A\N: I enjoyed writing this story and i hope you enjoy it as well. Please review
The mind is a powerful organ. They say it is made up of three divisions, the conscious, subconscious and the super subconscious and they serve as an entity to the mind itself. The mind converts our emotions and thoughts into something we can understand. That's how God intended it to be. But staring at the picture on the dressing table I fail to understand how he would intend for people to feel what they feel. I fail to understand why he sometimes does the things he does. Sure, they say it's to teach us a lesson and know exactly how much we need him. Where was he when I needed him? Eight months ago my husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and the doctors said the tumor had spread to too many organs to be treatable. So I suggested a second opinion and a third until he stopped me and said we should just accept the inevitable.
Where was he when I needed him to make it all go away?
"Adrian I told you to put your raincoat on"
Every Saturday Gabriella Bolton would pack her son's backpack for the trip to Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque where they would spend the day with Troy. And he attempt to pretend that he wasn't in pain.
"Now" she ordered him and the ten year old boy sighed and put the play station down and grabbed the raincoat his mom had been nagging him about.
"Gabriella you always get like this when you visit him" Maria tried to talk her daughter out of seeing her ailing husband
"Mom I'm fine, honestly"
"Gabi it hurts me to see you do this to yourself"
"Adrian turn that TV off, mom I'm just going to visit Troy at the hospital and come back, that's it"
"No that's not it, you visit Troy at the hospital come back cry till your eyes bleed call me and I have to look after Adrian while his mom is too busy mourning her not so deceased husband"
"Well I'm sorry I'm such a nuisance to you mother but in case you haven't noticed my husband is lying sick in bed and only has the company of doctors and cold hospital beds so seeing him once a week is the least I can do for him not feel like his family has abandoned him"
"What about you? Gabi" she held her daughters hand "I love you, but you've attached yourself to Troy so much that I worry what will become of you once he's…"
"Once he's what? Say it"
"Gabi"
"I have to go" Gabriella let go of her mother's hand and grabbed Adrian's backpack and held him in the other hand.
"Nancy really what do you call this?"
She laughed before saying "Your food, now eat"
"I don't see the point I'm dying anyway" he said almost to himself
"Well with an attitude like that you won't get any better" she said adjusting his pillowcase
"Thanks Nan' if it weren't for you and my family I wouldn't have made it this long"
"…Why are you so convinced that it's over?"
"….You know how you said when you looked into your husband's eyes you knew you would spend the rest of your life with him?"
"What about your family? Your wife"
"She's the reason why I'm going to do what I'm going to do" he said
"What"
"I'm going to ask Dr. Sinclair to pull the plug, tonight"
"You can't do that, what-"
"Yes I can, Nancy you don't know what it's like to sit here every week and see Gabi go through the same pain over and over. And if I don't do this, she never will"
"So I'm guessing you don't want me to tell her?"
"No, you and Sinclair are going to tell her and the rest of my family that I died"
Nancy held her breath and sunk in the emotion that was threatening to erupt "I can't do that"
"Please"
"Daddy" Adrian ran in the room and jumped up the bed "Dad"
"Hey bud, where's mom"
"Right here" Gabriella came in the room holding the blue backpack tightly in her hands "Sorry we're late"
"It's okay" she bent down and kissed him and as she sat on the bed Nancy realized what Troy seen in her eyes, the smile that was hiding so many feelings and pain. Seeing the family interaction Nancy couldn't help but see Troy's point and the love Nancy had had for Troy deepened. Catching Troy's eyes as she moved towards the door while Gabriella was saying something to him they shared a small piece of information that would change the lives of the people around him.
She nodded and walked away.
It was hours later and Adrian was asleep on the bed beside Troy, like he always did. They always talked about simple stuff, Gabriella's week and her work and the daily goings of Troy's hospital life. They held hands and held back what the other wanted to say
"I miss you"
"I'm with you right now" he joked
"You know what I mean"
"Yeah I miss you too"
"Will we ever get back to the way we were" she asked him and though she knew it was impossible her eyes were begging him to say yes.
"Things will get better"
She stood in anger "Troy don't make promises you can't keep"
"I promise this, when you leave you won't be burdened anymore"
She sat back down on the bed "What do you mean?"
"I mean, my baby won't have to cry herself to sleep anymore"
"….I don't do that" she whispered
"Just because I'm in this new version of hell doesn't mean I've forgotten who you are"
"Have you been talking to my mother?" she smiled with him "Come here" he said and she walked the few steps and sat on the bed once again "I love you Gabriella and would do anything for you"
"Why are you talking like that?" she asked her eyes filling
"…Remember when we were eighteen and it was our first anniversary and I picked you up at your place"
"How can I forget, we had our first time in the backseat of your truck"
"That was also when I nearly killed you"
"Troy it was an accident"
"An accident that nearly cost you your life, when I thought you were dead…" he held both her hands "it was the worst feeling I've ever had in my life. I was an eighteen year old kid what did I know about pain? But when I saw you lying still like that, not breathing, I felt like someone had told me my pet died but ten times worse"
"Troy you don't have to-"
"No, I have to say this, I wouldn't wish that sort of pain on anyone, least of all you, but what you're going through right now…is like someone telling you I'm dead every Saturday"
"Troy-"
"And I can't let that happen anymore" he said, looking at her hands
"What are you saying Troy?"
He finally looked at her, fully knowing that that look would be the one he would keep forever
"I'm saying goodnight"
"What"
"Visitation hours are over, you don't want Nancy coming in here again" he smiled
"Right" confusion was evident in her voice but he chose to ignore it and hurry her off. "Will you tell him I love him for me?"
"You know I will" she hugged him for dear life and for the life of her she couldn't understand why this visit felt different.
"You know I'll never be able to measure my love for you but no matter what I will always love you"
"I know"
"Mrs. Bolton" Nancy called and they turned around "It's time"
"I don't want to go" Gabriella sobbed out of the blue and Nancy knowing the outcome of the situation walked out before she said anything.
"Gabi, you have to go"
"Can't I just-"
"No" he said his voice strengthened.
"Alright, well goodbye Troy" Gabriella picked up a sleeping Adrian "Until next week" Troy smiled at her and she quivered before walking out the door.
She covered Adrian with his blanket and turned the lights and slightly closed the door.
"Gabi" her mother called from the living-room and Gabriella walked to her "Mama" they stood a few inches apart and seeing the all too familiar look on her daughter's face Maria opened her arms and Gabriella ran to them.
Chad, Taylor, Zeke, Sharpay and Jason all stood by his side as Troy and the staff prepared themselves for the final era. They all surrounded him and the looks on the faces were of distress and shock. They couldn't believe Troy was doing it. Some of them couldn't look but still couldn't tear their eyes away. Taylor held unto Chad for dear life, fighting the urge to stop Troy from doing it.
"Troy please" Taylor begged him
"I can't and you can't either, promise me, promise me Taylor"
"I promise"
He took a deep breath and looked at Dr. Sinclair "I'm ready"
The Doctor put down the sheets of paper Troy had signed earlier and headed towards the three plugs that kept Troy's almost lifeless body alive. "Do it" Troy said
The Doctor nodded and headed for the first plug "Bye guys"
"Bye hoops" Chad holding onto his weak wife for dear life weak and sad goodbyes echoed the room. The Doctor pulled the first plug and Troy felt himself grow tired and weary. By the pulling of the second plug Taylor put her hand on her mouth and ran out the room. Standing outside the small room Taylor took out her phone and quickly dialed Gabriella's number.
"Hello" Gabriella's tired voice answered the phone
"Gabriella"
The Doctor pulled out the last one and everyone gasped and even though the room grew noisy Troy heard her name and saw Taylor talking on her phone through the blinds
"NOO" he yelled but his lungs grew dry and his throat begging for air but by the time the Doctor placed the plug back in it was too late. Taylor turned and saw a still Troy looking at her through widened eyes.
The only sound that was heard was the straight beep of the computer.
It was eleven-thirty when the phone fell from Gabriella's hand. She ran through the hospital and all the strange looks she got from people she didn't care about. But when she entered his room and saw Chad consoling Taylor, Zeke and Sharpay holding hands and Jason staring ahead. She looked at him and yelled out.
"NO!" She fell to the floor
"Gabriella" Chad called but all she saw was him. "Noo" Chad bent down and tried to hold her
"NO don't you touch me, don't any of you touch me"
"I'm sorry" Taylor sobbed
Gabriella turned towards Taylor with deadly eyes "You're sorry? YOU'RE FUCKIN' SORRY"
"Gabriella calm down" Zeke said and as soon as he said it she stormed at him and pulled his shirt, punching him as hard as she could. Chad pulled her away and held both her hands "LISTEN TO ME"
"Noo" she cried
"Gabriella listen to me, this is what he wanted"
"WHAT ABOUT ME? WHAT ABOUT HIS SON?"
"He set up a trust fund for Adrian's education and for your well-being"
She forcefully pulled her hands down "I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT" her eyes turned towards Troy's body "I don't care about that" she walked up to the bed and held his hand "Baby, baby come back to me, please"
"Gabriella" Taylor attempted but she stopped her "I will never, ever… forgive you" she turned back to him and continued to beg him his lifeless body.
"Come on guys, let's give her some space" Chad said and they all one-by-one left the room glancing at Gabriella who was pleading Troy to come back to her.
The following day Gabriella packed her and Adrian's suitcases and belongings.
"Where will you go?" her mother asked
"I don't care anywhere but here"
"Gabriella just sleep on this for-"
"No I can't breathe in the same room as them, let alone the same town"
"Mom can I bring my PS3?"
"Yeah sure" she said absent-mindedly
"Yess" he said and happily ran out her room
"Well when will you come back"
"I don't know mother, when I feel like it" she wheeled her suitcase "Adrian you ready?"
"Yeah"
"Goodbye mom"
And Gabriella left her mother standing in the living-room
After landing in London Gabriella and Adrian checked into Three Towers, the hotel Troy had told her to go to. Opening the hotel door Adrian dropped the small bag he was holding and ran to his father's arms.
"Daddy"
"Hey bud, how was the flight?"
"Long" he pulled face and Troy laughed
"Where's your mom?"
"Aren't I always right here?" Gabriella said and walked towards him and was enclosed in the hug.
"And how was your flight?"
"I don't care as long as I got to see your face at the end of it" she smiled and they kissed.
When Gabriella got the call at eleven p.m she hadn't expected to hear Troy's voice on the other end. He told her that Taylor or the other girls would call her later on informing her about his death and about how he planned to fake his death and move to New York so that he could use the medication that was yet to be approved in the U.S, thus being illegal. And so he planned to let everyone think he was dead so that he could use the medication Dr. Sinclair had prescribed under the radar on the terms that he would move someplace else. And so now Gabriella had to act out her outburst in order to make it look real. It was nine-thirty and they sat on the bed
"Do you think they'll ever forgive us?"
"I don't know"
"Troy you should've seen my mom's face, she was heartbroken"
"I'm sorry I made you do this" he said playing with her hands
She looked up "No I'm glad you did, this is a lot better than thinking you're dead"
"…I told you I'd never let you think that" he smiled and she smiled as well realizing now how he had thought this plan out. She lay back down on his chest "Troy" she whispered
"Yeah"
"Make love to me"
"….I don't know I mean I'm not one hundred percent cured"
"Oh, well that's okay I guess we could wait-"she was stopped by his lips on hers
"There's nothing I want more" he said and kissed her before clothes were shed.
THE END.
