"I didn't know who to call; I just called everyone," Syed said as he closed the door behind Jane, who joined Zainab and Roxy at the table in the flat.

"This sounds serious," Jane said as she sat down.

Syed joined them after briefly looking to the bathroom. "Christian's in the bath, I didn't want him knowing I called you but I don't know what to do." Zainab reached out and took Syed's hand gently.

"Is he worse?" she asked.

"Worse?" Roxy put in. She had been further out of the loop than others but as Christian's friend, Syed thought she might be able to help him put things behind him.

"Christian's been plagued by nightmares since the fire. He can barely sleep, he doesn't have much appetite and last night... he took a sleeping pill the doctor gave him to try but it made things worse. He still had the nightmares but this time he had trouble waking up. I finally got him to tell me about them and I just... after what he told me... I'm struggling to get through to him."

"What happened to him?" Jane asked, keeping calmer than Syed expected of her.

"Christian witnessed Alec dying. He set himself on fire after blaming Christian for making him do it and Christian saw. Everything. I think it's seared in his mind and now he can't let go of it. It's tearing him up inside and no matter what I say..."

"Why didn't he tell us?" Roxy asked, though no one had an answer, not really.

"He's always been like this. He'll take on other people's problems, he'll stand back and take the harsh words and the blame. He acts like it rolls right back off him but it doesn't," Jane put in. She leaned her head on her hand and shook it in disbelief. "I can't believe he saw all that and didn't say anything."

"He's distracted, forgetful, even distant at times. He's not moving on... I don't know... maybe he's got depression?" Syed asked.

"I don't think so," Zainab answered, a reassuring smile on her face. "I think he needs help to deal with what happened but it's not long term."

"Mum, you know more about what he's been through than anyone else. Can't you think of something to do to help him?"

"It's not as easy as that. Everyone is different in how they deal with stressful situations. I was able to rationalise everything in my head, and tell myself that in my religion, that what happened to me was for a reason and that I had other things, other people. But it still took time and it will for him too."

"I love him so much, I just want the old Christian back." Syed dropped his head as hands reached out to his. They heard the shower turn on in the background and Roxy turned to the sound. "I thought you said he was having a bath."

"He is. Maybe he needed more hot water..." Syed said but he barely believed himself. He got up and went to knock on the bathroom door. "Christian? Is everything alright? You've been in there a while now..."

He got no answer and looked back at the table where the women were all sitting, watching expectantly. He knocked again. "Christian, answer me."

He looked back at the others again and then put a hand up to stop them as Jane stood as if to make her way over. "Christian, I'm coming in."

It was a good job he'd made Christian leave the door unlocked and when he made his way in, there was more steam in the room than he expected. Christian was sat in the small bathtub with the shower-head in his hand, letting the water stream down over his other hand as he watched. The water continued to fill the rest of the tub slowly as Christian stared blankly at his hand. As the steam cleared slightly, Syed could see Christian's hand was red and the tub was dangerously full. He rushed over, turned the water off before it could overflow and grabbed the shower-head out of Christian's hand, putting it back in its place.

"Christian!" He said, hoping to jar him out of his distant state. "Christian, come on!"

Jane appeared at the doorway. "Oh my god, Christian!" The sound of other hurried footsteps behind her came, followed by worried intakes of breath.

Syed turned to them. "I'll take care of this, give me a minute." He looked back at Christian, who was blinking and flexing his hand, which was now tinged red with the heat from the boiling hot water. Syed had noticed the temperature was turned to its highest level as he'd turned it off. "Christian, your hand." He grabbed the face cloth from the basin and ran it under the cold tap before wrapping it around Christian's hand. He pulled the plug to let the water drain and surrounded by the sound of it gargling down the drain he reached out over the lip of the bathtub and pulled Christian to him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, almost despairing at Christian's actions, feeling like Christian was trying to hurt himself.

"I just needed to make sure I could feel it."

"What?"

"It hurt. I fell asleep. In the dream... it didn't hurt and Alec won... I just needed to know I was awake... and you weren't here... you're usually here..."

"Oh god, Christian." He kissed the top of Christian's head and as he hugged him he noticed Jane had come closer into the bathroom, her hand covering her mouth in shock at Christian's state, guilt for not realising how bad things with her brother were, and grief for what he was going through. Both Christian and Syed. "Jane, can you help me with a towel."

"Of course." She grabbed a big fluffy towel from the side and helped Syed wrap it around Christian as the water all but disappeared from the tub and together they raised Christian from the bath as he tried to protect his sensitive hand. It wasn't badly burned, certainly not compared to what had happened before, but the skin would be sensitive for a short while and could probably use some cream on it.

"Jane, what are you doing here?" Christian asked and Syed could sense his embarrassment at having his sister babying him as they both helped him put some clothes on.

"I came to see how you were doing." She tried to smile but it looked entirely fake around her worry.

"Oh," Christian answered. "Yusef says the graft is taking really well. Syed is taking good care of me."

"I can see that," Jane said. "Oh Christian," she gave in, unable to keep up the act of ignoring what was going on around them. "Why didn't you tell me you weren't coping?"

She hugged him and after a few moments Christian put his arms round her and hugged her back.

Together they took Christian out to the living area but as soon as he saw Roxy there, smiling, trying to pretend everything would be okay, and Zainab making cups of tea for everyone, his eyes widened and he turned and bolted into the spare room in fear, closing the door behind him. Before Syed could open it, Christian had blocked it with his own body, and Syed heard him sliding down against the door.