Well, the main crux of it would be that he might never actually wake up, and he might be, for all intents and purposes, dead, but it keeps the reality in without killing Noah off completely. It does change the dynamic of the story, but it also puts a lot more stress on the characters since they now have to deal with the idea of their friend being a lifeless husk. 

But I digress, we're gonna General Hospital this shiz and save Noah's adorable ass!