James's fall knocked the wind out of him. He quickly got up, clutching his injured arm and saw Logan lying on the asphalt in front of a car.

"LOGAN!" he screamed, scrambling to his side. He crumbled next to his fiancé and picked him up into his arms. "Logan? Logan?"

The driver of the sedan got out of the car, holding her hands to her face. "Oh God, is he, oh God, I didn't even…"

James looked at her with fire in his eyes. "SHUT UP AND CALL AN AMBULANCE!" he screamed, crying. "Logan…Logan! Don't! Don't leave me!" He held Logan close to his chest, cupping his face in his hand. He was breathing but unresponsive. James's tears plopped down onto Logan's face. He didn't even want to see where Logan was hurt.

The sirens grew louder and louder until an ambulance approached. James held onto Logan's hand as they put him on the gurney and took him away. It felt like an impossibly long journey to the hospital and Logan stayed out of it the entire time.

"Stay here," James whispered. "Stay with me."

One of the EMTs saw the engagement ring on Logan's hand, which James was holding and touching gently. "Are you married?" she asked.

"Almost." James smiled. "We will be in March."

"That's sweet. You know I can't diagnose, but his external damage seems very minimal."

James looked at Logan's face and sighed. There was a scrape on his temple but that was all he could see. He held his hand until they got to the hospital and was forced to wait alone.

"He's stable," the nurse said to James after Logan had been moved to his own room. "But still unconscious. We don't know when he'll come to. It's hard to tell exactly what's going on this early."

"Can I see him?"

"Sure. Just in here."

James followed her into the small room. Logan was hooked up to a few tubes and things, lying on the bed, still looking fast asleep. There was a bandage on his temple now, but he looked alright other than that. James's heart dropped when he saw him.

"I just want him to be alright," he said softly.

"We do, too," replied the nurse.

James stepped over to the bedside and took Logan's hand again. There was little feeling in it. He held the fingers and squeezed just gently.

"The worst part," James said, tearing up now. "Is how this was his greatest fear. He lived indoors for years, terrified that if he left, there would be another accident. It's…"

"Sorry," the nurse said. "It just happens sometimes. You can stay as long as you'd like, alright?"

"Thank you."

She spread the curtain around the bed shut and then the door closed. James turned back to Logan and stared at him for some time. "Don't die on me," he whispered. "I can't go on without you. I need you in my life."

Just the heart monitor beeped. The room had that stale odor of hospital mixed with fear.

"How did you know?" James spoke. "How did you know that car was going to hit me? How did you manage to save me…how did you manage to save Kendall's life, and my life? How does this happen?"

He looked on as Logan's chest rose and sank with his very slow breathing. Nothing else moved; he was very far away. James still wondered if he could at least hear him, whether or not he responded.

"If I hadn't pressured you into leaving your apartment," he then whispered to his unconscious lover. "This never would have happened….it should have been me."


James fell asleep in the chair, holding onto Logan's hand still. He was awakened in the morning by a doctor. "We need to run a few more brain scans, so we'll be taking Mr. Mitchell out of here," he explained to James.

"Oh, okay. When will you be done?"

"A few hours' time I guess. Would probably be a good chance for you to get home and relax a little while, alright?"

"Sounds fair."

James didn't want to leave, but there were definitely things he had to get done. First he went by a Verizon store and got a new phone, since his had broken during the accident. It was the least of his worries at this point, but it was crucial that he be accessible. He had already called out of work and school so that was a non-issue. He went home to see how Kendall and Carlos were.

"How is he?" Kendall asked as soon as James came home.

"Unresponsive."

"Ohhh," the two boys sighed at the same time.

James looked tired, worn out, frazzled and stressed as one could imagine. Regardless, he looked at his roommates and tried to smile. "Happy for you guys, though."

"Yeah well," Kendall said. They both picked up their left hands and showed him the matching silver bands. "We decided it was stupid to beat around the bush and just got hitched."

"And come March, we'll all be married," James said with a sad smile. He walked off to his bedroom and packed a few things into a bag. When he came out, Kendall and Carlos were still on the sofa in the same position, looking back at him.

"I gotta get back over there," said James.

"Really? The whole time?" Carlos asked.

"Yeah. I have to. See ya later."

He left then and ran down to his car. Of course they wouldn't be done with their tests by then, but James had to be there as much as possible incase Logan came out of his unconsciousness. He didn't want him to feel alone at any point. So when he got there he immediately went to Logan's empty room and waited.

"Still no change," the doctor said as he brought his patient back. James looked on with sadness. "Appears to be a low-grade coma. I except him to wake up soon, but nothing is certain. Are you his brother?"

"Fiance."

"Ahhhh. I'm sorry you have to deal with this."

"It's alright," James said softly.

"If you need anything, just ring for the nurse." The doctor smiled and left the room. James looked back at Logan and sighed. He couldn't help but feel guilty. If he hadn't accepted the initial job of taking care of him, none of this would have happened. It didn't do any good to pass blame though.

He reached into the bag he had brought and took out that stuffed polar bear that Logan loved so much. He placed it between the blind boy's arms and shaped him to hold it up, then James touched his cheek softly. Logan looked peaceful; his breathing was steady and his eyes didn't rattle.

James sat there doing nothing for about an hour. He was happy just watching his fiancé, hoping that perhaps he could sense his presence beside him. Soon though, his thoughts began to whirl up and he had to get some air. He walked out of the room and tread down the hospital hallway. As he approached the elevator, a door closing on the corner caught his attention. It had a sign that read, "PRAYER ROOM." It had been ages since James went to temple, but he thought maybe now was a good time to catch up. Careful not to disturb anyone, he quietly opened the door and stepped in. There were a few short rows of pews and an altar of Jesus Christ at the front. Two stained-glass windows ran along the side, letting in a bit of colorful light. There was just one older woman sitting in the room, and she looked oddly familiar. James walked alongside her. She was bent over a rosary in her hands, looking down.

"Holly?" James asked. Yes, that's who it was. Logan's old neighbor. She perked up and caught James's eyes right away.

"The boy from the apartment next door," she said quietly. "I wouldn't expect to find you here."

"How are you?" James asked.

"Oh, it's my husband you know," Holly went on to explain. "Another dastardly round of APHIB and he's back here. Oh, my. He certainly has had his share of heart trouble, that is for sure."

"Sorry to hear that."

"It's alright, dear. How is your boy?"

"He's…" James swallowed hard. Maybe it was something about the silent beauty of the altar room, but he started to cry. "He's in a coma."

"A coma? How so?" Holly put her thin hand on James's arm and touched him lightly.

"He was hit by a car."

"Ohh my," the woman gasped. "I'm so sorry."

"I feel like it's my fault," James sobbed.

"Why would you say such a thing?"

"I was the one who wanted him to leave the apartment. I encouraged him to get out. I worked with him to fight his fears. But in the end, the thing that scared him the most somehow happened again.

"Holly, he knew a car was going to hit us, somehow, and he pushed me out of the way. Even being blind, he managed to save my life."

"Ahhh," Holly sighed. A smile stretched across her old face. "Then Mrs. Rumple was right."

"Who's that?" James asked, sniffing.

"The woman who lived right next to him, on the other side. When Logan moved in, Mrs. Rumple said to me, 'There's a little angel living next door. Doubt you'll see him, though. Angel's need to save their energy.'"

James let more tears roll down his face. It was true. Logan was a little angel. Everything about him was amazing and incredible, as if he was here for a higher reason. Holly gave the young man a hug and patted him on the back. James did not resist. It was very welcome.

"God has funny ways of working out," she said. "This sort of puzzle is like a test of true love. I should know, as my husband and I have both been through this many a time. If you can stay by him and carry him through, it is the ultimate proof that you love him."

James slipped his arms off of the woman and sat down onto the pew. He wiped his eyes with his hands and sniffed loudly a few times.

"You're right," he said. But once he looked up to see Holly again, she was gone. "Wait!" he called out instinctively. He jumped to his feet and darted out of the prayer room quickly. He looked down the hospital corridors both ways but couldn't find her. Damn, he thought. Can't be helped, I guess.

He shrugged it off and decided to go back to Logan's room. The nurse was in there, checking his vitals.

"How is he?" James asked.

"A little more responsive," she said. James's face perked up. "But still more or less the same."

"Oh, okay."

The nurse packed up and left James alone with his fiancé one more. He plopped down on the chair beside him and took his hand. He touched the engagement ring and began to daydream about the wedding. He saw it as a great big event, full of his extended family and friends. Something local, maybe. But then reality set in once more and he gazed at Logan sadly.

"Please wake up," James whispered. He rested his head down on the thin mattress and nuzzled against Logan's arm. "Please, please wake up," he said once more before a hazy, nappy sleep overtook him.