A/N: Sorry about the long wait! School just started up again, and I got a serious case of writer's block, so… Anyway, I hope you enjoy! The characters from ParaNorman and Danny Phantom do not belong to me, and any reviews are greatly appreciated.

The waiting room was small and clean and sterilized. The light in the ceiling flickered every so often and you could hear the faint buzzing of circuits. The few people who were there sat quietly on blue plastic chairs, barely stirring as someone new was rushed past them on a stretcher, surrounded by shouting EMTs. Apparently, this happened far too frequently to get worked up about.

No one said a word, or even noticed, as three children slunk through the door, following the chaos. One was near tears, his breath coming in wet, audible gasps. He walked across the room, his footsteps unnaturally loud on the white tile floor, and fell into one of the blue plastic chairs. It creaked beneath him and he readjusted his red baseball cap, unintelligible curses muttered under his breath.

The youngest of the three looked terrified. His lip trembled and he was gripping a girl's hand, presumably his sister's. She murmured comforting nothings as she guided him to a chair, before sitting down beside him. He continued to clutch at her hand like it was his lifeline. Like she was the only one there who could keep him together.

She herself appeared to be the least grief-stricken of the three, but even she wasn't left unaffected by whatever had happened. Her brow seemed permanently creased in concern, and her eyes were abnormally bright.

Only one person noticed their entrance, although he didn't let on that he did. After all, everyone who came here had the same look on their faces when they walked through the door. Scared. Tear stained. Nothing made these three any different.

The man snapped his magazine up, the crack of the paper sharp in the blank, sterile air. After all, he had his own problems to worry about.


Tucker tried Sam's phone again. "C'mon, c'mon…" he muttered under his breath. After what felt like an eternity, she finally picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sam. It's Tucker." He looked up at the ceiling, trying to figure out how to say it. "Sam, something… Something's happened."

There was some shuffling in the background. "What's wrong?"

"I… I'm at the hospital. Something's happened to Danny."

A pause. "This is a prank, right?"

"Wha— no! I'm serious, Sam! He-he had a heart attack or something! He's in intensive care!"

"What are you talking about?"

"He showed up with some kid and his sister! They said he just collapsed and—"

"No he didn't."

"Sam! I'm trying—"

"Tucker! Cut the crap and listen to me. Danny isn't at the hospital. He's with me, so you can stop pretending that—"

"What? But he's—"

"I'm at his house. We're doing Lancer's group project today, remember?"

"But, no — He's in the emergency room! I just saw the EMTs carry him in on a stretcher two minutes ago!"

"You're really not gonna give it a rest, are you?"

"Sam, this isn't a prank! Danny could be dying, and you need to get his parents and come to the hospital!"

Tucker heard some indistinct mumbling on the other end. He waited. There wasn't much else he could do. He swallowed, trying to get rid of the unbearable tightness that had suddenly crept across his throat. Then, "Dude, you have got to time your pranks better."

Oh, God. "Danny?"

"Who else? Tuck, Sam's gonna kill you."

"But… but you're dying! The doctors said your heart stopped…"

"Um… what?"

"How can I be talking to you?"

"It's called a phone, Tucker. Seriously, what's going on? Sam said you told her I'd had a heart attack? I mean, seriously? If I was gonna die, it's not gonna be from a—"

"This can't be happening." Pushing down the panic, Tucker had a sudden idea, "Wait, did you use the Ghost Catcher or something? Is that how you're—?"

"No. Of course not. Why would I—"

"Danny." Tucker regained some of his composure. "I just watched you die. I rode in the ambulance with you."

"But I'm right here. I keep telling you, I'm fine."

"Exactly. So what the crap is going on?"

A/N: I'd like to note that (as of now) I have never been in an ER, so I'm basing this entirely on secondhand descriptions. I hope it's not too obvious. But beyond that, special thanks to anyone who has reviewed this story so far! It really means a lot to me, and I'm so grateful for the wonderful feedback.