. 8 days to be precise, previous when he was first admitted with serious injuries. Serious head trauma. That's what the doctors were talking about. That was one of the reasons Barry hadn't regained consciousness yet. He was currently in the intensive care unit in the hospital which means he was being constantly and closely monitored by doctors and nurses. His condition was critical.

Carol rubbed the antibacterial gel into her hands before slipping on the paper apron which was required to be worn by visitors. She then took the familiar chair next to Barry's bedside and carefully took hold of his left hand. "Fancy waking up for me today, love?" She asked as she gently stroked her sons hand, desperate from some sign of life from him. Whether it was a flicker of the eyes or finger twitch. She just needed a glimmer of hope. "Barry? I know you're in there somewhere. I know you can hear me...I just need you to wake up, please?"

Carol didn't want to sound desperate, but she was. She was beginning to lose hope and she couldn't. She couldn't let her child down when he needed her the most. "When ever you're ready to wake up. I'll be be here, yeah? I know I've not been the greatest mum in the world lately. I know I didn't handle what happened very well but that's all in the past. We just need to focus on getting you better first."

Grief? What was grief? All Carol felt was anger. Anger towards the scum that beat her son to death. Who beat him to a pulp and left him at the side of the road. To die. Anger, because she was too late in properly forgiving him. Anger because she wasn't there to protect him when he needed her most. That was her duty. She was supposed to do one thing, which was be there for her children always. And she had failed one of them and she would never have the chance to make it right. She knew she would grief Barry at some point, she needed to but right now she needed to focus on his funeral.

Kacey was a mess. When she received that call that her brother was in the hospital. She never once imagined this outcome. When she arrived home from America and rushed to the hospital. She never once thought she would be too late. Barry was already gone by the time she got there, she didn't get a chance to properly say goodbye. She didn't get a chance to tell her big brother that she forgave him. All she was greeted with was the cold, sterile room in the morgue part of the hospital. Barry looked peaceful. Apart from the damage that had been done to his face. He just looked like he was sleeping. But he wasn't sleeping. He was dead. Barry was dead and he wasn't coming back. Ever.

Dynasty had been present in the room when her brother passed away. They had been preparing for turning the machines off when Kacey got back. So that they were all together for one last time. To say goodbye properly. As a family. But Barry took a turn for the worst. Dynasty was overwhelmed with her own grief but of course she shoved that to the side so she could be strong for her mum. Be there for her when she needed it most. This was going to be hard for them all but Carol had just lost her child.

Dynasty and Carol sat at opposite sides of Barry's hospital bed listening to the rhythmic beeps coming from the machines. Something that had become a big part of their life over the last few weeks. Dynasty glanced around the room at the cards and flowers that decorated both sides of the bed. Each one a get well soon wish for her brother. Barry never knew it. But a lot of people really cared about him even though he had a tendency of being a jerk. She then placed Barry's iPod on top of the speakers and pressed play on one of Barry's favourite Fall out Boy song. She had researched different ways to help to bring a comatose person round. Playing their favourite music and filling the room with familiar things as well as sharing memories and telling stories.

"When are you going to wake up, eh?" Dynasty sighed as she held her big brothers hand. "You always were a lazy sod!" She sighed. "But I miss you Baz. Why don't you just open them eyes? Yell at me for being in your room! Tell me off for touching your things." She continues desperately. She just wanted her brother back. She missed him. She missed his voice. His laugh. She even missed their arguments and they happened regularly. But that was what siblings did. They had always been really close. There was only 1 year 1 month between them. Barry had still been a baby when Dynasty was born. "Kacey is on her way home. She'll be on her flight." Dynasty spoke. "She'll be wanting to see you." Carol watched her daughter as she spoke to Barry. Her eyes were red and puffy from all the tears she had cried recently. She felt a lump in her throat as she watched Dynasty literally beg Barry to open her eyes. She knew Barry's condition wasn't good. She knew the diagnosis was concerning. The doctors had told her that even if Barry regained consciousness that there was a high risk of brain damage. He had received serious head and spinal chord injuries. Those animals had really laid in to him.

Just then the door opened and Barry's doctor walked in. He was a middle aged man and he had been overseeing Barry's care since the night he was admitted. Dr Harris glanced at the machines and monitors around Barry's bed before turning to look at Carol. "Can I have a word outside, please?" Carol looked at the doctor and then at her daughter before nodding. She knew it must be serious otherwise the doctor would have spoken in front of Dynasty. Carol glanced at her son once more before following the doctor out in to the hall. "What's going on?"

"Maybe we should sit down." Dr Harris told her. Carol shook her head. "Will you just tell me what's going on? It's Barry isn't it? What is it?" The doctor let out a large sigh as he removed his glasses and looked at the distraught mother just desperate for answers about her sons condition. "Mrs Barry. Please. Let's sit." It just took the seriousness in the doctors voice for Carol to reluctantly sit down on one of the chairs in the corridor outside Barry's room. "Please just tell me. It's bad news isn't it?" She asked quietly. She had an uncertain feeling in the pit of her stomach. The doctor inhaled a large breath of air and then let it out. "Barry's last brain scan revealed that there is no brain activity..." Carol glanced up the doctor. "What does that mean? There's something you can do to help him though, yeah?" She asked desperately. The doctor wiped a sheet of sweat away from his forehead. This was the hardest part of his job. Delivering sensitive news especially about someone as young as Barry. Someone who still had their full life in front of them. He slowly shook his head. "I am so sorry..." He began.

Carol felt like all the air had been squeezed out of her lungs as she shook her head. "Barry is Brain Stem Dead. There is no brain function anymore." "No! You're lying. Those Machines. He's breathing!" The doctor sighed. His own heart was breaking for the distraught mother in denial. "The Ventilator is doing all the breathing for him. Barry has unfortunately lost any capacity to breathe unaided." "So...So there's no recovery?" Carol asked as she struggled to process what she was being told. "No. I am so sorry." "So what happens now?" Carol asked as she glanced up at the doctor, her eyes desperate for him to tell her that he had made a mistake. That he had got it wrong. "Turning the life support off and letting Barry pass." Dr Harris knew it sounded harsh but it was the only way. Barry was only alive as long as those machines forced air in to his lungs. "When? When are you doing to do it?" Carol asked quietly. "The most dignified thing for Barry would be to do it as soon as possible." Carol glanced at him as the tears rolled freely down her cheeks. She slowly nodded. She knew the doctor was right. It would be cruel to leave Barry in that condition much longer. He deserved more dignity than that.

Explaining the situation to Dynasty had been just as heartbreaking as Carol had imagined. It was even harder knowing Kacey wasn't going to be there. Her flight had been cancelled and it was uncertain when she would be able to get another one. Carol knew she would never forget the distraught sobs of her youngest daughter as she broke the news to her over the phone.

Carol had spoken to the doctor and it had been arranged for that evening. Barry was born at twenty two minutes past seven in the evening and it just seemed like the right time. Not that there really was a right time to have to say goodbye. That evening Carol and Dynasty both sat by the bedside talking to Barry. Sharing memories and saying their goodbyes to their son and brother. Dr Harris and a nurse entered the room. Carol glanced at the man who had been treating her son for the past 10 days. "What's going to happen?" She asked as she glanced at her son. The doctor looked at Carol and then began to explain what would happen. "We will withdraw the support of the machine and because they will no longer be breathing for him. Barry's heart will slowly stop." Carol could feel the warm tears slash down her cheeks. How was she supposed to prepare herself for this. She was about to watch her child die in front of her. "How long will it take?" Dynasty asked quietly. "Minutes." The doctor replied as they all glanced at the clock in the room. 7:21pm. Carol gripped on to her sons hand as she kept a firm eye on the clock on the wall. She then watched as the machine was switched off and the breathing tube was removed from Barry's throat. Carol kept her eyes on the machine and waited until she saw it flatline and that's when she broke down alongside Dynasty. Barry was gone. Her Barry was dead. He was eighteen.

The funeral was a hard day for all who attended. The church was filled by Barry's fellow students, teachers at his school and of course his family and people that knew the Barry's well. The front of the church was decorated with brightly coloured flowers. Barrys favourite colour had been blue. So there was a lot of blue flowers especially on the collection of flowers that spelt out the words 'brother' and 'son'. The front row of the church was accompanied by Carol, Kacey, Dynasty, her boyfriend Kevin and Barry's grandparents. On the other side sat Barry's father Neil who was accompanied by two police officers as he was currently serving a prison sentence for armed robbery. The service started and the congregation listened to the hymns and readings that had been selected.

"Barry's younger sisters Dynasty and Kacey would Now like to say a few words about their brother." Dynasty glanced over at her little sister before taking a deep breath and extending her hand out to which Kacey accepted as they both made their way over to the front of the church.

"Firstly we just want to thank you all for coming. Barry would be shocked to see so many of you here." Dynasty spoke loud and clear so even the people stood right at the back could here her. "I don't want to be doing this. I don't want to be stood here at my brothers funeral giving an eulogy. It shouldn't be happening. It's wrong. Just as wrong and pointless as his death was. Everyone that knew our brother knows how easily Barry made enemies. He was a trouble maker. He was always coming up with ways to wind people up but that doesn't excuse what happened to him. Barry was beaten to death and that's so wrong." She took a deep breath. She didn't want her eulogy to be all about Barry's death. But about his life and how wonderful of a brother he actually was. "Growing up with Barry as a big brother wasn't always easy. Believe me. He would always pick on us constantly. But the minute anyone else looked at us the wrong ways. He'd be right there defending us. There's only a little over a year between us. Barry always liked to remind people that he was the older brother though."

She smiled softly remembering how protective he could be at times. "Mum used to tell us that when we were really little. People would think we were twins." She giggled softly. "Barry made sure everyone knew he was the oldest though." Kacey chirped in. "He was the best big brother I could ever ask for. He actually didn't mind me tagging along with him when I was younger. We'd always have a kick about in the garden before dinner. He always let me win until I got old enough to actually beat him for real." She smiled fondly." Dynasty tightened her grip around her little sisters shoulders and could actually feel Kacey shudder under her touch. She then glanced over to where Carol was sitting. Carol sent a small smile in both of her daughters direction. She was so proud of them. Dynasty then looked over to where her best friends and boyfriend were sat a few rows back. "I'm going to miss you so much, Barry." She said quietly as she let go off Kacey and took a few steps forward before placing a hand on her brothers wooden coffin. This was it. She was going to have to say goodbye forever. Barry was gone forever and he was never ever coming back. She knew she was just going to have to grow used to that reality. Dynasty placed a kiss on the palm of her hand before once again placing it on top of the coffin. She then took Kacey by the hand and lead her back to their seats before the service resumed.

The burial was beautiful. The cemetery filled up with all who had attended the church service all there to support and comfort the family as Barry was laid to left. The wake was held in a local pub and was full of laughter and tears as stories and memories of Barry were shared. The thugs who did this were eventually caught and arrested by the police. They were going to pay for what they had done. They would rot in prison for murder. But for the Barry's there life's were now full of this constant hole. Barry was gone. Their son and brother was gone. They would spend the rest of their days missing and loving him. But that was the way things were now.

AAANDD...Done! Please don't kill me for killing Barry. This idea was random but I hope I done it justice. PLEASE feel free to leave me some feedback as I want to know if you liked this and if I should continue writing. Thanks!