Phils POV:

I don't know what else i expected. The doctor did explain what Dan would be like, but i guess i just subconsciously clung to the hope that Dan would wake up and be himself. But he isn't.

The worst thing is, is that i don't think he even recognizes who i am. When he woke up he smiled at me, but that doesn't mean anything. He hasn't been able to say a word and it's been a week. The nurses just say he needs time and encouragement. So i spend as long as i can with him talking to him slowly, which seems to help, and miming what i mean. Occasionally i think i have made a break through, because he will look at me as though he understands.

Yesterday he tugged on my sleeve and pointed at all the tubes and machines around him, and then at his mouth and ears. I was so pleased that was trying to communicate with me. I think he was asking what was wrong with him, or why he couldn't listen or talk proper.

I pointed at my head and said slowly and clearly "D-A-M-A-G-E-D" and made a sad face to help him understand. He nodded, so i then pointed at my mouth and ears and intoned "NOT. WORKING." He nodded again, looking sad. "BUT," i said hastily "YOU WILL GET BETTER" and i put my thumbs up.

I had been so excited by Dans progress yesterday that i had brought all kinds of things with me today to try and help him. I had been so warped up in my grief that i realized that i hadn't actually done much that would help him remember.

Dan was sat up in bed today when i walked into him private ward, eating a breakfast of plain toast. He glanced up when i came in and smiled at me. It wasn't a smile that told me he knew who i was, but maybe he recognized me to be the one who sat with him everyday, who spoke to him, who tried to answer his wordless questions and pointing, who occasionally cried or tried to hug him.

I waved at him and said clearly "HELLO. DAN."He nodded which i think meant he understood, or acknowledged me.

While he ate the rest of his food i busied myself around his room. First i plugged in my small CD player and pressed play letting the album 'The origin of symmetry' by Muse fill the room. I then started decorating his ward with things i had taken from his room, like posters, books, game controllers, and figurines.

As i was positioning a fluffy Totoro on his bed side table the black haired nurse, who had let slip about Dans disease walked in to take his food away. She looked in surprise at the new decorations; I thought i was about to be told off, "I'm just trying to jog him memory, i hope you don't mind but i really think that surrounding him with stuff he owns and might recognize could help his recovery." i quickly explained.

"That's actually a really good idea Phil, i never really thought of it like that..." She smiled at me. we had become sort of friends while we both united in the common goal of looking after Dan. "I'll just go and have a word with the cleaners and doctors to make sure that all this stuff is left here. I think your right, this will undoubtedly help him".

She left and i turned back to Dan who was holding the Totoro, resting it on his knees, and looking very hard at it. He looked up at me questioningly. "TOTORO." i said slowly. He looked back at it and half snuggled it into his stomach, then looking up he started pointing at all the other objects.

We spent much of the morning like this; him pointing at objects and me bringing them to him, and telling him what they where. He looked very hard at each one as though struggling to place them. I was so optomistic that what i was doing might be helping him. occasionally i caught him swaying or nodding his head in time to the music as well.

After lunch, i gave him a box of malteasers and he fell upon them immediately and started eating them. I laughed so much at that. Part of it was relief that he hadn't forgotten everything and part of it was because i was really beginning to see the real Dan starting to come back to me.

As he ate i sat on the chair by his bed, and pulled my apple macbook from my bag and set it down between us on the edge of the bed.

The rest of that afternoon was spent with me scrolling through twitter and tumblr like we used to spend so much of our time. At first i just did normal stuff, like retweeting a post by Jack Howard or reblogging a picture of 'L' from Death Note, but after a while i couldn't resist checking the tags for me and Dan. I was determined to act normal so i didn't react when i knew Dan was looking at me asking silent questions.

I then reverted to YouTube and began watching all the videos in my subscriptions box, hoping that the familiar faces of other youtubers would spark recognition in him.

And then finally, when i knew that visiting hours where nearly over i stated to play some of his and my videos. I watched him closely as he stared at the screen. I could not be sure if he was fully recognizing the speech, or if he could process what he was seeing and hearing yet. The doctor said that with time and support he should be able to recover his memories and his ability to speak and listen...

The video ended. The room had grown dark around us because i had forgotten to turn the light on while we had been absorbed. Dan still sat as he had looking at the computer screen, fiddling with the Totoro that was still in his lap.

"Dan?" i whispered, hoping he would smile at me, or indicate in some why that he was ok.

He said nothing. I waited. Hoping for just about anything.

Dan did nothing. I felt so let down. I really thought that today would have helped him remember, but he just sat that. I got up to leave, trying to hold back the tears until i was outside of his room. I packed my macbook away and walked to the door, when from behind me a heard Dan make a croaky noise. I froze, wondering what it was.

Nothing.

"Goodnight Dan." i whispered.

Nothing.

I reached out for the door and as i did so Dan made the croaky noise again, but more urgently.

I turned around just in time to see him drop his head into his hands, i rushed over to him concerned that he was about to have another stoke. But when i reached him i could see he was crying, his shoulders hunched over. Instinctively i hugged him to me and we sat there for a bit.

After a while he pulled back from me, and looking straight into my eyes, whispered "Phil."