PATIENCE

The next couple of weeks for Barney were a set routine. He would go to bed late, not sleep all night, wake up early, go to visit Robin and worry.

"I'm really worried about him. He hasn't had a decent night sleep since the accident," Lily said one Saturday at MacLaren's. It was a little more than two weeks since Robin had the surgery and there was still no sign of recovery.

"I know. He spends all day every day in that hospital room, he needs to get out and just...relax," Ted nodded.

"I don't think he'll ever be able to relax. But how about you two try and distract him, you know, just take him out...do 'bro' stuff? I haven't had chance to see Robin properly this week. I'll take Marv to my mom's," Lily suggested, realising she hadn't even visited her best friend in the hospital properly all week.

"Sure, that's if he's up to it of course," Marshall said.

"Oh, here he is," Lily caught a glimpse of Barney at the entrance of the bar. He entered looking dragged down and broken. Ted, Marshall and Lily could hardly recognise their best friend. There seemed to be no trace of the awesome man they used to know, only two weeks ago. He walked over to the booth in silence, looking as if he might break down at any point.

"Still no change," he muttered, referring to Robin. He collapsed to the seat next to Lily and let his head fall in his hands.

"She'll be fine, sweetie," Lily said, rubbing his back comfortingly.

"Hey," Lily entered the hospital room later that day, "I know I haven't seen you much all week, I've been so busy with little Marv. I think he misses you." Robin stayed completely still as Lily talked, unaware of her presence.

"How about you wake up now, Robin? Please. This is killing Barney. It's killing all of us. I think Barney's losing his patience, honey, I'm worried about him," Lily sat down next to her best friend. Tears began to form in the brim of her eyes. She wiped them away before they could roll down her cheek.

"I'm scared, Robin. I'll admit it; I'm scared," she looked at her best friend and she felt her heart break slightly. She didn't look like Robin Scherbatsky anymore. The glow she always used to have had disappeared and her hair was no longer in the perfect state is usually was. The engagement ring on her finger glistened in the lights of the hospital room and Lily sighed. She couldn't face Robin not waking up. She tried as hard as she could not to think like that, but she couldn't help it. It was a possibility. What if she doesn't wake up? Lily's mind began imagining what it would be like without her best friend in her life and it made chills run down her back.

"You know, I think that hospital gown is your colour. How the hell do you still look beautiful?" Lily smiled, realising her best friend still looked pretty no matter how different she looked. Lily had always been jealous of Robin. She seemed to have the looks, the body – everything. Lily stayed there for a while that day, just filling her friend in on the weekly news.

"Oh god, look at the time, I've got to go pick Marv up," Lily said, catching sight of the clock, "It's been nice seeing you, sweetie." She stroked her best friend's hair, tucking a gorgeous curl behind her ear. As she left the room she stopped at the doorway and looked back at Robin and sighed. Wake up, she thought to herself, before closing the door and heading out of the hospital.

"Dude, do you not think you've had enough?" Ted jested towards the five empty glasses of scotch that stood next to Barney on the table. His best friend looked up at him and shrugged. Marshall gave Ted a worrying look. They both hated to see Barney in such a dark place.

"She'll be alright, Barney," Marshall said. This began to make Barney angry. He couldn't count how many times people had told him she was going to be 'alright'. And really, how did they know that? The thing was... they didn't. They were just saying anything to try and calm him down and Barney was sick of it. He shouted, angrier than ever before,

"People keep saying this but what if she isn't? I've woken up every day for a whole week worrying. Worried and scared - scared in case she doesn't open her eyes, scared in case I don't hear her speak for one last time. Scared in case I never get the chance to tell her how much I truly love her. So, no, don't tell me that I've had enough to drink or that she'll be okay or that I need to 'relax'. I don't need that! Maybe I need to be angry, because I don't deserve this, Robin doesn't deserve this, none of us deserve this! Do you really believe in the whole destiny and karma shit, Ted? Because I sure don't. What has Robin done to be stuck in a coma in a hospital bed, can you tell me that? And Marshall, don't pretend like this wouldn't hurt you because damn it, I know for a fact if it was Lily in that hospital bed you'd be in a worse state than this!" He began to feel his hands shake with fury. He stood up and slammed down his drink. Neither Marshall nor Ted responded because they knew it was true. Marshall looked down into his beer and sighed, feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "you must be sick of people saying that."

"Yes, yes I fucking am," Barney yelled.

He left Ted and Marshall alone and stormed out of MacLaren's. He knew for a fact he shouldn't even think of going to see Robin now, he was almost completely off his head, yet he couldn't stop himself. The doctors tried to stop him as he stumbled into the hospital but he pushed himself through the crowd that began to gather. He could hardly see the door of the room as he edged closer to it as his vision had begun to blur. He burst into the room and tried to make his way over to his fiancé.

"Why are you doing this to me, Robin?" he shouted at her, staring down at her with his sad eyes. He could only see a vague outline of her body, partly because he was completely drunk, but mainly because his eyes had filled up with tears.

"Why won't you fucking wake up? It's been two weeks. And I know the doctor said it could be months but you're Robin Scherbatsky! You're the strongest woman I know, Robin. Please, God, you're killing me now! Wake up!" he let himself go, reaching for the chair to through across the room. It smashed against the wall and Barney collapsed to the floor.

"Why? Just why?" he sobbed, not caring if the doctor came in at any point. He heard the life support machine beep away in a smooth rhythm and he leant back against the wall. Almost immediately, Robin's doctor stormed into the room.

"Mr Stinson, you are going to have to leave," he said angrily. Barney ignored him and stayed sitting on the floor - that is until the machine started to beep faster.

"What's happening?" Barney mumbled, getting to his feet. Barney saw the panic sweep across the doctor's face.

"She's crashing," the doctor said.