Title: She's Leaving Home
Author: Rose With Thorns
Rating: T, for language
Summary: Zoe thought she had her entire college experience planned from her first day, but that was before she made friends with the President's son…
I need some sleep
Time to put the old horse down
I'm in too deep
And the wheels keep spinning 'round
Everyone says I'm getting' down too low
Everyone says you just gotta let it go
You just gotta let it go
Eels, I Need Some Sleep
"-have not been confirmed, we have been tipped off to a bomb inside the ball. While the president was no longer inside the building, at this point it was suspected-"
One of the agents changed the channel to some football game.
They were in a building at a "undisclosed location", though she never thought she'd be able to say she'd been in one. Zoe was chewing a fingernail, staring blankly at the TV. Tessa was resting her head on her shoulder. Richard was dozing.
Jeff had been removed and taken someplace safer. They stayed behind. Someone had given them changes of clothing. At the time, everyone was basically locked down; until the situation became clearer no one was allowed to leave.
"Could you explain to me why-"
Zoe jerked her shoulder up and Tessa lost her perch. She shook her head. "Later, okay Tess? Right now is not the time," she whispered quickly.
The hours seemed to pass in silence. Someone turned a lamp on. She squinted.
She squinted.
"You're going to write, aren't you?" Zoe looked up to Shane, a step on the escalator above her. His head was lost in the glare as they reached the upper level, but she could make out his nod, exaggerated by the bag over his shoulder from the quick jerk of his upper body. Lulu was a few stairs below, sulking with her CD player on, the rest of the children and her mother below them.
He was flying down South to train for a few weeks before shipping out. The school had thrown him a party, a small little thing that was really over before it started. She and her siblings were upset at the lack of gratitude from her classmates, too busy fighting over that Moore movie. Here Shane was, going off to risk his life, and they couldn't care less. They were too busy complaining about the fact that there were men who were over there, and that they hated the current events. She'd aired her thoughts to Shane afterwards.
Here they were, the last call for his plane. The others shuffled forward and gave awkward, quick hugs, barely touching him, followed by a brief 'goodbye'. Her mother held him close, as if it was Seth standing before her, leaving. Shane had become another son to her. She patted his arm and stepped back, teary.
Shane took a quick glance outside, and she followed his gaze. It was one of those beautiful, sunny days that always lasted in memories. It caused her to squint, though.
"So…" he trailed off. Zoe looked down for a moment, combat boots, and old beat up sneakers next to each other on a worn blue carpet filled her vision.
"Everyday?"
"Everyday what?"
"You'll write me everyday."
"Is that a question or a command?"
"A little of both, I guess. At least once a week, alright?"
"Yes," he said, with an air of retaliation, dropping his bags finally. He gave her a chastised look, and Zoe laughed, feeling a smile reach her eyes for the first time in a long while. Only Shane…
He could die. His could be the face on the newspaper front, harking to all the war was wrong. She could be the one to know he fought for something that was right and that his death would sting but it was in the name of a just cause. She could be hearing his voice and rolling her eyes at him for the last time.
Zoe threw herself at him, settling for arms around his middle since she was too short to get them where they should be. He wrapped his around her shoulders.
"I'm going to miss you." She could feel him shrug, although her face was squashed against his chest.
"You'll be too busy enjoying college. Please, go enjoy college, okay?"
"Just come back when you're finished."
He squeezed her tighter. "I will."
"We have been able to find a live security camera connection inside the building. We are now going to patch into the…"
"How the hell did they get that?"
"Shit!"
Two of the men ran closer to the screen. There, on the screen was a grainy, black-and-white view of the ballroom. Zoe leaned forward.
She recognized him immediately from his quick, agile movements. It was amazingly distinct. She said nothing, fear clutching at her throat.
"They found it, I think," one of the men murmured. Now all three college students were standing near the screen, eyes wide as they watched. The other agreed.
"Doesn't that mean that who ever planted it knows they found it?"
The other two whipped around and looked at her. "If they wanted the coverage, they have it. If they blew the building up now, everyone would see." Panic gripped her insides.
Both men dived for a phone. Not that it would probably do anything, she realized, with a sickening feeling. Zoe backed up until her knees hit the chair and she crumpled in it. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the screen. Things weren't as clear as they were before, and it seemed like a white noise had taken over. Was it the television or her? There was frantic movement on the screen and she lost her sight of him. The others were yelling. The screen was clearing. They were evacuating. One man fell. Another came back for him. It was Shane. The two ran. A flash went off.
And the screen went black, then started to snow. The news anchor man took back over, somber and showing just the right amount of fear. The room really was silent, now. Everyone was staring with shock at the screen.
They switched to another reporter, standing in smoke and debris. By the bend of her knees and her hair in her face, anyone could tell she'd just barely recovered from what happened.
And as Zoe watched what may have been that anchorwoman's last report, her brain sprinted its way through several thousand thoughts that would have normally taken at least a full day to formulate normally, and simply shut down. She felt cold.
In the chaos that followed they found out several were killed in the blast. Most were able to be evacuated. A few were hospitalized. Investigations were still going on.
The sun was coming up. Although she couldn't see it through the shuttered and latched windows (further observation led her to believe she was in some sort of apartment), her internal alarm was kicking her in the face for staying up an entire night without sleep. Somebody got coffee for everyone, bit it did little for her.
At eight thirty they got a call, saying they were cleared to leave. Tessa and Richard got up with a tired sigh and lumbered towards the door. Zoe didn't follow.
"Excuse me," she said finally. She should know. If she had to tell Lulu and the others then she should know as soon as possible. "Is there anyway to find out if someone is in the hospital? One of those men?" she asked, pointing at the T.V.
The agent looked uneasy for a moment and she rushed forward. "He's a family friend. I need to know. Please?"
He nodded and dialed, then asked her his name. A little bit of hope had found its way into her shoulders, and it was taking all of her strength at this point to keep herself together.
In the eternity that followed, Tessa hissing at the door caught her attention. Her roommate was giving her a 'dish immediately' look that she ignored. Zoe wrapped her arms around her middle.
Zoe was also aware that everyone was watching her.
The agent on the phone nodded and she held her phone as he set the phone back down.
Zoe waited.
"I'll take you to the hospital."
Relief washed over her and she closed her eyes for a moment.
"Hey Zoe, have you heard from Shane recently?"
Zoe opened her eyes. This was not the sort of conversation for table. Stuffing a forkful of green bean casserole in her mouth she purposely mumbled. Her mother gave her an impatient look.
"No."
"But you two were talking nearly everyday."
Surprising, that. Zoe had been sure her mother had been too busy with her real estate job to notice what was going on. With no hired help in the house, Seth and Zoe had taken up most of the chores. Her few minutes to herself before sleep took over were usually spent typing a quick note to Shane. She swallowed the food slowly.
"Exactly." Did her mom understand what she was trying to say? Neither of the two had ever been able to communicate well.
"He's probably busy."
Zoe stared. None of the kids understood what was going on either,e ach too busy with their food or talking to one another. She sighed. "I guess."
She never got a letter after that.
"What exactly is your relation to him?" the nurse asked, looking over her clipboard. There was a twinge in her chest; it was a feeling of sadness. He didn't have any family, anyone close to be notified about his injury.
Or did he?
That was a blow she'd have to field later on. Now she needed to see him.
The Agent who drove her in-McDuffey-flashed his badge, and the nurse nodded. McDuffey said a quick goodbye and left before she could thank him. Zoe followed the nurse.
"He's sleeping. I would be too if I were him. Just make sure he rests."
Zoe smiled, a genuine one, even if it was a tired one.
He looked pale, although that was probably the lights. There was gauze on his shoulder and she could make out more underneath the hospital gown, thanks to the bumps left by it. There were small scratch marks on his face, probably from shrapnel.
The seat next to the bed was an uncomfortable, blue, rough thing that Zoe took without a second thought. It smelled like a hospital. It smelled like bad food. She was sure she could even smell his gauze.
Aninstinct made her take his hand, a bit cold, butit was still warmer than hers where and had the weight that reality caused everything to have. He was alive and in a hospital bed. Zoe started to crumble.
"Zoe?" his voice cracked, it shot upwards at the end. She caught herself from letting into a sob. With the best grin she could muster she turned to face him.
"Hello."
"What are you doing here?" he struggled to sit up and gain consciousness.
"Seeing how you are. Hey, the nurse said none of that. Rest, young man."
The rest of the conversation was pure bravado on both parts. Neither said anything about the fact that Shane was nearly blown up only hours ago, or that they picking up a friendship they'd left off on a year ago. Before was awkward, now it was comfortable.
When she looked at the clock on his bedside table, Zoe realized she had a paper she had to work on. She stiffly got out of the chair.
"Leaving?"
She nodded, but started to scramble through his drawer for paper and pen. "If you ever um, you know, want to talk or get coffee…Well, this is my cell. The thing's basically glued to my hip, so um…" When did she revert to the eloquence of a nine year old? "I'm going to leave, so you can sleep."
He nodded and fell back asleep almost immediately, which surprised her. The nurse caught her on her way out. She was the maternal sort.
"Darlin', do you need to call a taxi?"
"I was-You know I never thought of that. Thank you."
The blonde, older woman waved a hand at her, then took hers and guided her to a phone.
Tessa was waiting up for her when she got back home.
"Alright, I want an explanation, and I want one like last week!" The computer chair turned around. Jordan was eating popcorn and watching TV.
"Dish…after you give me back those hairclips."
Zoe threw the plastic baggy at him and continued to her room. Not now. Maybe when she got up. But not now. Right now she needed to take everything off and crawl into bed. Sleep would solve a lot of things.
