"Fucking hell, Sparky. I know you how bloody painful it is when you hear him in pain like that." Sam rubbed Mark's back again, reminding him he wasn't alone and Sam would do anything in his power to make sure he wouldn't ever be. "Sash touched on that before, if I remember rightly. That Justin had nightmares at one point where it sounded like he was being held down. Being gagged isn't much further a jump. Justin's never specifically described the things they did to him but it comes out in his subconscious. I know it haunts you. Even now, you do everything you can to protect your kids but you still have to face that you can't shield them completely. I can see how much you're struggling and that you probably have no fucking clue how to go about any of this with him when he wakes up."

Looking down at his feet, he offered a small shake of his head but it wasn't to deny what Mark said. It was more just that he didn't really want to have to be discussing all this right now. Regardless of how being told he had cancer had been making him feel, Justin and Sash were the priority. But it was a waiting game with both of them and Mark was like a dog with a bone once his teeth were into a subject. Sam was more the type to stay quiet and move on. "I'm not going to keep this from him. I just think it's better to wait until we see how he is after the trauma of the accident. Sparky, it's not..." He hesitated and scratched his forehead slowly with his thumb while he took in Justin sleeping in the bed. "I love being an uncle. All this, it's become an either/or situation. Sometimes, things just aren't meant to be. That's all."