Hello everyone! Hope you're having a good day :-)

I have to thank you for the review you let me for the last chapter I wrote! I didn't reply to them, but thanks to them I decided to write a new chapter with this POV. This time, it's not Matt's POV, it's Kelly's.

Reach the 100 reviews together! Thank you for your support!

Chapter 20 : Here

Kelly was smiling, simply smiling. He was talking to his best friend indeed, but he was just asleep. He couldn't hear him, it was sure. How could he? He was in a coma, and in a coma, body acted as if it's sleeping: not hearing, not miving, just sleeping. Depp down, Kelly told himself that Matt couldn't hear what he said, then tell him he would buy a dog or a cat when he would be awake, he was safe. He was in his mind, watching his still closed eyes brother, waiting his time to wake up. It wouldn't take long. A quarter of sedation, it meant that Matt would start to move soon, frown, even open his eyes for some microseconds with any chance. With any chance. Matt was lucky: he'd survived the accident depsite the force of the impact, he had been brain dead for about four hours before coming back, he held off two aortic dissections. It wasn't a damn sedation that would prevent him from opening his eyes. What Kelly feared the most was that Matt would start again to fight the breathing machine. Emily had guaranteed that it was for his own safe, to not weaken his heart but Kelly knew Matt: it would cause more stress than anything else. But he said nothing, wishing to see his best friend's reaction before. At least he was alive, and it mattered more than anything in this world. He had already lsot Andy, out of question to lose Matt. He heard someone knock on the door and enter. He didn't move his eyes still fixed on the inert form in this hospital bed. He didn't even swayed an eyebrow when that person came to his side and sat down on a chair. He didn't know who it was, and he didn't care. He was mesmerized, hypnotized by Matt. Even this hand on his left shoulder made him jump.

"How is he?"

He knew this voice, he recognized it. He knew it by heart, Shay's voice, his room-mate. He loved her in secret, but he didn't dare to talk to her about it. Because she was gay. He didn't want to destroy this frienship they built together, this such a symbiosis between them just because he loved her. This friendship was almost everything for him.

"His..."

He couched, frowning because of his hoarse voice.

"His fever is still there. And... And they started to reduce sedation".

He didn't turn his head to her, but he could feel her emotions. She was both happy and astonished.

"It's... Good?"

"I, uh... I don't know. If the doctors think it's good, then... Then it should be good, right?"

"You don't seem convinced".

Shay was right, Kelly wasn't convinced. Far from it. He heard himself sigh, lowering his head slightly. He was sore from staying in this awful and uncomfortable plastic chair. He rose, shaking his legs.

"I know Matt. We know Matt. When he woke up the first time, it was... It was hard to see him struggle to understand what we were saying. Deep down, I... I don't want to see this again".

"But see him awake is the matter right now, don't you think?"

Shay had always had the right words to persuade him, motivate him, or help him make the right choices. She was always there for him, no matter when, how, why or even where, she was at his side.

"Yeah. But I don't want him to suffer like the last time. I won't support it a second time".

He locked his gae on her, finally. He felt weak, exhausted, drained of energy. Desperate.

"Kelly, go home. You should rest a little and eat something. And above all take a shower".

He looked his room-mate laugh very slightly. This laugh he liked so much and made him smile every time. From the corner of his mouth, a smile settled gradually.

"I stink this much?"

"You could wake Casey at the mere smell!"

This time, he laughed and Leslie too. After several crazy seconds, they calmed down.

"I don't want to go. If he wakes up..."

"I'll be there. And I'll call you as soon as he begins to pinch my hand. I promise".

He saw her grabbing Matt's hand and squeezing it. He sat again for a moment on the chair and looked Shay.

"You're always there for me. Thank you".

"Kelly. You're my best friend. And Casye needs you on top at his awakening. You must rest. You're losing weight by eye, you look like a zombie".

He looked himself from head to toes beofre looking the one he loved secretly again. He was so focussedo n Matt since the accident he hadn't even noticed he was drowning into his clothings. He realy lost al ot of weight. He sighed, lowered his head by shame.

"Hey Kelly, look at me".

He felt her hand under his chin, raising his head. Despite this, she was smiling.

"Matt really needs us, especially you. I know it's hard to get through this, I'm gettting through this too. But now, we need to be there for Matt. And don't forge Gabby either. They both need us".

Shay was right again. In fact, she was always right. He had to pull himself together. He wasn't the guy in a hospital bed fighting for his life, fighting against his own head to have his memory back. Fighting against himself. He was in a good health, everything was almost perfectly fine with him, and he was the one in a pity shape. Matt didn't need this, not now, not after what he went through.

"You're right. I will pull myself together. I gotta be there for Matt, and I will be".

Instinctively, he kissed Shay on her right cheeks before getting up and smiling.

"I love you you know? You're the best".

"I know Kelly. I love you too".

Kelly didn't know what to think. She surely wanted to say that she truly loved him as a friend. But no love, no true love. He wanted to test her, see if he could make the step, but have a lesbian friend who he was in love for, it wasn't obvious. He said nothing, merely smiled stupidly before leaving the room and move slowly to his car to go home. He didn't really have the heart to let Matt with Shay, but she was totally right about one thing, or even more than one thing: he was hungry, he was tired and he needed a shower. Arriving home, he rushed straight into the bathroom, undressed himself and began to look at his reflection in the mirror. He ran his hand over his jaw, stroking the beard that was grewing slowly. Since the accident, he didn't really take care of his appearance. It was as if someone had removed a part of him, part of this Kelly that everyone envied. But he wasn't this Kelly anymore, he had become a desperate Kelly because his lifelong friend was in a so serious condition so he wasn't even a 1% chance to become a firefighter again someday. He kept telling himself that Matt was a fighter, he wouldn't ever give up, he couldn't believe that Matt could one day get back to work with him. Not anymore. He tried to face this reality that scared him. He didn't show it to the others because they thought he was strong, but he was scared to death. He placed his hands on the edge of the sink, looking down. He didn't want to see his reflection in the mirror. He reached into a drawer, seeking the shaving cream and a razor, applied some and began to take control again of his body. He succeeded to not cut himself despite the heavy strain, then went into the shower to warm up and wash himself. He stayed a while under the warm water, looking at the floor or closing his eyes, resting one of his hand on one of the walls. He took more than half an hour before deigning to get out of the shower, dry and dress. But he didn't want to. He just wanted to stay in his underwear and his shirt to sleep. He went into the kitchen to eat something: he took the ham still in the fridge, the butter. He pourred some on the bread and added a slice of ham before eating, then drank a glass of water before going to his room, in his bed to sleep even just a few hours. It had been almost a week he hadn't slept in, always ensure Matt at the hospital, sleeping on his arm, on a side of the bed, to the bottom of this abominable chair. He didn't like leaving his room, every time he went out, something happened to Matt. First, the brain bleed had returned and he could have died. The second time, his heart almost stopped and he could have died. For Kelly, leaving Matt was as if the condemned him to look death in the face. Back into his blankets, he was only thinking about what could happen, to the possible scenarios that Shay could tell him on the phone. But his body was so exhausted he soon fell into a dark world in which he was going to rest...

When he regained consciousness, when he growled while stretching and gently opening his eyes, the room was slightly illuminated. He lit the lamp and sat up, blowing a little and feeling his neck crack. He took his phone to see if Shay had called, but the first thing that caught his attention was the time. It was four in the morning. So he had slept almost a day? Then he focused on the messages he had received. There was one from Shay, received at three. He opened it, read what she had texted: Matt was beginning to wake up. He smiled stupidly. He felt good, serene. In better shape. Shay was right. He stood up, dressing a jean and a dark green shirt before putting on his leather jacket, taking his phone again and put it into his pocket and do the same with his purse and left the apartment to take his car. He was hungry, but he wanted to take the breakfast for Shay and him somewhere. He stopped at the corner of a street: he just found the perfect place for this. It was a French bakery and the front had whetted his appetite. He entered and came at the counter.

"Bonjour! Je peux vous aider?"

Kelly frowned, not understanding what the man said.

"Uh, I'm sorry, I didn't understand".

"Oh! You're not French, I'm sorry! We have the habit to have just French people in here. May I help you?"

"Uh, yeah. I... I don't know what to take actually".

"Ah... Well, I can recommend you our choclate croissants, our croissants, our raisin breads or our cream puffs?"

"Uh, I didn't have breakfast already and... We're two".

"Then two of each and a dozen of cream puffs then?"

Kelly took the time to think about it then smiled.

"Ok. Oh uh... You... You do coffee?"

"Unfortunately not, but across the street, they do. It's a French colleague, if you want to ''French breakfast'' everything. Sort of".

The seller gave him a smile. He paid and put the food in the car before going across the street to order coffees. Once done, he took the road to the hospital and parked. His phone rang: it was Shay.

"Shay?"

"You slept well? You're rested?"

"Uh, yeah. Yes, thanks to... To have taken care of Matt for me".

"No need. Uh... I wanted to tell you that doctors have changed Matt's room. He has a roommate now".

"What? No, no he would be better alone. Shay, why you left them do this?!"

"You will understand once here. Room 319".

He sighed when Shay hung up on him. A roommate, and then what? He got out of the car, breakfast in hand and went into ICU again. A routine for him now. He climbed the three floors and stopped in front of the room indicated by Shay: Room 319. He held the coffees in his hand and placed the bag of food under his arm, knocked on the door and entered.

"Hey!"

But soon after, he stopped. Ther wasn't just Shay into the room, there was Antonio as well.

"Antonio?"

Shay turned to him, got up and moved toward him. Once in face of him, she took his chin and moved his head to the right. There was a second not empty bed. Curious, he moved froward it. Deep down, he knew who this person was but he wanted to be sure. He stopped, looking at the face hidden by the breathing machine. He took the full breath in his lungs then exhaled deeply. It was Gabby.

"How..."

He felt someone approaching him, coming next to him.

"I asked her transfer here. I thought that... That Gabby would need Matt to get better and... And vice versa".

He didn't say anything, surprised by this situation. Chirstie told him his visit. He didn't even think that Antonio would do this.

"What did you change your mind?"

He waited for an anwser but it didn't come. He turned to Antonio, who sighed.

"Matt. When... When I came here to see him, I was angry at him. Full of rage. He suffered more than Gabby and he was the one awake. And... And my sister was still in a coma. I was... Very angry".

Kelly could understand this. If the situation had been reversed, he would have been in the same shape, even worse.

"But when I saw him, I understood that... Matt wouldn't be the same anymore, he wouldn't be the Matt we'd known, he wouldn't be the Matt Gabby loves. I felt really bad to have felt hatred towards him while he was suffering more than Gabby. Then... Then I told myself that... That if I wanted to have my sister back, Matt would be the one to help her. And Gabby would be a motivation to him to heal".

"A win-win then..."

Antonio nodded.

"He saved my sister. If he hadn't have been there, Gabby would be in the place of Matt". And I am sure she wouldn't have survived. He... Matt couldn't foresee that a second car was going ti hit her, Christie helped me to understand this".

Kelly was listening to him carefully. It wasn't the habit for Anotnio to share his feelings.

"When we told him about Gabby, he panicked. He wanted to see her, he wanted to know if she was okay despite his own shape. Having Gabby near him, it wil help him for sure. And having Matt near her, it would bring her out of this damn coma".

Antonio had a great idea: Gabby and Matt needed each other to get thourgh this and move forward.

"Thank you Antonio".

He pulled himself together and shook his head.

"Uh... I brought breakfast for Shay and me, but I think there is enough food for three".

He smiled, sitting in a chair next to Shay, soon joined by Antonio. He opened the bag.

"Oh, French?"

"Uh uh. I passed near the front of a French Bakery and I have... A kind of an envy".

Shay plunged her hand into the bag to got out a raisin bread, then Antonio did the same and got out a chocolate croissant. Kelly tended a coffee to Shay, smiling.

"Black deca with sugar and milk".

She smiled back and took the coffee.

"You're my hero, you know that?"

She straightened to kiss him on his cheek and took a sip. He turned then to Antonio and tented him the other coffee.

"No, thanks. Had enough sooner".

They ate almost in silence, rocked by these hisses coming from the two breathing machines. It didn't bother them anymore. After twenty days of hearing just this, they were lapped.

"You... You texted me he was beginning to wake up?"

"Uh yeah. Emily decreased sedation in a half way and... And Matt began to move a little. It's still weak but he started responding to the voice. In a few minutes, she would come and see if all is well".

"And if it's the case?"

"She will decrease sedation again".

"And his fever?"

"Still there but stable. It seems to have fallen a bit though. But Emily will tell us".

But Shay barely had time to finish her sentence someone knocked on the door and entered. It was Emily. She seemed a bit surprised but continued to move towards the bed.

"Hello, you've slept good Kelly?"

"Uh... I have to admit that I slept like a baby. Almost a day".

"Quite understandable. Your body was exhausted. You were here almost every day since Matt's admission, you needed to rest".

She smiled, he smiled back. She walked toward the bed, standing on the not occupied side of it.

"And you? How are you?"

"A little tired but ok, I'll rest a while later".

"I am fine too. Better, now that my sister is there".

"I check if all is well with Matt, and then I take care of your sister".

She started to check all the machines, listening to his heart, his faked breath, then checked his temperature.

"The fever is still there, but have fallen a little. This is a good sign, it means that his body is adapting to the stent".

"And... And now?"

"I'll check if he can hear us. Can you take his hand in yours?"

Kelly nodded and took Matt's cold left hand and squeezed it lightly. Emily leaned over him and gently put one of her hands on his chest.

"Matt? If you hear me, squeeze his hand".

All waited for an asnwer, preferably positive. But after several seconds, nothing happened. Emily looked at him: he shook his head from side to side. Suddenly, Kelly felt a little pressure on his hand. Almost imperceptible but present.

"Wait, wait".

Kelly went down his gaze to his hand. Matt's hand moved slightly. He smiled and raised his head.

"He's moving his fingers".

"Unfortunately, he's still too sedated to open his eyes, but that will come later. I'm going to reduce the dose of medication again and a few hours he should open his eyes for a few seconds".

Shay, Antonio and Kelly felt invaded of happiness, of joy. They were relieved. Matt would soon go back to them. Where he belonged.