A/N OK, when I first posted this I thought it was going to be just a one shot. My lovely reviewers thought differently. So, just to make things easier I've decided to give everyone a chapter to themselves for formatting sake.
Here I sit, in the place you probably occupied just over a year ago, the tables turned. You're the one lying there, so still, tubes coming out of you, the beep of machines the only indicator you're alive. And here I am, at your bedside, sick with worry; desperately scared you're not going to come out of this one. Is this how you felt? I didn't give you enough credit.
It's weird, but sometimes I get the feeling people believe I want you to come out of this a scarred man. That I want you to feel the suffering I did. Bullshit. There's nothing I want more than for you to jump out of bed, laughing, asking us 'Why the long faces?' and then we'd all be… us again. But I know that's not going to happen. I saw it, you know, the whole thing. I saw your car take the corner wrong, flip over mid-air, the terrible pause before you crashed back to earth. A fraction of an inch, marginal human error, but in the stakes you play with it's enough. I'm so glad you didn't see my Hydrofoil go over. Or did you? I never asked. I didn't realise. Did you have to do this too?
It's funny that my accident happened first; you've always been the one who liked to stretch the speedometer, the one who took it far. Daring, extreme, dangerous. We should have known your luck wouldn't last; you don't lead a charmed life, despite what others might think. And now you're here, and now all I can do is wait. I won't be bitter if you come out of this smirking, without a scratch. Hell, I'll be ecstatic! You have to come back to us, Al. I can't be the youngest, that's your job and you're perfect at it. It's harder than people think, though you don't let on. And we love you for it.
A/N Sorry to anyone who thought this was something new, Virgil's coming right up I swear!