They rushed to the hospital as a thousand thoughts ran through their minds. Tommy couldn't believe it, neither Corey. The latter was in the backyard when Tommy learned the news. Both of them quickly left the house and ran to the S.V Memorial. Jessica was in the waiting room when the two boys arrived. The latter went to her for the update. "Uncle Ben and Maria are with him right now. The doctor said that only the family could see him and not for long," Jessica said, she looked upset, "...because he has to rest." It was weird though. Shawn has been in the coma for such a long while and when he finally wakes up, he has to sleep again? Jessica found that stupid! But she didn't go back to her house, she wanted to know how Shawn was. Even if she couldn't go and talk to him personally. The three teenagers sat down and waited. They didn't say anything to each other, they were still under the shock. Shawn had been gone for so long. "Damn!" Jessica suddenly said loudly. Tommy asked what was wrong and she replied, "I forgot to call Taylor!" And she got up and headed to the phone cabin.

Corey sighed and put his hands on his face massaging it a little. His head was starting to ache. Tommy noticed it. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked with concern. Corey removed his hands from his visage and looked back at Tommy, he shook his head lightly. "We'll get to see him soon, I'm sure!" Tommy said to cheer up the french boy. But that wasn't the reason why Corey's head was aching.

Jessica sat back in one of the waiting room's chairs and sighed. Her eyes were watery. "He screamed on the phone," she said out of the blue. Tommy and Corey looked at her, expecting more. "Taylor. He screamed of joy when I told him Shawn woke up. He said he will be here in a few seconds and that he can't wait to..." She paused for a second as she quickly glanced at Corey, "that he can't wait to kiss Shawn good-morning." Both Tommy and Corey smiled a bit. Yes, even Corey. It surprised Jessica a bit but didn't really bother. "They are taking all their time it seems," Jessica commented but did understand though. She would have been the same if she was in their place. But still, she couldn't wait to hug Shawn and tell him how much she missed him. A little smile appeared on her face at that thought. She wasn't the only one to have such thoughts though. Tommy imagined quite the same thing, he would give his cousin a huge huge hug and then a big slug in the arm for scaring everyone like that. Whereas Corey thought about Shawn's laugh, his eyes, his sweet and melodious voice. Corey couldn't wait to take Shawn in his arms, kiss him tenderly and tell him how much he loved him, how much he missed him and how much he wanted Shawn to...

Ben and Maria finally came back from Shawn's room. They were both smiling widely, specially Maria who cried so many nights at the thought of losing her brother. Jessica, Tommy and Corey immediately stood up. Ben gave his son a hug, he was so happy and Maria gave Jessica one. Corey stood still and waited. He did feel a bit uncomfortable though. "Did you see him???" Taylor asked loudly from behind Corey. Maria said she did see him and that he was at the top of his form. Taylor smiled, "Can I go and see him?"

Maria lowered her eyes a little for a semi-second and then replied, "I'm sorry Tay, but..." She paused and looked at Corey, "...he wants to see Corey first." Taylor's smile almost faded and he didn't say anything. Corey widened his eyes a bit, surprised. Maria laughed a bit, "Well? What the hell are you waiting for?" Corey smiled back and then headed to Shawn's room. Taylor's eyes got teary and he turned back to leave. "Taylor, wait, you'll see him after," Maria said to keep Taylor there. But the latter didn't stop and went away saying that he would see Shawn another time. Maria sighed, she felt sorry for Taylor. But that feeling quickly went away when Tommy and Jessica asked for details.

There he was, standing infront of the room 103. Inside, Shawn Rulin was. He's the one and only boy Corey ever loved. The only one who made him laugh like never before, the only one who made everything interesting for Corey, the only one with whom he felt so complete. Corey's heart was beating faster and faster, tears were lying in his eyes. Then, after taking a long breath, he opened the door and entered. Shawn was there, lying on that bed, that bed he had been sleeping in for so much time. Corey's heartbeat went crazy when he saw Shawn looking back at him. Shawn's eyes, were they judging him? Corey was a bit scared but smiled weakly at the brown haired boy. Corey walked to the bed. A little moment of silence fell over. But then...Shawn broke a sweet smile.

"Hi..." Shawn said, his voice very weak and very soft. Corey replied a shy 'hi there!' which made Shawn smile a bit widely. "Why are you so tensed up?" Shawn demanded, coughing a little. Corey immediately asked the brown haired boy if he was okay and still with a smile Shawn answered, "I'm okay. I'm not made out of crystal. It's only a little coughing!" And he broke a silent laugh, coughing a bit.

"Y-Yeah...sorry..." Corey said back, lowering his eyes. Silence fell over again, Corey didn't know what to say. Shawn took the french boy's hand and squeezed it gently. Corey broke in tears. "Shawn, I'm so sorry! Please, please, forgive me! I didn't know that would happen!" Shawn looked back at Corey with eyes filled with confusion.

"What...what are you talking about?" Shawn asked as reply. "You didn't know...that would happen? I...I don't understand..." Corey suddenly regained his calm. But he was still scared though. "Corey? Tell me, what are you talking about?" Shawn demanded again.

Corey sighed deeply as some tears ran on his cheeks, "It was my fault. I should have been quicker...I should have been able to do something you fell unconscious...maybe if I had called the ambulance more rapidly or if I did more to make your heart beat again...I'm...I'm so sorry..." Corey's explanation made Shawn crack his smile again and he took the french boy's hand again and held it tight.

Meanwhile, in the waiting room, Maria beamed of happiness. "I'm so high right now. Awww! He was so cute back there! I gave him a little slap on the nose though for making his sister cry like that! Hehehehe!" Maria's laugh was contagious. Jessica, Tommy and Ben were laughing with her. "It's amazing though, for him, he fell unconscious yesterday. It's like if he just woke up after a good night's sleep. It's going to be weird for him to catch up with everything that happened during his absence. No?" Maria couldn't stop. She was way too happy.

"Yeah. But he'll be a little bit upset though," Tommy said with a smile decorating his face. Everyone looked back at him, wondering what he was talking about. Tommy laughed, "Britney is having a rough time. With Shakira and that N'Sync loser. Shawn will be very upset!" Everyone broke into a big laughter. Maria had tears coming to her eyes.

Corey walked in the waiting room a few minutes later. Everyone stood up and approached him. Tommy and Jessica asked how Shawn was, what he said, and so on. "We talked a bit and then, as he felt a bit tired, he closed his eyes and fell asleep," Corey explained, smiling.

"I guess that's normal. We'll come back tomorrow to visit him. All right everyone?" Ben said, smiling too. He was so happy that his son was out of danger. Everybody agreed and they split up after trading good nights and good byes. Jessica and Maria went back together. Ben and Tommy did the same and Corey walked back to his house on his own. Tommy wanted to give him a lift, but the french boy refused. He wanted to walk. Tommy understood and after a big friendly hug, they went separate ways.

Waiting for so long, what a torture that was. Taylor walked back and forth in the park. He was waiting and it was annoying him. Shawn was awake but Taylor couldn't talk to him. The doctor didn't allow it. But allowing Corey was not difficult or dangerous for Shawn. And why did the latter ask to see that french blond dumbass first? Oh yeah... Corey's his boyfriend. Taylor was thinking and realizing that Corey was the first person Shawn wanted to see...and it made his heart ache. But Taylor didn't mind. He only wanted to see Shawn's smile again, that's all. So he decided to go and see that smile. How? Simply by waiting late at night and then sneak in Shawn's hospital room. Easy said, easy done. Though at one point, Taylor thought the guardian nurse saw him but she didn't care to check. It was fortunate for Taylor though.

When he entered Shawn's room, Taylor's heart nearly stopped. Not that he was shocked or anything but...all the sweet memories he had with his brown haired angel suddenly came back to him. Tears came to his eyes too. He realized he had lost Shawn's love. The latter was sleeping so peacefully. His breath was slow and soft, he seemed so fragile to Taylor's eyes. He approached Shawn and stared at him for a little moment. Then with a mischevious smile he went at the end of the bed and lifted the bed sheet a little bit, and with a finger he gently scratched Shawn's bare sole. The latter, almost immediately, woke up. Taylor laughed a little.

"Taylor?..." Shawn asked, his voice a bit hazy. Taylor smiled and walked over to give him a big kiss on the lips. "What was that for?" Shawn asked, smiling back. Taylor sighed as a tear fell from his eye, he gave Shawn a huge and tight hug. "Aw, I missed you too!" Shawn said with warmth and tenderness.

"Don't you do that again! Hear me?" Taylor said in a scolding type of tone but immediately after, he gave Shawn another big kiss on the lips. "You silly dolphin!" He added with a little laugh. Shawn laughed back and they hugged once more. "So, did you meet some angels or the big boss himself?"

"I don't know, really," replied the brown haired boy as he sat up. Taylor climbed on the bed and sat down, facing Shawn.

"What do you mean? You didn't know if it was God or...the demon!" Taylor asked with a 'devilish' tone. The two boys broke out a laugh but quickly regained their calm as they remembered they were in a hospital.

"No, seriously...it was like a dream. A very strange dream. Everyone I knew...or almost everyone I knew was in it. It was weird. Some of the people weren't what I...what they're usually...you know what I mean?" Shawn was confused himself so he knew Taylor wouldn't really understand.

"Yeah, I know. I've been in the coma too, don't forget." Taylor smiled. Shawn apologized. "No, it's okay. I mean, it seems so far away now."

"Yeah, I stole your spotlight, eh?" Shawn said with a giggle. Taylor gave him a mini poke in the stomach. "Don't you dare! I just woke up from a long coma!" Shawn said as a protection. It made Taylor crack a smile. Shawn knew that smile so he decided it was time to change the subject to something 'serious'. "So...you've been in a dream too? Tell me about it."

Taylor closed his eyes and sighed, his smile never fading. "You're always using the same techniques to get out of a good ol' tickling torture, huh?" He poked Shawn again in the stomach. Then a silence fell over. But it was a soft silence. "I was in a dream that seemed so real. It was more like a voyage in my memories though. Most of them..." Taylor paused for a second. "Most of them were those I had with you. I even re-vived the moment we first met. It was amazing."

Shawn looked at Taylor in his eyes, "Why didn't you tell me that?" Something that important, how could Taylor not share it with him? Taylor lowered his eyes. His heart ache was coming back at full force.

"You were with him," Taylor answered, almost above a whisper. Silence fell over. A tensed silence this time.

"You mean...Corey?"

Taylor's eyes started to be filled with tears. "Yeah...him..." He said, his voice breaking a bit. Shawn felt a big lump in his throat, he took Taylor's hands and held them in his. "Sorry. Didn't mean to get all teary like that. It's just that...you know...you and him it..."

Then Shawn gave Taylor a kiss. A kiss made of love.

Written by Cloud Angel
Copyright © 2002 by Cloud Angel,
All rights reserved