Over the next weeks Brian felt exhaustion creeping in. Most mornings he was at work by six, pouring over his accounts so that he could leave in the afternoon between four and five. He would then spend the evening helping Justin with his schoolwork and rehabilitation therapy. This was the cause of his physical exhaustion; his mental exhaustion came from the emotional roller coaster he and Justin were both on.

Day to day he never knew what he would find when he walked into the hospital room. Some days Justin would be in a good mood, smiling and laughing. Other days he would be a storm cloud. On those days Brian found the best strategy was to get Justin to take out his frustrations in his physical therapy.

Jennifer was also dealing with exhaustion. As a newly divorced mother of two, she had no idea how she was going to provide her son with the long-term care she feared he would need. She also had to juggle the needs of Justin's younger sister as well. To top things off she was worried sick over Justin's mood swings.

She had had a very stressful day when she walked into Justin's room to find Brian and him in a shouting match. She took a step back out into the hallway and observed their interactions.

"Come on, Justin. You can do better than that," Brian was saying. They were doing one of the exercises for Justin's leg. Brian was holding Justin's foot providing resistance as Justin tried to straighten out his knee.

"I can't," Justin shouted back at him. "I'm too tired."

"No, you're not, Come on, push."

Justin's skin had a sheen from the exertion. "I am," he shouted.

"Harder."

"I am."

"Pussy," Brian muttered and released Justin's foot, letting his leg lay out on the bed.

Justin sighed and laid his head back on the bed, closing his eyes. "Am not," he muttered, a slight smile gracing his face.

"Are to," Brian chided.

Justin chuckled. "Not."

Jennifer watched the exchange from the hallway. While she appreciated what Brian was trying to do, she hated to see him push Justin so hard. Was it really necessary to get him so worked up? She knew better than to say anything to Brian in front of Justin, who always rushed to defend him. She would have to wait until later.

"Hi sweetie," she said as she walked into the room. "Hello to you, too, Brian."

"Jennifer," Brian nodded. Justin's mother still made him feel like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar.

"Hi, Mom. What did you bring me?" Justin said sitting up and putting a smile on his face. He knew she was worrying over him; a fact that made him feel guilty so he tried his best to not let her see his bad moods.

Jennifer placed the bag she had in her hand up on the table. "Ta da," she said as she pulled out a box and placed it in Justin's lap.

"A portable DVD player? Wow, Mom, thanks," Justin said. "But can you afford this?"

Jennifer smiled, glad that Justin seemed to like her gift. "I'll have you know, I'm a very capable real estate agent. And besides that your grandparents sent a check and told me to buy you something you'd like. So I take it I did good?"

"Yeah. Did you bring me any DVDs?"

"No, I had no idea what you even watch anymore, so I'll let Brian handle that."

Brian chuckled. "I'll drop by the porn on my way to work tomorrow."

"Brian," Justin scolded, as his face grew red. "Thanks, Mom and tell Grandma and Grandpa thanks too," he said to his mother.

"I will and then when you're home they'll come visit and you can thank them yourself."

Later that night when Jennifer was at home she thought more about the various times she had walked in on Brian and Justin working on physical therapy. More times than not Brian seemed to be pushing Justin for more. She knew Brian had good intentions but she felt he expected too much from her son. She feared his motives were more out of guilt than love. Brian needed Justin to be whole again to relieve the tremendous remorse he carried. She would have to talk with him and explain that he shouldn't put the standards so high. They had to accept that Justin would never be the same.

It was a few days before she saw Brian again. She was walking from the hospital to her car, when she saw him come sauntering up the walk.

"How is he today?" Brian asked as he walked over to where Jennifer had stopped.

"He's trying to not let his mother know how much pain he's in."

"Pain?"

"You see it too, I'm sure you do."

Brian nodded, she meant emotional, not physical. "He's dealing with it all the best he can."

"You push him too hard." There, she had said it.

Brian's trademark smirk crossed his face. "He needs a coach to help him get his life back."

"He needs us to be patient and understanding."

Brian raised an eyebrow.

"I know you want to make him whole again; to fix what happened and relieve your guilt. But I think you're expecting too much and he is so afraid of letting you down. We need to help him face the fact that he may have to live with some disabilities."

She saw the anger flash for a moment in his eyes. She had said too much.

Brian bit his bottom lip and looked down as he softly kicked at the curb with the toe of his boot. "Maybe," he said softly, as if he were afraid to let his emotions loose. "Maybe he needs us to not sell him short. Justin's a fighter; you of all people should know that."

Jennifer nodded. "I know you mean well, Brian. I know you truly care about him. Just… think about what I said. Please."

Brian wet his lips and nodded. "Yeah."

When Brian walked into Justin's room the blond was pouring over a textbook. "Hey," Brian said.

"Hey," Justin mumbled.

"How's tricks?"

"Fine," Justin dismissed him without even looking up.

Brian sighed and sat down in the chair. "Miss Mary Sunshine, I see."

Justin rolled his eyes.

When Brian didn't respond any further, Justin glanced over at him. He was watching out the door at something going on in the hallway. Justin went back to his textbook.

Finally Brian spoke. "Do you want to do your therapy tonight, or do you want to study?"

Justin blinked. Brian never asked, never gave him a choice. Brian would come in, make a few minutes of small talk and then throw the blankets back from Justin's bed and announce it was time for therapy. "Um, I'm kinda tired actually."

Brian shrugged. "Okay. You want anything from the vending machine? I'm going to go get a soda."

"No, I'm good."

Brian walked out of the room and left Justin to ponder what had just happened. Was Brian going soft?"

The next day when Brian walked in, Justin was in a little better mood.

"Sorry about yesterday," he said.

Brian shrugged. "We've been through this before, Justin. I understand."

"But that still doesn't make it right to take it out on you."

"No, but I can take it. Are we doing therapy tonight?"

Justin nodded.

"Let's get started then."

They went through the various exercises that the therapist had given them.

After a half an hour Brian announced, "That's probably good for today."

Justin blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Let's start on your homework."

"Why are we stopping?" Justin's asked.

"We don't have to push it so hard everyday. Besides, we should work on your school assignments too."

Justin was puzzled but decided to let it slide.

But when the same thing happened the following night Justin knew something was up. "Brian? Did my doctor talk to you?"

"Hmm? Your doctor? About what?"

"I don't know, but did he?"

"No, Justin. I haven't even seen your doctor in weeks; and why would he talk to me instead of your mother?"

Justin shrugged. "So did my therapist or someone else?"

"No one said anything. What are you driving at?"

"This is as good as it's going to get, isn't it?"

"What?"

"My physical therapy, I'm as good as I'm going to get, right?"

"No. Why would you think that?" Brian was stunned.

"You've given up on me," he mumbled looking down at his hands.

"Justin," Brian said. Then when Justin didn't respond said, "Justin, look at me."

Justin raised his eyes.

"I haven't given up on you."

"Then why have you quit pushing me?"

Brian sighed and sat down on the bed. "Your mother asked me to scale it back a bit."

Justin frowned. "She did? Why?"

"Cause she cares about you and she thought I was driving you too hard."

"Brian, that's bullshit."

Brian shrugged.

"No," Justin shook his head. "You don't get to back off. Brian, you're the only one that really challenges me. Hell, everyone else treats me like I'm made of glass. If you don't do this, Brian, I may not ever get out of this bed. Please, I can take it. I know I cry and scream at you, but don't let me quit. Please. You can't go soft on me."

Brian smirked and cocked an eyebrow. "Since when have you ever know me to go soft?"

Justin smiled, "Never."

"So are we going to do this?" Brian said pulling back the blanket off the bed

Justin let Brian help him back out of bed and into the chair so they could go back to work on his physical therapy.

It was the one-month anniversary of Justin's bashing. Brian was at work but his mind was elsewhere. He kept wondering how Justin was handling it. He wanted to do something to let him know he was thinking of him but what do you buy your lover on the anniversary of the day he was brutally attacked? Especially when your actions were what brought on the violence?

He finally gave up and left his office to go to the hospital. He was prepared for Justin to be upset or depressed; he wasn't prepared for what he found.

"Brian," Justin was beaming. "I didn't think you'd ever get here."

Brian stood in the doorway. "Am I late for something?"

"No, but I've still been waiting for you to get here."

"Yeah?" Brian was puzzled by Justin enthusiasm.

"Stay there," Justin said as Brian walked in the room. "I have a surprise. Just wait a minute, Dottie made me promise to have her in here."

"Kinky."

Justin rolled his eyes and hit the button for the nurse.

Moments later she came in the room. "Is he finally here?" she teased Justin.

"Yeah, I'm finally here," Brian said.

Justin threw the blankets and slide over to the side of the bed. Dottie placed a walker that had been in the corner in front of him. "Ready?" she asked.

"Yeah," Justin placed his hands on the walker. His right hand shook with tremors at the effort, but finally Justin was able to wrap his fingers around the handle of the walker. Then with Dottie holding the walker steady Justin pulled himself up to his feet.

Once Dottie could see Justin had his balance she let go of the walker and moved to his side. "Okay?" she asked.

Justin nodded and slowly moved the walker a few inches out from his body then tentatively lifted his right foot taking a step forward.

Brian smiled as he watched Justin slowly make his way to where he stood.

"Ta da," Justin said, beaming up at Brian over his achievement.

"I told you you'd walk again," Brian said beaming back.