She could see it, even if no one else could. Ruth saw the subtle changes in body language, and the sparkle in his eye extinguished, when they heard Colin had died. She could almost feel the pain radiating from him, as Harry drove them to Adam's house. And as Adam pushed Malcolm, trying to push him into some sort of action, she could see something no one else could. They were losing Malcolm, losing his soul and life. Adam was speaking but she could see that Malcolm barely heard. She didn't take in what he was saying either. Suddenly it all seemed to escalate. His body language changed, and she sat on the edge of the sofa.

"Shut up your pompous old fool. He wasn't just some geek who did crossword puzzles he was my bloody best friend." With that he stood up and walked quickly towards the door. Adam went to block his way out.

"Adam don't," she warned him. The door slammed close.

"We can't just let him walk off," Adam protested.

"I'll go after him." Adam was about to interrupt when she spoke again. "Adam, I'll go."

"Ruth, we need him back as soon as possible. We're in the middle of a national crisis," Harry told her. She stood up and left for the door.

"Aren't we always," she mumbled under her breath. She ran down the flight of stairs, her hand trailing on the banister. She was careful not to trip - they could do without all the drama of another person hurting themselves. As she reached the door she noticed a hunched figure, standing in the corner. She slowed down, pausing just in front of him. Then it was that he broke down, and she did the only thing that she could think of. She wrapped her arms around him, promising him that it would get better.