A/N: sorry for the EXTREMELY long wait! life got in the way of me working on this for an entire year, but recently i've been missing this story and have decided to return to it!

Finn sat with Leland in a hospital waiting room. The two men were quiet.

"Do you think I'm going to do well on this, Finn?" Leland asked, breaking the silence. Finn looked at him.

"Leland, it's a mental health evaluation. It's not about doing well, it's about determining where you are." Leland looked down. Finn took him by his good hand.

"Though, in my personal opinion, I believe they'll diagnose you with PTSD." Leland suddenly looked at him.

"Now, why would you bloody say something like that?" Finn looked back at him, staring him right in the eyes.

"You had a flashback a few weeks ago."

"That could be anything! There's so much wrong with me-"

"Leland, my father served in World War II. Do you remember me telling you that back in the day?" Finn knew Leland wouldn't accept his prediction, so perhaps it was better to move the conversation away a little. Leland nodded.

"You said he'd wake up late at night screaming. It would keep you up, you'd go to school with only a couple hours of sleep. He pulled a gun on you once during Bonfire Night. The fireworks set him off."

"But I'm not doing things like that. Or, am I? Am I having these symptoms and just forgetting?"

"You... You have been having nightmares, Leland." Leland jolted a little.

"Why didn't anyone tell me that?"

"We did. You forgot." Leland choked back tears, causing Finn to take him by the hand once more.

"Finn, I want to go home. I've been stuck in hospital for weeks. I think it's making me sicker. It's baltic in here. I'm so cold." This was a change from Leland's earlier ramblings about being stuck here for life. Now, he was itching to get out.

"You will go home soon. I'll take you home. You don't even have to live in London. I'll take you to Liverpool. I will move to Liverpool with you." Finn gripped Leland's hand tighter.

"Can you get Fritz to send over more things? Pamela had a few Smiths CDs I'd like. And a Joy Division one." Finn nodded.

"Anything you want, dear." Leland smiled slightly, his eyes closed. He sat like that until he was called in for the evaluation.

Finn knocked on Leland's room door. No reply.

"Leland." He called out. No answer.

"Leland!" Still no answer. He didn't want to barge in on Leland -he'd noticed if you answered unannounced or abruptly when Leland was alone, it would scare him. He sighed and entered anyway. Leland startled, gasping audibly. He had been changed out of the clothing he wore for the evaluation, but they hadn't made him put a gown back on. Rather, he wore a baggy gray t-shirt and a pair of black Kappa trackies that Finn had picked up from his house for him along with the outfit for the evaluation. He looked at Finn blankly for a second before registering that it was him, then his face grew angry.

"Why would you barge in here like that? I'm trying to get some rest." His voice sounded more tired than mad. Finn walked closer to him.

"I was worried about you. After the evaluation you refused to see me." Leland stared blankly before his face shifted to a look of recognition.

"Yeah, I remember now." Finn smiled gently at him, sitting down next to the bed.

"So how did it go? Did they tell you how it went?"

"I... I don't remember any of it." Finn raised his eyebrows at this.

"You forgot everything?"

"Yes. I forgot everything. What else would I mean by saying I don't remember anything?"

"I... I just... I just wanted to confirm-"

"Confirm what?! All you've confirmed is -you've confirmed to me that you think I'm slow. Just like the rest of them do. You think I can't make any bloody decisions for myself and when I talk I'm just babbling, so you have to ask me what I mean AFTER I said it completely clearly, not because you didn't understand but because you think that I don't understand what I'm saying."

"Leland, we're not wrong." Leland's face grew horrified.

"Oh! There we go! So much for your little act about being on me side here! All you people hate me. Can't stand me. You wanna take me home and care for me because you feel guilty, not because you're still in love."

"That's not true! I love you! I missed you so much! I miss you every time you have another episode! I just..."

"You just what? Fucking what? Say it."

"...I just don't have endless patience, Leland. I'm only human." Leland threw an empty water bottle at Finn. Finn saw red and threw it back at Leland, causing him to cry out. Leland covered his face and started crying, startled. Finn's face turned from anger to horror, and he rushed over to Leland, pulling him close.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have -I didn't mean to..." As he held Leland in his arms, he realized something. Leland had been right -Finn saw him as slow. He wasn't the same Leland, not just emotionally and intellectually, but mentally. This Leland was just a little... dumber.

Finn held Leland even tighter.

"I'm so sorry, Leland. I'm so sorry."

"I'm so sorry."