AUTHORS NOTE: I'm on a mission to write a chapter to all stories that I have on the go by the end of today so wish me luck! I say this but I'm watching CSI: New York at the same time so no promises if I get distracted 'winks'

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters

[Speaking to the Psychiatrist]

It had been a week since Stuart had woken up but he was still lying in the hospital bed going out of his mind. He was now pretty sure that his bedsores were getting bedsores from just lying about in the bed. The team had all took turns coming to visit and had brought different things to entertain him. Stuart had already done the paperwork he was behind on, much to Ewan's annoyance, and then he'd even offered to do Robbie's, who was going to accept until he caught the glare from Ewan, before resigning himself to the possibility that he was going to die of boredom in this place.

The head nurse, Nancy she called herself even though her name badge said Dorothy, had brought him a notepad and told him to write. She said it helped to write in situations like this then Doc Jenny, the station's psychiatrist, had came in and said that it was a wonderful idea. He'd just looked at her before she started to laugh and promised that she wouldn't read anything he wrote unless he asked her to which was why he was now sitting up in the bed with a pen in his bandaged right hand as he stared at the first page of the notepad.

Instead of writing anything promising the page was filled with "Mr Stuart McIntyre-Fraser" or "Mr Stuart Fraser-McIntyre" or even just "Mr Stuart McIntyre". He did feel like a teenage school girl but at the same time it was the only thing that had been running through his mind since Ewan had called him his husband last week. Stuart knew it was no big deal but at the same time, it was. Stuart was the only one that ever joked about the husband thing. It was lucky if Ewan even acknowledged Stuart as his boyfriend at times. It was just the way Ewan was and Stuart accepted that just as Ewan accepted that Stuart used the titles at every opportunity, as if almost affirming their relationship.

And now, a week later, he couldn't help but wonder if it meant more. He also knew that Ewan would now only ask for his hand in marriage because he'd been faced to accept that he could lose Stuart at any given moment. They'd talked about it several times. The idea of what would happen if one them died. Marriage was a practical solution as was Stuart adopting Ronan but as much as he wanted to do it, he didn't want to do it for practical reasons. He knew Ewan loved him but sometimes he just needed Ewan to tell him this.

"Detective Fraser," a warm voice said from the door and he looked up to see Jenny standing there, "may I come in or are you busy working on the next big thing?" She teased slightly and Stuart couldn't help but smile.

"Doc," he said waving for the woman to move in but winced as the pain shot through his arm, a painful reminder that he'd asked for them to lessen the pain killers so that he didn't become like most officers when they ended up in this situation – addicts, causing the arm to drop dead down on his bed, "how many times have I told you that you should call me Stuart?"

"It's difficult," she commented moving, "not many detectives or teams are as friendly as the Glaswegian homicide unit." She pointed out before moving into the room and sitting down on the chair next to him. She pointed at the notepad. "Are you finding it useful?"

"No." He said seriously indicating for her to take a look and she did. Holding the book delicately in her hand, she smiled as she looked at the neat script and the various combinations of his name written down. Looking back at him, she smiled slightly and waited for him to talk but at the same time, he didn't know if he wanted to talk. "The night she took me," he started softly, "I had left early to go home and apologise to Ewan. We'd had a fight that morning over something so small but yet I remember it so clearly and yet normally, I don't. I only remember this one because it kept playing over and over in my mind when I was locked away. All I could think about was how pathetic the argument really was!"

"That's just natural, Det...Stuart." She amended quickly causing him to smile. "Couples fight over the smallest things and I'd like to promise you that it won't happen again but that would be a lie because it's just what couples do and it's good for the relationship. You need the small fights every now and again just to remind you why it is you're in the relationship in the first place." She pointed out reaching out and showing him the notepad again. "You're obviously thinking that Ewan and yourself should be moving forward to the next level?"

"I've thought it for a while," he finally admitted out loud to the first person ever, "I want nothing more than to be a legal father to Ronan and Ewan's husband but I think that would be a big step for him. Ewan's only just embraced the idea of being out and proud in public," he smiled remembering the first time when Ewan had took hold of Stuart's hand while they were out with Ronan and how shocked he'd been at how easy Ewan embraced it, "so I don't actually think he wants to be married. I just think he's afraid of what could happen."

"Whereas you want to marry for love," Jenny commented a little quieter and Stuart turned to look at her. She smiled at him. "You might think that Ewan is making it sound practical but are you sure he's not just afraid of saying out loud that he loves you enough to marry you? Everyone who is anyone knows about Ewan's family life, Stuart. The poor man knows rejection better than anyone and how do you think he'd feel knowing that the man he loves rejects a marriage proposal so to save himself from being hurt he makes it sound like it's a practical arrangement."

"Why do I sense that you're talking personally here, Doctor?" He challenged lightly as he reached out for his juice cup. Jenny jumped up and grabbed hold of it for him before moving it over to his lips so that he could take a drink.

"Are you sure stopping the pain medication is a good idea?" She said bringing back up the pain that he'd felt when she'd arrived and he'd tried to wave. Moving away from the straw, the detective looked up at the doctor and smiled at the tactful way she changed the conversation. He indulged her.

"This pain is good, Jenny." He whispered biting his bottom lip. "It reminds me that I've made it through the worse. The pain, however, that I felt in that shack was destroying. It was a pain that taunted me. It was a pain that told me I might never see my family again and it was so painful. I wanted to give up. I prayed that if I died and they never found me, Ewan would be strong enough just to move on but just as I was about to give up, I hallucinated."

"Ewan?" Jenny asked sitting back down and looking at him, a small smile on her face.

"You're not a psychiatrist really, more psychic." Stuart teased before looking back at the notepad she'd carefully rested on the bed. "He was telling me to stay awake and I tried my best. It was just when I was about to close my eyes, Ewan's pleading in my ears fading, when the doors were kicked open. I heard Robbie shouting they had me and felt his weight against me as he shook me awake, his voice now pleading for me to stay awake as he called for an ambulance." He smiled as he looked down at his hands, the bandages thinner than what they had been last week. "So yeah, I'm surviving just beautifully with this pain and I really don't mind. I know that when it's nearly gone and the doctor clears me I get to go home to my family. A family that searched for me despite Val not relenting and telling them where I am."

Reaching over, Jenny took hold of his hand and ran her fingers over his fingers – the only part of his hand uncovered – and smiled at him. "I have to admit, you're the most fairly adjusted client I've ever had. I'm starting to think I want have that many meetings with you and the idea really upsets me," she teased slightly.

"Oh so now it's my turn to walk in on something that could be misinterpreted," Ewan's voice said from the door and Jenny looked over her shoulder to smile at him. "I'm just kidding. Hey doc," he said moving in and squeezing her shoulder slightly before looking over at Stuart. "How are you today, princess?"

"Are you indicating I'm weak?" He said glaring at his partner before smiling as the man leant down and pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips.

"Never," he stood back up, "would you like to me to go down to the cafeteria while you two finish up?" He asked looking between the pair of them. Jenny shook her head as she stood up and grabbed hold of her coat and bag that she'd deposited at her feet as she had sat down.

"No but do you mind just standing outside for a minute?" She asked and Ewan just nodded before leaving. Stuart looked at her, confused. "To answer your early question," he saw her now fidgeting with the gold band that she wore on her finger, "my husband was a soldier. His platoon had just been told that they would be leaving for Iraq in six weeks when he knocked at my door and demanded that I married him because if we weren't married then any rights I had, should anything happen to him, wouldn't happen and I was pregnant with his child. My husband, as rich as his family were, had a bad background like Ewan. His family neglected him so he made it sound like a business proposition but I knew he loved me, Stuart. No matter how cold or analytical he made anything sound, I knew he loved me. Think about that now before you make any haste decisions." She smiled before reaching the door. "And I like the double barrelling. It makes it very sophisticated," she admitted before leaving. He heard her say goodbye to Ewan just before he moved inside.

"What was that all about?"

"My psychiatrist was giving me some advice," he promised before smiling. "Do you know when I get to break out of here yet?"

"You're so impatient," Ewan teased as he sat on the edge of the bed and pressed a kiss to Stuart's lips, his fingertips pressing gently against the bandages that covered the top of his head. "You're also staying here until you're fully cleared because I love you too much to be worrying about you." Stuart just smiled.

"I love you too."

TO BE CONTINUED...