On Fire

Together

"I am not a good friend for you, Ant. I never was"

Ant was taken aback by this unexpected response Why can't he see what I see in him?

"What!! who said that? What all have you done for me Declan. You had always stood by me throughout my life, even when I had put both our lives and career in danger. What more could I ask for? Look what happened today Dec. If you weren't a good friend, you wouldn't have waited for me. You would have gone straight to lunch without me. What would have happened then pal? No one would have come to rescue me"

Dec flinched at that.
"Sorry .. But see, your love for me rescued me Decky"

Dec considers it for a moment and nodes from his neck.
"I missed you Ant.. at the wings.. all alone. I cant. I never can"

"Shh I know I know.. now stop this Declan.. You are worrying me"

Dec controls his sobs, wipe his face and looks at Ant . Ant could see the familiar affection and admiration in his friend's eyes. But a great part of them cried out for comfort.

Ant chuckled at the pouting face and pulled Declan back to his arms. Dec lied in his comfortable position at Ant's chest, head buried in his neck. Ant held him tight to his chest, rubbing his hair, neck and back all the while frowning at what could have happened if his luck had run out.

******

Outside the room, Jonathan and Stephen stood stunned at the revelations. Ali was explaining what she went through in the hospital
"And.. no one was sure Ant was going to make it safe. The gas was really poisonous. Some sort of mixture with NO2. It was fortunately not soluble in blood but it did affect the Oxygen content in his blood. He was diagnosed with ARDS ; Acute Respiratory Syndrom and was not even breathing through mechanic ventilation. They administered loads of drugs but his response to them was so minimal. There were a few seconds when we thought...when we thought he was gone.. a few seconds when we thought he had been slipped into..coma..a few seconds when we thought he may be prone to side effects like memory loss or... or..depression"

Ali started to sob at this point "We were outside not knowing what to do... How can I thank you both? If Declan had been here.. he would have taken it so hard.."

Stephen: "You are right. Thanks to Jonathan and Roy they thought of that"

Jonathan: "Once Roy briefed me the condition, I knew Dec shouldn't be there"

Roy: "But I did make a mistake by opening my mouth a while ago. Sorry"

Ali: "It's okay. You don't know how relieved I am to.. to see Ant safe.. if we had.. had lost.... "

Ali started sobbing openly and Jonathan put his arm around her, coaxing her "He didn't, Ali.. come on... you have to be strong for them"

Ali: "Past three days were mental. There is something I have to talk to you about. Especially to the producers"

Stephen: "Is it Samuel, Ali?"

Ali: "I don't doubt it"

Jonathan: "We will do something about it. Simon had already reported the incident"

Ali: "I know.. lets just ask Ant and Dec about it"

As they entered, they were taken aback by the image that they saw, completely different from what they had expected. Dec is now lying with his torso leaning back to the headboard while his hands played with Ant's hair, now buried on his chest, Ant's arms around the older man's hips.