When Freddie got to the hospital he could barely stand still in the elevator. He had only been friends with Shane for a few months before the accident but he could remember how excited he had been when he realized he finally had a guy friend. Not just someone he talked with at school, or another one of Sam's whipping boys like Gibby, but a genuine friend that was a guy. More importantly Shane had been all his own. He had always had to share Sam with Carli and Carli with Sam, not just that but he usually had to take back seat to the girls. Shane was just his friend, he was the new guy at school and no one knew him, Freddie didn't have to share him with anyone. The fact that Shane was into computers and audio visual stuff was just icing on the cake. Freddie hadn't even noticed Shane was good looking until Carli and Sam started fighting over him. Even then he was wrapped up with Spencer that he didn't pay much attention do it.

When Freddie walked into Shane's hospital room he definitely noticed. The boy lying in the bed was pale and a lot thinner than he had been the last time Freddie'd seen him. Dark purple smudges bloomed under his warm brown eyes and his light brown hair was shaggy and curling around his ears, but Freddie was pretty sure he was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He'd been so worried about Shane, about whether or not he would ever come out of his coma, and if he did would he be the same? Now as he stood in the door to the hospital room looking at his friend he felt relief and other emotions he couldn't even try to identify.

"Hey." Shane said, his voice sounded hoarse and tired but underneath it was still warm and bright and the smile on his face made Freddie's heart flutter.

"How do you feel?" He asked as he crossed the room.

"Like I fell down an elevator shaft." Shane said grinning crookedly. "What happened to your hair? You look like an emo douche." Freddie couldn't help but laugh along with him.

"Carli did it, I had a date." He said smoothing his hand over his hair nervously.

"Oh wow a date, who with?" Shane asked his eyes widening.

"Um…" Freddie stuttered. On the way over, on the way up the elevator, it never occurred to him that his life had changed a lot in the two months that Shane had been gone. A month ago he was in this same hospital a couple floors down. Now that he was confronted with it he wasn't sure what to do and he was afraid. He was really happy to see Shane and now he was terrified that if he told him the truth he wouldn't like him anymore.

"Um…just some guy." He said quickly and quietly half hoping that Shane wouldn't hear him.

"Oh." Shane said. Freddie studied his face trying to translate the expression into some understandable emotion but he couldn't. It didn't look like disgust or anger there wasn't really that much surprise he just couldn't figure it out. "Wait, did you leave your date to come here."

"No, not really, I thought I had a date. Turns out he was just being friendly, when I got downstairs he and his boyfriend were waiting on me." Freddie said shaking his head and smiling.

"That must have sucked out loud." Shane said grinning again.

"Just a little bit, you actually saved me from an embarrassing situation." Freddie said finally taking the opportunity to sit down in the chair beside Shane's bed.

"Glad to be of service, but you know I can't come out of a coma every time you get embarrassed." Shane said leaning back in his bed, he already looked a lot more tired than when Freddie had come in.

"So seriously how are you feeling?" Freddie asked shifting slightly in his chair.

"Like I said, I feel like I fell down an elevator shaft, I'm not sure anything else covers it. I mean I'm not in a lot of pain because they set my bones while I'm asleep and half of them are already halfway healed. I feel weak because I haven't moved in two months and my muscles have gone to hell. Oh and I feel nasty as hell because I haven't had anything but sponge baths for two months." He said sighing.

"Well you don't smell too bad," Freddie said smirking. "Don't you wish you were awake for some of those sponge baths, seems like every teenage boy's dream?"

"Not really, I've seen some of the nurses and orderlies around here." Shane said pantomiming a cringe.

"I'll bring you a bottle of body spray next time I'm here." Freddie said.

"Thanks." Shan said rolling his eyes.

"How much longer are they going to be keeping you here?" Freddie asked sitting forward in his chair.

"For a while, I was down for two months, my muscle tone is negative six, I'll be in physical therapy for a while before I can get up and around again." Shane said frustrated. "You're not going to forget about me are you?" He asked looking at Freddie earnestly. "You're not going to let me languor in here by myself are you?" He asked pouting.

"Of course not, you're a much better conversationalist now that you're awake, I'll be around much more often." Freddie said nodding.

"You were here before?" Shane asked surprised.

"A couple of times, just to see how you were doing." Freddie admitted shrugging. His back was starting to twinge sitting in the uncomfortable chair so he stretches his arms over his head. The cuffs of his hoodie slid down his arm revealing the snowy white of his bandages, Shane's eyes automatically zeroed in on them and stayed there even after Freddie dropped his arms and tugged his sleeves back down self consciously.

"What happened there?" Shane asked feebly waving his finger towards Freddie's wrists.

"I kind of had a rough time about a month ago." Freddie said quietly before tugging his sleeves further down over his hands.

"How're you feeling now?" Shane asked. The words were simple and his tone was level his eyes moved to Freddie's and quickly away. It was a loaded question.

"Better, a lot better and a little bit stupid." Freddie said smiling sheepishly.

"Good, I really like you, Freddie." Shan said his eyes focusing sharply on the other boy's face.

"I like you too." Freddie said smiling gently. "You're my only friend that isn't Sam or Carli."

"No, I mean…" Shane said, he tried to reposition himself but the thick casts on his legs and weak muscles restricted his movements. Freddie jumped up from the chair and moved to help Shane. He braced himself and did his best to scoot the taller boy up into a better position. Shane put his hand on Freddie's chest; Freddie looked up and realized how close his face was to Shane. He started to move back but Shane's hand shot forward and clutched at the open front of his hoodie pulling him closer until their lips pressed together quick and hard. Freddie's eyes opened wide before drifting closed. This was his first kiss that wasn't with Sam. It was different, so different; when he had kissed Sam it was quick and light because neither of them really wanted anything but to get it over with. Kissing Shane was hard; it was like they were trying to crawl inside each other, like they were seeking warmth that skin to skin just couldn't provide. Then Shane's grip on his shirt loosened and he pulled away his eyes opening slowly. Shane was panting softly his large honey brown eyes vague and foggy.

"I mean I really like you." Shane said after he'd caught his breath.

"So I gathered." Freddie said smiling, his lips felt puffy as they stretched across his teeth.

"I don't know why I never told you. I was afraid you wouldn't feel the same way, because you never seemed to notice me. I didn't want to mess things up because you were the only person I knew at school. After the whole fiasco with Sam and Carli I was going to tell you, but then I got on the elevator…and it wasn't there." Shane said rolling his eyes.

"I'm sorry I never noticed." Freddie said sitting down on the edge of his bed. "I was really mess up for a while. I thought I was in love with Carli's big brother then I was fighting it because I wanted to be normal. I didn't see anything around me, but I see you know. I see you, Shane, and you're so beautiful." Freddie said cupping his hand around the other boy's cheek. It was thin and dry, he could feel the muscles just beneath the skin, but it was the besting feeling in the world. Shane brought his hand up and caught Freddie's wrist, his thumb edged under the cuff of his hoodie and rubbed across the soft gauze of the bandage.

"I really wish I'd been there for you."

"You're here now." Freddie said smiling. Freddie leaned forward to kiss Shane but a soft knock on the door interrupted him.

"Visitation is over boys." The nurse said clearing her throat uncomfortable. Freddie leaned forward and kissed Shane quickly before standing.

"I'll come back tomorrow." He said grinning down at the taller boy.

"I'll see you then." Shane said smiling back. Freddie walked towards the door. He turned around and looked at Shane once more before heading towards the elevator. When the elevator door closed shut Freddie leaned against the wall and stared down at the floor a wide, slow smile decorating his features. He hadn't really had time to feel bad about Griffin and now the older boy was pushed from his mind by the memory of Shane's lips against his.

When he got off the elevator at his apartment he was still smiling dreamily. Instead of going to his empty apartment he walked over and opened the door to the Shay's. Sam and Carli were sitting at the computer watching more episodes of Nooky Nooky Yoogy but they turned quickly and slid off their stools when he walked in. He simply walked in and sat down on the couch his expression never changing.

"How'd it go?" Carli asked waving her hands in front of his voice.

"Earth the Fredward." Sam shouted snapping her fingers beside his ear.

"What?" He asked finally snapping out of his reverie.

"How was your date with Griffin?" Carli asked looking at him disbelievingly.

"Oh, I didn't have a date with Griffin, he has a boyfriend." Freddie said smiling at them.

"Why are you so happy?" Carli asked her grin wilting into a grimace of concern. She was beginning to think the tightly wound boy had finally snapped.

"I went to see Shane in the hospital."

"Uh huh." Sam asked losing her interest.

"He's awake."

"Really?" Sam and Carli said in unison their voices rising in excitement.

"He kissed me." Freddie said the small faraway smile twisting his lips again.

"What?" Carli said staring at him. Sam just stood by the couch with her mouth open.

"He kissed me." Freddie said finally looking at Carli, his face filled with a look of wide eyed wonder.

"Well that explains why he wouldn't choose either of us." Sam said finally before taking off towards the kitchen. She came back with a soda.

"Yeah really." Carli said dejectedly.

"Don't pout you've both had tons of boyfriends by now, this is my first one." Freddie said rolling his eyes at them wistfully.

"Fine, I'm happy for you." Sam said opening her soda to take a drink.

"You're right; Shane's yours, when we were trying to date him he ended up falling a couple stories down an elevator." Carli said shrugging.

"Yeah, thanks for that." Freddie said smiling bitterly. "He was about to tell me he liked me when he fell down that shaft."

"Oops." Carli said looking away from him quickly.

"My bad." Sam said walking way taking a sip of her soda.

"So when does he get out of the hospital?" Carli asked.

"It'll be a while; he was in a coma so long that he'll have to have physical therapy." Freddie said sighing. "I'm going back tomorrow to see him."

"No shiz." Sam said making a face at him. "If I was dating a guy like Shane I'd be at the hospital every day."

"Probably." He said shrugging. "Making out in the hospital kind of sucks."

"Did you spook the nurses?" Sam asked grinning.

"Little bit." Freddie said grinning.

"Awesome."

A/N: So I'm going to end Gethsemane here because it seems like a good place. Freddie's life is forever changed and he's finally happy. I know you all want to see more of Freddie and Shane and I might continue the storyline later on but Fredward's Gethsemane is over.