Part 1

Sue wasn't sure how long she'd been sat by Jacks bed, but through the blinds the nurse had come and closed earlier, she could see that it was now getting dark outside, yet she made no move to switch on the lamp, instead she pulled her chair even closer to Jacks side and rested her head in her arms on the edge of his bed. Her intention was just to close her eyes for a few minutes while she willed the pain that was searing through her head to go away, but even it was to fade she knew the pain in her heart could only have one cure.

She prayed he'd wake up soon.

His head seemed to beat in time with his own heart, slow and steady, yet somehow it aggravated him. Slowly, as the thumping in his head began to fade he realised that he was huddled on the floor, almost foetus like in shape. He uncoiled himself and allowed his body to stretch this way and that, then finally opened his eyes as he tried to stand. Scrambling to his feet he once again felt his head echo the beat of his heart and he saw nothing but a dense mist all around him.

Taking a couple of timid steps forward he tried to gage just how steady on his feet he was; finding no issues he stood to his full height and began to explore his surroundings. As he moved forward, the mist slowly began to clear, areas beginning to take shape around him, but still he had no idea where he was.

Turning on his heels, he noticed a chair that he was sure had not been there before. He sat down, only once he'd taken his seat, did he notice for the first time that he was naked. Looking around and seeing no one he stood and walked over to areas where the mist was slowly beginning to clear.

Suddenly from somewhere behind him he heard something…

something almost...

Indescribable.

It was as if a chorus of angels were singing to him, but he couldn't discern any particular words, as though they were serenading him in a different language. As the beautiful sound became louder and louder he felt as though someone must be drawing nearer, and for the first time his nakedness made him feel ashamed. Looking around he begged that somewhere in this room of mist and mystery there would be some clothes. No sooner had this thought occurred to him than a pile of clothes appeared on the bench where he had sat just moments ago. Facing the bench he placed the clothes on, still straining to hear the sound of the angels, then turning to see if he could see them approaching he gasped as he saw the that mist had finally cleared.

"Jack Jack please wake up! You must be able to feel me here beside you. You must know how much I - how much I care about you. Please, please come back to me." Sue had stayed by Jacks side since the minute he'd arrived back from theatre, the others had popped in and out, but she had simply refused to move from her spot. Still it had been nearly 24 hours since she had eaten or slept properly. Deciding that eating would be quicker, she decided to walk to the hospital restaurant, grab a sandwich and eat it back in Jacks room. As she reached the door way she turned and looked back at Jack, sending a silent prayer upwards.

"Please don't let him wake up before I get back."

Turning quickly he tried to figure out where the angels must be hiding, he'd heard it as clear as anything this time. He wasn't to let someone wake up before they got back…but whom? He was the only person there, and why were they leaving? Through his confusion he still felt an overwhelming sense of peace, the mist having cleared he still couldn't explain what he could see. It didn't seem to be just one thing, but an amalgamation of everything he loved. Things seemed to float in and out of focus, and if he thought about something hard enough it would appear in front of him. Turning around to the bench that seemed to bring him his every desire he saw a man who seemed somehow familiar.

Walking over he took a seat next to the person who he was sure was his friend. Neither spoke, for there seemed nothing in his mind to say, up until now he'd simply done everything that had popped into his head… "You're wondering what this place is, aren't you?" The stranger spoke first, his face friendly, his mannerisms familiar.

"Actually I was trying to figure out who you are?"

The man looked and smiled, "Who are you? Who I am depends wholly upon who you are my son."

The mist seemed to be closing in again, "Well I'm… I'm…"

The man jumped to his feet and began to circle the bench, "You don't know who you are? My, this is a bad case… they almost always know who they are! Even if they are still not sure who that makes me… This is unprecedented I'm sure. You really don't have a clue?"

Beginning to wish he had stayed huddled on the floor he could feel tears spring into his eyes.

"Well my boy, I suggest you wonder around and ask some people, someone must know. There must be someone in your heart that truly knows who you are."

He wiped the tears from his eyes before looking once again at the stranger… "Where did he go?" The man had disappeared without a sound, vanished from the spot. Standing again he felt that he needed to explore, there must be someone here who knew who he was. Walking directly into the mist, feeling encouraged by this new 'mission' he looked around again for any sign of someone other than himself.

In the distance he could see a glow, as he walked closer and closer the glow began to warm him inside and he could hear a familiar sound, "Woohoo!" Entering what felt like a small hut he looked around, mist filled the room but cleared immediately as if the next 'Woohoo' had sucked it all in.

"Woah, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. Can I help you?" Again the man in front of him seemed strangely familiar, the room he found himself in seemed to resembled the man in front of him in every respect, it was narrow but immensely tall, which caused the mans frequent exclamations to echo around. The mans 'woohoos' seemed to celebrate his success in throwing a basketball into a hoop. Looking round the hut there were shelves lining every single one of the walls, running all the way up to the ceiling, and no space could be seen on any of them.

"I'm sorry, I know this seems like an odd question but, would you happen to know who I am?"

The man looked puzzled for a second, then slapping him on the back he answered, "Not strange at all mate, it is the question everyone wants to know. And I do have an answer for you, though I'm not sure it will help… You are the man who helps me when I am low, you are the one to whom I can always go, you reign me in when I go to far, you're the one who set on fire his very own car! Some people think you are kind of narky, but to me you will always be the one and only Sparky."

Shaking his head in an effort to try and clear the fuzz that this explanation of his identity had caused, he once again opened his eye and saw that the hut in which he had just been stood had been replaced by a garden. The smell from each flower was different, each step forward he took another smell that he loved from his childhood memories or a whiff of perfume, all filled his nostrils, lulling him into a sense of calm he had never felt before. He could see a man at the very end of the garden primping a very large rose bush, he was sure he had never seen roses like them, they seemed to twinkle and let off the most amazing smell.

As he neared, the man he cleared his throat. "Oh I do apologise, can I help you?" He felt somewhat distracted by the delicious smells that surrounded him, looking round he wondered if there was a bench so that he could perhaps sit here for awhile and take in some of the wonderful odours that were filling his senses. However the question he knew he needed to ask, seemed to be flashing in his mind, and he felt the only way to get rid of it was to allow it to escape out through his mouth. "Do you know who I am?"

The man smiled, it was a kind but pompous smile that caused him to warm to the man and yet feel a slight annoyance all at the same time. "Well I know who I believe you are… You are the man that knows what's right, and is always up for the fight. You are the man, who leads our team, and whom I secretly esteem. From meeting you I have changed since, you are the man I like to call the Prince."

Once again as soon as the man had finished he seemed to blend into the new mist as it rolled in before him. He could now see the bench with the old man, approaching him he sat down. "I think I know who I am. I am Sparky the Prince." Feeling rather contented with this answer, he was quite taken aback when the man beside chuckled and turned to face him, looking at him intently with kind eyes.

"That is not who you are. That is merely facets of yourself that you allow to be seen. Who I am depends upon who you truly are."

Without time for another word the man disappeared once again. Sitting on the edge of the bench, he tried to rack his brains, hoping that maybe the answer to who he was lay not in other people, but was hidden within. Finding nothing in his mind he strained as he thought he could once again hear the voices of a thousand angels floating towards him. "I'm here, you're not alone anymore. I told you I wouldn't stay away too long."

Standing he turned this way and that, trying with all his might to find the angels, he looked for their light, listening to their sound… but once again all was silent.

Just as he was about to sit back down on the bench, he heard a familiar sound, a laugh that, despite his impatience to know his identity, made his heart soar and a smile appear on his own face. Heading towards the laughter, he had to dodge a couple of flying objects. Each time one missed him another one came hurtling towards him. The speed at which they flew past made it impossible to determine exactly what someone was using as a missile and whether he was the person they were intended for.

As he reached the laughter, the mist around him once again faded away and he saw a beautiful young woman crouched down with her back towards him, on a chair to one side sat a man who had a laughed just as loud and heartily as the woman with him.

As another object came hurtling towards him he realised it was in fact a shoe. Clearing his throat, he dived forwards in the hope of dodging yet another flying object, "Excuse me." As the woman in front of him stood and swirled around, he saw a smile that seemed to light up the whole room in which they were stood, now the room before him seemed illuminated and all he could see, other than the two people in front of him, were shoes, in every direction that he looked he saw shoe after shoe.

"Oh I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there! Dad you were supposed to be keeping a look out." The woman's father laughed and then replied, "Well I couldn't see for all the shoes you were throwing around." The pair fell about in fits of laughter, until the beautiful young woman seemed to remember they had a guest. "Oh I hope none of those shoes hit you! Just throwing out all the trainers you see… why would anyone wear trainers?"

Feeling happy just to see the woman's smile, he didn't mind the momentary distraction. "I was just wondering if you know who I am." The woman looked at her dad and her smile widened, increasing the light that shone into the room. "Do you remember me telling you about him daddy? I know who you are… You're the man who always has a date, and without my organisational skills would always be late. You're the man who all the women praise, but for you I know they are just a phase. The woman you love is my best friend, and I know you'll get together in the end, then my work will be finally done; you are the man I call Jackson.

Having re-entered his room with her sandwich, Sue had been so happy to see that Jack hadn't woken up, as much as she wanted him to be fine, she didn't want him to wake up alone. Having sat just inside the door to eat her sandwich, she now moved back to his bedside. Taking his hand in hers, she looked at his closed eyes. She had stared at his features so many times through the last 4 years, memorising each and every line and curve, still she longed to know more, to learn more about him, to hold not only his hand, but his heart.

Everything had once again disappeared; he could now see his bench, though it was just becoming clear through the mist. Hearing the sound of the angels once again, he was rooted to the spot as a beacon of golden light flashed and spread through the mist, instantly he could see one of the angels was sitting on the bench, slowly approaching he could eventually make out that the light was coming from her golden hair. Finally reaching the bench he somehow knew that he needed to face her, so he sat diagonally on the bench; for a moment her beautiful face held him speechless.

Slowly his hands began to move in rapid formation creating a language that he hadn't realised he knew, "Do you know my name? That is do you know who I am?"

The angel too began to move her hands, light shone from her whole body. And though she moved her hands he could hear the sound of a thousand angels giving him his answer. Quickly he realised he had not been hearing a group of angels since he had awoken here, but simply one.

"I feel I know you well, and of what I know I can tell... You are a kind man, with such a big heart, and I think maybe I have known it from the start. You support me, make me feel so strong and you're judgement is very rarely wrong. You saw past my outer shell, which I admit made my own heart swell. You helped me find out who I am, now lets do the same for you if we can. Some call you Sparky, of which I am one, though only because you were careless is this done. Others call you a prince, though I know not why, but I think it's 'cause you get everything done without really needing to try. A few friends call you Jackson, but it's only when you've messed up that this is done.

I can't explain who you are in merely thoughts or rhymes, but this is what I have come to know about you over time. I love you Jackson Samuel Hudson, and I wish you were mine.

Leaning in, he felt her lips gently meet his own; nothing had ever felt so good or tasted so sweet. Yet in between the pure moments of ecstasy he was sure he could taste the salt from her tears. For the first time since he'd awoken in this strange place, he felt a pull on his heart calling him away from this mysterious land.

Sue didn't know why the urge grabbed her, but as she sat staring at his face, tears flowing down her own, she stood up and stroked the side of his face before leaning in and whispering "I love you Jackson Samuel Hudson, oh how I wish you were mine. Please come back to me." Gently she pressed her lips up against his, willing his eyes to open at the touch. When nothing happened, her tears began to fall harder, fear welling up inside her that she'd never be able to tell him how she felt.

Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven
Would you be the same
If I saw you in heaven
I must be strong, and carry on
Cause I know I don't belong
Here in heaven