"I don't get it," Roxy said as she leaned on the table. "Why didn't Syed say something? I'd have been round here in an instant."

"Maybe you should have been round anyway," Zainab answered from where she sat on the opposite side.

"You're right." Roxy nodded. "God, I'm a terrible mate. I should have been here for him when he got out. I should have gone to see him more in the hospital. I didn't even realise..."

"Well, now you do. Being in a fire like that... it doesn't just scar you on the outside." Zainab wrung her hands.

"What are you doing here though?" Roxy asked. "You don't even like him."

"I'm here for Syed."

As Christian appeared in the doorway with Syed and Jane, Roxy turned to them and gave what she thought was her best and most reassuring smile. But Christian took one look at her and Zainab and turned tail, like he couldn't get away fast enough, and the next she heard was a door slamming shut behind him and Syed saying his name.

Roxy turned back to Zainab. "Syed should have asked for help sooner."

"He did. He asked me."

"Christian, open the door, it's just me."

He could hear Christian on the other side, he knew he could. He could envisage him sitting on the floor with his knees drawn up close. Syed crouched down and, after a quick glance to Jane, who stood to the side of him, he turned back to the door and spoke more gently.

"Come on, sweetheart, let me in and we can talk about this. I need to know you're okay in there." Syed tapped his fingers lightly against the door, willing Christian to move, to open it up. A moment later it creaked open slightly.

"Just you."

Syed nodded to Jane and then slipped in the door, closing it behind him. Christian had moved to the other side of the room and stood there, his head down and his hands clasped in front of himself, his whole frame shaking slightly. Seeing this, Syed was over to him in a flash, taking his hands between his own to calm them and pulling Christian close. The touch seemed to be what Christian needed and after some deep breaths he was able to feel normal again.

"What's going on, Christian?"

"What are they doing here? Why didn't you tell me you'd brought round half the Square?"

"'Half the Square'? There are three other people besides me; that's not a lot."

"I'm sick of it, Sy. People coming around here telling me what to do, telling me I'll be fine if I do this, or do that... I just want them to leave me alone, leave US alone, why are they here?" Christian's eyes begged Syed for a good answer.

"I..." He felt he didn't have one though, not that would assuage whatever Christian was thinking, which seemed difficult to interpret. Was he scared of having people around? "What... they just want to help."

"They're not helping. None of them are helping. The Doctors fixed me up but even they couldn't help so what makes Roxy think that turning up now is going to help? Huh? A quick trip to the Vic and everything will be alright again?"

Syed put a hand on Christian's shoulder, trying to stop him getting worked up. "I don't think she feels quite like that."

"Or Jane with her helpful advice before about going outside, like being paraded around Walford is going to make me feel better. Or Yusef and his sleeping pills, which are making the nightmares worse in the end... or Zainab. Zainab... is she here to gloat? Watching me fall apart in front of her; I bet she's loving this..."

"Christian, stop!" Syed grabbed Christian's face in his hands. "It's not like that. You might think it is but it's not. They want to help, they know there's no overnight fix."

"There's nothing they can do to help. I just want them to leave us alone, yeah? The two of us against the world, just like always, and we'll get it sorted."

"You and me," Syed smiled. He wanted Christian to understand just how much he was standing by him but there were other things to consider. "It'll always be you and me, Christian."

As Christian smiled at Syed in return, he became serious. "I noticed something, though. It was something Jane said before about us hiding away. We can't keep doing that. I love being with you while the world goes by but we can't just always be 'us on our own'. We need to let some outside help in."

Christian's smile disappeared from his lips as he digested Syed's words. "But the last person we let in is the one who did this to us."

"And he was one man. We've got our families and friends. There are more of them than him."

"Yeah, I know, but..."

"I know, too." Syed leaned up and kissed Christian gently. "I think your sister wants to hug you. You can manage that, yeah?"

"Give me a minute, I just need to make myself decent." Christian wiped his sleeve over his eyes and nose and took a breath.

"I'll be right outside." Syed smiled as he opened the door back out to the flat and, closing it behind him, he gave Jane a reassuring nod. "We're getting there."

Syed wandered back into the main area with Jane and looked to Roxy and his mum. "He's getting there, he just needs a minute or two."

It had been more than a minute. More than two, even, as they all sat there waiting for Christian to come out of the spare room. Syed turned to the others and voiced what he'd been wondering all along. "Do you think it's like before, when he got beaten up and locked himself away in here? Maybe it's a relapse."

"Well, he doesn't seem keen on going outside. When I suggested it before he looked for an excuse pretty quick," Jane reasoned.

"Yeah but last time it lasted what? Two weeks? He was signed off work. He didn't need to go anywhere except for shopping and we did that for him," Roxy put in.

"You didn't see him when I forced him to go outside though. In his eyes, I could see he was terrified."

"You forced him?" Zainab asked, curious.

"I... bribed him."

"I don't remember you saying much about... oh." Zainab quickly realised the time frames involved and let the subject lie.

"My point is, it's happened before; is it that much of a shock that he's like this again? I just don't know how to make him snap out of it this time. Before... once he knew the thug was behind bars, I got him outside by giving him... something he wanted..." he glanced briefly at Zainab. "This time... I don't know how to approach it."

"Maybe this is where professional help comes in," Jane suggested. "Maybe he needs a counselor."

Syed tapped his fingers on the table then grabbed his phone from his pocket. "I'm calling Yusef."

Zainab stood from the table as Syed searched for the number on the phone. "You know what, I've had enough of pussy footing around. I'm going in there." She pushed back from the table.

"Mum!" Syed reached out to stop her but she was just out of reach. "Uh... hello, yes it's Syed..."

Zainab didn't even knock. She just pushed the door open and strode right in and as the door closed again behind her she stood, surprised, as she took in the sight of Christian standing at the window.