Welcome to short story month! Twenty-five straight days of short stories, revolving in order! Check the DeGrassi Saviors website and my page for the calendar.

Winners for last week's poll are up on the DeGrassi Saviors website and new character polls are up. This week it's Drew, Dave & Spinner. Be sure and get your votes in the poll will stay up for one week.

Also the home page on the website has been changed so check that out.

Ch. 2 Awake but Cannot Open My Eyes

(CLARE)

"You don't have to go to school Honey, you can stay home and avoid the reporters," Mom tells me as I grab my backpack to go to school Friday morning.

"I don't think she can avoid the reporters at all," Jake comments looking out the window at the reporters on our front lawn.

"I've already called Officer Turner he's on his way to escort you both to school," Glen says.

"I want to go to school, I need to stay busy or I'm going to think about that psychopath jumping into my car and holding a knife to my throat after he killed his own mom and slicing Owen's thr…" I'm rambling when Jake puts an arm around me and I take a deep breath.

"I'm sure she'll do better at school surrounded by her friends," Jake tells my mom just as Officer Turner pulls up in his patrol car. Two more officers pull up in a second car and force the reporters to make a path while Officer Turner comes to the front door and Glen lets him in.

"There are more reporters near the school and we sent a more officers to escort Tristan to school because there are reporters at the Milligan's house. Jake and Clare will follow me out to the car, Clare I want you to walk directly behind me and Jake in the back. Do not talk or look at the reporters and get directly in the car," Officer Turner tells us.

Mom hugs me tightly until Jake and Glen pry her off of me, then Jake and I follow Officer Turner to the car. I sit in the passenger seat and Jake sits in back. Turner drives us to school and there's a crowd of reporters just outside the school. They can't go onto school grounds but they're all gathered right outside, Turner drives through them and parks right at the steps and Jake and I get out. Turner says officers will probably need to escort us home. Adam, Jenna, Alli and Dave are on the steps and they come down to the car, Dave opens the back door to let Jake out and the others come to my door.

"Those stupid reporters I wish they'd just go away," Alli remarks helping me out.

"Ignore them come on let's get into school," Dave says and we walk into school.

"You don't look very hurt," Dallas comments when he sees me.

"She wasn't hurt she was carjacked and Owen was hurt," Jake corrects.

"Whatever, anyone heard how Owen is?" Dallas asks just as someone honks loudly in the parking lot.

The sound of it brings back yesterday morning, when Owen honked distracting my carjacker. It's suddenly like I'm back in the car with the knife to my throat. It all plays out in front of my eyes, suddenly the school disappears and I'm back in the car and I can't move. Someone touches my arm and I jump, gasping just slightly.

"You okay?" Adam questions.

"Yeah just…I'm okay," I nod.

"The first few days are the worst, it will get better and you're safe in here," Drew says and I smile at him. He and Bianca must have come up when I had my eyes closed.

"Come on let's go to class," Adam comments taking my arm. We walk down the hall a short distance before Eli appears.

"Clare I heard about…are you okay I…" Eli begins and then stops and I look away.

Our breakup last week was rather brutal; we haven't spoken since and have been doing our best to avoid each other. After what he did I don't really want him to be concerned about me.

"I'm taking her to class and I don't think okay is the right word. Someone honked in the parking lot and it scared her," Adam tells him. While Adam talks to Eli I notice other people in the hallways whispering and staring at me.

"I'm going to class," I say quietly but my friends all come with me. Dave and Eli also have first period with me and Adam.

"Did Owen really save your life?" Lucy asks sitting at her desk and I nod.

"What was it like? Why'd that guy kidnap you?"

"Shut up, leave her alone," Eli snaps at her and she sits down.

She listens but she's not the last one to ask me questions, stare or whisper at me that morning. Two more people try to ask during class, Adam and I have physics next and when we leave class walking to class other kids whisper and some begin to approach me. Thankfully Drew and Bianca come out of nowhere and do a marvelous job making the other kids stay away from me.

"I will never understand how kids who have never said so much as hello to me in the past feel they can walk right up to me now. Not just walk right up to me but talk to me about what happened, ask questions about it like they have any idea what happened. I don't even want to think about what happened. I told Mom I wanted to come to school but I keep seeing what happened; now Owen is in the hospital because he saved me. And that man, that crazy man jumped into my car after killing his mother and he could have killed me."

"They're curious, you're getting attention and they want to be a part of something. They don't care that you don't want to talk about it. I had all summer after I was shot but Drew went through this after Vince's gang beat him up. It will pass, hopefully by Monday, and I'm sure you can go home at lunch if you want," Adam assures me.

"I don't want to go home either; I'll be alone there with reporters outside my house. If I'm not kept busy then I'll really be thinking about what happened."

"We'll try and keep the kids back, you just focus on making it through the day," Adam says and I smile. I might be barely holding it together but at least I have my friends. When we get out of physics Tristan finds me in the hallway.

"Mom's picking me up to take me to the hospital, they're going to wake Owen up if you want to come," he offers.

"Yes I want to be there when he wakes up," I nod.

I hug Adam and then follow Tris out to the steps, his mom pulls up a moment later and we get into her car. The reporters have mostly been cleared away but when they see us all together the remaining ones jump in their vans and follow us.

(OWEN)

"Owen, Owen Honey wake up," my mom calls to me but she sounds as though she's very away. Almost like hearing someone call to you when you're under water.

I feel sort of heavy and it's dark, and pain lots of pain but I feel my mom's hand squeezing mine and I try to open my eyes. They won't seem to open, I struggle to, I hear my mom's voice urging me to wake up, I hear my brother too. They keep telling me to wake up, to open my eyes and I'm trying but it's never been so hard to open them.

"I'm trying they won't open," I tell them or I try I don't think I'm actually making words aloud.

"Give it time, he's been out for over twenty four hours and his body is still weak," says an unfamiliar voice, a female voice and one of authority.

My eyes flutter, my eyelids feel like massive weights but slowly they open just a little and then close again. I'm so tired, I feel like I played a football game and then immediately played a hockey game and then worked out for six hours. It takes all the will power I have to force my eyes open again. My mom smiles at me with great relief, Tris hugs my waist and the lady doctor gives me a smile.

"You're awake," Mom smiles with tears in her eyes brushing my hair back and kissing my forehead.

"Don't ever scare me like that," Tris scolds and I open my mouth to talk.

"Don't try and talk Honey just rest," Mom tells me and then looks at the doctor.

"You need you're rest Owen, you've had major surgery. Do you remember what happened?" The doctor asks and I nod. "Then you'll remember that your throat was cut, your life was saved because he missed the jugular and the arteries. However your vocal cords were damaged, the nerve and parts of your throat that make up voice box. It is very likely that you won't talk again and you shouldn't even try for several days," the doctor informs me.

It's about this time that I notice someone else in the room, sitting in a chair behind my mom is Clare. She gives me a smile and comes to the bed, my mom moves away for a minute so Clare can stand closer to me.

"Thank you Owen you saved my life," she tells me with a smile but on the brink of tears.

I open my mouth to talk but remember I can't do that so I make a motion of writing. The doctor understands handing me a pen and little pad of paper.

I couldn't leave you in danger and I wasn't going to let him hurt you.

I hand the note to Clare and she smiles kissing my cheek.

"I'm sorry you got hurt," she tells me with tears in her eyes and I write on the paper that I'll be okay and I'm a fast healer.

"Alright I need to do an exam of Owen," the doctor says.

"Why don't you two go down to the cafeteria to get some lunch," Mom tells them handing Tris some money. Clare doesn't seem like she wants to leave and looks like she might burst into tears at any minute. Tris takes her arm and pulls her out of the room. "Clare has been very worried about you, she feels bad that you were hurt. I told her you'd be okay and I'm very glad she's okay too but you shouldn't have fought with that man," Mom says.

He was going to kill her, I couldn't let that happen Mom.

"I know and I'm glad she's safe, I'm very proud of you for saving her but you're my baby and I wish you weren't hurt."

"Alright Owen I need to have a look at you, Mrs. Milligan maybe you should join the other kids for something to eat," the doctor tells her.

Mom leaves reluctantly and the doctor does a quick exam, looking in my eyes and my surgery incisions. She tells me not to talk and get as much rest as I can, she leaves and I start to fall asleep when mom, Tris and Clare come back in.

"I have to get Clare and Tris back to school and I have to get back to work Honey. The doctor said you need your rest anyway, we'll be back this evening," Mom tells me kissing my forehead.

"See you bro, get better fast," Tris tells me.

"I'll come back later too, if that's okay?" Clare asks.

I can't talk or even really nod but I give her a thumbs up and she smiles. They leave and my eyes close again, I fall asleep again within a few moments.

"Yo wake up the party is here," Dallas' voice wakes me up and my eyes open again. Dallas walks in along with half the team, followed by Drew and Bianca and lastly Clare. I wave to everyone and they all get situated in the room. "How you feeling Dude?" Dallas asks.

Exhausted, major surgery makes you tired. I write on the pad of paper.

"Yeah well heroics will make you tired too," Drew comments and I look over as he holds up a newspaper with my picture, "you're a bona-fide hero, imagine that."

The article is kind of small and only has our year book pictures from last year, no recent pictures. The headline reads Local Hero Saves Schoolmate from Crazy Carjacker. There isn't any quotes from Clare or anyone else and very little facts about the whole thing. I set the paper down and pick up my pad of paper again.

Not exactly the way I wanted to be famous. How come there's no interview with Clare and just a bad yearbook picture like mine?

I hand the pad to Bianca and she reads it out loud looking at Clare. She's still standing near the door and bites her lip.

"She's been avoiding the press; they've been trying to talk to her and your family," Bianca answers.

"She doesn't want to think about it she's still traumatized," Drew says.

"So how's it feel to be a hero big shot?" Dallas questions and I shrug.

"Well we just wanted to say hi, see how you are, the doctor said we couldn't stay long anyway and you needed your rest. We'll drop by tomorrow," Drew tells me.

"Yeah come on guys we should go Owen needs his rest," Bianca orders and looks at me, "see you tomorrow Owen, later Clare."

You aren't going with them? I ask Clare as the others begin to leave.

"I came with them to avoid the press but Alli and Jenna are going to pick me up. I'm sleeping at their place," she explains. "I can't believe you saved my life, I was so scared, I didn't even see him he just jumped in my car and then there was a knife at my throat. I thought he was going to kill me, did you know he killed his mom and he was running? He killed someone and he was running he saw me and decided to get away and the knife…I can still feel the knife a…" she's babbling somewhat neurotically and I take her hand. She stops talking when I squeeze her hand and then let go so I can write.

Don't think about it, he's in jail right?

She nods.

Then he can't hurt you, a guy like that won't be released on bail. He can't hurt you your safe.

"Thanks to you, I owe you my life," she smiles.

Anyone would have done what I did.

"No not everyone would have, not even everyone would have called 911. You did more than that, you called 911 and followed us, you stopped him Owen, you saved my life and you lost the ability to speak because of it," she says regretfully.

Yeah not being able to talk sucks. Guess I can't be a coach now, you have to be able to talk to be a coach and yell. Maybe I can make it as a football player for a few years.

"You can do more than coach Owen I know you can. I used to think you were just a homophobic bully but then Tris came to the school. I might not have ever really spoken to you before this or spent any time with you at all but I did see another side to you. What you did for me yesterday is not something everyone would do and I know you can do more than coach. I'll help you find it, you wouldn't be in here if not for me."

Stop saying that it's not your fault you got carjacked. I'm in here because some crazy guy held you at knife point and I wouldn't let that happen.

"I know but you're still in here because of me," she replies and her cell phone makes a noise. "That's Alli and Jenna they're downstairs. I'll be back tomorrow; if you need anything at all call me and I'll…you need my number don't you? You've never had reason to call me before. Here's my number," she says writing it down on my little note pad, "call me if you need anything at all. The doctor says you can't eat yet because your throat is still healing but if you need anything else call me and I'll bring it. I'll come tomorrow, thank you again for everything you did."

Clare kisses my cheek again and leaves the room. I know she feels guilty and I know why but I wish she wouldn't, it's not her fault I'm in here. When Clare's gone I start to fall asleep again, I don't know if it's the surgery, the drugs or just everything that I've been through that's making me exhausted but I can barely keep my eyes open. I wake up again when I hear my dad's voice; my whole family is here and come in the room. Dad tells me he's really proud of me for what I did and Tris says everyone is calling me a hero and all the newspapers and TV shows are calling for interviews. Apparently none of them know I can't talk. My family stays for about an hour before leaving and I fall right to sleep. When I wake up again it's early Saturday morning and a nurse is in the room checking my vitals.

"Good morning Owen, the doctor will be in soon to check on you. Can I get you anything?"

I shake my head and she leaves my room. I turn on the TV and put my bed up a little, the stitches in my neck hurt, my side hurts and I have the urge to swallow but it hurts like hell when I do. After a few minutes the doctor comes in. He does an examination then tells me the stiches in my side will dissolve after a couple of weeks. The ones in my neck will have to be removed, they're keeping me in the hospital a couple of days to make sure I don't get an infection and everything heals alright. I write down that swallowing hurts and it's a little hard to breathe.

"It's the swelling that's making it hard to breathe, if it becomes too hard press the call button. We have you on anti-inflammatories but we may need to up the dosage. The urge to swallow is a side effect and you'll have difficulty swallowing for a while. You also won't be able to eat solid food for a while, not until the muscles fully heal. You won't be able to play sports for several months and we won't know if you'll have any vocal ability for several weeks. I'll see about getting you a vocal computer in the meantime you have your note pad and your cell phone is right here," the doctor tells me opening a drawer and handing me my cell phone.

The doctor leaves and I start to really think about the fact that I can't talk. It's one of those things you take for granted, talking. You learn to talk when you're a baby; even before you can really talk you make noises and sounds that are pre-language. Language is how we communicate and how we've been communicating for thousands of years. Now we're not sure I'll ever be able to make a sound again let alone form words. Communication is essential and I can't talk anymore, I probably can't make sounds at all. Suddenly all I can think about is everything I can no longer do and will never do.

I can't call out plays, can't chat with my friends, talk on the phone, flirt with a girl. I can't talk to my brother, can't assure him when he's feeling down, can't give him advice. I can't cheer with my dad while watching Maple Leaf's games; I can't talk to my family at dinner. I'll never be a coach, I can never call out plays, I can't even give answers in class. I'll never be able to say my vows at my wedding, never be able to talk to my children.

The thought of all this is depressing and makes me angry, really angry. I feel like something is now missing from my life.

"How are you feeling Owen do you need anything?" The nurse asks when she comes in to check on me again.

No visitors please except my family, I don't feel like seeing anyone.

"Of course, there is a young woman here to see you. Cute little thing, I believe she said her name was Clare I'll just tell her you aren't up for visitors," the nurse replies. She turns to leave and I tap my pencil on the paper to get her attention.

You can let her in, Clare and my family but no one else.

The nurse smiles and leaves the room and a minute later Clare comes in. I'm letting her in because I don't want her to think I'm mad at her or that I blame her for any of this because I don't. And I don't want her to think I regret saving her because I don't. I do wish I could still talk but that's not Clare's fault.

"Hi, how do you feel? You look better than yesterday," Clare smiles and I smile back, communicating without words sucks. "The doctor said you'd be released on Monday and can come back to school by Tuesday," she tells me and I nod. "I couldn't drive myself here, I'm afraid to even get in the car alone. I know it's stupid because the guy is in jail but I just can't drive alone right now."

I smile at her and then my family comes in, Clare moves so they can get to my bedside. Mom fusses and repeats everything the doctor already told me, Tris just sits at my bed and smiles at me. My family stays for a few hours, my mom does most of the talking and when she has nothing more to say we all watch TV. Since I can't eat anything my family leaves at lunch time to go eat.

You should go eat too. I write to Clare when my family is gone.

"I'm okay, I'm not hungry. Hospitals are awful places you shouldn't be here alone. I'll leave when you have more visitors, Drew and Bianca are coming and probably Dallas," she says.

I told the nurse I didn't want any visitors they'll be turned away.

"Oh why'd you tell them that?"

I can't talk and writing is exhausting.

"The nurse let me in though; do you want me to go?"

You can stay if you want but you should eat lunch you've been here almost 4 hours.

"I'll go to cafeteria and get something to eat but I'll be back," she replies and leaves the room. She's gone for a while and returns with a salad and a deck of cards. "I'll eat and we'll play cards and you want have to talk. We can play war, no talking necessary," she grins opening the deck of cards.

I watch her shuffle and realize she's no stranger to a deck of cards and she deals them out. I'm not sure if I'm comforting her more or she's comforting me more but I admit it's nice to have company. And we don't talk at all, well she doesn't talk; I don't write we just play cards.

Next update will be Sunday beginning with Owen going back to school most likely.