*Mal's POV*

After my facetime with Evie, Jay and Carlos Ben, Belle and Adam are told by Doctor Cameron that the family room has been set up with beds so they can rest. However when they was suggested to Ben he stated that he didn't want to leave my side. I felt sorry for the three of them they had sat with me all day and nearly all night, even when I had slept. All three of them looked shattered, and just like me they needed their rest too.

"I don't want to leave you" Ben repeated sadly. I pursed my lips together before I weakly pointed at Ben before giving him a hand gesture for ok before putting up two fingers up before putting both of my hands at an angle hoping that he will understand what I am trying to say to him. "Me ok to sleep? Ben repeated which made me nod with a weak smile at him. "Mally" I cooed. "I don't think I will be able to, I'm so worried about you" he pressed and I nodded at this again but instantly regretted it as it made my dizziness worse. I then pointed to myself before doing the hand gesture for ok once more before I pointed back at me. "Mal you are on oxygen" he reminded me and I nodded again. I couldn't help but note how tired that he looked and I really didn't want him to run himself down. So with this in mind I gestured to him again that I was okay again, and I watched as he opened his mouth but I quickly gestured 'you ok to sleep again' and I watched as he chuckled at me. "You are such a stubborn dragon" he chuckled further, so I winked at him before I pointed at him. "Let me guess-" he started to tease. "I'm a stubborn Beast" he laughed, and I couldn't help but feel playful. So I nodded and put my thumb up again and I watched as Ben, Belle and Adam all laughed at this.

"How about this?" Belle started to suggest. "We all take it in turns to sit with her" she added. "You go and get some sleep and I'll stay, then I'll swap with your father when you come back in" she stated.

"Are you sure?" Ben questioned, and I could tell that he was still nervous about leaving me.

"Of course" Belle smiled. "You know we see Mal like a daughter" she added warmly. "She will never be left alone Ben" she promised and I watched as they both shared a glance for a few seconds before Ben nodded slightly at this.

"Thanks mother" he advised, and I watched as he turned and looked over to me. "Mal, I'm going to go for a nap" he explained, which made me give him a thumbs up. "You be on your best behaviour" he teasingly warned me, which made me point to him before I stuck two fingers up at him. "I can only try" he chuckled, and I rolled my eyes playfully at this. "I love you Mally" he chuckled further as he stands up and rests his right hand against the glass. I smiled warmly at him as I repeated my actions of signing to him 'you too'. I then watched as he meekly smiled at me for a few seconds before he quickly turned and left the room, with a very tired looking Adam behind him.

After the door closed behind them I stared at the door and took in our current situation, I know there was a chance that I could catch Covid. However actually living through it was another thing, I felt so weak and every part of my body hurt. I felt sickly and dizziness and the level of fatigue I was currently going through was crippling me as all I wanted to do right now is sleep. My breathing was also both unpredictable, painful and more effort than it normally was and this scared me. It scared me when I woke up and I couldn't breathe properly and it scared me even more when I passed out and I could hear Ben calling out to me and I couldn't answer. This virus was worse than I could ever believed, and I just hoped that I was going to be able to recover in a timely manner but the way I currently was - I wasn't going to hold my breath.

"Everything is going to be ok Mal" I heard Belle say, which broke me out of my train of thought as I looked over to her. I then saw her pull her chair closer to the glass and she looked back over to me. I nodded at her and I saw her trademark smile spread across her tired face. "You sleep my perfect daughter" she added lovingly. "You need your rest too" she finished with a smile. I then meekly nodded again as I started to feel my eyes started to roll into sleep. However as I started to give myself over to sleep I couldn't help but think about my husband and how much I love him. It broke my heart to see him in pain at the fact that we couldn't be together, of course we both understood why we couldn't but it didn't make it any easier. There was nothing more that I wanted in the Kingdom right now than to be in his arms right now, but me and Ben had to be patient and if this is what it takes then this is what it is going to take. Even though we both missed being closer to each other we both are going to do whatever it takes until that very moment when we are back in each other's arms. And I knew when that moment finally came we were never going to take another second together for granted - ever again!

When my eyes slowly opened as sleep began to evade her I couldn't help but note how tired and fatigued I felt, what was currently catching me off guard was the fact no matter how much sleep I had I was still so tired and fatigued. I groaned slightly as I readjusted in bed and when I heard someone say my name I couldn't stop a smile spread across my face. I slowly moved my eyes back to the isolation room next to my side room to see that Ben on his own, and he was sitting close to the glass smiling tiredly at me.

"There she is" he advised lovingly. "My beautiful wife" he added happily and I smiled meekly back at him. "Did I mention that I love you?" he continued with my favourite crooked smile spreading across his face. In response to this I pointed at his and stuck two fingers up at him again, this was another thing that I was currently missing right now. Being able to speak, however me attempting to speak right now wasn't worth the consequences. However before I could fixate on this I heard Ben's voice once more. "Lucifer help you when you get out of that room Mally" he winked at me, which made me pull one brow up at him. "I just want to hold you so bad" he advised, which made me nod before I gestured 'me too.

The room then fell into silence as we just enjoyed sitting in each other's company, yes it is very obvious that we were both longing to be physically in each other's company. But yet again this was going back to being patient, a virtue that was going to prove very difficult in the next coming days, maybe even weeks.