I've meant to post this chapter for a couple of days now but keep getting distracted! Sorry for the delay, hope you enjoy. Also a big thank you to all those who are reviewing this.

"I'm okay," Ruth said for the fifth time as she got out of Harry's car at his house. They'd decided that it would be better if she went to Harry's house, because as much as she didn't like to admit it, she wasn't ready to look after herself yet. Even getting from the hospital to the car had felt like a trial for her and she felt frail and tired.

"Sit down," Harry said firmly as they walked into his house. She did, closing her eyes in exhaustion as she sat on Harry's sofa. That had been harder than she'd expected and her chest was pulling around the stab wound.

"Tea." She opened her eyes to find Harry proffering a mug towards her. She took it gratefully, wondering if she'd actually slipped into a doze for a few minutes. "Are you sure you should be out of hospital?" he asked, seeing her pale face and the shadows under her eyes.

"Yes," she said. "I need to be somewhere else. I can't keep staring at the same four walls."

"Well, I'm not letting you get out of bed," he said firmly.

"A girl could take that in a different way than you intended," she said, a faint smile on her face.

"Maybe, when you're better." He smiled slightly and she sighed.

"I'm sorry to be really bad company, but I think I need some sleep."

"Sure," he said. "Can you make the stairs?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "Just... give me your arm?" He nodded and after a struggle up the stairs, Ruth half fell to the bed in the spare room. Harry resisted the strong temptation to ask if she was okay, though it was hard.

"I'm going to sleep," she said. "Sorry."

"Don't apologise," he said. "Just rest."

"Mm." She didn't even get undressed before her eyes were closing. Harry watched her for a moment before removing her shoes, covering her with a blanket and quietly leaving the room.

Ruth awoke with a jerk, feeling totally disorientated. The room was unfamiliar and dark and she knew from the pain in her chest that she'd been asleep long enough for her painkillers to have worn off completely.

"Are you all right?" She jumped, as she'd thought she was alone. Fumbling for the bedside light, she switched it on and found Harry sitting in a chair watching her.

"Why are you here?" she asked, taking him in. He wore a T shirt and some jogging bottoms, which she couldn't imagine had ever been used for jogging.

"I couldn't sleep," he said. When she kept looking at him, he elaborated. "I had a nightmare that you couldn't breathe. I just needed to look at you, to make sure you were okay."

"Yes, I'm okay," she said.

"Do you need some more painkillers?" The honest answer was yes, but she didn't want Harry to leave to go and get them for her. "I'll be right back," he said, correctly reading her silence. When he returned with a glass of water, she took her pills gratefully.

"Sorry I slept all day," she said.

"I think you've earned it," he said.

"Get in bed," she said.

"What?"

"Well, sleeping in the chair can't exactly be comfortable," she said. He paused for a moment longer. "Unless you don't want to…" she finished, suddenly feeling embarrassed and rolling onto her side so she didn't have to look at him. It wasn't until she felt the mattress dip under his weight that she turned back to face him.

"How are you?" she asked.

"How am I?" he said in bewilderment. "I'm fine. How are you?"

"I feel like I've been sleeping for quite a while," she said, avoiding answering the question. She knew she wouldn't go back to sleep now, having been dozing for around 14 hours or so, but the novelty in watching Harry's face wasn't wearing off. Never before had she felt free to simply look at him. On the grid she always felt like she had to look away, remain professional. She'd spent cumulative hours watching him, but never when he hadn't been speaking, or thinking through a problem relating to work.

"You're watching me," he said quietly, without any criticism in his voice.

"I was…" she trailed off, feeling embarrassed.

"Go on," he urged, stroking her hair almost in encouragement.

"I was admiring your face," she said. "That's all. Your lips, your eyes. Just laying here, admiring you."

"It's not like you've not seen me before," he said.

"Not this close," she said. "And not when I felt like I had the luxury to take my time." He smiled, seeming only slightly embarrassed by her attention to him. "I want to kiss you," she said. He raised his eyebrows and she took that as an invitation. She pressed her lips to his softly. The kiss started gentle, but when he groaned against her mouth, she had to touch him, her hands pushing up his shirt to stroke his back.

"Oh God," he murmured, her hands sending shocks through his body. Before he engaged his brain, his hands had found their way under her shirt, caressing her stomach, her waist, avoiding her dressing on the left side of her rib cage, then moved his hands higher. He cupped her bare breasts, squeezing gently as she let out a high pitched moan. She'd fallen asleep in her clothes, but wore no bra. Then his brain clicked in, and he remembered why. Her chest, the stabbing, her lung. He dropped his hands from her, the softness of her breasts almost imprinted on his palms.

"You're recovering from a collapsed lung and a stab wound," he said under his breath.

"Are you telling me or yourself that?" she asked.

"Myself," he said fervently. "If I don't remind myself, I'm going to end up pining you to the bed and ravishing you. Which wouldn't be the best for your recovery."

"No," she said. "But otherwise, I'm sure I'd be very interested in that itinerary," she said with a smile.

"Just interested?" he asked, somewhat disappointed in the lack of enthusiasm.

"Well, had my body got the energy I'd have my hands all over you this second," she said. "But I don't think I've got the strength to fulfill it to the end. No matter how much I want to. And I do want to, Harry." He smiled and touched her bottom lip with his thumb very gently.

"Go to sleep." She closed her eyes, knowing sleep was pointless, but also guessing that Harry would be unlikely to relax if she was still awake. And he needed to sleep, she thought as he leaned over her to turn the light off.

It took a while, but eventually his breathing evened out and she risked opening her eyes. She discovered that she enjoyed watching him sleep and she hoped she could do it more often.

More when it's written!