The human touch brought him back from his crossword immediately. His eyes met hers in a nervous smile. It was clear to her he wasn't entirely sure he should be there and yet there was definite elation on his face that she was awake.

'Harry' she tried again but hardly a crock came out and she felt herself near chocking with the effort of it. He quickly reached forward to her bedside table where he had a drink standing ready as his own past experience told him that her throat would be dry and uncomfortable. As he lifted it down he edged closer up the bed towards her and arranging the straw into a position where she wouldn't need to move at all he brought it to her lips. She kept her eyes firmly locked on his, totally trusting herself to his care. Both his hands were occupied with the drink and straw and she felt lost without his touch so summoning up all the energy she had she brought one of her hands up to his and held it there, stroking gentle circles over his knuckles. She continued to gaze into his eyes while she drank trying with all her heart to relay to him that he was all she wanted in life now. Everything else was as nothing. He seemed so nervous, so lacking in the confidence he had once had that had enabled him to ask her out on that one date. She wanted to somehow reassure him that she would never refuse him again. That he had all the right in the world to be there. That she would never again run from his love and affection. He almost seemed embarrassed by the intensity of her gaze and at moments didn't know where to look. Having his hand touched by her was exquisite. Her human touch had been so lacking in his lonely life that he was careful not to enjoy it too much should she then turn her back on him again.

The drink was wonderful. The cold smooth liquid cascading down her throat was bringing even more life into her. When she finished he replaced it on the bedside table.

'Thank you' she whispered and this time her voice didn't falter. His hands being free again, she determinedly took them in her own again. He was about to reach forward, spurred on by her signals, and cup her cheek in his hand but at that moment there was a knock at the door and the doctor came in.

'Ah, you're back with us Miss Evershed' he announced.

Harry stood, partly knowing the Doctor would want access to Ruth and partly out of embarrassment that he had probably been on his way to eventually kissing her. And if he had, he felt sure that that kiss would have been followed by others. His emotions were all over the place. All he wanted was to be with her, undisturbed.

A trainee doctor had come in too and between the two of them they were doing some checks and asking questions of Ruth. He knew this must be the case but having other men close to her was not the greatest sight.

'How are the pain levels Ruth?' the doctor asked.

'Not too bad as long as I don't move' Ruth replied. 'I only seem to be able to take small breaths too. Is that all normal?' she asked

'It is I am afraid. You are on your way to making a full recovery though so nothing to panic about. Now I can alter the medication you're on to bring that pain under control.' He added

'what sort of medication would that be?' asked Ruth, nervous that any more might make her even more sleepy and less able to talk to Harry.

'Well you are on a low level morphine but I can up it a bit if you like' explained the doctor.

'I'd rather not' she replied 'I don't like the thought of becoming morphine dependent'

Harry was about to chip in and suggest that her being comfortable also had its worthiness but a look from Ruth quietened him. This was her pain and her recovery and she was going to do things her way. He was anxious about the pain she was in but at the same time the fighting Ruth was already in action once again.

'Now I must stress that really any body movement is off limits Miss Evershed' continued the doctor 'so I will be leaving that catheter in for another few days I am afraid'

Ruth sighed. This was a battle she was far from winning. 'You don't need to worry doctor 'she said 'my body feeling likes it's been hit by a truck. I've never felt so weak in all my life. Only my arms and toes seem prepared to move'

'Well that's a good thing for the time being' he replied 'now is there anything else I can get you both?' he asked looking between Harry and Ruth. Both their looks said loud and clear 'just some peace and quiet'

Sensing that his presence, though well meaning, was now unwanted he turned to go. 'Keep resting Miss Evershed. You'll be back on your feet quicker the more you sleep and rest that body of yours. It's a bit of a miracle you're with us at all so don't waste your good fortune by trying to be brave and speed up the healing process. I know you've been out of it for a while but it's late and there is no reason you shouldn't be heading back to sleep. I always have sedatives I can put in that drip of yours if you don't comply' he added, winking at her and with that he left the room.

Harry turned to Ruth. 'He's right you know Ruth. I am not going to let you rush anything.'

For once in her life she didn't argue with Harry for telling her how things were going to be. She had the foresight to see that he had been the one with all the worry these last few days. Which made her wonder…?

'How long since I was stabbed Harry?' she asked and he was glad that she remembered so much but hated what she had to remember. It must be such a frightening memory.

'a few days' he replied, not really wanting to re visit the emotions he had been through and to try and show he didn't like the direction of the conversation he began tidying up a few of things that were scattered around the fold up bed he had been using. It was at this point that Ruth noticed it and the dawning on her that Harry appeared to have been sharing a room with her became rather a thrill.

'How bad was it?' she then asked, slightly more tenderly, aware now that Harry wasn't too keen to go over such things.

He stopped his false tidying and turned to look at her and she could see his eyes were pricked with tears. 'It was pretty desperate from the start' he began. 'I thought I had lost you before the helicopter was even there' and he wiped a hand over his face to try and bring some control to the moment.

'come here,' she said kindly and tapped the side of her bed and he obediently walked back to where he had been before the doctor had arrived and sat down, his shy eyes still reluctant to meet hers. She took his hands again and he struggled to control his breathing such was the reaction her touch brought to him.

'Tell me Harry' she pleaded

'It wasn't till we had nearly landed at the hospital that I realised that the medics were still working on you. Unbeknown to me you had managed to hang on to some vestige of life. Enough anyway for them to work with. 'He looked up at her and he saw that the tears in his eyes were now mirrored in hers. It was hitting her now the gravity of what she had been through. 'It was touch and go in theatre but a few hours later I was told that you had turned a corner. Since then, overall things have been getting better. Not that I haven't had moments of panic. But I'd sooner let the memories fade Ruth, now that you're back and going to be ok.'

'I am sorry for asking but I am glad you told me. I won't ask again I promise' she added and they both found themselves drinking each other in. for a long moment nothing was said. They were half expecting an interruption of some kind. It had always happened in the past. But as each thought on the matter there may be very little interruption ever again to constantly halt their fledgling romance.

'You look tired' he said eventually having seen her eyes growing noticeably heavy. He would love to have kissed her but his confidence was growing that if not now there would be another time and probably very soon when he could kiss her. Her recovery was of the utmost importance to him. None of the plans he had begun to put into place during the last few days would count for anything if she didn't recover. 'I'll pop down the corridor and get ready for bed' he began, leaving her side and collecting his wash bag before she could protest about his departure.

She lay there, pondering things while she waited. She was slightly cross with him that he was right in his assertion that she was tired. With every minute her body was becoming more demanding to have her eyes shut. But her heart desperately wanted a kiss. After all, if she hadn't been stabbed, she was fairly confident she would have been kissed many times by now. Surely he hadn't forgotten her request, her suggestion of spending their lives together. Surely it was something he still wanted as much as he used to. She clung onto consciousness for all she was worth in order to confront him with this on his return.

But try as she might, her eyes did drift shut. Harry returned and dimmed the lights. The corridors were quiet now and rain was lashing against the window in a typical cold November way. He looked over to Ruth peacefully sleeping and smiled. He was glad she was resting however much he delighted in having her awake. He decided to move his bed a little closer to hers and was in the process of doing this when one of the legs screeched noisily across the floor and she stirred into life again. He looked up 'sorry Ruth'

She smiled sleepily at him. 'It's fine' she assured him and then becoming a little more aware 'I wanted to stay awake till you came back. I was hoping I might get a good night kiss.' The words were out of her mouth before she had time to stop herself. She wasn't used to such confidence when speaking to him thus. He stood up straight and smiled at her. There were no obvious words that came to him so he made his way back over to her and sat just as he had before. Propped up on the pillows, looking longingly at him was melting his heart. He could see that she wanted her kiss like nothing else but was also a little embarrassed to have asked or rather demanded in such an unruthlike way. She almost looked ashamed so to lighten the moment he said.

'And where would you like this kiss Miss Evershed?' his eyes twinkling 'here?' and he leant forward to kiss her cheek, and as he drew back 'like a friend might kiss you goodnight? Or would you prefer a lover's kiss here?' and moving across slightly and ever so tenderly captured her waiting lips in his. It was a brief kiss as he drew back again to await the answer. All the while their fingers were so tightly entwined neither knew where one hand ended and the other started.

Brief it may have been but this kiss had the effect on Ruth of rendering her speechless so she slowly lifted her hand up and pointed to her lips to indicate the answer.

His smile lit up the room as he said 'I tend to agree with you' and achingly slowly he bent down again and they held each other's gaze, both very aware that this was the beginning of the rest of their lives. That this wasn't going to be a farewell kiss with no hope of future ones like previous times. They were both smiling by the time their lips met again and they remained like this for many minutes, learning the shape of each other's lips. His hand drifted to her waist and she loved how it felt having him not only touch her like this but for the touch to last. Having herself, been holding his hands she now let go and let her own drift up his arms and then snack round his neck and occasionally run through his hair.

Eventually they drew apart, not for any other reason other than to start saying the things so long unsaid. As he drew back he watched her lowered eyes slowly drift open. He reached to cup her face in his hand and breathed the simple words 'I love you Ruth' that had wanted to have been said for so long. 'You may have already guessed this Harry' she replied pulling him back down to her 'but the feeling is mutual' and she kissed him again. And again, for the next ten minutes they were very much occupied.

Sorry for the massive long delay in getting this written and up. Reviews would be lovely and inspire me to write more! xxx