-Williams POV-

I could hear movement.

The pain was beginning to recede in the worst parts but I put that down to the morphine. I knew my vision was almost normal again, but I chose not to open my eyes purely out of tiredness, exhaustion and because I didn't know where I was..but I was comfortable, and I didn't want that to go away.

But the noises beside me...They were different not like the ones I had heard in the last day, they weren't loud or disturbing, they were comforting, and they caressed my hand, but of course I knew sound couldn't caress me so I knew it had to be a person. Should I open my eyes? What if they tried to take me away? I shifted a little in discomfort and I heard whatever the presence was, say my name...

'William..? Can you hear me? Can you open your eyes?'

I recognised the voice it was soothing, melodic, welcomed. Maybe I had died. Maybe this tangible comfort was heaven and I had an angels voice to greet me... Then I felt something else...something touched my face, it was warm and gentle. How could this be an ethereal being if its touch was warm and soft..?

I stirred again, realising I could feel more of my body than I had originally thought. Maybe I should open my eyes, this...being...beside me was causing me to be curious. I first tried to get some feelings back into my eyes so I lifted them a fraction and felt the sting of the light; realising this I tried to use my voice instead to ask whoever or whatever was sat beside me to light a candle and turn down the light. I cleared my throat and attempted to say something... I could barely even whisper.

'Oh William..,' it replied...

It saddened me to hear such a beautiful creature with so much pain and burden in its voice..

'light' was all I could force out.

I heard it do just that and then the smell of a lit match assaulted my nose as a candle was lit. Once again I attempted to open my eyes, the light a little softer and less painful so I managed to half open them..

I would never have been prepared for who was sat next to me...

The eyes that I looked into crystal blue and sparkling with same eyes that had assaulted my brokenheart for the past year...The very same that haunted every moment I was awake and the same that had pushed me to nightmares when I slept. There was a sad smile spread over her face that I could feel was radiating joy, happiness and also pain.

I was so happy to see her...my Julia...but I knew my happiness was bitter-sweet, because as soon as she has said her piece, checked I was alright and still alive, she would leave for Buffalo and go back to her successful doctor fiancé...

Her smile faltered a little when I didn't reciprocate it.

'William...?' she said quietly a little hurt.

My eyes travelled slowly to her left hand and braced myself to see the ring that sat there-
but it wasn't there..her hand was completely free of any jewellery at all...I frowned a little and I felt her gentle hand on my cheek.

'William... What's wrong..?' she said again quietly sounding more concerned.

I opened my mouth to try and say something but my throat was still burning from the alcohol. So I moved my hand instead, taking her left hand and stroking my thumb over her ring finger gently. She looked at me sadly, and sighed, I looked up into her eyes and the tears were threatening to fall again. My hand held her hand a little tighter and tried to look meaningfully at her as my voice was to painful to use. I didn't want her to cry, I had never seen her cry and I really didn't want to.

'I didn't want to leave you William. I wanted to stay more than anything else. You meant...mean...the world to me.' She looked up from her hands to my face.

Her eyes were glazed over with tears and I could see this was one of the hardest things she had ever said.

'After all the unwanted publicity I received from the press, I just wanted the easy way out. So I accepted 's offer of..marriage; But when I was working in Buffalo, something inside me told me I needed to come back to visit Toronto, and I went to find you. The inspector yelled at me and told me to never come back, because of what I did to you when I left, but I had no idea, I thought you would have moved on or found a new love and had a family..I didn't, I didn't know...'

She sounded almost hysterical, almost like the last conversation we had when she told me she was leaving for good.

'And it wasn't until I visited and saw the newspapers that were written about you all the articles, about suicide, alcoholism, insanity, that I realised what I had done.' the tears were flowing free down her face now I wanted to say something but I let her finish. 'But...when I saw the articles that said you had...had..died...I..I didn't know what to do with myself, I didn't know what to think. And when I went back to the police station and the inspector gave me this-'

She took out a small navy velvet box, something I decided to hide away from my heart a long time ago.

'When I saw this...I knew..my heart told me that this was the ring...that really belonged on my hand...'

I wasn't sure if I had heard her properly, but as I watched, she opened the small box with her delicate hands and took out the ring. She placed the ring in my hand. Then she looked into my eyes.

'I feel terrible William...I never should have left you..But I want to look after you. Im the reason your in this state. And I don't want you to be on your own anymore. I...I want to be with you...if you'll still have me...I understand if this is too much pain for you...but I have to know..'

All I could do was look at her in disbelief... Julia had never been this frank with me, we had always maintained a careful dance of shy glances and gentle accidental touches...the occasional passionate kiss...I realised I hadn't even attempted to answer her question. I tried to make a sound again and it barely made a hoarse whisper. I looked apologetically at her. Instead I nodded hoping she would understand all the love I was conveying with it. She smiled a teary smile and it lit up the room. I smiled back the best as I could. I remembered the ring that was still in my hand, so I lifted it and placed it on her left hand ring finger. It wasn't exactly what you would call a traditional proposal, but it was a proposal none the less.

Her hand immediately clasped round mine and she started to cry, she still, to me, looked more beautiful than anything, although I'm sure this time it was with happiness not sadness. She moved closer to my bed and held my hand close to her chest and I felt my face go hot, and she moved her face closer to mine, so close I could see the hues of blue in her eyes.

And then she kissed me. It was gentle, hesitant but full of love and warmth. I ignored the wince of pain even from this fleeting touch.

'As soon as your well enough to leave here William I will be here to look after you. I plan to telegram Murton as soon as convenient.' she said quietly. Then she stood up to leave,

'I will have a word with the doctor to see when you can be released, when you are well enough.' She learned over me again and kissed me gently on the forehead smoothing my hair back carefully.

I could smell her delicate perfume. I closed my eyes and when I opened them again she was gone...

The next morning I woke up and I was still alone, but I knew Julia would come back, yesterday afternoon felt like a dream but I kept checking the empty ring box by my side, and I knew it was real.

The one thing I thought I had lost forever I had, it was mine and she was wearing the ring that I bought her, all that time ago. I fell in and out of sleep that day the doctors came in and out I was feeling a little better and my voice was still awful. And I wanted nothing more to have a shave and a haircut.
I felt terrible seeing Julia in this way. My eyes were still heavy and purple my lip still had a large cut in it and my left cheek was yellow with bruising...Embarrassment more than pain was filling me now as I knew that Julia would return to see me like -like in my current state of disarray. I could feel sleep was coming back to cover me with its encompassing power so I let myself succumb...

Later that evening I could hear people in my room again, hoping Julia had returned, my eyes flew open. My doctor and Julia were stood a little in the doorway talking in quiet discussion. If I strained I could probably hear what they were saying but I chose not to and just lay there eyes closed knowing I was at least near her.

'William?' I heard her say gently. My eyes fluttered open a little and I attempted a smile which hurt a little, but it was worth it 10 times over, to see it reciprocated . Her hand came up to gently push my shaggy hair away from my forehead. I tried to smile again.

'I've just been speaking to your doctor and he has agreed to let me try and clean you up a little...if you'd like..?' I looked down at my hands and realised they were still covered in dried blood.

I nodded to her gratefully...seeing as I was in no fit state, but at least I would be clean, I just wish it wasn't Julia who wasn't given the task. It was embarrassing enough to look like this, let alone have her clean me. I chastised myself inwardly for letting myself get like this. As I watched she walked over and began to fill a small bowl with warm water and soak a cloth in it. She walked back over placing the bowl on the small bedside table. Then she turned to me.

'As much as I know you wont like it...were going to have to take off your shirt..' she said not meeting my eyes.

She had a slight pink blush to her cheeks. At least I was safe in saying this wasn't just embarrassing for me at the very least. She carefully undid each button on my night-clothe top and pushed it over my shoulders. Normally this wouldn't have been so bad, but to my surprise I wasn't wearing my usual white thermal underneath, just bare skin...albeit bloody, grazed and covered in bruises. I just lay back eyes half closed. Willing myself to ignore the gentle niggles of pain as she gently removed one arm after another. Soon enough I was sat there bloody and battered feeling very...exposed.

I could tell this was difficult for her as she was yet to see the extent of all my injuries. Every so often when I would wince in pain and she would falter and her eyes would glaze over with tears. I tried to look apologetic as I attempted to hide the majority of my pain from her. Her hands were soft and slightly warmer than my own skin as she gently washed and soothed my wounds from the last few days.

She started with my hands and arms and made her way up-to my shoulders slowly and methodically making me clean. She moved round to the other side of the bed to repeat the process on my opposite arm and then moved to my neck gently keeping her hand on my shoulder as I turned my head to the side as she instructed. As she asked me to lean forward so she could move to my back I heard her whimper slightly under her breath as she again found another area of injuries. In all honesty my back didn't feel that painful, twinges every now and again. But from her reaction I guess it maybe looked worse than it felt. I could feel her hands delicately trying to avoid each sore spot on my back. As she finished my back she came forward to finish my chest which she had managed to miss out I noticed. She gave me a quick glance but looked away as soon as our gaze met.

She dipped the cloth in the water and began the same process on my chest, noting that the ring I placed on her graceful finger still resided there every so often glinting in the half light. Her hands seemed to linger less on my skin for some reason here, not wanting to touch me as much as she had done the rest of me. As much as I was embarrassed I was more than enjoying this close contact with her, more contact than I had ever experienced in my life. And I wouldn't have wanted it from anyone but Julia. My abdomen gave a minute twitch as she moved further down my chest, closer to my hips. Worried that her naïve gesture would stir something more unadulterated in me, I gently put my hand on hers halting her in her innocent ministrations. I couldn't meet her gaze as I tried to tell her with a look, what she was doing to me. Seeing she got the message when her breath caught a little and her cheeks flushed and quickly averted her gaze from my lower abdomen.

Taking the bowl of water- which I noticed had turned a somewhat pink colour- she went and emptied down the small sink in my room. She came back to my bedside and picked up my shirt from where she had folded it at the end of the bed. She thumbed the fabric a little, realising she was going to say something I looked away from her hands to her face.

'I'm sorry William...I-I didnt realise-' and her gaze flitted to my lower abdomen and back to my shirt in her hands.

Why on earth is she apologising...? After all it was my primal urges to be held accountable. After all we had probably had more physical contact in the last 40 minutes than most physically active couples... I shook my head gently and attempted to say something.

'It...s...o...k...' I managed to croak out and a small smile ghosted her lips.

She slowly began to help me with my shirt again taking time to make sure I wasn't in pain.
After that she sat back down by my bedside pulling her chair closer so her legs were tucked under the bed. She didn't say anything and feared I may have scared her away with my indecency. So I attempted to try and speak some more, I could deal with croaky if it won me another smile from her.

'I...mis...sed..y...ou' I barely managed to get out trying to clear my throat, but wishing I hadn't as it protested in pain.

But she immediately smiled and put her hand to my face.

'I missed you too William...more than I realised...' she replied a little sadly when her smile faded.

I lifted my hand and placed it over hers and moved it to my chest. I wanted her to feel my heart and feel it beating. It was hers and I needed her to look after it. Her name was embedded on it and it couldn't be erased. She squeezed my hand again a little, which sill resided under mine against my chest. She blushed a little as I let go of her hand. Her eyes lifted to the clock on the wall and I did also suddenly realising just how late it was.

'I have to go William..'she said standing up. I looked apologetically at her for keeping her so long, she must have been tired. I watched as she put on her coat and packed her supplies back into her medical bag. She turned to me, gently leaning over me and the scent of her perfume drifted over me again, she pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead, avoiding the cuts and bruises on my swollen lips. And with that she left.