Teencast AU

"Please, please wake up." I mutter for what must be the umpteenth time, carefully gripping your limp hand.

I couldn't stop thinking about the accident. I guess it was that thing called survivors guilt, but I keep replaying it over and over again in my head, thinking of how many things I could have done to stop this from happening.

It's all my fault. I've done this to you.

We were on our way to a theme park, the day of the accident. I thought it would be fun to invite you along. I really wished I hadn't now.

You were in the car with your parents and I was in the other with mine. We'd been talking to each other on the phone pretty much the entire time.

We'd managed to stay behind his car until a few other people crossed lanes and slid in front of our car, leaving you far out front. We'd playfully made cries of sadness when it happened, not that we were separated.

About ten minutes later, two large trucks, an oil tanker and log carrier had pulled up on either side of us. The car in front of the log truck's tire blew and they swerved into the middle lane, smashing into a silver RV which flipped and skid along the road. The tanker didn't have time to stop before it had also smashed into the car. Bits of metal had ripped through its front tires and drove off into the railing. It hit the rail and it's back spun off across the two lanes, and was pulled off as the cars behind it added to the pile up.

Bebop and his parents were shouting in panic, trying to swerve away from the wreckage. My parents slammed on the breaks as soon as they saw what was happening. We were whacked forward and spun a few times, but the lane behind quickly came to a stop and we were out of harms way.

Unlike Bebop, who was in the thick of it.

I think the only thing that made it worse was that we were still on the phone. I heard everything that happened next.

The tanker had a hole in it and was leaking fuel everywhere. Just to add to the madness, the first car that had hit it was smoking and starting to catch fire.

There was about seven cars trapped between the two trucks when the fire reached the fuel. The explosion was stupendous. It was like something you'd see in an overly Micheal Bay film.

When the smoke had died down and the fuel had burnt itself up, people were getting out of their cars and cautiously approaching the wreckage, many with phones out, other calling for anyone who may still be alive or conscious.

I kicked my door open and ignored my parents' shouts for me to come back. I sprinted towards the upturned cars in search for the dark blue one you'd been in. When I found it, I saw that there was another car on top of it.

I quickly ran towards it, barely taking a moment to make sure it was safe. With great effort I forced the twisted door open, not caring about the broken glass everywhere. You were severely burnt and bloody, some limbs slightly mangled where metal had torn and ripped into your flesh.

Checking that you were still breathing and your pulse was there, I undid the seat belt and made sure as best I could that your neck of back hand't been broken, relieved when I couldn't find any suggestion that they were.

I gently turned you and slid my arms under your shoulders and pulled you put of the car, dragging you a safe distance away and laying you down. I ran back over to your parents. Your dad, who had been driving, was slumped forward in his seat, blood gushing from a wound in his head, eyes open wide and unseeing. Your mother had a large piece of metal impaling her chest. That was all I really needed to see to know they had died.

Helicopters had lowered stretchers for the injured. A total of seventeen people had died, including two children. Three were injured for some deep cuts and broken bones, and one severely injured. You.

"They had to amputate your right arm and both your legs, Bebop. They cut out chucks of your torso where it was too damaged to save, too. You're also blind in your left eye. And did I mention that you're in a coma? Just thought I'd mention that. People say that you can sometimes hear whats going on around you... I hope you can. Because you really need to wake up, Bebop. Like, now."

The soft and steady beep of the heart monitor was the only thing that filled the silence in the small hospital room. Bebop had only just gotten out of surgery a few hours ago, my parents had covered all the medical bills. It's not like it would make a difference anyway, we had money to spare.

Dad had suggested getting the new robotic limbs that they link to your nervous system to replace what Bebop had lost. The doctors had agreed to after a few more days to make sure he was stable enough for the surgery. They also said that they couldn't guarantee he'd even wake up from the coma, but we had insisted anyway.

At some point I must have fallen asleep, because I was gently shook awake by my mum. She had come away with nothing more than a few steri-strips on her head. She tried to smile at me encouragingly, but her her betrayed her when they started to water.

I stood and wrapped my arms around her torso, letting myself sob into her warm embrace. She tightened her own hold on me.

"Shhh... it's alright, sweetie. Bebop will be fine. He's a strong boy, you know that. He'll pull through and you two will be back to causing mischief in no time at all. Hmm?" She cooed, lovingly stroking my auburn hair. I nodded into her chest, and she kissed the top of my head.

"Come on, we have to leave now and let him rest. The doctors need to do some check ups. We'll come back tomorrow, okay?"

"It's been a week now. I've been coming to see you everyday. I don't want you to feel lonely. The doctors say your condition is improving and that you're all good for the surgery. You're gonna be a really cool cyborg now!" I told him, trying to put some enthusiasm into my words.

"See now this is where you're supposed to laugh and we run around pretending we're in some stupid video game. This is when we're supposed to- supposed to..." I choked, my words fizzling out in my throat.

I grabbed your hand off the stark white hospital sheet and gave it a firm squeeze. I dropped your hand and stood up, carefully adjusting the creamy coloured blanket around you so that it wasn't so crumpled anymore.

I slumped back into my chair. Glancing at the clock, there was only about another half an hour before they'd start prepping him for surgery. I sat there and continued to talk, I started to imagine what you'd say if you were awake.

The door opened and a brown haired nurse with a kind looking face walked into the room.

"I'm afraid you'll have to say goodbye for now, young man. Your friend needs to get ready." She said softly, looking at me in a way that said, 'Sorry, I really don't want to make you leave, but I have to.'

I nodded and got out of the chair. I began walking towards the door, but got halfway there before turning back and quickly walking to stand beside you again.

I lent down and carefully pressed my lips to your forehead in a gentle kiss.

"Please wake up soon. I- I, I love you.." I muttered quietly, quickly turning away and rushing out the door. I ignored the small smile the nurse gave me as I walked by her and instead went to find my parents out front.

"It's been two weeks since I last saw you, Bebop. The doctors say the surgery went well and there was no problems. They wouldn't let anyone visit you for ages though. You look super cool now! Kinda like the Terminator. They replaced your eye with this red thing and put a prosthetic eye over the top, so it's not as noticeable. There's a huge metal plate over your hips and most of your torso so that it connects to your shoulder and arm and stuff. I think they did something to your voice box as well, but I'm not sure. But they did a really good job with it all." I explain, pacing around the small room after having a sudden urge to be moving around.

"Now." I started, throwing my hands over my face, and turning to look at you again.

"Now all you need to do is wake up. The doctors are saying that by the rate you're getting better you should be out of it within a few more months at most. But I don't want to wait that long, I can't take it anymore. I miss you so much, Bebop. You have no idea how hard it is not to just break down every day waiting for you to get better..."

"Hey! It's me again, buddy. I haven't had the time to come see you for a while and I'm really, really sorry about that. I hope you weren't too lonely in here. My mum has been making me go to a therapist for the past month, because she thinks I'm not taking care of myself properly…

"I guess she has a point, though. I haven't really been sleeping lately, I think you're doing that for me, heh… umm, yeah. And she says I've lost a lot more weight than is normally healthy, I haven't really noticed.

"She got me to go back to school. Everyone is asking about you, but I can't say anything. I don't want to talk to anyone until you get back. Everyone just stays away from me now. I may or may not have punched Sips after the things he said about you. He deserved it, I promise! I really didn't mean to hit him, though, to be honest. I just… I just lost my temper when he said you wouldn't wake up.

"Because I know you will, right? You're going to wake up soon and it'll be like none of this ever happened and we can go back to mucking around with our friends. You'll wake up. You will. You will… you will… you have to…"

"Hey, Bebop! It's Ridge again. The doctors called us to say that your brain activity has been progressively increasing over the past day or so, and that your heart rate's picked up. They're saying that this usually means you're coming out of the coma! Isn't that great? I knew you'd pull through. You're my best friend and I know you'd never leave me because I know I wouldn't.

"Mum's still taking me to the therapist. I don't mind it so much anymore, the lady and I are on better terms then we were when I first went there. I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that I broke down multiple times… I think I've broken at least three of her lamps by now.

"It's been about, maybe almost three months since the accident now. They held a service for all the people that died in the accident. Your parents' funerals was last week… that's why I didn't come to see you again sooner, sorry about that. But your mum and dad and buried together and they're probably happy right now…

"Who am I kidding?! They're dead and you've been in a coma for months and now you haven't got anywhere to go but social services- I can't let that happen. I can't let them take you away, or we'll never see each other again.

"I've got to go now, dad's calling. I have to be at school in ten minutes, I'm already late, but I couldn't care less at this point. I just had to come see you. I want to be here when you wake up. I'll take to mum and dad and see what we can do about where you're gonna go. We could be brothers! Wouldn't that be awesome?! Alright, I'll come back tomorrow if I can…"

"Hey… I'm sorry I haven't visited for a couple weeks… but umm… my sister died last week. She umm… she got- she got stabbed on her way home. I know you only met her once, when she visited a few years back, but I just wanted you to know that…" I cleared my throat, blinking tears from my eyes and looking into the light in the ceiling.

"I just wanted you to know that I love you, no matter what happens, alright? I think I've actually loved you for a long time, I just didn't realise it. I wish I had. I mean, imagine us together? Like properly together going out on dates and stuff. Come to think of it, if we'd ever gotten to that theme park that could've been our first date.

"Anyway, uhh, my parents got all the paperwork signed and everything. We're now legally your family! That's… that's cool, right? We're brothers now, Bebop!"

I stared at your face. I couldn't help but think you looked so peaceful right now. You were getting a bit thinner, but nothing overly concerning. I grabbed your hand again, fiddling with the plastic hospital bracelet on your wrist. I carefully avoided touching the IV in your hand.

"The doctors say your brain activity is back to normal. You're not really in a coma anymore, just unconscious, which is pretty good I guess."

I just sat there, lazily stroking the back of your hand with my thumb. I sighed, and pulled my hand back.

"I probably should be going now, Bebop. I'm supposed to be at the therapist now, but I skipped it to come visit you… So um, see ya'-"

I stuttered to a stop. I thought I'd seen something, maybe a twitch, but I swear it was there. I moved forward and leaned over you, watching closely.

Your eye lid twitched. Then your head turned slightly. My eyes widened.

"Bebop? Bebop can you hear me? Are you waking up? Bebop?!" I had to keep myself from shouting in my panicked hope.

I waited a few more minutes, but nothing happened. Nothing on the screens changed that I could see. I sighed sadly, and left the room.

When I'd final gotten to my appointment over half an hour late, Mrs Evans had asked me where I was. I told her the truth. I noticed, and I'm almost positive she noticed as well, that I was talking a little bit more… happily? Than I had over the past four months.

"I'm back! I was supposed to go to school today, but I skipped because I wanted to visit again. I don't think mum and dad will mind too much, they know how rough it's been these past couple months.

"News has gotten 'round that you're waking up. I don't know how anyone found out, but they did and everyone's getting really excited.

"Nano and Lom have already started making preparations a welcome back party at school. Everyone's pitching in their ideas and time. I think it's all pretty much sorted, they just need to know when to set it up is all. We all really miss you, you know."

I stood up, watching your face again when it shifted slightly. You let out a deeper breath and your eye lids pulled inwards, scrunching your face into a frown. I lay my hand on your normal shoulder, carefully examining your face.

"Bebop? Bebop can you hear me now?" I asked, speaking a bit louder than was probably necessary, but I didn't care. You made a small noise, like a groan, the muscles in your face pulling in and out, fluctuating at the lack of use.

"Bebop?" I asked again, giving him a gentle shake.

He groaned again and his eyelids fluttered. He moved his head towards the sound of my voice, his frown deepening slightly as his eyes struggled to open.

"Bebop? Come on, Bebop, wake up! You can do it!" I encouraged, my voice getting progressively louder and higher pitched. The nurses would come and investigate soon, if I didn't watch myself.

"R… Ri…dge….?" It was so quiet and barely there I almost missed it.

"Bebop! Yes, it's me! It's Ridge!" I grabbed his hand and lifted it up, making sure to keep a firm hold so he would be able to feel it.

His eyes fluttered again and peeling open a crack, his head jerking away from the new light, a small hiss of pain escaping his lips. Squinting and blinking drowsily, he turned his head to look back up at me, our faces only a few inches apart.

"Ri… Ridge?" He asked again, blinking furiously trying to get his eyes to focus. "What… what… happened…?" He breathed, pausing between words.

I couldn't answer as my eyes filled with tears and I wrapped him in a hug. He grunted at the suddenness of the embrace, but weakly tried to shift his arms to hug back.

I finally pulled back and he was staring at me in confusion.

"Why can't I move…? Where am I? What happened?" He asked, his croaked voice having a slightly panicked edge to it.

I grabbed his hand again, and sank back onto the chair, pulling it closer.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

He frowned. "We were driving in the car... to… to a park?" He questioned, looking at me for clarification. I nodded.

"There was a massive pile up. Two trucks and over like ten cars. You've been in a coma for over four months now. Here." I grabbed the bed remote and pressed a button that made the bed tilt upwards. I didn't put him up too much, but just enough so that he was in something like a sitting position.

"Look." I sad, carefully turning his head so he could see his arm. His eyes widened.

"What the-"

"Calm down! It's fine. You were in a really bad way and they had to remove some stuff. From what I know it's just your arm, legs, eye and some plating on your side."

He didn't say anything, just stared at his arm in concentration. I was about to ask what he was doing when the robotic fingers into a fist and he let out a small noise of triumph. He looked back at me excitedly.

"I'm like Robocop now, Ridge! This is so cool! Wait till mum and dad see this!" My face instantly fell.

"Umm… Bebop, I'm really sorry. I'm so, so sorry. But your mum and dad… they- they died in the accident. There was nothing anyone could do. I'm so, so sorry." I cried, trying not to cry, but tears slipped down my cheeks all the same.

"They're… they're dead?" He asked. I nodded. "Oh… Were they in pain?"

"No, I don't think so. I think they died instantly. I found them like that when I pulled you out of the car…" I didn't tell him how I found them, opting for something that wouldn't stress him out too much.

"Where am I gonna stay then? I haven't got any other family."

I wiped my eyes and did my best to smile at him.

"Well… about that. You see... we kind of may or may not have adopted you into our family?" I watched as his eyes widened as realisation dawned on his features.

"Does that mean we're brothers?!"

"Yep!"

Before we could say anymore, a flustered looking nurse marched into the room.

"What is all this noise about? There are people trying to- Oh my god." And he turned adn ran back out of the room.

Bebop and I shared a look, before bursting into laughter.

There was a rush of hurried footsteps and I swiftly stood up.

"That would be my cue!" I quickly leaned over and planted a kiss on your cheek with a smirk. "Have fun dealing with the doctors!"

"Jerk!" He called after me. I giggled, brushing past the group of doctors and nurses just as they were about to enter the room.

I sprinted as fast as I could to the school, throwing my bag down at the entrance. I ran towards my form class and burst into the room with a huge grin plastered on my face.

All eyes instantly turned to me. The teacher looked as if he were about to explode at the abrupt disturbance, but I stopped him before he could ask why I was late or whatever.

"Bebop just woke up!" I cheered. Everything was silent for a split second as everyone's eyes simultaneously widened.

In unison, everyone in the room jumped up with cheers of joy. There was a lot of clapping and hugging involved. And even after the initial wave of excitement, everyone had forgotten about schoolwork completely and were discussing the set-up of the welcome back party. The teacher was not please but there was nothing he could do to take back control of his class.

Three days later the doctors had given Bebop the all clear and we were able to take him home. He was forced into a wheel chair but as soon as we got out of the hospital, he insisted on trying to walk himself.

He wrapped an arm around me for support while he got used to telling the robotic legs what to do, laughing whenever he stumbled. I did notice the slight crack of sound in his laugh, but there wasn't anything wrong with it, so I opted to ignore it for now.

They had said that after a while you wouldn't need to think about moving because the brain would teach itself like it always does when you first learn to walk, or use any part of your body.

My mum slid into the driver's seat while Bebop and I sat in the back. We didn't do much talking, because Bebop kept getting distracted by everything, even more then he usually did. A lot more than he usually did.

Right now, he was messing around with his arm. Clenching and unclenching his fist, bending his elbow and reaching forward to test how it felt, smiling broadly the entire time.

I helped him up the stairs and into my room, which we would now be sharing, and set him on the bed.

It was a large room that we had divided into two halves, much like a collage dorm. All of Bebop's stuff was already unpacked and anything that was left sat in a box in the corner. The rest of his parent's things were in boxes in one of the unused rooms, so Bebop could go through them and decide what he wanted to keep.

I looked back over at my friend, to see his eyes drooping with exhaustion. I made my way over to him and gently pushed him backwards to lay down on the bed, pulling a duvet over the top of him. He was asleep by the time I got back to my own bed.

We'd be going back to school tomorrow, Bebop had insisted he didn't want to stay home, so my parents had reluctantly agreed.

The next day, we were stood outside the front entrance to the school. Bebop had gotten used to walking by now, even if he still tripped and stumbled all the time, but he didn't mind, he'd just laugh it off.

The school seemed deserted, and Bebop was starting to notice. We out our bags into our lockers and wandered down the hall to the form class, to find it empty. Every room we checked was void of students and teachers.

"Ridge, where is everyone? I thought there was supposed to be people here today?" He asked as we made our way down the halls.

"I'm not sure, maybe they're in the gym. We haven't checked there yet." I suggested. He nodded and we changed direction.

As we approached the doors to the gym, I saw that it was pitch black inside, but Bebop hadn't seemed to have noticed yet.

He pushed on the double doors and stepped inside. Suddenly, all the lights turned back on and there was a startling shouting, into a microphone.

"Welcome back, Bebop!"

And Bebop screamed the most high pitched scream I had ever heard in my life. His voice cracked as he did so, making it even louder. He fell backwards in fright, falling into me and knocking us both to the ground.

I burst out into a fit of laughter and everyone else in the room did as well. After Bebop had calmed down from his initial wide eyed scare, he joined in and got himself to stand again.

He was swarmed by our friends not a moment later. They hugged him and bombarded him with questions.

"How are you?

"Was it scary?"

"What was it like in a coma?"

"Do you remember what happened?"

"You've got robot parts! That's so cool!"

And even more that I couldn't understand were thrown at him. He was starting to look a little uneasy. I stood up and grabbed him from behind making him yelp.

"Ridge! Put me down!" He laughed.

"Never." I lifted him up so that he could sit on my shoulders. He was considerably lighter than me, and shorter, so he wasn't too much of a burden.

We spent the rest of the day enjoying the party. Bebop really enjoyed himself. Someone had managed to spike one of his drinks and he had been a giggling mess.

I smiled as I tugged him away at the end of the day. He looked up at me.

"Thanks, Ridge."

"For what?"

"For staying with me."

"No problem. I love you too much to let you be alone."

"I love you too, Ridge."

A/N: Holy butts this thing is long. How long? 4400+ words long!

I've been wanting to write this for ages, but just never found the time. I think I'm happy with this… Was it alright? Too long? I don't know.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed!

~Dew