*I do not own The Suite Life On Deck or any of the person's related to the show!!!!

Zack's eyes flicked to the clock, watching the time as it dragged on. Cody had promised earlier in class that he would help Zack study. The only thing is though, Zack wouldn't be studying his homework as much as his brother. Zack had felt weird that morning, knowing something bad would happen and unfortunately, he currently feared the worst while thinking of his brothers absence. It wouldn't be a bad idea to go check with Woody, just to make sure Zack hadn't neglected to hear his brother that day for the thousandth time. He could have said that he canceled their plans and gone with Bailey. He couldn't remember.

Zack pulled open his bedroom door, glancing up the hall then straight across to his brother's room. He knocked loudly.

"Yo, Wood-chip!" Zack waited impatiently as Woody rolled from his bed and opened the door.

"Yes~?" Woody stood in his pj's, a onesie that was obviously a little too small for him and just a little unpleasant to look at.

"Is Cody in? Or did he go with Bailey?"

"I thought he was over with you but he could be with Bailey, it's after curfew though."

"I know, but he wont answer his cellphone and he's not with me...I'm going over to her room."

"Let me know if you find him!" Woody called to Zack as he ran down the hallway.

Zack arrived at Bailey's room and was disappointed to only find a concerned Bailey and a confused London. Neither of the girls had a clue where Cody could be, their last remembrance of him being around four that afternoon. This changed Zack's mood to frustration. Not knowing where his brother was, if he was okay, was killing him. His last option popped into mind. Moseby.

Zack ran to where Mr. Moseby's room was located, out of breath as he knocked on the door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Mr. Moseby opened the door and suddenly frowned. "What is it, Zack? This better be important! And you do know it's after curfew?!"

"I know...I-I can't find Cody..." Zack's eyes held concern as he looked at the man who was no taller than himself.

"Did you check with Bailey?"

"Yes, I can't find him anywhere..."

"Alright, let's go look around and get some more people to help. I'm sure he's just find and found somewhere to read and lost track of time." Moseby removed his pale blue nightcap and placed his jacket over his night shirt as he escorted Zack to get Bailey, London, Woody and Miss Tutweiller.

Zack looked high and low, all the places he knew Cody would go if he needed some alone time. But he wasn't there.

--- ---

Bailey entered the biology room and checked around before she noticed a strange smell. The smell was disturbing and oddly strong. She couldn't place the smell, what it smelled like. Suddenly, the smell of rusty metal was all too familiar. Blood.

The girl searched, the smell being strongest to her left and by instinct and determination, she followed it before stopping dead in her tracks. A pool of red liquid was slowly seeping from underneath the door to the supply closet. The knot in Bailey's stomach tightened as she already knew what was behind that very door. Cody.

She slowly opened the door before letting out the bloodcurdling scream that she was trying her damnedest to hold back. There on the floor lay Cody's lifeless body, covered in blood and unmentionable fluids. He was bound, gagged and nude from the waist down.

Bailey darted her eyes away from the sight, fighting the tears. She was unable to move from her position in the room, afraid to leave the beaten boy alone. Footsteps approached quickly, obviously responding to Baileys scream.

"Bailey?" Moseby was the first in the room, and the second to see Cody. "Bailey, go with London and Woody, we need medical help right away."

The girl stood frozen until his hand touched her shoulder, causing her to race out of the room in shock.

Miss Tutweiller arrived, her hands covering her face and her eyes growing wide.

"Wh-what happened?!" she stood by Moseby, blocking the door to the supply closet, unable to look at the poor boy that was on the floor.

"I don't know."

Zack ran into the room, eyes ablaze, "Where is he?" it obviously wasn't a question. It was a demand.

"I don't think you should see this Zack."

"He's my brother! He needs me!" Zack pushed his way through and froze at the sight.

The blood scared Zack, it was a sign that Cody was far from alright.

"C-C-Cody...?" Zack knelt down by his brother, unconcerned by the blood that now stained his pants. He gently placed his hand on his brothers shoulder, feeling the coldness of his body.

"Zack, please." Mr. Moseby spoke.

"Sh-shut up..." Zack trailed his fingers over to Cody's neck, gently pressing his fingers to where his pulse should be, feeling the gentle tap against his fingers. Good sign. But not good enough. The gash in Cody's head was large, and he had lost a large amount of blood. He was obviously fighting to stay alive.

It was about half an hour until a helicopter was able to land on the boat, all the while Zack held his brother's hand.

'I'll be okay, Zack. I promise...' the words seemed to have come out of no where, but then Zack remembered something. The set of twins had ESP with each other. Cody's voice was gentle and calmed Zack a little. Knowing that his brother could still communicate the way they so few times had done, gave him the reassurance that his brother would be fine.

--- ---

Paramedics arrived and attempted to remove Zack from the picture, but he refused and stood his ground by Cody's side. Well, more like knelt his ground in a sense. He watched protectively as they untied Cody's wrists and loaded him onto a stretcher.

Zack spoke up, "I wanna go with him..." more like had to go with him.

"Alright, but you need to stay where we tell you to. There isn't much room in the chopper." a man spoke to him.

Zack nodded and watched as they loaded his brother into the helicopter, fallowing closely behind.

The ride was long and painful, not just the roar of the helicopter, but the pain that seared Zack's heart and mind. No tears flowed from his eyes even though he could feel the dryness in his throat.

The ride to Boston Medical Center was long, but not as long as it would have been if they had just driven the ship to dock. Zack's body hurt. He could feel the pain his brother was in, especially the splitting pain that shot across his head and lower back. Everyone knew Zack was stronger than Cody, so he endured the pain for his brother. Almost as if he were taking the pain away from his brother so he would feel better. If that were the case. But no, Zack only experienced a portion of his brother's pain, the same way they shared depression, happiness and so many other emotions at the same time.

Zack's eyes stung with rage, he wanted to hunt down and confront the bastards that did this to his brother...but he wasn't sure how. But right now, this was no time to think about revenge. He needed to make sure his brother would be okay.

Zack was so deep into thought, he didn't realize that the helicopter had touched down on the tar mat, already flinging the door open and rushing his brother out and into the building. He ran to keep up with them but stayed clear knowing that they would need their space to help his brother.

"I'm sorry, sir. You can't go in there. We will be sure to have someone get you when you are able to see him." the nurse gave Zack a reassuring smile and offered him a seat.

Zack took the seat in the waiting room, grateful that the woman wasn't a bitch to him. The twins' mother would be there soon, panicking and crying her eyes out with the string of never ending questions for him that he probably couldn't answer anyways.

Zack looked across the waiting room at the large clock that ticked on the wall. It was already four in the morning. It felt like he'd been sitting around for days watching the fish in the tank swim in circles. The angel fish bobbed around while the other colored fish that Zack couldn't place the name of darted back and forth.

"Zack!" Carey ran into the room with Mr. Moseby behind her and threw her arms around her slouched son. "How is he? Do you know anything? What happened?"

"Hi, mom. I haven't heard anything..." Zack tried not to imagine what had happened to his brother, he didn't want to discuss it, especially with his mother.

"Okay, okay. Are you okay sweetie?" She looked him over.

"I'm fine mom..." Zack looked down at the floor, trying to count the carpeted tiles before a pair of shoes distracted him from his train of thought.

"Mrs. Martin?" Zack jumped up in front of his mother as if she wasn't even there. The doctor noticed Zack's curiosity and spoke to him, "he's currently stable and we can allow visitors one at a time...he lost a lot of blood so we had to give him some transfusi-"

"-Where is he?" Zack interrupted, only wanting to see his brother.

"This way." the doctor lead Zack through a doorway marked ICU and lead him to the room Cody was in.

Zack hesitated in opening the door but then grasped the cold metal handle and gently turned it. His eyes were clenched shut, he was afraid of the sight his brother was in, but opened them as Moseby laid a hand on his shoulder, nudging him forward.

Zack took a shuddered breath stepped into the room trying to find words to say to his brother; but much to his dismay, Cody was sound asleep on the bed. Wires were hooked to him that came from either machines that made sounds, or IV's. Cody's face was as white as the pillow he was resting on. Or maybe as white as the bandages that were wrapped around his head. Zack wasn't sure which was closets to his brother's current color, but he wasn't fully concerned about the color of his twins skin, he was just glad to see that Cody was right in telling him that he would be fine.

"C-Cody...?" Zack walked over to the bedside and placed his hand on Cody's. 'Wake up, please?'

Cody didn't respond; right away that is. After a few minutes though, he opened his eyes and blinked at his brother, "Zack..." tears welled up in Cody's eyes and he held his arms to Zack.

"It's okay, I'm here..." Zack held onto his brother, rubbing his back in small soothing circles. "I'll never...let anything happen to you again..." Zack placed his hand under Cody's chin, lifting his head up to meet his gaze.

"Don't-," Cody sniffled, "-don't leave me again..."

"I'm sorry...I wont, I promise." Zack kissed Cody's forehead and held him close to his chest.

Carey soon entered the room and ran over to the side of the bed, "Oh, Cody! Are you alright?"

Cody didn't answer, he just buried his face deeper into Zack's chest. Carey frowned, but didn't protest when her son didn't respond.

--- ---

The next day, Cody still refused to speak with anyone other than his brother. They were the only two that knew what happened completely, that is, until the police came in for questioning.

Cody cried, and whispered everything to Zack while he repeated what his brother said to the police. They had enough evidence to obtain the men that harmed Cody with his descriptions and the fact that there were cameras on the ship that linked into a network.

After sometime, Cody had cried himself to sleep with his arms wrapped gently around Zack's waist.

"How is he?" Mr. Moseby walked into the room and sat in a chair close to Zack.

"He's okay now I guess, he fell asleep..."

"Here's a better question, how are you doing?"

Zack looked up with terrified eyes, "I was so scared for him...He told me he'd be fine, I knew he would...physically though, not mentally..." Zack quieted his voice to a whisper and dipped his head down, placing his face into his hands, "I just don't understand how this could happen to him, why wasn't it me? I keep crying, and crying, but...my tears wont fall and I can't seem to figure out why..."

"I understand, Zack. I see changes in you."

Zack looked up confused, "Change...?"

"I think you wont cry because it's your brother's turn to cry...you know that it's not about you and that he needs you to be strong for him right now."

Zack nodded and looked down at Cody, toying with his blonde hair that draped over his face.

"Would you like for us to have Cody switch rooms to be with you?"

"Could you? I don't want him not by my side..."

"Alright, Zack. I'll see you both in a few days." Mr. Moseby left the room.

"Nng...Zack?" Cody rubbed his eyes and looked up to his brother.

"Hmm?"

"I'm in pain..."

Zack lifted Cody into his lap and pressed the button that released morphine into Cody's IV. The morphine slowly took effect, relaxing him and causing him to fall back asleep.

Zack sighed and closed his eyes, drifting to sleep with his brother tight in his arms.

--- --- ---

Chapter two!!! well...?

ne, I promise, it'll get better...