“Hey Doc, I was wondering do people in coma’s dream?” asked a curious Jack Barakat to the helpful doctor as he changed the dressing on Alex’s head.

Alex had been in a coma after a car accident for six weeks now and that question had been burning on Jack’s mind for two of them.

“Yeah, they do Jack. Most of the time anyway, depending on the seriousness of the coma. Since Alex has been responding with movement and drifting from consciousness he is most likely dreaming. Why the sudden interest Jack?”

“Well I was hoping if he is dreaming and if he is dreaming of me or of our friends and stuff maybe he remembers everything. Maybe he won’t lose eight years.” answered Jack with a happy hopeful expression on his face. The smile on the doctor’s face fell after Jack had said that.

“I’m afraid it’s not that simple. Yes, Alex could be dreaming of the last time you two had dinner together, he could be thinking of the last phone call he had with his father or he could even be remembering the first kiss he shared with you. But unfortunately, it’s just a dream, that doesn’t mean he will wake up and remember those moments, he is just reliving them in his head. I know that’s not what you want to hear Jack but it’s the truth. Now he might not lose eight years, that’s just the maximum. He could lose a week, possibly even a day. But we won’t know until he wakes up. I can’t guarantee anything Jack, I’m sorry”

Pain set in his deep brown eyes, tears began to sting them too.

Jack was trying his absolute hardest to not fall apart everyday as he watched the love of his life strapped up to various machines, most of which Jack had never knew even existed and every time something beeped Jack’s heart would sink. Was something bad happening?

Thankfully nothing ever did. But Jack was preparing himself for the worst. Despite all the time and effort he spent attempting to keep Alex remembering Jack couldn’t help but hold on to the fear that Alex would take a turn for the worst.

Though right now as Alex was comatose and wired to different machines, Jack couldn’t see how, other than death, it could get any worse.

“Jack honey?” the soft comforting voice of Isobel Gaskarth, Jack turned to the mother of his boyfriend and gave her weak smile. “Why don’t you go home for a while and get some rest, you look so tired. You’ve spent everyday in this room with Alex.”

“But Mrs. Gaskarth” As much as she wanted him too Jack never got into the habit of calling her by her first name. “What if something happens with him? I want to be here just in case”

“If anything does happen we’ll contact you straight away but honestly you need to sleep in a real bed instead of the uncomfortable plastic hospital chairs. You only live fifteen minutes away so you wont miss much.” she replied with a tone of hopefulness in her voice, she really cared for this boy and his health and right now sleeping across chairs in a hospital waiting room for six weeks was not healthy.

“Fifteen minutes could be the different between Alex remembering me as Jack, his weird lanky friend who likes to flash his nipples at strangers in cars or Jack, his weird lanky boyfriend who likes to flash his nipples at strangers in cars.”
Isobel couldn’t help but laugh at Jack’s last sentence.

Nothing surprised her anymore about that boy, nothing. She knew Jack was adamant on staying with Alex every minute of the day, so she didn’t push it any further.

Though he wasn’t religious Jack spent hours over the last six weeks praying for Alex’s recovery.

When he wasn’t singing Alex’s songs or watching movies, mostly Home Alone and occasionally The Fifth Element, he was praying. He wasn’t sure what exactly he was praying to but he prayed and prayed and prayed. Jack was desperate to get his Alex back. So two minutes after Isobel left the room Jack got down on his knees by Alex’s bedside and began his prayer.

“Hey God, Gods, Jesus, whoever’s listening. It’s me, Jack again. You’re probably sick of me by now. This being the sixth weeks of prayers, probably meaningless prayers, I can’t guarantee this will help in anyway. But yeah, if anything worse happens to Alex I don’t know how I will go on will with life. I like to think of us as a two in one deal. If he jumps, I jump. I love him more than I ever will love anyone else in this lifetime. I love him more than humanly possible. I love him….” Jack voice trailed off and became shaky as he uttered those last few words. He closed his eyes, lay his head down by Alex’s arm and began to sob.

“I love you too Jack.” a weak quiet almost whisper came from beside Jack. He lifted his head to see the voice was that of Alex Gaskarth.

“Oh my God, Alex. You’re awake again. Please stay awake this time Alex, please I need you.” Tears flowed down the cheeks of the younger boy as his lover’s eye shut tight once again.