The double doors were flung open, the gurney being sped through by the frantic nurses; their feet slamming off the linoleum floors as they ran through. Voices flew back and forth as the Paramedic’s explained the patients status’. A few of the other people in the corridors and waiting room looked over to see what the fuss was about but their faces drained of color when they saw the badge. A bloodstained rag was pressed against his chest (his shirt having been cut off in the ambulance to allow the EMT’s access to his wounds. He was pushed into the CC unit, an IV being injected into his hand as the bloody compress’ were thrown to the floor with a sickening squelch. Voices echoed from the reception area, they were what forced Justin to keep his eyes open. They doctors were having difficulty seeing the damage on the boys chest due to the fact he had to lie on his side to stop from aggravating the burns across his back. A nurse who recognized him from the bashing entered with his file, “Justin Taylor, 19 years old. He’s with the Las Vegas PD and the Pittsburgh PD; CSI level 3”, her voice sounded distant to the injured blond as his blurry vision tried to pinpoint her. She helped by stepping in front of Justin’s eyes as she continued, “Third degree burns to the skin of his back, several deep lacerations to various other parts of his body and, God, is that…a fork!?” she gagged, her eyes resting on the boys leg before looking away, “Broken wrist and two cracked ribs; probably from impact with something”. A pained scream escaped Justin’s lips as they rolled him onto his back, his burns rubbing against the course material of the bed as he writhed, no doubt making it worse. The pain was unbearable, he decided then and there he wanted to die. Just to make it end. The scream he’d given had echoed down the corridor, meeting Brian’s ears as his head snapped up to look in the direction it had come from. His eyes wild, he pushed his way through other people waiting to the window which looked into the CCU, his eyes resting on Justin. A doctor blocked his view of his blond but, thankfully, moved just before Brian had a panic attack. He refused to ever let the boy out his sight again. If he survived that is. His feet carried him to one of the uncomfortable orange chairs and, well, he couldn’t help but think he’d been in this exact same position before. Staring in the exact same window. Only this time, there was a lot more blood, Justin was awake and he was covered in ash and grime. ~~~~~~ Inside the room, the doctor’s were having a hard time trying to keep the boy stable. They’d managed to staunch the bleeding but his blood pressure had dropped critically. The consultant, who’d come to aid had only just turned his back when he heard the horrifying ‘beeeeeeep’ of the heart monitor, “God! Charging 360...CLEAR!” A sickening jolt sounded through the room as the nurses all looked on in a mixture of horror and anticipation. Many of them had been in this position with this boy not that long ago, only this time it was an explosion and not a bat to the head. Yes, they remembered this boy. “Again; charging 360. CLEAR!” The boys unconscious body shook but they managed to get a heartbeat, faint though it may have been, at least it was something. Now that he was stable and somewhat cleaner than he was previously, one by one the nurses and doctors started to file out slowly; throwing looks back at the boy. The consultant was last out and he turned to one of the senior doctors, “I want eyes on this boy at all times. The first 24 hours are the most important. I’ve almost lost him once in his life, I’m not losing him again”, he whispered, glancing sideways at Brian who was staring into space. Sighing, the man approached him, “Mr Kinney? I’m Doctor Alan Scott, I was the consultant who worked with Justin the last time he was in. I must urge you go home and rest, there is nothing you can do for Officer Taylor for the next day or so. I promise I will call you if anything changes; I still have your number” Brian shook his head frantically, “I…I should be here, in case he wakes up, you know?” Dr Scott sighed, “Mr Kinney…”, “Brian”, was the interruption, so Alan tried again, “Brian, Officer Taylor…” “Justin”, came another one causing Alan to grumble, “If you’d kindly let me finish! Thank you. Offic…Justin has lost a shocking amount of blood and he’s already flat lined. In all honesty, I do not see him waking up any time soon…” Brian nodded, “Still, I’d feel better knowing I was here in case something happened to him”, he whispered, almost dejectedly. Alan nodded, “Well, I’ll have a comfortable chair put into Justin’s room; you can use the visitor’s showers down the hall and I’ll have a nurse bring some scrubs for you to wear. You can send your clothes to the hospital laundry”. Doctor Scott felt sorry for this man. He knew from experience what it was like to almost lose someone you cared for. But he couldn’t begin to imagine what Brian was going through. After all, barely a year ago, he’d watched this same boy being bashed. After Brian had showered and cleaned himself up, he looked somewhat of his old self again. A few of the male nurses tried to get his attention but his mind was in Room 374 with a certain blond teenager. Approaching the door, he saw Carl with two Officers, talking in low voices, “I want you two to stand outside the door and keep a look out. I have a feeling someone’s out to get Taylor. The only people allowed in are the medical staff and Brian Kinney over there”. Slipping into the room quietly, Brian’s eyes rested on his golden boy, hooked up to an IV and lain on his side so as not to rub the burns on his gown covered back. He dropped into the chair at Justin’s side and took one cut up hand in his own, blinking rapidly as if to stop tears from falling, “Hey Sunshine. You’re not having the best of years are you? Deb said you could smell the gas. Said you sent her out to protect her. I guess some things never change; always looking out for others before you…” He kissed the red raw skin of the boys wrist, “I’ve never asked anything of you before Justin. Well, nothing that wouldn’t benefit you first. But please…I need you to get better. If you die I…I don’t know what I’d do…please Sunshine…” He rested his head on the bed beside the boys stomach, deciding there and then he’d be there when Justin woke up. “I…I love you…” It was so much easier to say it when he knew no-one heard him.