"Get off me! I'm serious, let go of me or I'll hit you like I hit that wall! All of you!"

Ste was being calmed down outside of the hospital building by various members of the security and counselling teams. He didn't think he ever would calm down, he didn't want to. If Brendan was to die then remaining angry for the rest of his life was the only thing Ste had any intention on doing. Anger was a trait that Ste thought he had left behind, bar a rather hasty episode with a baseball bat, which ironically was the reason of Brendan's last hospital visit. Unlike that time though, Ste knew that this was much more serious, and rather than the twisted satisfaction he gained from Brendan's injuries last time, despair was the current overwhelming feeling for Ste. In his mind Brendan couldn't leave this world, it wasn't his time, not yet.

"We can't let you go back Mr Hay; we need you to settle down for us first."

"Go screw yourself!" Ste cried back, still fighting his way out of the various holds he was presently trapped within.

Sensing the lack of progress, the lead hospital councillor issued for the security team to let go of Ste. Despite being let free, Ste didn't move, instead he looked down at his hands and exhausted legs in brief shock of the outburst that he had just succumbed to.

"We can help you", said the councillor, now gingerly holding Ste's hand in a way that reminded him of how only hours early he had held Brendan's.

"Get off me!" Yelled Ste, the momentum of his anger still clearly lying below the surface of his otherwise timid outward appearance.

The councillor briefly let go, but then took Ste's other hand, the hand that Ste hadn't used to comfort Brendan in the hospital room. Again he repeated softly, "We can help you".

A tear rolled down a cheek on Ste's face, and then another, now one on the other cheek, until suddenly Ste's vision was now completely blurred. He wept. He moved closer to the councillor and gripped him tightly, not really hugging but grasping. He wanted to feel intimacy and for a second, he got his wish.

Brendan had wondered whether the whole thing was a dream. Had there been a thudding sound? Had someone screamed and begged for him to wake up? Had it really been Stephen? Despite the fact that he hadn't woken up to his loved ones, Brendan felt optimistic. He had remembered who Stephen was, and that in itself was all the motivation he needed.

You're not going to die here. You're going to get out of this. You're going to see Cheryl; you're going to see Stephen. This isn't the end. Believe.

Brendan opened his eyes.

Author's Note:

The shortness of these opening chapters won't last. When time permits you can expect longer passages of writing! Thank-you for reading so far, keep checking on a daily basis for more instalments.