Right well the plan was for more regular updates but as I am sure you are aware life has overtaken me recently and I'm in the middle of writing my thesis…yeiks! So hopefully once we get to July and I've graduated college with my degree (omg) updates will be much more regular for you guys!

Thank you so much to all of you who have stuck by me all this time. It really means a lot that you have carried on reading through me being a terrible updater! Don't forget to hit that button and drop me a review…always appreciated.

~TG~

~Patience is a particular requirement. Without it you can destroy in a hour what it might take weeks to repair. ~ Charlie W. Shedd

~TG~

Spring had turned to summer and Troy was still sat frustrated in his hospital room. He wanted nothing more than to be outside with his friends, swimming and lounging in the hot Albuquerque sun.

But he was stuck, stuck in the middle of an intense few months designed to help him regain his strength and abilities in order to leave hospital.

Thankfully for Troy and Gabriella they had taken their ACT and SAT exams prior to Troy's sudden illness and they had compiled enough credit with Advanced Placement classes that missing March to June hadn't affected their chances of graduating.

Graduation had been a beautiful day, the sun was shining and a cool breeze whistled through the trees. Troy's doctors had allowed him out of day release, giving Gabriella strict instructions to not allow him out of his wheelchair at any point.

Together they had collected their diplomas, watching their parents proudly smiling from the audience before moving back down to their seats.

Both Troy and Gabriella had decided to defer their entrance to college. They had both been accepted to their first choice schools, just a few short miles away from each other in California, but neither could imagine being there without the other.

After lengthy discussion, and most often argument with Troy, Gabriella had sent a polite letter to Stanford explaining her circumstances and informing them that she would be taking up her place next year.

Needless to say, that had had no problems honoring her decision.

"What are you looking so grumpy about?" Gabriella asked Troy and she entered his room that morning, her baby blue summer dress sitting just above her knees and her hair hanging loosely down her back.

There was no doubt that she brightened his day, whether the sun was shining or not seeing his girl walk through the door brought him sunshine.

"I have physio in an hour," Troy grumbled, he had been having intense physiotherapy to get his muscle strength back since being taken off the ventilator four weeks previously.

It was painful; there was no denying that, his muscles had become accustomed to lying in bed motionless and when he attempted to walk more than a few steps burning pain seared through his legs.

But he knew he had to go on, as much as he hated it and as much as he wished his physiotherapist would just leave him alone, he knew that to have a normal life again it was something he just had to do.

"Come on Troy, you only have a week left. You can walk on your own now, that's huge! Without physio you wouldn't be doing that! Before long you'll be playing ball with Chad and the guys just like before," Troy smiled at Gabriella optimism. She was right though, he could finally walk without using an aide and the thought of sleeping in his own bed for the first time in four months was more than enough motivation to do well in physio.

It felt strange to Troy that the world had continued on as normal without him. His parents had gone back to work months before, in fact they had just set off on a three week cruise around the Caribbean.

It was only Gabriella whose world had stopped when his had. She had done her remaining school work from his room, spent weeks at a time away from her own bed to sleep with him to make sure that he was ok, and she had given up her chance to attend college in the fall to stay with him.

He couldn't describe how appreciative he was to have her, how much he loved that she was with him every step of the way, but he couldn't help but feel guilty.

He felt like he was holding her back, like maybe one day she would resent him for stopping her from going straight to college and fulfilling her dreams.

"You've gone from looking grumpy to looking perplexed, what's going on in your head Troy?" Gabriella asked amused that his expressions had changed so quickly.

He had always been expressive; it was something that Gabriella loved about him. Usually his expressions reflected his happy persona, and sometimes even reflected how he was feeling in moments of intense passion.

"You're not going to hate me for this are you?" Gabriella frowned at Troy's question, what on earth would she ever hate him for?

There wasn't a likely scenario in her mind that had such an outcome, no matter how hard she tried to think of one she just couldn't imagine herself ever feeling hate towards Troy.

Sure, she knew there would be anger and frustration at some point in their future but never ever hate.

"What are you talking about Troy? Hate you for what?" she asked, wondering what had made Troy think such of such a question.

Troy sighed, he hated that it was so difficult to express himself in words. He hated that for some reason his usual open communication with Gabriella had been halted.

He wasn't sure why, but he found himself wanting to hide from her. He knew however, that he couldn't do that. Hiding from her was what got him here in the first place.

"Later on down the road; when you're stuck at home looking after me and watching all of your friends getting on at college, are you going to wish that you had gone this fall? Because if you are, I think you should go and do that because I never want to have the possibility of you resenting me because I held you back." Gabriella couldn't believe what she was hearing, she couldn't believe that after everything that had talked about he was thinking these thoughts.

She had spent hours convincing him that this was what she wanted to do; hours convincing him that renting a little apartment together in Albuquerque, which would be close to family, so that she could care for him all of the time, was a really fantastic idea.

She had no doubts in her mind that this was what she wanted. College would still be there for her in a years' time, as it would be for him, leaving him behind in Albuquerque to fend for himself had never been an option.

"Never, never ever in my life have I wanted something more than I want this Troy. I want to be the one to take care of you; the one to help you take a bath when you need help, the one to massage your legs when they ache, I want to be there to dress up in a hot nurse's outfit and see your already amazing smile get bigger and bigger. I don't want to be in California without you, I want to be right here in Albuquerque." Troy was touched by her speech, it wasn't often that Gabriella spilled her feelings to him in such a way and because of this he knew she meant it.

He held her had tightly in his, pulling her down to his side and wrapping his arms tightly around her. It had become a novelty to them to be able to cuddle without worrying about disturbing wires; it had only been recently that Troy had had all of his lines removed for good.

Their moment was disturbed by a knock on the door. After waiting a few seconds for protect, a tall tanned man entered the room.

"Hey there Troy, ready for physio?" The man asked nodding his head politely at Gabriella as he made his way across the room.

Troy had been offered the choice of moving to a rehabilitation facility just outside of Albuquerque following his discharge from the ICU. However, when Marissa Montez had heard about the possible move, she had insisted he remain at the hospital so she could personally oversee his care.

He had been glad of this, he hadn't wanted to move. He was comfortable with the staff, and they were comfortable with him. He had worried that the staff somewhere new wouldn't warm to Gabriella as much as the staff at the hospital had.

He needed her, the thought of having nurses and doctors telling her she could only be there for three hours a day pained him. He knew that making exceptions to the rules made it difficult for them; but they had quickly learnt that without Gabriella, the difficult times were ten times harder.

"You know I'm never ready, but Gabriella said I don't have a choice," the physiotherapist smiled; he hadn't had much to do with Gabriella over the time he had been working with Troy, she had always watched his sessions from the sidelines and disappeared back into his room once the session was completed.

He had to admit, that in all his time as a physiotherapist he had never met a girlfriend as supportive as Gabriella.

George had qualified as a physiotherapist three years previously in his home town in Toronto, Canada. He had made the move to Albuquerque, New Mexico after being offered a job that he simply couldn't turn down.

He loved his job, but for some reason he really loved working with Troy. Despite his cheeky words of disinterest, he knew that Troy was willing to do anything to fully recover.

"Gabriella is a wise woman; you should listen to her more often!" Gabriella giggled at George's comments, she often teased Troy about listening to her and it had tickled her that someone had agreed with her.

"Let's just get this over with," Troy grumbled, hauling himself from the bed and taking slow painful steps along with George and followed dutifully by Gabriella.

It was the vision that kept Troy going, the vision of the future he was going to share with Gabriella.

It was the only thing that could possibly make painful physiotherapy worth it.

~TG~

Troy had waited months for this day to come.

It was finally the day that he would be allowed out of the boringly decorated claustrophobic hospital room and out into the real world.

He had made excellent progress in the last four physiotherapy sessions and with a little assistance from Gabriella but none from George, he had finally managed to climb the stairs and prove he was more than ready to go home.

He knew that it wasn't over yet though.

Despite being allowed home, he would have to return to the hospital four times a week for physiotherapy and would need to attend clinic with Gabriella's mother once a week to ensure that he was still doing well physically.

There was still a long road ahead of him, but it relieved him to know that it finally looked like a much more enjoyable journey that it previously had.

"Well Troy, it will be quiet here without you!" Marissa Montez spoke sweetly as she walked into Troy's room for the final time.

It had been quite an experience for her; she could still remember the horrible feelings that struck her as she watched a half dead Troy being wheeled into her trauma room. She remembered more than vividly the frantic rambles of her daughter as she begged her mother to save the man that she loved.

She was pleased how everything had turned out. She knew that most of it had been down to Troy; he could have gone either way no matter what treatment they had thrown at him, but he had chosen to get better and come back to live his life as he should with Gabriella by his side.

"It will be like I was never here once I'm gone," Troy retorted cheekily, packing his clothes into several bags in preparation for his long awaited departure from hospital.

Troy was more than ready to go home; he had mixed feelings about returning to a completely different house than the one he had left, but the idea of moving in with Gabriella overtook his feelings of uncertainty.

Gabriella had been living in their new apartment for three weeks now. She had considered waiting until he was home to move in but she wanted it to feel homely and lived in for Troy's return.

She had decorated in a way that she knew Troy would like, the whole apartment had been filled with relaxed mellow tones and furnished with tastefully with comfortable yet classy furniture that made the apartment look much more luxurious than it really way.

Troy and Gabriella had Marissa to thank for their apartment. She had watched the couple in the months that Troy was in hospital and quickly realized how important it would be to Troy's recovery for Gabriella to be around as much as possible. For this reason, she had paid the rent on a small downtown apartment for six months and had allowed Gabriella to decorate and furnish the new home with the family credit card.

They were more than appreciative; Gabriella had worried about how she and Troy would manage once he had been discharged. They had become used to having the other almost twenty four hours a day that it seemed strange that at some point they would be unable to be there for each other constantly.

"It's so good to see you going home Troy, you have progressed so well! I have filled in all of your discharge paperwork, made you a clinic appointment with me for next week and have informed the nurses that you will be leaving as soon as Gabriella arrives. I'm going to have Doctor Mikanos come in and speak to your briefly before you leave but apart from that, you're free to go Troy." Marissa smiled as she tucked a couple of documents into Troy's bags along with a large bag of medications he would need to keep taking for a little while longer.

It frustrated Troy that he had to keep taking his medications, but he understood how sick he had been and how important it was to ensure that his body recovered in the best way possible. Marissa had reassured him that it would be unlikely that his period of illness would affect his ability to play basketball but that he had to take it easy for a few weeks.

Troy's time in hospital had changed him.

He had always dreamed of being an NBA star but as he lay in his hospital bed, unsure whether he would ever survive and return to full health, he realized that all he wanted was to be surrounded by his family.

He wanted to wake up every morning next to Gabriella, and chuckle as their children pile onto their bed because it's Saturday morning and no one has to get up. He wanted to be at the birth of their babies, watch them grow up and be there for every milestone no matter how small.

As he sat lost in his thoughts with nothing else to do he realized, there was no way he could have all of those things and live a life in the NBA.

He couldn't wait to begin the life he was now more excited for than ever.

"Why does Doctor Mikanos need to speak to me?" Troy asked, curious to know why Marissa had instructed an intern to speak with him when she was here herself right now.

Marissa cringed slightly, she knew that Troy would ask the question but she had that he wouldn't.

"You'll see. Make sure you come and find me before you leave with Gabriella, I'd like to say goodbye to you both. How about you both come over for dinner when your all settled in? Maybe next week?" Marissa asked politely, knowing that Troy loved her cooking enough to agree without even having to think about it.

Troy smiled and nodded as he watched her leave the room. He was still puzzled as to why Marissa had asked Doctor Mikanos to speak with him, he scanned his mind for possibilities but came up with nothing.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long to find out.

"Troy, my man! Great to see you going home!" Doctor Alexander Mikanos spoke happily as he entered the room.

He had laughed when Marissa had approached him with her problem. He was one of her most trusted interns and it amused him that she would select him to discuss something so personal with Troy, when she could do it herself and probably do it better. It wasn't until he had realized who Marissa's daughter was that he fully understood why it was impossible for her to have this conversation with Troy.

"What did you need to talk to me about?" Troy asked, his curiosity getting the better of him as he once again came up blank of what could possibly need to be discussed.

Alexander sat down on the bed, trying to find the best way to approach the discussion he was about to have so as not to offend Troy or overstep the boundaries.

"I'm just going to come right out and say it Troy. Some of the medication you are taking can cause erectile dysfunction while you are taking them. If you find that this happens to you, there are people you can talk to and way in which you can…well…fix the problem." A grin grew on Troy's face, not at the discussion he was currently in, but at the realization of why Marissa wasn't able to have this discussion with him herself.

It was no secret to her that Troy and Gabriella were having sex, she had caught the couple in enough compromising positions to know that it would be foolish to assume their relationship didn't have a sexual side.

"Thanks for letting me know man, I'll bear it in mind and if I have any problems I'll be sure to call you. But um…I've been taking these meds for a while now and recently I've not had any problems in that department." Troy thought he should be honest, ensuring the man before him that while his advice was appreciated he didn't think it would be needed.

He and Gabriella had never engaged in anything that could be considered sexual while he was in hospital, the mere thought of it seemed completely wrong and totally inappropriate.

That being said, Troy had always found his girlfriend more than attractive. It had been difficult to control his urges as she pranced around his room in revealing pajamas or as she got dressed in his en-suite bathroom following a shower.

He couldn't count of two hands the number of freezing showers he had taken. There were few things he was more excited about than finally getting to be intimate with Gabriella again.

"Too much information dude," Alexander replied chuckling, as he handed Troy several pamphlets about the problems he may face with his medications.

"What are you sharing with the poor guy now Troy," Gabriella's sweet voice filled the room as she entered, amused at the scene she had found before her but unsure what Troy had been revealing to the young doctor.

She too had waited for this day; it was a day she wasn't sure would ever come, and now that it had she had so much happiness and excitement within her she didn't really know what to do with it all.

The apartment was more than ready for Troy's homecoming, it had been cleaned top to toe and she had prepared Troy's favorite beef enchiladas ready to reheat when they arrived.

"Hey Beautiful," Troy greeted Gabriella as she made her way over to him; leaning down and kissing her lips gently, not caring that Alexander was still in the room.

It had been such a long time since Troy had been away from the hospital he had almost forgotten what it was like to have a normal life. He couldn't wait to start his life with Gabriella, knowing he would be living with her full time in their very own apartment had been what had kept him going through the hard times.

"Are you ready to go?" Gabriella asked excitedly, as she lifted Troy's heavy bags off the bed and loaded them onto a wheelchair she had collected from the entrance.

Troy was more than ready.

He couldn't wait to sleep in his own bed, snuggled next to Gabriella and knowing that when he woke up she would still be there snuggled into his side.

"You know it!" Troy chuckled as he and Gabriella made their way out of his room, walking towards the nurses' station so that they could say goodbye to the people that had become a family to them.

Troy looked back at his room, as much as he was glad to see the back of it, it felt almost sad that he would be leaving a place where he had found such love, peace and enlightenment.

The room, the white boring disinfected room, had become a sanctuary for him. A hiding place away from all of the horror, drama and sadness that lingered in the corridors outside.

All of the staff rushed over to wish Troy farewell, they had brought him a huge card that read 'Good luck in your new home' and everybody had signed it with messages of goodwill. Troy had to laugh; he was the one that was supposed to be buying them a card and not the other way around.

Everybody shared hugs, kisses and good luck messages before Gabriella led Troy down the long corridor and into the elevator.

It had been the first time for months that he had been surrounded by complete silence…and he couldn't get enough.

"I've missed you Babe," Troy spoke softly, pulling Gabriella into his side and burying his head into her deep sweet smelling curls.

Gabriella raised her eyebrows, she had seen Troy every day since he had been admitted to hospital, why on earth would he have missed her?

"Missed me? I've been here every day…" Gabriella remarked, hoping Troy would shed some light on his mysterious remark.

Troy thought for a moment, he hadn't really considered his words before he spoke he had just spoken. Although he had seen Gabriella every day, it became evident to him that the little things he had missed out on were what made him miss her the most.

"I miss all of you, not just you being here physically. I miss the way you scrunch up your nose when you dream, the little routines you have for everything and the way that you snuggle into me when your cold. I've missed you because I haven't been able to have all of you, I'm so happy that I finally can." Troy's admission surprised Gabriella, she had missed him being at home but Troy had kept his yearning for her so guarded she hadn't even realized.

The elevator doors opened, breaking the beautiful moment between the couple and forcing it to be put on hold as the exited the large doors of the hospital.

A fresh breeze blew across their skin, cooling the sizzling summer air that surrounded them.

"I've missed you too! Come on handsome, let's get you home!" Gabriella smiled widely as she opened up the trunk of her car and loaded in Troy's bags.

This moment caused Troy to chuckle; so much had changed since he had been in hospital.

School had come to an end forever.

Gabriella had finally got her license, saved up with a little help from her mom, and purchased a very shiny brand new Audi.

His life had been moved from his childhood home and into the apartment he was now sharing with the woman he intended to spend the rest of his life with.

So much had changed.

Troy Bolton had always hated change…but as he took in a deep breath of the warm summer air, he couldn't help but be thankful that he had finally let go enough to embrace it.

So there you have it! Another chapter done and dusted, there will only be a couple more after this one I think. I'm sat at the airport now finishing off this chapter and I'm hoping that you like it! Once again, I am so sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out to you and I'm so thankful for everyone who has stuck with me!