Max and Tanya knew that Joey didn't really want to leave the hospital and that he only had because Lauren had made him.

They walked into the pub, right you two sit down and I'll get the drinks in' Max said

'Just a coke for me please' Joey told him

Max returned with two beers and a coke and he put the coke down in front of Tanya and a beer in front of Joey.

'Max I asked for a coke' Joey said to him

'You need a beer' he replied as he sat down. Joey looked at his phone for the fifth time since they had been in the pub. 'Lauren will be fine. Abi and Oscar are with her and Abi won't let her overdo things' Max told him.

'So what do you fancy eating?' Tanya asked him 'the lasagne is nice' she told him

'Sounds good' Joey nodded

'So how are you Joey?' Tanya asked him as Max went to order the food

'I'm good' he nodded 'Glad that Lauren's on the mend' he told her

'Has she got more of her memories back?'

'Yes a few. Some are still muddled' he replied 'but she remembers me now, us' he told her

'That's good I'm glad' she told him 'she looks a lot better. She had a little colour back'

'She's in pain' Joey said 'She's pretending that she isn't because she wants to go home' Joey told her 'She thinks that Doctor Roberts will discharge her if she doesn't need pain relief'

'How long does he think she needs to stay in for?'

'Another couple of week, maybe 3' he said 'I haven't told her yet, I don't want her to get upset'

'Well she has only been out of the coma for a day' Tanya said to him

'And Lauren thinks that she's ready to go home' Joey said 'you know what she's like'

'You need to tell her' Tanya said 'She's going figure it out the longer she has to stay there'

'I know' Joey told her, he sighed and he rubbed his face 'It's just she is doing so well and I don't want to do anything that will make her go backwards'

'Telling her that she has to stay in hospital longer isn't going to put her into a coma again' Tanya said to him. 'Look I can tell her if you want me to' she said to him 'we can have a mother/daughter talk'

'Because they always go so well' Joey frowned at her, 'Sorry' he said instantly 'that wasn't fair'

'I know Lauren and I haven't exactly had the best relationship, but I'd like to try and make up for that' Tanya said to him 'She may be about to have a baby of her own but she is still my baby, I nearly lost her too' Tanya said putting her hand on her chest, 'my heart was breaking watching her lying in there in that hospital bed day after day, not being able to do anything to help her ….' She trailed off as she felt her eyes fill with tears 'Sorry' she told him

'Don't be' Joey said to her 'I know how you feel' he told her with a sigh, he leant back against the seat as Max came back and ran his fingers through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck 'I was so scared that she would die. I wouldn't sleep, I'd sit up every night watching her, in case an alarm went off or in case she woke up or in case she went into early labour' he told her 'I drank so much coffee over the past month that the thought of coffee makes me feel sick' he frowned 'Last night, last night was the first night's sleep that I have had since Lauren was brought in' he admitted to her 'I have no idea how I am still functioning at any level. I feel so tired, exhausted' he admitted to them both.

'Why don't you take a night off tonight hey?' Max said 'One of us will stay with her'

'I can't leave her' Joey said to them 'She wouldn't leave if it was me in that bed'

'That would be a bloody miracle if you were 7 months pregnant!' Max said with a smile

Joey looked at him surprised, then he smiled, broke into laughter and then broke down in tears.

'It's all right mate' Max said as he move round to sit next to him. He put his arm on Joey's shoulder and 'Let it out. It's okay' he told him.

'I can't I need to be strong for Lauren' Joey told him

'Lauren's not here right now' Max said to him 'It's okay son' he said as he took Joey into his arms. Joey hugged Max tightly and sobbed against him 'It's all right' he told him.

'I can't lose her… I can't … she has to be okay now right?' he asked him

'She is Joey' Max said to him 'You can see she is'

'Everything keeps going wrong for us' he told him 'I just … I just want to marry her and keep her safe'

'I know' he nodded 'and you will, my daughter is crazy about you, anyone can see that' he told him 'You have done an amazing job taking care of her, whilst she's been in the hospital, talking to her, washing her, doing her pyshio with her. She couldn't have asked for someone better than you to take care of her. It's clear that you are as much in love with her as she is with you, and you know what else I know. When this baby comes. You are going to be a fantastic father' Max told him

Joey pulled back to look at him and he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket 'Do you think so'

'I know so mate' he told him 'and do you know what else I know? I know that you are going Lauren the best husband a father can ask for' he said

'Thank you' Joey said with a smile, he wiped his eyes and face and blew his nose and then let out a long breath. He got up 'I just need a minute' he told them and he went outside.

'He's going to call Lauren' Tanya said.

Ten minutes later he came back in looking a little better and happier.

'So how's Lauren?' Max asked him

'She's fine she's…' he said and then realised that they knew what he was doing outside. 'She's having fun with her siblings' he told them 'said she's not missing me at all and not to hurry back'

After they had eaten and Joey had drunk another pint of beer, they decided to head back to the hospital, they could hear Oscar, Lauren and Abi all giggling as they walked up to the door to her room. They opened the door and saw Lauren lying on the bed with her t-shirt pulled up exposing her belly and Oscar and Abi with some pens writing and drawing on Lauren's belly.

'What are you are you two doing to your sister?' Tanya exclaimed, the three of them looked up in surprise at being caught

'Abi made me' Oscar said pointing the pen at his big sister, Lauren and Abi collapsed into fits of giggles again.

Joey smiled and he shook his head at the three of them. Lauren looked like her old self again, she had colour in her cheeks, her eyes were sparkling, she was having fun.

'Well that looks like fun' Max said 'Let's have a go' he crossed over to the bed and he took the pen from Abi and started to draw 'These do come off right?'

'Yes of course they do dad' Lauren said and then she frowned and she looked at Abi 'Right?'

'Yes they're skin pens, they come off with a little soap and water' she told her 'They're perfectly safe'

Lauren looked at Joey 'Well I guess I'll be needing another bed bath tonight' she grinned at him.

AN: Thank you for all the reviews so far. So glad that you are all enjoying the story!

Back tomorrow.