I want to start with saying a big 'SORRY!' for not updating in ages…and thank modscho for pushing me to do this, because that is what I needed. Well, I think that this is enough rambling, because you probably just want the next chapter…so here it is.

In this chapter, I want to show the friendship between Ray and Abby, because I think that she is very motherly towards him, and would be there to help him. And don't worry, Neela will make an appearance at the end, we can't have no Reela talks or scenes, now can we?

Chapter 7 – Will it always be this hard?

Ray was lying in bed, bored and flipping through the channels on the T.V, not finding anything interesting to watch, most of the shows being soap operas or reality shows, not really Ray's idea of entertainment. Turning it off and setting the remote on the table beside him, Ray began to drum his fingers on his thigh as he looked around the room, and when his eyes fell on the card that Neela had brought him, he stopped and reached over to pick it up.

Holding it in his hands Ray smiled at the picture on the cover, a little puppy with a bandage on his ear, the caption above saying, 'I feel poorly'. When Neela had given it to him she had told him that she had saw it and thought of him, his hair reminding her of a puppy as it was not gelled up as usual, but instead just sticking up at random places, not messy, but certainly not how Ray would usually style it. The inside of the card had been signed, 'love Neela' in her perfect handwriting, and Ray felt his heart warm every time that he read those words.

Setting the card back down, Ray lay his head back against the pillows and was about to close his eyes when he heard someone knocking the door and lifted his head, expecting to see Neela, and was surprised when it was Abby.

'Hey, come on in' Ray said as he watched Abby standing outside the door, a bag in her hand, waiting to be invited in, not wanting to intrude in case Ray was tired.

Walking over to Ray, Abby lent down and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek as she said,

'I'm sorry I haven't seen you in a while, but the ER has been crazy'

Abby pulled back and dug her hand into her bag and pulled out a giant card and handed it to Ray with a smile.

'We wanted to wait until everyone had signed it' Abby said with a smile as she watched the smile on Rays face as he heard the messages.

Ray moved to turn and set the card on the table with the others, but Abby quickly took it from him and set it down with the others.

'Thanks' Ray said as he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, not used to having people doing practically everything for him. He had been mortified the first morning someone had been sent to help him shower, but had eventually got used to the fact that the hospital was going to be treating him like a broken toy, although he still wasn't used to his friends doing the same.

Sitting in the chair beside the bed, Abby reached over and picked Rays hand up in her own, noticing the look on his face, sad and thoughtful.

'What's the matter?' Abby asked in a gentle, motherly fashion.

Turning his head to look at her, Ray just gave her a small smile as he replied,

'Nothing', but seeing the look on her face he knew that wasn't going to be suffice and so he said, 'O.K, so I'm just not used to being so…' Ray tried to think of a word to finish the sentence, millions of possibilities running through his head, weak, fragile, broken, scared, ashamed, and he finally said, '…helpless'

Looking at the sad look in his eyes, Abby stood up and sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to brush Rays legs, and cupped his cheek in her hand, forcing him to look at her as she said,

'You are not helpless, you were in an accident and we want to look after you.' Seeing that he didn't seem to be cheering up any, Abby pretending to cuff in on the chin lightly as she said, ' And you better let us or else'

This drew a smile from Ray as he grabbed the wrist of her hand which wasn't still cupping his cheek and said,

'Or what?' his eyebrow rose in question, the smile still on his face.

Letting go of his face, but still sitting on the bed, Abby pretended to think, her hand on her chin and her eyes looking about, and finally she said,

'I'll tell everyone that you're afraid of needles'

Shrugging his shoulders lightly, Ray opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off when Mike walked through the door.

'Hey there Ray, ready to go?' Mike said as he walked over beside the bed, smiling at Abby as he stopped beside her.

Abby watched the look of worry that crossed over Rays face as Mike walked through the door. She knew that he hadn't went to a session alone, and neither Neela or his mother where at the hospital. Ray had told them to go home and rest, not knowing that he was supposed to have a session that day.

'I thought it wasn't until tomorrow?' Ray asked a slight waver in his voice. He hated going here, and Neela and his mother always made it a bit easier, encouraging him and being there for him. He didn't know if he could do it alone.

'Do you want me to call Neela or your mother?' Abby asked.

Shaking his head, Ray knew that it wouldn't be fair. They had stayed all day yesterday and most of the morning, and they deserved their rest too, he just wished he didn't have to go alone.

'Do you want me to go?' Abby asked as she took Rays hand in her own, watching the look of gratitude cover his face as he nodded his head.

Standing off the bed Abby went left the room to go and phone Luka and tell him that she was going with Ray so he would know where she was. As she made her way back to the room, she felt her heart ache at the look of pain that crossed Rays face as he moved from the bed to the chair.

Walking into the room, Abby took the handles of the chair and smiled at Mike, who gave her a friendly smile back as he said,

'O.K lets go'

As Abby sat watching, she had to fight the urge to shout 'stop' or look away, not knowing how Neela or Jacy sat through this nearly every day. She watched as a tear slipped from under Ray's eyes, squeezed shut against the pain, his knuckles white as he gripped the bars.

She was relieved when it was finally over, and walked over to Ray as he sat back in the chair, and handed him a bottle of water, and wiped the tears off his cheeks. Sitting in the chair beside him, Abby watched as Ray turned his head away from her, obviously embarrassed, and placed her hand on his face to make him look at her.

'You did really well today Ray'

Biting his lip, Ray lifted his face to look at her and said, in a choked voice,

'Will it always be this hard?' and Abby watched as he looked down and another tear fell, and without thinking she pulled him into a hug and ran her hand up and down his back as he cried softly into her shoulder, too exhausted to do anything else.

It was a few hours after the session and Ray had went back to the room and gotten a shower after Abby had left. As he lay on his bed, he ran a hand through his still slightly damp hair, causing it to spike up a bit, and lay his head back. Closing his eyes Ray felt the day weighing on him and soon fell asleep, his worries for the day gone.

Walking down the hall, Neela kept worrying about Ray. Abby had phoned her when she had gotten home and told her about the day, as she was worried about Ray and how he was dealing with everything.

As Neela neared Rays door, she saw that he was asleep, his head lying on the pillow at an angle, facing away from the door and the blanket pulled up to his chest, his arms lying across his chest and stomach.

Walking into the room, Neela shut the door, stopping the noise from the hall coming in, and walked around to the side of the bed so that she could see Rays face. Watching him lying there, she thought that he looked so peaceful and free from all of the pain and had the overwhelming urge to kiss him.

Leaning forward, Neela placed a light kiss on his cheek, and when she pulled back after a few seconds, she was shocked to see that his eyes where half open, green orbs looking at her from under sleepy lids, and a small smile on his face.

'Hey, I'm I that back you can only do that when I'm asleep?' Ray joked, and lightly laughed.

Ray, was however cut off when Neela leaned forward again and placed a gentle kiss on his lips, her hand on the back of his neck. Pulling back, it was Neela who laughed at the look of shock on Rays face, a small smile soon coming in place.

'No, I just wanted to do it twice' Neela said and then sat down on the bed, lifting Rays hand in hers.

Well, that was a step forward for our roomies at the end there, wasn't it! Please review and let me know what you thought.