Tick....Tock…Tick…Tock, the sound of the clock reverberated around the still room. Erin sighed as she glanced up and saw the hands were only just reaching the early hours of the morning. She was in Nikki and Harry's living room and had given up on sleep hours ago. They'd come back from the hospital earlier that evening, Nikki and Harry managed to prise her away from Leo's beside with a lot of persuasion and the promise that if Leo woke up then she'd be the first to know about it. It still hadn't put Erin's mind at ease and she couldn't sleep, the room was strange to her and though the sofa where they'd make up a temporary bed wasn't uncomfortable, sleep just wouldn't come to her. She swung her legs off the sofa and walked around the living room which was only illuminated by the pale glow of the moon coming through the window. Eventually she gave up and perched herself on the windowsill and looked up at the night sky, there was of star visible on the night sky, faint from the light pollution of London but just about able to be seen

"Star light, star bright, the first star I see to tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish, I wish tonight" she whispered "Please let Leo get better soon, let him wake up and be alright again, please" she begged

She sighed as the star began to move across the sky and she realised that it was only a plane she'd seen, there were no stars in London tonight and it seemed that her wish would not be granted either.


Meanwhile in a hospital ward, not too far away, someone in a bed started to stir. Leo blearily opened his eyes and tried to work out where he was

"Professor Dalton?" a voice came and he looked up to see a young doctor checking a machine beside him "Welcome back"

"Where…?" Leo began

"You're in hospital, I'm Doctor Winters and I'm looking after you"

"Erin…" Leo tried to say as he fought off the grogginess that was threatening to consume him

Doctor Winters smiled "…Is fine, she's with Harry and Nikki, they're looking after her for the time being"

Leo sank back into the pillows and fell back into a fitful sleep, as he sank into the realm of drams his thoughts were with Erin and Erin only


Erin was still sitting on the windowsill when the watery sun appeared in the skyline, her legs with stiff from sitting in the same position for hours on end but she still did not move

"Erin, do you have any idea what the time is?" a voice came from behind her and she turned to see Harry in the doorway stifling a yawn

Erin shrugged and turned her gaze back towards the window

"Have you slept at all?" he asked coming over to her

Erin shook her head; Harry looked out of the window and saw dawn breaking over a grey London morning

"Erin?" Harry said sitting down next to her as he studied the young girl carefully

"I was waiting for the stars" she said finally

Harry smiled relieved that she was talking "Did you wish upon one?"

Erin shook her head "It was only a plane"

Harry gave a small chuckle "Well I'm sure planes have magical wish giving powers as well"

Erin looked scornfully at him "That's just stupid"

"It might well be" Harry said standing back up "But you never know. Try and get some sleep for a couple of hours Erin, you're bordering on exhaustion"

With that he left the room leaving the young girl to stew in her own thoughts

"You took your time" Nikki mumbled sleepily as Harry climbed back into bed

"Erin's awake" Harry said giving Nikki a gentle kiss

"Already?" Nikki yawned

"I don't think she actually went to sleep in the first place, she's too worried about Leo"

"What time is it?" Nikki said pulling the duvet tighter around her

"Just gone three in the morning"

"Oh God…" Nikki groaned and buried her head under the pillow "I thought teenagers were creatures of the night"

"Well this one isn't" Harry said kissing Nikki playfully on her exposed neck

"You're telling me" Nikki mumbled as she drifted back off to sleep


When Leo opened his eyes once more, the ward was full of life and he could see sunlight streaming through the windows. He gingerly pushed himself up in bed, begin careful not to dislodge the drip the was in his hand

"Ah you're awake" Doctor Winters said coming into the cubicle "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've just gone ten rounds with Amir Khan" Leo chuckled before breaking into a coughing fit

The doctor leant forward and put an oxygen face mask on Leo "You need to take it easy, you're still weak"

"How did I end up here?" Leo said, his voice slightly muffled by the face mask

"You collapsed at home; you've got a nasty bout of pneumonia"

"I felt something coming on but I didn't expect this…"

"You need to look after yourself" the doctor smiled checking Leo's obs. "Or let a certain someone look after you"

"How is Erin?" Leo asked, looking at once concerned

"A little shaken up if I'm honest" Will said turning back to Leo "I think she's still in a bit of shock from finding you in a state of collapse"

Leo groaned "The poor girl, she's been through enough already"

Will shook his head "Professor Dalton…"

"….Please, call me Leo"

"Leo…" Will began "It wasn't your fault and Erin's fine. Harry and Nikki are looking after her and we've set up some emergency sessions with her physiologist. I think the one thing that will get her back on track is seeing you getting better"

Leo nodded "How long have I been out?"

"About twenty four hours" Will said checking his watch "Erin was with you the whole of yesterday, we managed to get her to go home in the evening with a lot of persuasion"

"When can I see her?" he asked immediately

"You need to get some rest" Will warned

"I've been doing that for the last twenty-four hours, I need to see her, if not for my sake then hers" Leo pleaded

Will nodded "Alright, I'll phone them up; I've got Harry and Nikki's phone number. It was part of the deal we made to get Erin to go home to get some rest; I promised I would phone if there was any news"

"Thank you" Leo said gratefully and sank back down into the pillows, hoping that this hadn't damaged his and Erin's relationship too much

Author's note: Ooh how will Erin react when she's reunited with Leo? I do promise this will start getting a bit happier again in a couple of chapters!