Surviving the Aftermath

Summary: Physically and emotionally scarred from a harrowing ordeal, six Wildcats face their greatest hurdle yet. Together, they try to move on. But how do you forget when your internal and external wounds may never heal? See trailer.

Pairings: Chaylor and Troyella. Mentions of Zekepay. Ryan will also feature but with no pairing.

Disclaimer: I think you can guess; if you know it, I don't own it.

Warnings: Dark emotions. Possible character death(s). Rated T for some language and injuries. Probable spelling and grammar mistakes due to my lack of beta.


2. Discoveries

"This is it?" Troy asked, unable to hide his disappointment.

After leaving the others, he and Chad had wandered aimlessly through the hospital, Chad still rambling about nothing in particular and Troy only half listening. Following Chad's eager display, Troy hadn't expected his guided tour of the hospital to be like this. So far, all he'd seen was suffering. There were young, sick children who should have been out playing, confined to solitary, curtained cubicles. Grieving family members were comforted by worn doctors, weakening from having to deal with death every day. The strong disinfectant couldn't mask the unique metallic smell of blood in the air. There was pain all around.

And all the while, Chad strolled through, oblivious to all that was around him. His smile didn't fade. His chirpy speech did not sadden. It wasn't that he didn't care; he just didn't seem to notice. Troy envied him. He'd give anything to be so carefree.

"This is it!" Chad replied with a hint of pride. He had been chattering about an amazing place where he'd found 'crazy torture devices' and 'toxic substances'. Troy knew his friend could exaggerate but when the secret location was finally revealed, he couldn't help but make a fuss at the anticlimax.

"Dude," he said, disdainfully eyeing his surroundings. "It's a storage cupboard."

Chad's broad, excited smile wavered. "Storage room." He corrected. "And I know…" he added meekly. "But still. Look at this stuff." He pushed past Troy to get through the doorway and into the small, unlit room. He searched one of the many metal stacks of shelves and produced a few little glass bottles and sharp pieces of surgical equipment. He held it all up in his hands for Troy to see. "Cool, huh?"

Still unimpressed, Troy sighed and looked around. "Should we be here?" He asked. "This stuff should be locked away, shouldn't it?" He didn't mean to be a killjoy but he wasn't in the mood any more. He'd been hyped up for an adventure; an escape from all the depressing reality of the hospital. Chad hadn't succeeded at all in taking his mind off things.

Chad shrugged, his mood dampened by Troy's lack of enthusiasm. He'd wanted to make his friend smile. He wanted it to be like old times, when they'd break the rules and discover things and just have fun. But Troy was different. It was understandable considering the circumstances but Chad just wished he could relate. He felt as if he was on the outside looking in while Troy circled the drain of depression and he could do nothing to stop his friend from falling into the darkness.

He returned the objects to their original positions and hoisted himself onto an empty surface beside a sink. "You alright?" His voice was suddenly serious. His face was drawn into a concerned and focused frown.

"Well, you know…" Troy knew it had been coming. It was only a matter of time before Chad switched to worried-friend-mode.

"No," Chad avoided Troy's eyes by toying with one of the taps on the sink beside him. "You never tell me. We've barely spoken." He wanted Troy to talk to him. He wanted to be confided in. That's what best-friends were supposed to do.

Troy moved further inside the room and shut the door behind him. He walked to the wall opposite Chad and set himself down on the floor. "What do you want me to say?" He leant backwards so his head rested on the wall and his gaze lifted to the ceiling.

Chad ran his fingers under the cool water and, rather than answer, waited until Troy continued voluntarily.

He wasn't looking at him, but Troy took the hint. He knew sooner or later, he'd have to talk to someone about his feelings and all that stuff. At least it was Chad he was talking to. At least there was the advantage of his emotions being shared with the person he felt closest to. His brother.

Chad wasn't the most understanding of friends. He had been against Gabriella at first, he hadn't liked the idea of Troy doing anything but basketball- and that still wasn't something he had fully warmed up to yet- and he was never really one for serious chats that weren't sports related. But he was always there. He was loyal. And he cared. He was still a child inside but it was surprising to realise just how down to earth he could be. Sometimes, Troy wondered if his friend's immaturity was almost like a mask. A barrier against reality. The real Chad, fully aware of the struggles in life and how things don't always turn out how you plan them, was hiding deep within the shielded, thick skin.

Not a day went by that Troy didn't wish he could be like Chad. It should have been the other way round; Troy was captain, after all. He was the basketball hero of the school, a role Chad had always wanted. But Troy would give anything to be as untroubled as his best-friend. He wished that things would be that easy for him; he could wake up with a smile, go to bed still smiling and not once want to scream at the unendurable cyclone of thoughts in his head.

Truth be told, Troy had been a bit of a wreck before the forest. School was stressful. There was a constant pressure from his dad. He was looked at differently for breaking the status-quo. He wanted so much to impress Gabriella and, although he knew she loved him, some days he wasn't sure if he was enough. Not to mention the future. College. They still had their whole senior year to go but… then what?

And suddenly, his life got turned upside-down. And the future seemed all the more ominous as his hopes got dashed down the drain. His friends had changed. He had changed. And things were set to get a hell of a lot harder.

"I tell myself to deal with it." He started suddenly, almost fifteen minutes after Chad's original question. "'Cos at least we're alive, you know? But, then I wonder," He focused on a faded brown stain on the ceiling and didn't let his eyes leave it for a moment. "What's the point? Not in a suicidal way or anything but, why keep living? Why should we have to 'deal with it'?"

He paused at the squeaking sound of Chad adjusting the temperature of the tap.

"And my arm!" He continued with exasperation. "Of all the things…. My right arm. So, there goes my basketball career. There goes pretty much any career! And I'm screwed really." He grabbed his right hand with his left and lifted it so it was level with his face. "Because the doctors say I'll have to wear this stupid sling for the rest of my life." As if for emphasis, he dropped his heavy hand back into the sling.

Another squeak sounded as the tap was twisted again. Troy was starting to wonder if Chad was even listening. He continued nonetheless.

"Gabriella." He sighed, unable to stop himself. He'd bottled up his emotions for so long. Now that the floodgates were open, he couldn't stop the torrent of doubt that came flowing out. "She keeps saying nothing's wrong but, come on, I'm not blind-… sorry." For a second, his eyes flickered to Chad who seemed too fascinated by the water to have noticed the possibly offensive, Taylor-related remark.

"She's being discharged soon." His gaze returned to the unusually-shaped, brown stain. "And then what? I know she won't visit. She hates it here. After she's gone, I won't see her again until they let me out and by then she might…" He chuckled to himself at the ridiculous thought. "She might have forgotten me. But that would be-."

He would have continued if not for the quiet screech of the tap being turned yet again. "Are you even listening?" He looked down from the ceiling in time to see Chad adjusting the temperature of the tap until steam rose from within the metal sink. Although his fingers were now red from the heat of the water, he did not attempt to move them from under the near-boiling stream.

"What are you doing?" He asked, narrowing his eyes uncertainly. He observed Chad's jaw harden and a few solitary drops of sweat running down his forehead. "Doesn't that hurt?"

Chad ignored the question. "Gabriella could never forget about you." He assured through clenched teeth. "You just gotta show her how much she means to you. Take her on a romantic date or something."

"In case you haven't noticed, we're in a hospital…." Troy reminded him.

Chad nodded with a slight, sideways smile. "You don't think hospitals can be romantic?" He turned the tap hotter still and intently watched the water trickle over his reddening skin. It looked sore but, if it hurt, he didn't seem to notice or care. "There's one more place I have to show you. I guarantee, Gabriella will love it." His voice trembled slightly.

"Really, man, why are you doing that?" Troy asked suddenly. He wondered for a second if Chad was in some kind of numb daze. Even his speech was uncharacteristically calm and verging on slurred.

"Hmm?" Chad's fingers and gaze remained where they were, completely undeterred.

Troy got to his feet as quickly as he could with the aid of only one arm. "Dude, stop."

When Chad did no such thing, Troy strode purposefully across the small space that separated them and physically pulled his friend's arm away from the water. Chad's steaming palm now lay shaking in his lap.

Stunned and confused, Troy shut off the tap. "What was that all about?"

Chad looked down at his hand as if it were a foreign object or a part of someone else's body. Blinking almost wildly, he flexed his fingers slowly and stiffly and winced at the pain it caused. He turned it over on his lap to inspect the knuckles. "Dunno." He said simply. He wriggled a little bit on the spot as if he had just returned to his body and felt a little unsettled within the skin. Then, he shrugged and pushed himself off the surface so his and Troy's faces were mere inches apart. He stayed there for a second before a giant and slightly manic grin exploded on his face. "Onwards?" He suggested joyfully.

He didn't wait for Troy to answer. Instead, he drifted to the door, turning once he reached it to prompt his frozen friend. "Last stop on our tour is that special place for you and Gabi." He beckoned Troy to the door with two outstretched hands.

Almost reluctantly, Troy followed. He didn't know what had just happened; if his mind had been playing tricks on him or if he was just exaggerating. Either way, Chad was acting weird. Different. And it scared him.

Meanwhile, the remaining four friends sat upright in their beds doing absolutely nothing, as usual. The word 'bored' didn't even begin to describe how they felt. There wasn't even a flowing conversation to keep them interested. They were literally just sitting there, in silence. Breathing. Every once in a while, Taylor would adjust her blindfold or Gabriella would change position in bed. Ryan might stretch his arms or Sharpay would sigh. But that was the full extent of their entertainment.

The atmosphere had been awkward all morning and showed no signs of easing up. The longer they stayed there, it seemed, the more tension would build. Tempers were wearing thin and it almost felt as if they were building up to an emotional explosion.

Beep. Yawn. Tick. Hiss. Sigh. A steady rhythm of unnatural sounds; the only thing that kept the room from being completely silent. It was so constant that it was slowly driving them insane. There was never a break; a moment of peace. Just this non-stop, rasping melody.

Sharpay heaved an especially exaggerated sigh and wet her lips. She then cleared her throat to ensure she had everyone's full attention before speaking. "I'm sorry." She announced.

Since her few harsh words, she hadn't been able to shake the feeling of guilt that was eating away at her conscience. She'd never been one to care too much about other peoples' feelings but things had changed. Circumstances were different. And although the apologetic words weren't dripping with sincerity, there was certainly truth behind them.

"Gabriella," she waited until Gabriella reluctantly looked at her. "It was wrong of me to snap at you. I understand you're suffering as much as the rest of us." She forced the words out, not used to being so considerate, almost as if reading from an auto-cue.

Ryan watched his sister with bewilderment. He'd only ever seen her apologise a few times in her life. He could tell it was hard for her and couldn't help but feel a hint of pride twisting the corners of his lips into a small smile. He never thought he'd see the day. Sharpay apologising to Gabriella. Now, that really was something.

As much as Gabriella appreciated the effort, the apology made no difference. The truth was, Sharpay had been right the first time. It was unfair of Gabriella to make them suffer more when all she had to deal with was nightmares. Even if Sharpay said otherwise, she could tell that's what all of her friends were thinking. She knew they thought she was a coward, milking her minor problem for all it was worth. She knew they were right.

"And Taylor," Sharpay turned her attention to the other girl. "Sorry I brought you into it."

Taylor smiled, grateful for the acknowledgement. Like Ryan, she could tell that saying sorry wasn't easy for Sharpay and knew that it meant a lot. "It's okay." She said, meaning it. She'd seen a difference in Sharpay and could tell that, although sometimes her comments were brash, she was trying. It was a start. And it was enough.

Sharpay squeaked with delight. "Great." She said with relief, her guilt subsiding and a smile growing on her face. "'Cos the last thing I wanna do is upset yo-." She stopped with a pained gasp. Her excitement had let her get a bit carried away with herself and her smile had grown beyond the boundaries that her injuries had created. The sudden movement of her cheek muscles and stretching of her facial expression tore some of her fragile skin. She had grown used to the constant pain in a way, but it was surprise bursts like this that made her briefly relive the initial agony. She frowned and clutched the side of her cheek, her glee disappearing in an instant. Angrily, she made a mental note to remember that painkillers don't work against smiles.

"What's wrong?" Taylor had heard Sharpay's quiet outburst of pain and was instantly concerned. She never knew the extent of people's emotions now that she couldn't see them. She had no idea how to determine what was going on when she didn't have one of her most important senses to rely on. She had to decipher situations though sound and through the reactions of others. Using those skills, she acertained that whatever was wrong with Sharpay couldn't have been too bad since neither Ryan nor Gabriella had been worried enough to ask. But still, pain was pain. And something had to have caused it.

Scowling, Sharpay removed her hand from her face and spoke. "I smiled." She explained sullenly. "And it hurt." All of her chirpy happiness had dissolved. She was the old Sharpay again, moody and fierce.

"That's the price you pay for being nice, I guess." Ryan joked. He'd known the positivity wouldn't last. Sharpay couldn't do friendly. She'd just proved it.

Against her wishes, Sharpay let out a slight chuckle at Ryan's comment. She'd been thinking the same thing. There she was, making an effort for once, and how did karma repay her? With a fresh dose of pain. Clearly, being nice was just too dangerous for her.

Their moment was cut short by a doctor entering the room. Dr. Harold Conan; a man who wasn't afraid to get straight to the point, had been specially assigned to help Ryan. He entered now with a look of certainty and grimness on his face and bee-lined straight to the foot of Ryan's bed. Unlike most other doctors, he didn't not make the effort to flip through the boy's chart. Instead he regarded the surrounding teens, who watched him as if he might suddenly explode, then turned back to Ryan and took a deep breath.

"Do you wish to have this conversation in private?" He asked what was clearly a thoroughly-used phrase of his. "I have some news for you."

Ryan glanced around at his friends. Gabriella looked more nervous than he felt. She was biting her nails and her eyes were darting from Dr. Conan's back to Ryan's face. Taylor had leaned forward to pick up any words that she could and listen as closely as possible. Sharpay had an eyebrow raised, waiting expectantly for Ryan's answer.

"We can do it here." He said, turning back to the doctor. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sharpay nod with approval.

Now, it dawned on him. His doctor had some news. And, from the look on his face, it wasn't great. Over the week, Ryan had been coasting through, having operations that were necessary but never having to make any real decisions. They did what they had to do and he just had to give his consent. Something told him, that was about to change.

"As we feared," Dr. Conan began. "And as we warned you a few days ago, the damage to the bone in your calf is irreversible."

The world came crashing down around him. He couldn't think. He felt so sick. He was certain he was about to throw up. It wasn't like he hadn't been expecting it. But the confirmation was heartbreaking.

"Now, we've been going over the options…"

All Ryan could hear was his heartbeat. Like incessant drumming in his ears, it just got louder and louder, drowning out the dreadful words. Thump. Thump. It beat against his ribcage and slammed against the inside of his head. Block it out. Block it out.

"…But there's really only one thing we can do…"

He wanted to cover his ears and sing at the top of his voice like a child. Listening to his heart wasn't cutting it anymore. The words were breaking through. He didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to be there. Life wasn't supposed to follow this route. He'd had it all planned out. He was a dancer. A dancer.

"I'm afraid we're going to have to amputate your leg."

And he'd never dance again.


A/N: Sorry for the delay but I was away for a week and, as you probably know, the site had some issues too. I'm not keen at all on this chapter and will get the next one up ASAP to make up for it. But, I have to say, my passion for this story is fading and I may end up abandoning it all together. I've written up to Chapter 7 already though so it'll at least go that far, however I'm seriously considering pursuing a completely different path in story-writing. Not sure what yet but I'm feeling for change. Tell me what you think and, as always, thanks for reading!

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