Dawn cried out his name as he fell, Mark cried out his name when he wouldn't wake up, Robbie cried out his name in an apology as he was being taken away by the police from the scene. Daniel, Emily and Daisy cried for their Daddy when they had come in from playing outside to see a lifeless form covered in blood at the foot of the stairs.
Even though he heard all of this, Gary didn't stir, didn't give any signs that he was alive.
"Gary, Gaz wake up for me, mate!" Mark called, a tear falling from his eye, "Dawn, have you called an ambulance?"
"The officers did it." She replied. She's calm about this, Mark thought. He wanted to shake her and scream at her, but he also wanted her to slap him, to tell him to get a grip. That was when he noticed the kids staring horror struck, tears rolling down their cheeks. He now understood that she had to stay calm, for them.
Mark listened out for an ambulance but when he didn't hear sirens five minutes later, he redialled. "Yes, Ambulance. It's my friend, he's been pushed down the stairs, his heads bleeding and his shoulder looks dislocated. I'm no expert but I think he had a few broken ribs too. His wrist also looks a bit dodgy." Mark paused, waiting for a response. "Okay, erm... got it! Please come quick!" He gave them the address and did what he was told through the phone. He checked Gary's pulse and listened for breathing, Mark was relieved to find that he was fine in both sections, although he wheezed rather than breathed. "Come on Gaz!" He looked up at Dawn, tears were now strolling down her cheeks. He lifted Gary's wrist and in doing so, caused Gary to wince in pain and his eyes flickered open.
"Mark?" Gary said hoarsely. He looked up to see Mark's blue eyes staring back into his.
"Shh. Listen the ambulance is here! You're going to be fine, mate." Mark assured him.
It was only when Dawn and the children moved into his line of vision when he remembered what had happened. Then he grunted in pain and blackness swallowed him.
Gary groaned and raised his dead from a soft pillow to see Jason staring back at him smiling warily. In his eyes, Gary saw concern and worry.
"Dawn, he's awake!" He called relieved. And within the second, his beloved wife was by his side,
"Hello baby," She said softly, a tear falling from her eye as she leant down to kiss him. "Howard, can you get the nurse?"
"Dawn, what happened to Robbie?" He questioned not sure if he wanted to hear the answer. When she looked at him in confusion, he realised what he said sounded clearer in his head as his voice was croaky and scratched. This caused his words to sound more like: "-awn w'happen –obbie?" She'd understood him though. After some thought she said,
"Robbie has been arrested, he faces several charges: breaking out of a cell, threatening, abuse and breaking and entering, as well as the charges he faced before." She explained. "Now you rest, you have a lot to take in and you're not very well.
"Dawn," Mark jumped in, "the man's been sleeping for two weeks, you can't expect him to wake up for 2 minutes while you break some massive news and then for him to go back to hibernation!"
"2 weeks?" Gary was horror-stuck, he hadn't opened his eyes, seen his family or friends, eaten, worked or sang or moved for half a month.
"Hello Mr. Barlow, I'll just give you some of this for the pain."A kind looking nurse said, "You have a broken collarbone, 8 broken ribs, a fractured ankle, a broken wrist and a very nasty bump on the head. You had a collapsed lung and the wound to the head caused a great deal of blood loss." She turned and injected a large needle into his 'good' arm. Within seconds, he began to feel drowsy and let the darkness consume him once again.
