As the days progressed the chances of Aaron wakening from his coma were becoming less and less. The doctor's were doing all they could to help Aaron recover from his horrific attack in prison but there was only so much they could. Jackson spent hours by his side, wishing, hoping, praying that Aaron would wake. A few times Hazel had been called by Paddy to talk sense into Jackson. Eating and sleeping were off Jackson's list of priorities as he kept watch over Aaron. He feared if he was to leave, Aaron would also. He was a constant visitor in Aaron's room in Intensive care.

It was over a week since Aaron had been admitted to hospital due to a near fatal stab wound to the abdomen and Jackson was close to giving up and admitting all defeat against Aaron not waking up. He hadn't moved or given an signal that he was to wake any time soon. Jackson had tried everything, he'd held his hand as he talked about trivial things, asked Paddy to bring in Aaron's iPod and sat through his choice in music, begged him to wake up and even threatened to leave him if he didn't wake up soon. If Aaron could hear him, he knew he was only calling his bluff, no way would he leave the younger man. When he thought all attempts were at a loss he thought he must have been daydreaming.

He swore he'd just felt Aaron squeeze his hand as he held it.

No. He was daydreaming he must have been. He hadn't gotten much sleep at all. So he put the weak hand squeeze down to him being hopeful and tired. Then it happened again. He'd definitely just felt that!

"Aaron? . . .Aaron can you hear me babe?" Jackson said excitedly. He wasn't expecting any verbal response from his boyfriend, after all he did have tubes down his throat. "Squeeze my hand if you can hear me. . ."

No, nothing. Jackson felt disappointed. Just when he thought Aaron was waking again, showing some sign of rejoining him. He put it down to a reflex or nervous twitch or something. He kicked himself from getting over excited about such a small thing.

He'd forgotten all about Chas leaving the room to get them a coffee until she returned. Two steaming cups of coffee in her hands as she backed into the room, using her bum to push the door open.

"Coffee, two sugars and milk?" She confirmed as she handed Jackson his coffee. She took a seat beside him, opened the lid of her own and began to blow on the contents to cool it down.

"Everything alright?" She asked, noticing Jackson's far away attitude.

"What-er. . . Yeah. Everything's fine- apart from the obvious." Jackson said, feeling a little silly still. He wasn't going to tell Chas, get her hopes up as well. She'd been a wreck the first three days, constantly in tears by Aaron's side. But she'd soon gotten herself together, putting up her wall of assurance that everything was going to be okay. He knew exactly where Aaron got that from now.

"You sure? I know a troubled face when I see one." Chas said.

"It's just. . . When you were gone, I thought I could feel Aaron squeeze my hand at least twice." Jackson told her, unable to keep to secret from her. He needed to tell somebody. He needed somebody to tell him it was a sign, that he wasn't dreaming it. "But then when I told him to squeeze again if he heard me he didn't. . ."

"You know Aaron, he doesn't like to be told what to do does he?" She laughed, giving him a warm smile. "I'm sure he'll wake up, in his own time mind you."

"Yeah. I just wish this hadn't happened in first place." Jackson said, running a hand over his head.

"You're not the only one who wishes that sweetie." Chas sighed before taking a sip of her coffee.

That evening Jackson spent most of it watching Aaron like a hawk, making sure he didn't miss a thing. He struggled in the fight against his sleepy eyes. Eventually he surrender himself to slumber, curling up on a row of hospital chairs at the side of the room and using his jacket as a pillow. It wasn't comfortable but it would do, he wasn't going to leave Aaron if he could help it. He hadn't long gotten himself as comfortable as he could get when he thought heard some sort of movement in the room. It wasn't Chas or Paddy, both of them had gone home an hour earlier and nobody else was visiting that evening. Aaron, it must have been him.

He opened his eyes to find Aaron fiddling with the tubes attached to his mouth. His heart monitor had picked up a little and was increasing as Aaron began to panic. Calmly and over excited with joy, Jackson treaded over to Aaron's bed and placed his hands on his and lowered them back to the bed. Bright blue eyes, he had began to think he would never see again, began to look up at him. They were scared and confused.

"It's okay, you're in hospital. You gave us all a scare." Jackson told him, placing a kiss onto Aaron's forehead. "I'll just let one of the doctors know you're awake." Aaron gave his hand a squeeze in return, still unable to form any words due to the tubes still down his throat.

Jackson was ordered to wait outside Aaron's room as the Doctor saw to him and the Nurse's made him more comfortable. He was dying to get back in there and hold Aaron, but he knew he needed to let them do their job. In the mean time he was allowed to watch through the window in the corridor and keep a safe eye on him that way. It was a while before the doctor left the room, he told him he was pleased with Aaron's recovery and that he would be expected to be a little groggy and confused for now.

"How you doing sleeping beauty?" Jackson teased as he entered the room.

"Alright." Aaron croaked from his position in the bed. The nurses had raised his bed a little so he was sitting up slightly. He still looked pale and ill. He'd lost no end of blood in theatre and on his way to the hospital. Just the other day they had stopped 'topping' him up.

"What a way to get yourself released early from prison, eh?" Jackson joked as he took a seat by Aaron's bed.

That earned him a smirk from Aaron.

"Your mum and Paddy are gonna be pleased to know you've finally woken up." Jackson told him.

"How- how long have I. . ." Aaron asked confused.

"Just over a week." Jackson told him. "You had us all worried."

The news of being unconscious for over week didn't ease the confused expression Aaron wore. It only seemed to confuse him even more.

"Don't try to worry yourself about it all. Just get some sleep." Jackson said. Ideally he didn't want Aaron to go back to sleep. He wanted to stay up all hours and just talk, become familiar with his voice again. But he couldn't do that, not if he wanted Aaron well enough to come back home.