Disclaimers: The characters are not mine alas and wishing won't make it so. Thanks for reviews/favourites

Rated for Gene being Gene and later chapters smut

Summary: Bit of a boring chapter being hospital based but hopefully things will pick up

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"Is there anybody out there trying to get through? My eyes are so cloudy I can't see you" (Duran Duran, Planet Earth)

Chapter 2

It was so hard. How ridiculous. How hard could it be just to open your eyes or move an arm she thought? She must really have had a rough night last night. So rough in fact that she couldn't remember it.

'Let me try' she heard another voice say.

'Alex, this is Doctor Bond'. The voice was calm and authoritative. 'I know you can hear me now. Its okay to wake up – don't panic, just take your time' he said

'This is it' Alex thought. Finally after all this time, I'm going to wake up, I am alive'. All of these thoughts and several thousand others passed through her brain simultaneously. 'Okay, let's just do this Drake, no wimping out now – think about Molly'. Gradually she was starting to feel things – heart beating furiously, lungs pumping and oh God how her body ached all over. But most of all, her head felt like it was going to explode at any second. Then her eyelids fluttered and reality came crashing in.

'Bloody 'ell she's awake' Gene exclaimed

'Please stand back Mr Hunt, we need to manage this appropriately'

'I'll give you bloody appropriately if you don't get outta the way' said Gene indignantly.

Alex could finally see blurred figures now. Two or three she guessed although they seemed to merge and then gradually redefine themselves. She twisted her head as a bright light appeared.

'Help, please' she whimpered

'It's alright Alex' said the doctor. 'Just follow the light, try and keep your eyes open'

She blinked furiously as the light continued to shine in her eyes. She guessed the doctor was looking into her eyes and checking her reactions – she had seen it done often enough on other people, God knows. Finally, the light abated and she opened her eyes fully.

The first thing she saw was, predictably, a male figure dressed in white, looking concerned but quite pleased with himself. Equipment, lots of equipment scattered around the room and a nurse – young but efficient looking.

'Don't try to speak yet Alex' the nurse said. She came forward and gently wet Alex's lips with some water.

'Just take a little sip, don't gulp' she gently put the cup of water to Alex's mouth.

Hard as it was Alex tried to stop herself from just gulping the whole thing down. She took in other details of the room, clock ticking, beige curtains, sun shining through, and music playing gently from somewhere. She looked around to see where it was coming from and noticed an iPod on a small table and the sound of James Blunt drifting through the air. She really was back.

'Do you know how much of that drippy, girly music I've 'ad to listen to?'

Alex turned sharply towards the sound of that unmistakable voice. Gene Hunt, but it couldn't be, just couldn't be! Yet there he was, sitting in the chair right next to her bed, holding her hand so tightly you would think his life depended on it.

'But…….' Alex spluttered

Alex looked at Gene and tried to make sense of it all - and failed spectacularly. Gene was there, sitting next to her bed, holding her hand and looking much as he had in 1981 when she had last seen him - lived-in but handsome with those piercing eyes now directed on her. Slightly shorter hair she noticed but otherwise, from what she could tell, the same Gene. This simply wasn't possible.

'What the…….How?……..When?" Christ she was such a coma cliché but she really couldn't finish a coherent thought.

'Remember what we talked about Mr Hunt' the doctor said with a concerned expression.

'Doc 'ere says you might have some problems Alex. You've got to try and take it easy to start with. Not too many questions'. From the expression on Gene's face Alex would have guessed that he didn't really agree with the doctor but was prepared to give him some leeway at this point. However, Alex wasn't prepared to wait.

'Just tell me what bloody year it is?' she yelled, coughing as she did so.

'Its 2008' Gene said and then looked at his watch. 'Nearly tea-time'

……………to be continued