"Esther are you ready yet? They're expecting us you know!" "I'll be right down Bry, just finishing up!" Bryan went back downstairs to get the clothes he needed for the rehearsal. He was wondering what took her so long to get ready. She usually didn't make such a big fuss to go to the rehearsals.

"Well, what do you think?" Bryan turned round and saw her coming of the stairs, wearing a new shirt and her new baggy pants. "Wow, is that all in the honour of our Kian? You look GREAT!" She smiled, a shy smile. "I just wanted to surprise him." He walked round her to get a better look. "He'll be surprised alright. When he sees you in this he'll probably want to do some very naughty things with ya!" Esther punched him on his arm. "Bad boy! Is that really all you can think about?" He looked surprised. "What? Do you think about other things?" She tried to come up with a good answer when the phone rang. "Let me just get that and then we're off okay?" She just nodded.

"McFadden here... Oh hi Nicky, we were just on our way to..." Esther saw his face turning very serious. She wondered what was wrong. "We'll be right there!" Bryan practically threw the phone away before rushing out to the car. Esther just had the time to jump in the car before he pulled off the driveway. "Bryan, what's happening? Where..." "Just let me concentrate on driving now!" She decided it would be the best thing to do.

Meanwhile she wondered where they were going. They were definitely not on their way to rehearsals... After 5 minutes or so they pulled up on the parking of the General Hospital Dublin. "Bryan...why are we here? What's going on? Who..." she couldn't ask any further before Bryan rushed her out of the car and into the clinic. Esther started to feel a panic rise within her. Inside, Nicky was already waiting for them. "Thank God you could get here so fast. Come on, follow me!" They ran down the hall, up the stairs, down another hall... Esther felt as if she was dreaming, as if this wasn't really happening. Nicky stopped at one of the doors. Him and Bryan both turned to look at her. "Will one of you two PLEASE tell me what's going on?" Nicky opened the door. "See for yourself, I can't..." He looked away from her.

She went in and saw a bed. But who..."KIAN!!!!" She didn't know if she had really screamed or if the scream had been inside her head. "Kian, Oh no, please don't do this IT ISN'T FUNNY!! Don't..." She started to cry. Nicky and Bryan both walked up to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Nicky, how did this happen?" He walked towards the window, avoiding to look at her or Kian.

"I don't know exactly... I only noticed there was something wrong when I saw that he wasn't following me anymore. I rode back and saw him lying on the ground. I guess a car must have hit him while he was crossing the road." Esther started crying harder now. "Nooh..." Bryan took her in his arms, trying to give her some comfort.

After a silence, he asked the question Esther couldn't. "What's wrong with him, is it very bad?" Nicky sighed and paused before speaking. "He... the doctor said he couldn't... that there's no hope..." "No hope... but he's alive now isn't he?" a look on the heart monitor told him he was. "It's just a matter of time now..." Esther turned her face, away from Nicky. "No please, not Kian, not Kian..."

She walked up to the bed and looked at him. She couldn't and wouldn't believe it. His face looked exactly the same as when he left. She touched his hand. It was so warm... After a while she got up on the bed and laid down beside him. She held him as tight as she could and finally let her fear out.

"I can't watch this... I..." Bryan ran out on the hall. Nicky went up to the bed and put Kian’s arm around her, so that they were holding each other. Then he left the room, giving her the chance to say goodbye. "Nicky!" "Yeah?" She hesitated before asking. "Do you think he... would he..." Nicky tried to smile at her. "I'm sure he knows you're here..." Then he closed the door, leaving them alone...

Esther didn't know how long she was in there. She just held Kian, saying prayers and hoping. A loud ringing sound woke her from her memories. Confused, she looked round and saw it was the heart monitor that showed Kian’s heartbeat. Until a second ago it had shown a steady rhythm. Now, as she saw through her tears, all it showed was a flat line...