Sam Malone had seen his girlfriend lying motionless on the cold Boston road. He had been with her in the ambulance, he had seen her in a coma and he visited her everyday.

Diane had been in a coma for the past month. Sam had visited everyday at the same time. sitting by her bead, reading to her, poems that he found at her apartment, some her own and letters that he had written to her. He wrote her a new letter everyday. It helped him express his feelings.

Cheers hadn't been the same without her. The first night that Sam had returned to his apartment after the accident, there was phone messages for Carla and Coach...and Norm, wondering why the bar was shut and where Sam was.

The next day, Sam went to the bar and told everyone what had happened. He entrusted Carla with a set of keys and told her that she could act as manager along with Coach, whilst he sorted out his head.

He kept Diane's apartment clean, keeping himself busy. He had been paying her rent and sometimes fell asleep at her apartment. The whole place had this Diane sense about it. He kept her candles burning, he kept her bills paid. He lived her life for her.

One night when he went to visit her. A doctor was waiting for him. As was the chief of medicine. Something was wrong.

"Mr Malone. We need to talk" said the doctor, leading him into Diane's room

"What's the matter?"

"Miss Chambers hasn't made any...progress since her accident and we feel that maybe it's the right time to turn off her life support machine. I'm sorry" said the doctor bluntly

"No! You can't do that to Diane! No!" screamed Sam, flipping out at the suggestion

"Of course we can't do it without your permission"

"Well then I'm not giving you my permission!. Diane is going to pull through! She's going to wake up!" screamed Sam, tears pouring down his face

The doctors left Sam by Diane's bed, taking her by the hand

"Diane. I'm not going to leave you. I'm going to let them take you away" cried Sam.

Sam's life has become so sad, so filled with pain. He had lost touch with friends, and had become a virtual recluse, only ever talking to Diane and truly believing that she could hear every word he said.

The endless tears. The insomnia, the cloud of darkness that had become a feauture in his life. He couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep, he couldn't live, knowing that she was the way she was, endlessly sleeping.

A nurse poked his head round the door a hour later, seeing Sam just holding her hand and whispering to her.

"Sir, I'm afraid you'll have to go home, sir" she said softly

Was the visiting time over already?

Sam got up, kissing Diane lightly on the forehead, and whispering her loved her

"Love you Diane" he sais softly, leaving the room and walking down the deserted corridor.

As Sam drove home, the rain battered his windscreen so badly that he couldn't see a thing. Pulling over, he switched on the radio where he heard a calming song, without words, just music.

Sam closed his eyes and listened to the music. The notes flowing through his head. it reminded him of Diane. She would have loved this song, he thought.

Sam began to peacefully drift off to sleep. His cares flowing away.

Suddenly Sam jolted up, hearing a knock on the window. A young man was knocking on his window, soaking wet.

"Are you okay sir?" he said, concerned

Sam didn't know what to say.

After a silence, he asked the man where he was heading.

"Beacon Hill"

"Want a lift? I'm heading that way myself" asked Sam, who wanted the company

"Why thank you" said the man, getting in.

Sam began to drive off, the rain had become less heavy

"Hey, are you Sam Malone?" asked the man

"Yeah, that's me"

"Sorry to hear about your girlfriend" he said solemnly

"How did you know that?"

"I was there. I saw it all" he pasued for a minute "How's she doing?"

"They want me to bring off her life support machine. I just can't do it"

"Well Sam, only you know what to do"

"How will I know that I know?"

"There'll be a clear sign. Can you drop here please?"

"But this is nowhere near Beacon Hill"

The man gave him a look and with that Sam sighed and pulled over.

The man got out of the car and shut the door

"By the way, what's your name?"

"I think you know Sam" he said, walking off.

"That was 'Lucia di Lammermoor'" said the radio presenter

Diane's favourite opera.

Suddenly Sam realised something.

Why was he listening to classical music? His dial was always tuned to sports

Then it hit Sam like a truck...it was a sign. The man, Lucia Di Lammermoor, the radio station.

He knew what he had to do...