Harry waited about ten minutes until he was relatively sure Ruth wasn't coming back. He moved his right hand to hit the call button and soon enough a nurse he didn't recognise him came into his room. "Are you okay?" she asked with an annoyingly chirpy smile.

"I want some help to try and stand up and walk," Harry said quietly. The nurse shook her head instantly.

"You've only come out of unconsciousness this morning," she said. "Its not a good idea. Not this soon."

"I don't care," Harry said honestly. "I need… I need to try."

"I'll get the physiotherapist to come and have a word with you then," the nurse said, clearly of the opinion that this was a bad idea.

"Thank you." It took five minutes before a doctor he didn't recognise came back in the hospital room along with Ethan Clarke.

"Maybe we should wait until Ruth comes back," Ethan suggested.

"No!" Harry said quickly. "I can't be… this weak. I can't be this useless. I know that she'll smile and say all the right things but I can't not be able to walk. I just… I can't."

"She won't care," Ethan said firmly. "Trust me she won't care. I work eighty hour weeks and she's been here more often than I have this week, just waiting for you to wake up. It won't matter to her."

"It matters to me." There was silence in the room as they both helped Harry stand. It took longer than it really should have and Harry was getting frustrated. Eventually he managed to stay standing while holding on to one of the doctors hands tightly.

"Why is this so hard," he muttered to himself.

"You came out of unconsciousness just this morning," Ethan said. "It'll get easier." Harry ignored him and tentatively took a step forward. He winced involuntarily as his weight shifted against his stab wounds on the left side.

"This is a bad idea," the physio said surely.

"I don't care," Harry said taking another shaky step. He stayed standing for another five minutes before his stubbornness gave way to his exhaustion. He got back in bed breathing heavily.

"I can't believe this is how I'm going to have to live," he said quietly. "Three steps and that's all? I…"

"Stop," Ethan said firmly. "It will get better. Frankly its amazing that you managed to stay standing at all this early on."

"We got so close," Harry said quietly. "And now we're both here… I don't want… I don't want her to be stuck with me when… when I can't even walk and talk properly." Ethan had no idea what to say to him and knew he was speaking to himself mainly anyway. Ethan checked Harry's vitals one more time before leaving the room.
Harry closed his eyes in frustration. He knew that Ruth wouldn't leave him because of the state he was in. She was far too good and loyal to do that. But to keep her attached to him, having her have to look after him while he was recovering was not what he wanted. He closed his eyes feeling desperation overwhelm him.

Ruth had gone home briefly and she had taken the box of letters with her. And the engagement ring. She hadn't looked at it again because she was convinced she'd start crying again and that was a waste of time when she could have been with Harry. She left the box at home and then got straight back in her car to drive to the hospital. She wanted to see him badly.

At the hospital she quietly opened the door and saw that Harry was asleep. She smiled, glad that he was sleeping this time rather than unconscious and close to death. She sat next to him and held his hand lightly. She was shocked to see that he opened his eyes instantly.

"I hoped it was you," he said with a small smile. "I'm sick of the doctors already."

"You've only been conscious a few hours and already you're complaining," Ruth said rolling her eyes.

"Did you find it?" Harry asked. "The…" he couldn't find the word he wanted to say and screwed his eyes in concentration.

"The ring? Yes I did," she said sadly. He held up her left hand delicately and saw she wasn't wearing it. The disappointment was clear on his face.

"Ah. I understand," he said quietly.

"No you don't," she said with a small smile. "Finding a ring isn't the same as you proposing to me. Beautiful as it is. I'm waiting for you to ask me properly. When we're out of here and everything's back to normal."

"Normal?" he questioned. "Look, I tried… when you were at work, I tried to walk. I can't really do it. I…" He curled up his free hand and punched the bed in frustration.

"It doesn't matter," she said shaking her head. "You will. It'll take time but you will recover." She paused but said something else to fill the silence. "My house, I pictured it for both of us but if you don't like it…"

"You picked it," Harry said slowly, a smile spreading on his face. "I'll…" He groaned in frustration before trying again. "I'll… love it." She nodded happily. "And I love you."

"I wanted to hear you say that," she said happily. She moved up the hospital bed and kissed him softly. "I love you too," she whispered before kissing him again. She felt rather than heard him hiss in pain. She realised she'd been leaning over his chest and was putting pressure on his stab wounds. "Oh God, I'm sorry!" she said instantly, immediately moving away from him. She felt Harry grip her wrist tightly as she sat back down.

"Don't be sorry. It just hurts a bit." She knew he was downplaying it and was about to change the subject when Harry spoke again. "I don't want you to feel…"

"What?" Ruth asked impatiently.

"Give me a minute," Harry said closing his eyes in concentration. "Obligated. I don't want you to feel obligated."

"Oh Harry," she whispered sadly. She squeezed his hand before letting go and perching on the edge of the bed. "I love you," she said simply. "Do you feel the same?"

"No," he said quietly and for a second she felt her heart stop. "I love you more. I love you so much that…"

Ruth cut him off quickly before he could think of what he wanted to say. "Then that's all that matters." She lay down next to him on the bed, her head resting on the right side of his chest. After a moment of surprise he started stroking her hair lightly. She sighed with contentment at the happy simplicity of the moment.

"Has anyone mentioned when you're going to be discharged?" Ruth asked in a whisper as Harry's fingers caressed her hair.

"No they're treating me like…" He groaned in frustration.

"A lab rat?" Ruth suggested with a wicked smile.

"Very flattering," Harry said sarcastically.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Honestly? I'm in pain," he said. "But I'm alive, which is more than I thought I would be."

"I want to look after you. When you get out of here."

"Ruth, you don't have to."

"I know, but I want to," she said. "Especially after those wonderfully romantic things you wrote in those letters."

"I just wish I could speak like that now rather than have everything sink away."

"It will get better Harry," she said.

"God I hope so."

Thanks for all the reviews everyone, especially for the last chapter which I was a bit worried about. I know this chapter turned a little angsty but I would imagine a man like Harry having his freedom taken away like this would be frustrating! Please leave a review and let me know if you think I'm on the right track.