Ant hadn't being lying - there was an important meeting with the ITV execs to attend, and no doubt that was going to be annoying, tough, and a right old slog - but he definitely hadn't told Dec the whole truth about his activities.
Partly because he truly hadn't wanted to further guilt-burden his friend by telling him exactly what rumours were being spread around by the press about the accident, but also because he had a little surprise for his friend up his sleeve.
One which - much to his annoyed excitement - he couldn't reveal just yet.
So, he climbed into his car outside the hospital and drove down to the ITV building. As he drove, he thought back on the conversation with his friend.
He knew that Dec was getting frustrated with how slowly his recovery was progressing, and he also knew that his friend did not do boredom well - and, as Dec himself had said, one would get pretty bored staring at the ceiling for 24 hours a day.....every day.
He could also see that his friend was - there was no other word for it, really - depressed with the situation. The fact that he wasn't eating was evidence enough of that: normally, even when he was laid flat with an injury, he still had a ravenous appetite, and he was known to really put away some food.
Ant knew that at least half of that was related to the boredom factor, but the point still stood.
But this time, knowing that Dec hadn't touched any food since last Saturday evening (before the start of the show), Ant was rather worried about his friend.
He was obviously putting on a front for them, but Ant could see past that, and he could see how much the accident and its subsequent recovery had and were still affecting him. And if it was getting to the point where it was affecting his appetite, then it was past time for someone to step in.
Ant sighed as he pushed down on the accelerator at the set of lights he had been stopped at, turning left towards the studio building.
Pulling up in the car park, he grabbed his jacket and phone as he switched off the engine. As he got out of the car, he heard his phone vibrate in his pocket, and he pulled it out curiously - vaguely reminding himself to turn it off before he went into the meeting.
"Hey Holly" he greeted, locking his car behind him as he started to walk.
"Hey, are we still on for after lunch?" Holly replied, sounding very excited and as bubbly as usual - Ant had to smile.
"Yeah, should be" he answered, just as he walked into the building, waving at the security guard on his way past. "Just have to go to this meeting, and then I'll be right down."
"Alright, we'll see you when you get down here" she confirmed, and they both rang off, Ant switching his phone off as he got into the lift.
When the lift stopped at the fourth floor - where the executives' offices were - Ant felt his apprehension start to creep up into his throat. As the door opened, he was surprised to see Chris, Paul, and Ali all waiting patiently for him.
"Morning" he greeted seriously, giving them all a nod in turn and getting tense smiles in response.
Coming to a halt next to Ali, Ant looked up at her curiously.
"I'm surprised they made you come along - surely they would have had a bit more respect than that?"
Ali shook her head tiredly, glancing at her watch as they waited to be called into the room.
"I wish" she muttered, rubbing a tired hand across her eyes, and Ant immediately felt sorry for her.
Nudging up against her side, he was rewarded with a tiny - but genuine - smile from the younger woman, and then the door behind them opened, and a tall figure in a suit stared down at them all.
"Come in" he instructed solemnly, and they all filed in to the room.
*****
Dec was so bored now, he'd counted all of the ceiling tiles so many times that he could picture the bland whiteness inside his mind whenever he closed his eyes. Sleeping only used up so much time - and to be perfectly honest, he wasn't that tired anyway.
He just felt.....flat, like he was a balloon that'd had all of its air sucked out of it. Particularly in these moments when he found himself alone, with nothing but his thoughts for company.
And what brilliant company THEY made.
Even after all of the assurances that he hadn't done anything wrong on Saturday night, and that what had happened was nothing but an accident, there was still a - surprisingly large - part of him that felt horribly guilty, and this guilt always made itself most known whenever he was alone.
That - coupled with the boredom, the frustration, and (yes, he'd admit it) the loneliness - made for one very miserable Declan.
He passed the time by playing with his fingers, or fiddling with his wedding ring; spinning it up and down on his finger. All the while, the guilty and damning thoughts threatened to swallow his mind whole.
However, that afternoon, one visitor would quickly make almost everything alright again.
It was at around 2:30, and Dec had been dozing on and off for about an hour now, when he was startled by the sound of the door opening.
Blinking to wake himself up again, he almost didn't believe who was on the other side of the door.
"Mam?" he breathed, eyes immediately widening (and watering, but he ignored that) at the sight of his beloved mam.
Anne smiled at her youngest boy, and strode quickly across the room and wrapped her arms around him in a tender hug.
"I'm here: oh my boy, I'm here now" she whispered soothingly as she pressed a kiss to his hair.
In the safety and comfort of his mam's arms, Dec felt his resolve start to properly crumble as the tears stung his eyes - threatening to fall over his lashes. His breath started to stutter and his shoulders started to shake as he tried his best to keep his emotions under control.
Anne - of course - felt and heard all of this, and she kissed his unshaven cheek.
"I'm here" she repeated, voice soft and kind - and so much the comforting, motherly touch Dec had been craving.
He needed no more encouragement, and the tears started to fall. Anne's arms quickly tightened as they held onto her son as he cried bitterly into her shoulder, feeling the wetness of his tears on her neck and through the fabric of her cardigan.
"Mam, I was so scared-" he whimpered, eyes squeezing shut as more tears dripped over onto his cheeks.
If she had been able to, Anne would have picked him up into her arms properly and started rocking them back and forth - just like she had used to do when Declan had been younger.
Alas, she couldn't do that right now, but she could still hold her boy close to her, and that alone was enough comfort for the both of them right then.
Her own throat tightened as Dec's arms wrapped his arms around her and gripped onto the back of her jumper with trembling hands.
"I know sweetheart" she soothed, stroking his head as he continued to cry into her shoulder.
"I thought.....I thought I was never gonna walk again...." he sobbed, cries reaching a new pitch as all of his fear and frustration from the last five days poured out as desperate tears and heart-wrenching sobs.
Anne sat with him throughout it all, occasionally murmuring soft words of comfort into his ear, but otherwise just being a strong shoulder for him to cry on - quite literally in this case.
Finally - after about ten solid minutes - Dec started to calm down, his sobs quietening to hiccoughs and sniffles.
Pulling back slightly, Anne reached over to the side table and grabbed a few tissues. Using them to wipe over her son's blotchy face, she handed him a fresh few and instructed him to blow his nose.
Obeying, Dec tossed the dirty tissues into the bin - and Anne had to admit she was impressed with his aim.
"You needed that, didn't you darling?" she questioned, hand gently carding through his tousled hair once again.
Giving her a tiny nod, Dec looked up at her with shining - but apologetic - eyes.
"Aye, needed it for a few days" he admitted, swiping his own hand across his lashes as more tears threatened to escape.
Anne smiled sadly, hand stilling for a moment before it continued to gently stroke his head.
"And Ali told me you're not eating either?"
Dec had to smile at that - that sounded just like his wife, she was just as much of a mothering type as he was.
"Yeah, just haven't felt like it" he replied, giving a tiny shrug.
Frowning, Anne looked him up and down, taking in his appearance for the first time properly since she'd walked into the room.
She didn't really like what she saw - Ali certainly hadn't been kidding when she'd told her that Declan was getting rather thin; it looked like he'd lost a good few pounds over the past five days.
Just as well she'd come down then, and just as well Ali had asked her down in the first place.
"Because you've felt guilty" she supposed lightly, suspicions confirmed when Dec's eyes swiveled around to meet her own, widening as he realised he'd been caught out. He opened his mouth to hurriedly explain, but Anne held up her hand to quiet him.
"Pet, I lived with you for nearly eighteen years, and I've known you your entire life: I know exactly what you're like when you feel guilty - it's how your father and I could always tell when you weren't being entirely truthful with us" she explained, sneaking in a tiny smile at the end as the memories flashed before her eyes.
Shifting uncomfortably, Dec's gaze fell onto his chest and he sighed heavily.
"You always go off your food when you're feeling guilty or depressed, and it's pretty obvious to me that that's what you're feeling right now" she continued, hand returning to the side of his head and toying with the sandy strands.
Silent for a few moments, Dec finally spoke up - but Anne still had to strain her ears to hear him.
"But mam, what if it WAS my fault?"
His mother's shocked eyes forced themselves into his own unsure gaze, and he bit his lip.
"I mean, everyone's trying to tell us it was just an accident, but I just can't get it out of me head that it was my fault somehow" he elaborated, voice tightening as he spoke.
Anne was quiet herself for a minute or so. She had actually seen the footage when it had been beamed across the country to all the viewers, and she knew just how horrid it had been, just how close her little boy had come to being either paralysed or killed.
But she had also seen the look in his eyes - even through the screen of her television. She knew exactly how scared he was of heights, and what would have likely been going through his panicked mind as he raced towards the ground. He would have lost sight of all of his surroundings - just focusing on getting to the ground, and the quickest route there.
"Declan, sweetie" she began, putting her hand on his cheek and forcing his eyes to turn up to meet her's. A sad smile curled at her lips at the lingering shimmer of tears that shone in them.
"Oh pet, it wasn't your fault - I know it wasn't" she assured, wiping a brave tear away with her thumb as it crept out of his eye.
"I saw what happened, and if I know anything right now, it's that what happened was not - and could never have been - your fault" she continued firmly, putting her other hand on his other cheek, and gently rubbing her thumbs across his - far too obvious - cheekbones.
"Now, will you please stop blaming yourself sweetheart? It's destroying you, anyone can see that, and it's not going to help you get better" her voice took on a vaguely pleading tone by the end, but she was desperate for her son to see her point - the point everyone had been trying to make ever since he'd woken up on Sunday morning.
The only answer she got was a miserable little sniffle, along with a sincere nod.
Without hesitating, she pulled Declan into her arms once more, and held him close to her as he started to tremble with the effort of containing his emotions for the second time in half an hour.
"We don't want to see you like this, little one" she whispered, kissing the top of his head. "We just want to help you get better, and we want to see you bouncing around like you always do." That got a wet chuckle from her son as he pulled away from her shoulder and smiled tremulously up at her.
"Alright mam, I'll try" he promised, and the look in his eyes was so sincere that Anne had no cause to disbelieve him.
Besides, she reasoned; if he didn't, then he would have not only her wrath to face, but also Ali's. And probably Ant's too, she supposed.
"Alright little one" she whispered, bending forward to kiss his head one more time before she made to leave, but a frantic voice made her turn back.
"Wait, mam.....could you stay.....please?" Dec pleaded, looking rather small and lonely in his hospital bed - swamped by wires and that awful collar.
She had to admit, she was tired and was booked into a nearby motel to stay for a while. But the lost and lonely look on her youngest boy's face crumbled her resolve and she nodded, walking back over to his bed and running her hand through his hair.
She chuckled as he snuffled contentedly and closed his eyes - clearly exhausted.
"Sleep, my little one" she cooed, and as she started to hum some old Irish lullaby, Dec slowly - and finally - managed to drift off to sleep; comforted in the presence of his mam.
*****
TBC.....
*****