The gentle beeping of the many contraptions surrounding David filled the room, as Gail, Sarah and Shona sat around him. Silence between the women was smothering. What would they even talk about, really? The only thing on their minds was David; his suicide attempt yesterday, more precisely.

Why had he done it? It seemed so sudden. A few weeks ago he was what David typically was, but within the time since then, he'd dumped Shona, become alienated from his fiends and family, and done this. It didn't make sense. Not to any of the women.

A gentle knock broke the quiet, and all three heads turned to see Josh entering the room, cat-like and quiet. "Sorry..if this is loved ones time, I can come back later.." however, Gail waved his insecurity away with a tight smile.

"Not at all Josh, come in," the woman smiled and Josh sat beside Sarah, close to David's bedside. He squeezed her hand with a soft smile, and placed a card on his bedside, looking bashful.

"It's not much..I was never that good with getting presents, so this was the best I could do," Josh admitted "once he's up and running again, I'll make sure to get him something proper." Sarah smiled at that.

"He'll really appreciate that, Josh," Sarah said, rubbing his knuckle "you've been a really good mate to him lately...has he..ever said something? That he'd do something like this?" Josh shook his head.

"No," Josh sighed, placing his hand on David's like he would a friend "if he did, I'd've told you, really..all we can hope now is that he gets better.." Gail nodded in agreement, with a barely present smile.

"When he wakes up, all of us will support him," Gail said and the four occupants of the room nodded at her words "we can get therapists, people who can help him..whatever he needs.."

Shona hadn't realised how close she was to crying until she blinked back tears. The man she loved lay in a bed before her, after a suicide attempt. Why hadn't she noticed something? What was so wrong with her to not see the problems that plagued David? All she knew was that she was going to help David anyway she could, whether he wanted or liked it or not.

"I might get a coffee," Sarah uttered quietly, wiping her face with her sleeve "anyone want to join me?"

"I will and all," Gail sighed, and turned to Josh and Shona "we'll be back soon, alright?" Josh and Shona both nodded with a smile as Sarah and Gail both left quietly, as not to disturb anyone.

The silence that settled between the pair solidified like ice, begging to be broken by something. Finally, after looking between the two for a short time, Shona cleared her throat.

"So, uh, I won't be able to make the boxing match," Shona said thickly "obviously..I'm sorry for the inconvenience." She couldn't even bear to say the words 'suicide attempt' or 'kill himself' aloud. They just conjured up memories of when she first walked in, seeing his body bloody and the distress of the situation.

"No, no, don't worry about it," Josh said, patting her knee "I'll find someone for Maria to fight. How can we expect you to fight after this, really?" Shona managed a small smile at Josh's kindness.

"Thank you Josh," Shona sighed, leaning back into the chair, her eyes fixed on David. The thought of him not having been found..dying in the salon, was too much to bear in that moment and she rose from the chair, swiping at her eyes.

"Listen, I'm just stepping out for a moment," Shona explained to Josh, but didn't grace the man with a look "I'll be back in a minute, alright?" Josh nodded, and once Shona had shut the door behind her, he was left alone with a comatose David.

The room was silent save for the various sounds emitted by the machine, and Josh's occasional sighs. But all of that was quickly quashed by David's groans as his head turned slowly.

Josh sat back, with a smile on his face as David cracked open his eyes, his wrists still aching. Where was he? As he took in the sterile walls around him, he realised he was in the hospital. So he failed his attempt. He was happy he had survived for his kids, but there was a tinge of sadness that he had survived.

Josh cleared his throat and David visibly stiffened. Josh raised an eyebrow even though David couldn't see and stated simply "you all gave us quite a fright yesterday." David swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Get out," he croaked, his bottom lip quivering from emotion. Sadness? Anger? Fear, even? All of them probably. Josh shook his head and stood up, and leaned towards David, looming over him.

"This," he said, gesturing to bandages around David's wrists "is a good way to stay quiet. Just make sure you do it right next time." David saw the dark glint in his eyes, but before he could say anything, Josh was striding out of the room.

Outside of the room, Shona, Gail and Sarah were having deep conservations by the coffee machine, but they all ceased as Josh approached him. "I have to go, but, uh, he's awake," Josh said to them, and Gail and Sarah rushed to the room while Shona stayed behind to thank Josh before he left.

As soon as Gail and Sarah entered the room, Gail collapsed in a chair nearest to David, her face already slick with tears, while Sarah wore a relieved smile. They were wordless, but their faces said everything they couldn't vocalise.

Shona entered the room, but didn't sit down, instead standing at the foot of David's bed, wearing a conflicted expression. David couldn't bear to look at any of them, how could you? How could you look at your family after trying to kill yourself?

"You gave us all quite a fright," Gail stated quietly, placing a hand on David's arm, stroking it gently "but we're happy you're awake now." David didn't reply, just stared straight ahead at the ceiling.

"Audrey, Bethany and Gary will be by to visit later," Sarah stated, her hands resting between her thighs "they all know already, so you won't have to explain anything.." Shona could sense David's discomfort and was relieved for him when his doctor walked in.

"Mr. Platt, you're awake," she said with a smile "you are stable, but we would like to keep you in for another twenty four hours to assess your mental health." Shona could see the extremely slight stiffening of David's jaw when he heard this.

"Nothing's wrong," he said quietly and the doctor smiled politely.

"We would still like to keep you for another twenty four hours," the doctor said "you'd still be free to have visitors, like today." Sarah smiled at this.

"Yeah," his sister said with a tight smile "us three, Gary, Bethany, gran, Josh, we could all still visit you." That was when David finally spoke the loudest he had since he woke up.

"I don't want Josh coming around here anymore," David stated, to the surprise of Shona and his family "in fact - all of you, get out, I don't want any of you here!" Gail opened her mouth in shock at this and shook her head, while Sarah helped her out of the chair, her eyes filled with tears. David turned his head to avoid looking at his mother and sister, and Shona started following them. She desperately wanted to cry, scream and ask him what happened, but decided it would be better to just leave silently and check up on how he was doing tomorrow.

She said it before and she'd say it again: whether David needed or wanted her help, he was going to get it regardless.