How To Save A Life

Summary:

Gabriella's mother had been sick for years, and she knew that the frail lady would never be completely healed. When her mother finally passes away, how will she cope and even more importantly; who will Gabriella turn to for help? TxG

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own High School Musical, nor am I affiliated with anyone whom may work for Disney or High School Musical. Troy, Gabriella and any other recognisable characters are credited to their rightful creators, and in no way do I intend to class them as my own creation.

Authors note:

So, I began this story when I finished Always, but I never got past the first 3 paragraphs. A couple of weeks ago, I opened up the document and felt compelled to finish it. It is inspired by the song 'How To Save a Life' by the Fray. This was originally a one shot. When I sent half of it over to be read I felt it was long enough for a chapter and if I was to add everything in, it'd be way too long. So I'm planning on making this a two shot but we'll see where it takes us. :) I dedicate this chapter to Liv, Tess & Liisa for their continuous help and support and pushing me to make this the best that it can be.

*bites nails hard* Please review, it means so much? Tamy. xo


Chapter 1

I knew my face was pale white; almost ghost-like, and the black circles under my vivid, deep brown orbs could be mistaken for that of a coal mine. My hair no longer felt silky, soft and shiny- instead it was dull, dry and lifeless; stuck to my head like a heavy black cloud. I hadn't slept for 72 hours straight, and I knew the sleeplessness would carry on until the inevitable happened. My name is Gabriella Montez and my mother had been sick with Pneumonia for 4 years prior to my 21st birthday – she was cruelly diagnosed on my 17th. I was not naive to the illness. I knew what the doctors were saying when my Mom asked me to leave the room. My mother wasn't going to last much longer, and the thought made me weak to the bone.

It had always been us two girls together, as my dad left before I was born which never really bothered me – until now, when I was faced with the prospect of being alone. Fortunately, I was 21 and so I was eligible for my own house if necessary, but I had already made preparations to stay with my friends when the time came. However, my friends were not always the most helpful of people. I wouldn't change them for the world but I couldn't help but wish that they would listen more. I needed someone to hold me close, to promise me that everything would be okay even though I knew it wouldn't be. I wanted someone to go through the motions with me whether they felt my pain or not. I longed for someone to tell me they understood just so that I could scream and shout and tell them that they would never understand my pain. I needed someone who cared and out of my friends none of them had it all in a package.

"Honey, maybe you should eat something" my mother Anna, suggested weakly to me.

"Mmm, soon" I replied distantly, only hearing the neediness and weakness in her voice as oppose to her suggestion and feeling helpless and broken as I contemplated the fact that there was nothing one could do for her, educated in medicine or not.

That was another thing that I could not seem to muster; eating. It wasn't that I was starving myself or deliberately causing my own pain, it was that I didn't feel in the slightest bit hungry. My mind was far too preoccupied with my mothers deteriorating health. I'd never been a sickly person; any normal person would be insanely grateful for that fact and usually I would be too but I would've done anything to trade places with my mother, for me to be the one to feel the pain of an illness that was never going to fade and only brought me closer to my death bed with every waking moment.

My phone rang loudly and I was grateful for the escape. I was beginning to feel dangerously depressed and hearing a familiar voice was the last resort to bring me out of it. I looked at the caller ID and smiled. It was my best friend, Chad Danforth. If anyone could help me unwind it was him.

"I... Um... I've gotta get that. You know, keep everyone posted?" I explained lamely, almost a little embarrassed that I couldn't string a coherent sentence together.

She nodded meekly, her eyes fluttering closed as she attempted to sleep for what seemed like the 12th time that day. I escaped through the doors and followed the patterned floor outside. I breathed in deeply, inhaling the cold air before re-calling Chad who had given up trying after 3 unsuccessful bids to get hold of me.

"Hello?" Chad answered into his phone.

"Hey Chad, it's me, Gabs" I said, trying to sound as enthusiastic as one could be in a situation much like my own.

"Hey Gabs! Why didn't you answer your phone when I rang a minute ago?" he asked, clearly confused by the matter. I had to give it to him, as he wasn't the smartest of the bunch but my patience was wearing thin and comments that could've been saved for a better time were not exactly appreciated.

"Chad, I was in a hospital. If I was to answer the phone, it could potentially bring down the whole electronics system, and I wouldn't want to be responsible for killing thousands by speaking to you" I snapped, only realising how harsh it sounded after the words had escaped my bitter mouth. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for, I'm just worried about her" I said remorsefully, hoping he'd understand.

"I know, Gabs. I'm sorry, it was a stupid thing to ask. How is she?" he asked, softly.

"The same as before. She's barely speaking, sleeping constantly. She told me to eat earlier and although I know I should, I just can't find it in me to do it" I confessed, ashamed of myself.

"Just try, Gabs. Do it for her. Look, you need to sleep tonight; get some food and water in you. I'm picking you up at 6:30 and you're coming to my house for the night. If she gets any worse I'll drive you back down no matter what the time may be, but you really need to come away from there for a while"

I sighed, I knew he was only trying to look after me yet somehow deep down in the back of my mind I felt angry with his demands. "I'll see you at half six, okay? Love you. Bye!"

I drew my chapped bottom lip between my pure white teeth and ran my fingers through my hair. I decided I would go and refresh myself with a bottle of ice cold water and snack on some fruit before making my way back up to the ward. I was lonely there, sat by her bed watching her health decline. It was unfair to have her suffer so much, it was almost unforgivable to let her die without any help and so I hated the doctors and surgeons. Although I knew they were trying hard, in my eyes they were not trying hard enough. They were trained to save lives but my mothers life wasn't being saved; instead her life was being taken cruelly by a disease that was not her fault and the nurses thought it was okay to blow it off as 'there's nothing we can do, I'm so sorry.' What they could not comprehend was that even though it would only effect their lives for a few minutes, the lives of the family and friends of that person would never be the same again and surely for that reason alone they should keep trying and pushing their knowledge to create a cure for my mothers strain? I wasn't only furious with the hospital though, I was distraught with myself that there was nothing I could do to make her feel better. She'd blessed me with life and I couldn't return the favour by giving her longer to live. I knew she didn't blame me but how could I not blame myself? She was dependent on me and I was not strong even enough to provide comfort.


Chad came to pick me up as agreed at 6.30PM. There wasn't much of a conversation on the way back from the hospital as I was consumed with fear and after my outburst at him hours before, I believed Chad was rather hesitant to fire up a lengthy discussion.

As we pulled up outside his house he quirked his eyebrow and glanced at his watch. "Troy's home early!"

"Troy?" I questioned. I recalled Chad describing Troy to me before but the details had clearly brushed straight over my head.

"My house mate. He's a really nice guy; usually keeps himself to himself so you wont have to worry about any intrusion of privacy. He's a basketball player too!" he explained, enthusiastically.

I nodded my head softly, taking in the information and making sure this time it actually sunk in. Chad was a basketball fanatic working for a local school teaching children how to shoot hoops. I was proud of him- he was co-captain of the basketball team in high school and since then he'd built on his talents and really made something of himself.

We gathered my belongings from the car and made our way into the house. I was extra attentive as I walked through, taking note of my surroundings and trying to get the homely vibe going. I wasn't one for sleeping over at others' houses so this experience would be another one of my firsts- albeit unwillingly.

In the hallway there were a vary of different images, each one symbolic to Chad and the people he was with yet each one seemed to be basketball centered- typical Chad.

The most intriguing picture was one of Chad with another man, who looked around about the same age as Chad, Taylor and one of her girl friends. I assumed that the young man was Troy, his house mate and for a second I actually felt something more than my overcasting depression- an urge of curiosity. The man himself looked rather mysterious, like there was more to him than meets the eye and I felt compelled to learn more. The lady beside 'Troy' looked angelic and extremely timid in her body language- I assumed she'd be rather shy if I were to meet her in person.

The pictures had made me wonder whether I was ever going to meet Chad's other friends. He was a part of our friendship group and had been since preschool but I knew he had other loved ones who he turned to when we were failing to be there for him. Chad had also known Taylor since preschool, they'd began dating in Senior Year and had been together ever since. I admired them dearly for their strength and devotion towards each other despite the constant rumours that surrounded their relationship- to make the transition from high school sweethearts to having a cherished, loving relationship was never easy.

Chad took me into the kitchen next and I figured this was where the mess began. There were pots and pans at the side of the sink waiting to be washed and the table still had the mornings breakfast on. I suppose I could expect no less in a house full of men and if I knew Chad, whether his house mate was tidy or not didn't matter because he'd only find a way to make more mess.

"Pardon the clutter" he excused smoothly, stifling a laugh as he took in my expression.

I looked on, almost horrified at what was appearing before my eyes as I looked around the room.

"Oh, come on Gabs. There's two men in one house and you expected it to be neat and tidy? You've known me for long enough now for it to register with you that I don't live in a clean environment. I'd of thought you'd of expected nothing less" he said clearly amused by my appalled reaction.

I opened my mouth to retort but was interrupted by a clearing of the throat. Both Chad and I spun on our heels to see the same man from the picture standing there, smiling apprehensively. Chad chuckled lightly and placed a hand to my back guiding me towards the man.

"Gabi, this is Troy. Troy, Gabriella." he said, grinning happily as he watched myself and Troy shake hands and exchange pleasantries.

"Nice to finally meet you, Gabriella. I've heard a lot about you." he said, nodding towards Chad.

"Likewise, Troy." I said softly, contemplating whether it was actually a lie to say that since the previous descriptions of him had gone in one ear and out of the other.

They say you make your first impressions of a person within ten seconds of meeting them and I'd certainly made up my mind about Troy- he was just as Chad had labelled him earlier and I could easily recognise why Chad has agreed to sharing his house with Troy; however the lingering mysteriousness hadn't disappeared and in fact, had only grown stronger. He had a total cryptic aura about him that made me want to gain more knowledge about his past.

Chad politely informed Troy that he'd be sleeping on the sofa for the night and despite my protest I failed to persuade them both that I'd be fine there myself. Troy joined us on the rest of the tour around the house, which was both exciting yet disappointing since I wanted to take in the house and it's features, and I wanted to talk to Chad in more depth about everything. At least now I had the chance to engage in conversation with Troy about his likes and dislikes.

Troy's bedroom turned out to be the best room in the house and I was overjoyed that I'd be spending my night there. My favourite part about it was the scenic view- there were acres of land with farm animals on, right outside the window and a lake further down that met with the sky as far as I could see. I think Troy figured that he'd won brownie points from me since he had a sly smile on his face at the look of awe that graced my features.

"I chose this room for the view. It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asked, cheerfully.

"Yeah, it really is and to be honest, I'm really not surprised that Chad didn't think of choosing this room. I bet he went for the bigger room, right?' I said, turning towards Chad to receive the confirmation that what I said was indeed a fact. For the first time in months, I actually laughed. It was such a huge revelation and it took me a few moments to actually believe that it had happened. When I had finally gotten over the shock, I relished in the utter relief and the lightness that had overcome me.

As we went to see the garden, I let my mind ponder over the information and I made my full judgment on the situation. It was a good conclusion; I knew I was going to be happy here and I didn't have to worry about getting in the way; if the first of Chad's friends were so lovely, I couldn't wait to meet the rest.


The next morning I awoke to the rain slamming against the bedroom window. Just one look through the window showed me that it had been raining throughout the night. I always preferred autumn because of it's colourful nature, it was really beautiful, but the wind and rain that came with it this morning meant I couldn't even enjoy the view or the animals outside. I turned over in bed to look at the clock; 6.30AM. For an unknown reason I felt a pang of strength and hope in my heart that everything may actually be okay, alongside a boredom and yearning for work. My job was as motivational speaker, primarily in high schools but sometimes I'd branch out to actual events like talking to businesses, if necessary. I'd prepared an emotional, personal speech 2 weeks ago when I needed a release, a burst of emotion and I suddenly felt the urge to inspire people. Acting on impulse, I called work and told them that I wanted to come in. They were unsure at first about me actually presenting something due to the stress I had been under but I insisted stating I needed to get away from everything, including the hospital, and was assigned a high school near Chad's house.

As I walked up to the school, papers in hand, I sighed. Life was so much easier back in high school- the drama was difficult at times but it was nothing compared to the stress and pressure of the real world, having to actually take things seriously and be mature about situations where you just wished you could hide away, or turn to someone older and wiser for support. Nothing was ever as serious and you never had to think about family members dying.

Some of the teenagers stared at me as I walked into the gate, whispering and saying that they believed I was going to be the one speaking to them that day. I smiled at them and kept walking, my head held high. I had to be professional- this was my job and I was good at it. If I couldn't help my mother and keep her alive, I could at least try and help the next generation to keep the peace between them. This was not only a way that I could get my emotions out, but it was a way to change at least one person's life for the better.

I conversed with the teachers and explained a little about what I was going to be doing and then watched as the children walked in and sat down on the seats in the hall. When all were seated, the head of the school introduced me and gave them back ground information about what I was there for. In those minutes, I looked out at the audience and watched their reactions intently. It intrigued me to see the different people and how they took in the information; there were the ones who looked bored already, the ones who looked towards the 'God' of the school to see what he thought before copying, and there were the ones who were genuinely interested. The head teacher walked off the stage and I took a deep breath, composed myself and walked on to the stage.

"Hi, I'm Gabriella Montez." I stated, smiling widely.

"As Mr Gately has just explained I'm here to speak to you about life and love in general. While most of you will sit and roll your eyes finding this pointless- I can guarantee that you'll get something out of today whether it be now, or 10 years down the line so although I cannot force you to pay attention today, I can only hope you respect me enough to listen." My eyes landed on the guy most people kept glancing at as I forcefully punctuated that line and smirked mentally as he leaned forward indicating he was going to be attentive.

"Okay, lets get started. A few questions- how many of you have lost someone close to you?" I was surprised at the response to my question, when over half of the room raised their hands.

"Over half the room. Interesting. And how many of you have felt guilty over something you said to those people before you lost them?" Over 3 quarters of the people who raised their hands before, did so again.

"Well, me too. Losing people is never easy and it's something we all try to ignore and push aside as though it doesn't happen, but it does. Everybody here is old enough now, by law, to take responsibility for their actions and that means when you tell somebody something, you're old enough to know what you're saying. We all say things we don't mean, but if you're too stubborn to apologise how will the person ever know you didn't mean it? If you're too much of a coward to say 'I'm sorry, that was uncalled for and I didn't mean what I said' they'll never know and you'll always feel guilty for it. How many of you have heard of the phrase 'life's too short to argue?" This time, the whole room raised their hands.

"And how many of you actually depict what that means and take it on board?" Only a couple of people raised their hands and a few giggles escaped the people's mouths.

"Hmm. Well, all of you have read or watched Romeo and Juliet by now, right? Let's take that as an example. Two star crossed lovers who cannot be together because of their families ongoing feud. They actually killed themselves because their love was forbidden and when their families saw them dead, they were angry because they had been lied to, and they said that if Romeo and Juliet had been honest from the start they might of reconciled for their sake. How many people truthfully believe that? That despite Mercutio and Tibult dying, the family would put their rage for one another aside and let Romeo and Juliet be together? Even still, it was too late for them to make that decision because the damage had already been done! So what I say to each and every one of you is this: don't let it be too late. My proposal to you is this; make up with everyone you have differences with. Why? Because you never know what is around the corner and before you know it people are gone. They leave way too soon and you never know if they are aware that no matter what you said, you always loved them. Honestly, when a person enters your life, unless you are too young to remember- you never forget them. Even if the relationship is rocky, you're always going to have one fond memory and even though you can't forget the arguments, they're what makes your friendship special, because they've brought you to where you are today. They've made you the person you are. So ask yourself this question- are you mentally and emotionally strong enough to forgive or are you too cowardly and would rather act childishly, because living with a burden of regret is certainly not the way I want to live."

I gave them a few seconds to take it in and I was rather proud of the outcome- not one person looked like they were not taking it seriously. There were students smiling at one another, others deep in thought and some even close to tears. I took another deep breath and closed my speech.

"Thank you for listening, you've been amazing" I smiled as the entire student body came together in a roar of claps and I looked to the back of the room where the teachers were stood, tissues in hand, giggling softly. To my surprise, there stood Troy, clapping too in what looked like a basketball uniform. I furrowed my brow and as I made my way off stage, the deputy head teacher taking my place, I walked over to where he was.

"That was incredible" he complimented, clearly in awe.

"Thank you!" I blushed. "I never knew you worked here? I mean, Chad told me you were a basketball player but he never said you taught it"

"That's because he's jealous that our team kick his school's butt each season" he said, smirking.

I giggled at the competitiveness and looked back at the clock at the other end of the hall. "I... uh... I gotta go. It's getting late and I need to go and see my mother"

He nodded sympathetically and looked down at his phone. "How about we swap numbers? You know, to keep in touch and all" he suggested.

"That'd be great!" I smiled, genuinely happy that I'd made a friend out of Troy.

After we had swapped numbers, I made my way back to Chad's house and got changed into something more comfortable before grabbing my purse and phone and setting off again. As I caught sight of the hospital, the looming black cloud took it's place back over my head. I sighed; it was going to be a long day.


My mother was worse than expected and I felt guilty for actually enjoying my day and going work. I sat by her side the whole time and for once, she actually asked me to stay with her overnight.

"Gabriella?" She called out, her voice raspy.

"Yes?" I replied, placing my hand over her shaking one. She looked so tiny laying there and I felt all the more helpless knowing I couldn't revive her and give her the burst of life she needed.

"Will you stay with me tonight? I mean, you don't have to but..." I cut her off mid-sentence.

"Of course, you don't even have to ask" I smiled weakly. Shit. This scared me, greatly. It meant she was afraid of being alone. When the maths was done properly, it showed she felt worse and was worried for her health.

The nurse came in and wanted to run a few blood tests and change her drip, so I left the room and went to get a magazine to read as I predicted she'd be asleep for most of the time I was there.

To my surprise, she was awake for about an hour and we chatted about a thousand and one different things. The conversation was mainly carried by me but I understood that with her chest she couldn't do a great deal of talking without feeling discomfort. When she fell asleep, I got out my magazine and managed to take 15 minutes away from it all and just relax. The nurse then came in with a portable camp bed so I didn't have to sleep in a chair and I snuggled in, facing my mother and gradually drifted off to sleep.

The next day, I woke at 7:30AM due to the ward round. My sleep had been interrupted for most of the night again with emergency buttons being pressed, people arriving and others crying out. My mother seemed to be feeling brighter in the morning and even suggested I take the day out. At first I refused, but not only did she insist, I received a text from Troy.

'I'm not working today. Is your mother feeling better? If so, do you want to get a smoothie from Starbucks? Troy'

I smiled and turned to my mother who was half asleep. "I love you" I whispered softly, placing a kiss to her hand.

She mumbled a quiet "I love you too"


I met Troy at his house and, as a typical girl, made him wait 15 minutes while I got ready. When we were finally ready, Troy drove us in the opposite direction of the Starbucks I knew, but we still got to a Starbucks; a more reserved, quiet place with a country park across the way.

"Wow. It's beautiful! I didn't even know there was one around here!" I said, scanning the area briefly.

"It's a great place to come to think. Do you go to the one in the city?" he asked.

I nodded, still in awe. We walked in an glanced at the boards above the worker's heads, choosing what we wanted.

"What are you having?" I questioned.

"Strawberries and cream, you?"

I pulled a sickly face before replying "Chocolate and cream"

After an argument over which one of us was to pay, I gave in and let him pay. We decided instead of drinking in the car, we'd go and sit under a tree in the country park and get to know each other better.

"Red or Blue?" he asked.

"Red. Chips or chocolate?"

"Are you serious? How am I supposed to choose?! Erm, Chips!"

I giggled. "The more manly choice"

"Shut the fuck up" he joked, winking at me.

We were laying against a tree just relaxing and getting to know each other in a fun way, and for once in three weeks I found myself gaining a sense of comfort- from Troy. He got up and motioned for me to follow.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"We are going for a walk" he stated, pulling me up.

We ran through the leaves kicking them aside and racing down the path. Out of breath, chests heaving, we rested against the tree when my phone rang.

"Probably Chad" I assumed and didn't think to check the caller ID.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Hi, is this Miss Montez?" the voice on the end of the phone asked.

"Umm, yes?"

"It's Highmill hospital here. It's about your mother, Mrs Montez. She's just had a heart attack. The doctors have managed to stabilise her for now, but they don't think she's going to last long. I'm so sorry."

"I... uh... what?" I asked, tears brimming in my eyes. How could this be when she was so well this morning? It still hadn't registered with me and I froze in complete shock.

"I'm sorry" She repeated.

"C-can I come down and see her?" I asked, stifling a sob.

"Absolutely. But... Gabriella- make it quick" she said, slowly.

I pressed the end button without answering her, and as the tears flowed down my face I turned to Troy.

"Do you think you could get me to Highmill hospital like... now?"