Dans POV:

It was like suddenly removing a filter blocking my senses.

Taking away the nose plugs, the removal of thickly lensed glasses from my eyes, pulling off the ear-muffs, un-gagging my mouth, stepping out of a costume made of foam, and lastly unwinding the tightly wrapped fabric incasingy brain.

Smell! Clean and sterile...

Sight! A tall boy moving away from my bedside...

Sound! The boy saying 'Goodnight' over his shoulder...

Speech!The gravely tare of my disused throat...

Touch! The warmth in the air that prickles with static...

Memory! ... it hits me. The memory of everything is so strong! The illness, the terror, the secret, the brief reprieve given by Phil...

I double over clutching something soft to my chest letting out a dry sob, as the memory's hit me, until i feel arms wrap around me. And all is well again.

"Phil." i breath.

Phil's POV:

...

This one syllable completely re-orientates my life.

Like when stresses are finally released in a splintering glacier, and the enormous chunk of ice falls to the sea. All the weight is gone, the tension is over, and the glacier sways slightly before settling back to exactly how it was.

I hadn't realized how much i needed him to be okay! Because when the conformation of speech and memory returned to him, exhibited in that one small word, i kind of collapsed in upon myself. The worry's and stresses instantly removed, to reveal relief, giddy happiness and love.

While this cascade of emotions takes place in my head all i can do it hug him closer, tears of relief leaking out my eyes. After about half a minute of both of us trying to get our breaths back, i finally sit back from him to look him in the face.

This confirms his return. All i could barely make out behind the camouflaged of his brain damage, is now back to the surface and i can clearly see Dan for the first time in what seems an age! He seems to be experiencing similar revelations as me, because he is staring at me like a blind man seeing for the first time.

We stare, tears still flowing freely down our faces. Until i remember something.

Taking Dans hands slowly in mine and looking at him directly in the eyes, i finally tell him.

"...so as i was saying before you interrupted me. Dan, I love you"