Author's Note: Please review.

Chapter Two

"Cody?" Zack whispered, quietly stepping over to his twin, "Wake up." Zack shook Cody's freezing arm. Cody didn't wake up. "Cody!" Zack repeated louder. Cody didn't move. Cody's face was pale and cold. Just then, a doctor entered the room, scowling at Zack.

"What are you doing here? Visiting hours haven't started yet. Who let you in?" the doctor looked bewildered.

"I – uh, kind of let myself in," Zack stammered.

"Well, next time you let yourself into a hospital room, think twice before you do it. You could really harm a comatose patient if – "

"Wait, what? Cody's in a coma?" Zack stared at the doctor, his mouth opening and closing like a fish that has been thrown onto dry land.

"Yes. I'm afraid so," the doctor answered, "I am doctor Diggs, and I am going to be working on helping Cody."

Zack nodded, "I – I'm Zack Martin, Cody's twin brother."

"Oh, is that so? I was wondering why you look exactly like him," Doctor Diggs said, "Now, why don't you go back home? Where are your parents?"

"My mom is dead," Zack answered. He felt strange saying that phrase. It was like he knew it happened, but it wasn't really happening. He couldn't get the facts straight. He couldn't realize that his mom was gone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Doctor Diggs frowned.

Zack nodded. "C-Cody – is Cody gonna be ok?" he asked.

"Yes. He will," Dr. Diggs smiled assuringly. But Zack could see right through that smile. He knew that Cody had a life-threatening injury, and was most likely going to die. Zack headed towards the door. He was going to take his chances and go to the Tipton. No – he was going to call his dad.

"Can I talk to Kurt?" Zack asked the woman who picked up his dad's cell phone.

"One moment," she answered. Some shuffling and muffled voices sounded in the background. The voice came back, "I'm sorry. Kurt is busy right now. Would you like to leave a message?"

"Please. This is important. I have to talk to him," Zack pleaded.

"Who is this?" the woman grumbled.

"I'm his son Zack."

"Well, whatever you need to say can wait," the woman argued impatiently.

"No, it can't. I said this is important!" Zack yelled into the payphone. He wanted to find that woman and beat he up.

"I'm sure it's not as important as what he is doing now. Your father is in the middle of a concert." The ignorant woman spat. The line went dead.

It looked like there wasn't a choice. Zack needed to go back to the Tipton – at least until he could reach his dad.

Zack didn't look at anyone when he went into the Tipton. Yet he knew that everyone was staring at him. People huddled around him, saying things that Zack couldn't hear for some reason. His mind went blank, and all he could hear were distant voices floating into the back of his mind. He knew he couldn't stay here any longer. He felt a strong rush of anger fill him up. He hated everyone here at the Tipton. He hated his dad for being at his stupid concert. He hated himself for no certain reason. He just did.

He turned around and ran out the door, as fast as he could. No. He would never have anything to do with the Tipton again.

Zack sat at the front of the hospital. It was the only place he could think of to go. He didn't know what to do. He didn't have anywhere to go, or anyone to go to. He was all alone.

"Hello there," a young woman, looking to be about twenty said as sat down next to him.

"Hi," Zack mumbled, not bothering to turn around.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Everything," Zack murmured.

"Well, why don't you tell me about it. We'll see what we can do," she smiled. For the first time Zack looked at her. He didn't want to talk about it, but he wanted to at the same time.

"My mom just died, my brother's in a coma and some stupid lady won't let me talk to my dad!" he blurted out.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," the woman replied gently, "What happened to your mother?"

Zack hesitated, but decided to tell her, "She was pinned to the ceiling. Her throat was slit open. Then, she suddenly lit up in flames."

"Pinned to the ceiling? Oh my! How? What happened? Why did it?" the woman stared in curiosity at Zack. He didn't want to tell her, but something made him blurt out, "I've… I'm not sure. The thing is that Cody, my twin brother, and I both had these nightmares… I thought it was just weird dreams, and that never would have happened, but… anyways, in those nightmares, I saw this thing – it wasn't obvious what it was, but I somehow knew it was a demon. It came into the living room and started talking to mom… then the next thing that came, mom was stuck to the ceiling, bleeding, and then fire appeared. I never thought the dream would come true. But it did! A demon killed her."

"You're saying that a demon killed your mother?" the woman gasped out, looking like she was on the edge of either laughing or screaming. Zack nodded. She gaped at him, her face turning pale. "That's the worst cover-up story I've ever heard," she muttered under her breath, "Excuse me. I've got a phone call I need to make." The woman left, and ran off to the nearest payphone, babbling something into it.

"Zack Martin?" a uniformed police officer came up to him, holding up a badge. Zack nodded. "I am Officer Bramson, from the homicide department." The policeman said. Zack nodded again. Officer Bramson continued, "Zack Martin, you are an official suspect in the murder of Carey Martin."