"Daniel? Daniel....please wake up." A soft sob followed.

Warm hands held on to his own icy ones. "Dan, c'mon, we're here for you."

He opened his eyes carefully, squinting in discomfort as the light over him temporarily blinded his sight. "Uhhhhhhhhh...." As his vision cleared, he could make out he was in a hospital. Maddeningly white walls, white curtains, white furniture, white bed. Pure, clean white covering every inch of the room.

"Daniel!" His parents were holding each of his hands tightly, as if letting go would result in him flying away. His mother was crying with relief. His father had tears in his eyes. "You're awake! Oh, thank God!"

His brothers, Oliver and Jonathan were standing on each side of the bed, their tired faces flushed with happiness as they saw their youngest brother recovering. "You had quite an operation," Oliver informed him in a hushed tone. "Apparently, your stomach inside was ruptured. You were bleeding internally. The doctors had to stitch it up again but afterwards you didn't wake up. We were getting really worried about you, Dan."

John pecked him on the cheek. "We're just so glad you're okay now."

"So good to see you're up, Mr Jones!" exclaimed a deep voice from the doorway. A balding man with thick prescription glasses stood there smiling, holding a clipboard and a pen. From his stringly white uniform and demeanour, Daniel knew he was the doctor.

He walked up to him. "Hello Daniel. I'm Dr Brighton. How are you feeling now?"

Daniel struggled to get up but the pain was still there and made him lie back down again. He couldn't believe what was happening.

"Daniel, just relax," Chris fussed, as she settled him in once again.

He gave her a grateful smile then turned his attention on the good doctor. "Listen, was I really that critical?" he asked quietly. "I was feeling fine this morning."

Dr Brighton took off his glasses and looked down at him with his large, kindly eyes. "Ah, yes. If you had continued ignoring it, the bleeding would definitely worsen and you would be in a much more dangerous stage than you were just before. The operation was a success - we managed to fix the problem up quite nicely." He place his hand on his right shoulder. "You do realize you also had a rather large cut on your shoulder, don't you? Don't worry, we placed a fresh dressing on it as well. You're practically as good as new now, Daniel! I should expect you to make a full recovery after a week's rest."

Daniel sighed and nervously looked around at the expectant faces. He sensed they all already knew the whole story. "I gather you all already know what happened?"

Oliver turned to him, his face stony cold. "Yes," he hissed. "And I'll get him for decking you like that! Look at you, you're-"

"Oh no, please don't Oliver! He didn't mean this to happen, honestly-"

With his black eyes glinting furiously, he rested his hand on Daniel protectively. "But look at what he's done to you! He nearly split apart your insides and here you go saying it isn't he's fault! You're far too nice for you're own good, Daniel. I feel like hurting him really, really bad right now!"

"Oliver, I don't think that's a wise idea," came Chris' calm, collective voice. "He was in a very emotional state then. And he's as upset as we are over Dan as well. I think he's actually feeling a lot worse."

Darren. Daniel lay back against the stiff, white pillows, his vulnerable mind still spinning painfully. Where was Darren? Was he here? And what about that dream he just had? One hell of a dream alright. He quivered slightly. Did that dream mean anything? It seemed so real and.... surprisingly pleasant. Oooh I want you, I don't know if I need you, but oooh I'd die to find out.... No. No, no, no! This is madness! I cannot possibly fall in love with another man! But could he? He had feelings for Darren. He felt something different now between them. Was it possible he was falling precariously in deep already? In love?? Oh, for the love of heaven!

"Where's Darren? I have to see him."

"Dan, are you crazy?! You actually want to see your assailant? What are you going to do, have a nice little chat session?"

"Oliver, just let it go." Jonathan held on to his arm. "Getting into another fist fight with Darren won't do any good. He is terribly sorry about what he did."

His younger brother glared menacingly at him. "Sorry? Sorry's not enough! Why, Daniel could have died...!"

"Oliver, Oliver, please," Chris's strained voice cut through. She pushed her hands up to her temples and shut her eyes for a minute. "I don't want to see any more of you in this hospital." she added cautiously. That seemed to quieten Oliver down. He muttered something under his breath then stormed outside.

Nobody said anything for a long time. Dr Brighton finished checking Daniel and excused himself, reminding him if he needed anything, just press the emergency red button which was right next to him. John thanked him then closed the door firmly behind him.

All eyes were on Daniel now. Chris took his hand again and stroked it lovingly only as a mother knew how. "Daniel," she said, trying to meet his gaze. "What really did happen last night? Darren told us everything, of course, but he was too upset to go on with the details. Tell us your side of the story."

"You did do him pretty hard too, bro," remarked Jonathon suddenly. "He's got a quite an ugly bruise on his neck."

"Is he alright?" Daniel asked, immediately concerned.

He motioned him not to worry. "He's fine. Just got bandaged up, that's all."

For the next fifteen minutes or so, Daniel proceeded to tell his part in the incident. Of course, he didn't mention his near kissing experience with Darren, for that would have been explosive. "And that's it," he finally concluded. "I don't know what came over both of us, but there we were, trying to smash each other's brains out." He paused, then asked: "So where is he, anyway?"

"We sent him home a few hours ago. He spent the entire night in the waiting room outside, and didn't sleep a wink. He looked like zombie, so we convinced him to go home and rest."

"The entire night?! So just how long have I been here?"

"Well, it's ten past eleven now. I guess just a little over twenty-four hours."

"Twenty-four hours!" Daniel repeated, amazed. He couldn't believe he'd been unconcious for a whole day.

"Yes, and that's why you scared us shitless when you wouldn't wake up! All that doesn't matter now, just get some rest and you'll be out of here very soon."

They talked for a while, then they left, promising to return later on. Daniel kissed his family good-bye and then they were gone. A nurse walked in and placed his lunch tray front of him.

"This is edible?" he asked, staring at the grey goo in a disgusting yellow bowl. Typical hospital food.

The young nurse smiled cheerfully at him as she helped him to sit up comfortably in his bed. "You're not allowed to eat solids for the next forty-eight hours," she said in a high, sing-song voice. "Doctor's orders. Your stomach's still not completely healed. So it's just liquids now to sustain you."

"I'm not hungry," he mumbled. Indeed, the sight of the soup or whatever it was in front of him, was sickening him. "How about some normal chicken soup please, instead of this!"

She just smiled. "Mr Jones, that is chicken soup. Don't worry, it doesn't taste as bad as it looks!" And she placed a napkin over his white gown so it wouldn't get dirty.

Seconds after she'd gone, another being stood quietly in the doorway. It took Daniel a while to sense someone else was there, watching him. He looked up.

Michelle.

She was wearing that simple white shift dress he'd bought for her as birthday gift just two months ago. He loved seeing here wear that dress, it showed off her womanly curves perfectly. "My little angel," he had whispered to her when she first wore it, for she did look very angelic indeed. Her long blond locks and large blue eyes made her look so pure and immaculate. And he had loved it. He loved her.

But as he sat there looking at her, that feeling came back to him, the one he experienced yesterday before he fainted. And this time, he realized what it was. It was the cold feeling of detachment, something he could not describe fully. He didn't even understand it himself. What is wrong with me? he wondered frantically. Why am I all of a sudden like this?!

Even when she came and sat down next to him on the bed, gently cradling his hand, the feeling still wouldn't go away. He didn't like the iciness, the separation at all. He turned his head slightly to get a better look of her. Sweet, sweet Michelle. So loving, yet it wasn't her love he wanted. He wanted Darren's hand in his, Darren's kisses all over his face and finally Darren's love. Yes, that was what he really, really wanted in this life.

"Feeling better?" she whispered in his hair as she slowly wrapped her white arms around him. He didn't answer and she felt him stiffen in her embrace. She kissed him, but he didn't return the kiss. His eyes just stared distantly ahead.

"Daniel, what on earth is the matter?" She stood up now, the hurt and confusion on her face ruining her saintly looks.

Tell her. Tell her it's over. But for what reason? Things had been perfect between them. It was absurd to even comtemplate such a thing. And I do still love her, he thought. Do I....? It was true, he still loved her - but he wasn't in love with her anymore.

"Daniel," she came closer to him, her voice getting higher and higher. "Daniel, speak to me!" Her eyes were now flashing with anger.

He could hear his voice quavering slightly as he spoke, but he didn't care. "Michelle, could you please leave now? I'm...I'm feeling very tired." So meaningless, so absolutely monotonous-sounding his speech was. But nothing really mattered now. The pain would still hurt him, and he knew it definitely would, but he didn't care. Let me be wounded and injured inside and out. I deserve it. Yes, I really do.

Michelle gaped at him for a few seconds before finally reaching her senses. Her owl-like eyes seem to pop out of her small head. "Daniel, what-what are you saying? You want me to leave you?! I'm your soon-to-be-wife! Your fiance! What the hell's gotten into you?!"