We take a seat in the corner and I stare blankly at the paperwork. All the titles are in Russian, I pass it to Jim with tears in my eyes. "I can't read it," I cry pathetically as I throw my head into my hands. Jim puts an arm around me squeezing my shoulders in a comforting gesture.

"I've done loads of these in my time, come on I'll ask and you tell," he says. I can't believe he can read Russian but I suppose he must get all over the place in his line of work. I give a sniff and a nod as I lift my head and look at him. He's smiling gently and reaches out a thumb to wipe away the odd tears still hanging around on my cheeks.

"There we go. Right Full name?"

Together we manage to fill in most of the application and I feel a wash of relief. Jim rests a hand on my thigh, gives it a squeeze and then hoists himself to his feet to take the form back to the receptionist. I glance around the room, patients with all sorts of injuries everything from broken bones, nosebleeds and even vomiting. I catch a glimpse of Jim heading back over to me and give a shy smile.

As he approaches me he holds out his hand. "Come on" he says. I take his hand and follow him as we are buzzed through a set of doors. A nurse greets us and Jim mumbles something to her in what I can only presume is Russian. She smiles brightly with her harlot red lips and looks so sweet with her blonde hair braided either side of her head. She gestures with her finger for us to follow and Jim takes my hand as we proceed.

From behind grubby curtains I hear coughing, wheezing and all sorts of beeping and pumping noises. "Are we seeing Peter?" I mumble shyly at Jim's side, my eyes darting for any sign of him in one of the beds. We enter a new corridor all little rooms with patients names chalked outside. We hurry past the majority of them before flying past one which has 'BARLOW' written boldly but we don't stop.

Confused I drag my heels beside Jim and he stops to look me in the eye. The nurse oblivious to the fact we have stopped waddles onto another ward, sectioned by the curtains. She stops and twirls around, looking momentarily confused before noticing us stood just left of Peter's room. Coughing loudly she grabs Jim's attention and he takes a firm grip of my arm.

"What about Peter?" I ask through gritted teeth.

"Carla, you need to be checked over too, just to make sure you're ok," he tells me in a stern voice.

"Then can I see Peter?" I ask innocently and he gives a nod.

Tears prick my eyes as I approach the nurse. Holding out the curtain she ushers both Jim and me into the small cubicle. Muttering in Russian she address' Jim and then leaves. I look at him suddenly feeling scared of him; I don't know what's come over me. I've been alone with him before and not given it a thought but his stance and expression have suddenly changed.

"What did she….urm what did she say?" I stutter.

He doesn't reply only nods in the direction of the bed. I sit on the edge and go to lift my legs up onto it but he swoops down to aid me. I give a weak smile and push my head back against the pillows. It's a lovely feeling, one I've missed in fact. I must have gone at least 3 or four nights now without one. An empty chair sits vacant at the bedside but Jim perches beside me.

The nurse re enters with her painted on smile and gives Jim a wink. She smiles down at me and checks my vitals. She has nothing to say and stays mute throughout the whole process and gives a satisfied squeak.

"She ok, you can go," she says in a robot tone, her Russian accent strong.

"Peter?" I mouth to Jim hoping he will ask her if we can see him. Taking her arm as she goes to leave he asks her a question and she gives a positive nod before disappearing through the curtain. I shrug my shoulders at Jim as if to say well? He's got another smile for me and then tells me to come along.

Following him from the cubicle we head back to Peter's room. The small slit of a window in the door allows me to see Peter hooked to a monitor, a mask over his nose and mouth and all sorts of fluids and some bloods being pumped into his system. My poor Peter. The sight of him chokes me up, a lump forms in my throat and I throw my hand over my mouth and try to hold back the sobs. Placing my hand on the handle I push down and enter the room. It's too overwhelming and a few stray tears manage to break through. Jim stands back as I approach Peter and lift his hand. It feels so cold to the touch. I flash a glance back at Jim as I let Peter's hand slip free and land back onto the bed.

He rushes over to me and takes me in his muscular arms and holds me tight. "Jim" I cry into his chest, soaking his t-shirt with my tears. He soothes me, hushing me and lightly rubbing my back. Suddenly I pull away and go back to Peter's side feeling slightly better after being comforted by Jim. I sniffle at his side as I squeeze his hand and watch his chest gently rise and fall. Silence descends on the room so that all can be heard are the intermittent bleeps from the monitor.

I watch the hands slowly move around the clock hanging on the far wall. Two hours have passed and Jim and I haven't said a word but all of a sudden he is stood behind me and breathing gently on my neck. Releasing Peter's hand again I twist awkwardly between the bed and his body to face him. He sweeps down to kiss me but I dodge it just in time.

"What's wrong?" he asks a quizzical look gracing his features.

"I can't," I stammer.

He takes a firm grip on the tops of my arms and attempts to lock his gaze with mine. After avoiding it for as long as I can it finally works.

"Can't what?" he asks firmly.

"This" I reply shaking him off and hurrying to the other side of the bed. Unsuccessful he manages to back me into the shadowed corner. Pinning me in place by pushing his groin into me and taking my hands and pushing them flat against the wall above my head with his.

"This" he whispers as he pushes his lips against mine and starts to invade my mouth with his tongue. I feel terribly uncomfortable but that spark is back, that passion we have and I find myself becoming lost in the moment.