Disclaimer: I do not own Specials or any of the Uglies series! It all belongs to Scott Westerfeld! This chapter contains some direct excerpts from the novel.

Summary: Zane does not die. He does not lose all his motor skills—he can still breathe and talk—but his motor skills are severely damaged, even more than before. How will that affect his already shaky relationship with Tally? And what will become of the ongoing war?

Author's Note: I read Specials and i just couldn't accept Zane's death. He was my absolute favorite character, so I wrote this fanfic. Enjoy! And please review!

Tally burst into the hospital room.

Zane lay in the bed, his head and arms hooked up to a collection of machines. A female middle pretty doctor was doing something with the machines, glancing at him every now and then. Another middle pretty was pulling back Zane's eyelids to peer at his eyes.

"What happened?" Tally cried, adrenaline rushing through her veins.

The middle pretty doctors looked at her, eyes wide as they realized she was the dangerous weapon that had escaped.

"Well?" Tally shrieked, her muscles tensing, rage coursing through her. Shay gripped her shoulders, holding her back. Tally tried to shake her off. "Say something!"

"Control yourself Tally." Shay's grip tightened.

"Once they freaking tell me what's going on!"

"Give us a moment," one of the doctors said warily.

"You know what I'll give you—" Tally started to say. She was cut off as Shay and another Cutter yanked her out of the room and shut the door.

"Calm down Tally," Shay cautioned, her fingers still digging into Tally's shoulders. "Let them figure out what's going on."

"Let me go!" Tally snarled, baring her teeth, her mind spinning as she looked for angles of attack. She was outnumbered, and even though the Cutters weren't as special as she was anymore, they were still too fast and strong for her to fight alone. Her anger began to morph into panic.

"They operated on him," Tally whispered. "But this is a city hospital. What could go wrong?"

Shay's grip relaxed just a little bit. "We don't know yet, but we'll find out soon enough. Just calm down, Tally, and don't hurt anyone."

Tally didn't answer. She just stared at the door marked 'Recovery', her heart pounding. Zane had to be fine. This was a proper hospital after all, not one of Maddy's screwed up pills…

"Just let me in," she said. Reluctantly, Shay nodded at the other Cutters. Tachs opened the door.

The two doctors were talking, glancing at Zane every now and then. They turned when the heard the door open. Tally stepped inside, Shay still holding onto her arms, Tachs and Ho hovering nearby with the rest of the Cutters behind them.

"What happened?" Tally said, forcing herself to keep her voice low and steady.

One of the doctors swallowed. "He was operated on."

"I can see that," Tally hissed impatiently. Shay squeezed her arm.

The doctor swallowed again. "You realize he arrived here with brain damage?"

"Yes," Shay answered, her voice calm.

"Zane said he wanted to be fixed: no more shakes or lapses in cognition," the doctor explained. "And he requested a physical control upgrade—as far as we could push it. It was risky, but he gave informed consent."

Tally's head spun again. Zane had wanted his reflexes back and better, so that Tally wouldn't see him as weak and average. This is all my fault…

"So…what…" Tally choked off, unable to finish.

"We can't be sure the full extent of the damage but…" The doctors exchanged glances. "We think his motor skills may be…gone."

"Gone?" Tally's knees felt weak. Shay's grip tightened again.

"And," the other doctor added. "His condition isn't very stable. We don't know if he'll ever wake up."

"What?"

"We should go," Shay whispered. "You're too dangerous."

"No!"

"Tally—"

"Just give me a few minutes with him Shay."

Shay pursed her lips, considering. "Fine," she finally said, releasing her grip. The two middle pretties quickly exited, followed by the Cutters. Shay looked at Tally for a long moment before backing out.

Once the door was closed, Tally took a few steps forward. She'd thought she could try again, deal with Zane's shaking. But this…with his motor skills gone, what would become of him? And what if he never even woke up?

So many things she'd never said. So many things she needed to say.

Tally felt her eyes burning. It was all her fault. She had hurt him. She was the reason Zane had been so desperate get this stupid operation. She was the reason he was like this.

"Zane," Tally whispered, her eyes burning with tears she could not cry. The sight of him on the bed, hooked up to so many machines, looking so frail…

The sight of his fragile body no longer repulsed Tally. Now she was only disgusted with herself, for being so greedy. For not having rewired herself earlier, before Zane had decided to do this.

Zane was willing to do anything for her, and she hadn't even been able to put up with a little shaking for him. And all her life, she had never told him 'I love you' back, just hurt him, all Tally Youngblood was good at doing. She took another step closer.

That was when Zane's fingers twitched.

Author's Note: :O Do you like it so far? If so, review! Please!