*Waves*

Heyyyyyy. I have something to report…I know these reviews have been completely random, but I've resolved to update every Friday! Now, onto the reviews!

Northrnstar: That means a lot to me! Yeah, it was even intense to write it, and I even knew what was going to happen!

Guest: :D sorry! I just couldn't keep going!

ForteKham617: Wow…I-I don't know what to say except….well….thank you! I honestly didn't know it was that good! And to answer the question about replying to the reviews…YUP! XD

And here's the story!

Mike's POV

"Brick, I don't even know how to tell you how sorry I am!" I wailed. It was visiting hour, and Brick had dutifully come to my side.

"Cadet, it's fine! I don't blame you for any of this…" Brick said. But of course he would say that…

"You should! Had I not gotten Jo so mad…Had our argument not distracted you…Had I not been born…" I trailed off. Quickly, Brick grabbed my shoulders.

"Don't ever say that! Look, you might not agree, but life without you in it wouldn't be the same! Mike, you're pretty much my best friend! Plus, Zoey would be completely hopeless without you!" he joked, a huge grin sliding across his face. Despite my efforts to keep a straight face, a smile of my own appeared on my face. It had been a while since I had smiled. Lately, my face held a worried look. Seeing Brick healthy lifted some of the unbearable weight off of my shoulders.

And yet, I was still worried. Would this stop me from graduating? And the others…would they be able to graduate? Would Zoey even live to see her own graduation…?

I hated the questions about Zoey. To think about her feeble condition was just…I couldn't… If she died…it would be all my fault…That's why I promised myself that I would go to see her no matter what. If she were to die…I'd be by her side through it.

"So how are your legs?" Brick asked with a concerned expression, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Not great…the doctor says they might be damaged beyond repair…Luckily, I might have the option of a leg transplant if they don't heal soon. He says a nerve might have been broken, and that's why nothing can be fully determined at this point," I informed him with a grim face.

"Well I wish you the best, soldier…."

"So…do you know about Jo's condition? I haven't heard much about her," I mentioned.

"I heard she's doing fine. I don't think she's able to walk around yet, but my doctor reported that she's only got a few broken bones," Brick said easily. I sighed in relief. Having Jo die mad at me would never be good for my conscience.

So I guess it was Zoey we had to worry about…The odds of her coming off as easy as Brick were slim. Very slim. This knowledge gave me nightmares, scaring me to the point where I stopped asking about her condition. I knew the doctors were doing their best, but I feared that I'd never see her smile again.

"Brick…" I started. I was afraid to ask the question, but I pressed on. "Do you….do you think Zoey loves me…?"

His eyes boggled out of his head. "What kind of question is that?! Of course she does! Anyone with eyes can see it!"

I nodded thoughtfully. "Well…now, do you think she's…happy…?"

"Huh?"

"Well, with everything that's happened…with all the tragedies in her life, do you think she'd be happy to keep living? I mean…her family is gone…so what's there to smile about?"

He shook his head, a small smile plastered on his face. "Mike, Mike, Mike….You stupid little….I can't believe it…. "

"What?"

"You don't get it, do you? She's got YOU!"

"…"

"Haven't you noticed that whenever you walk into the room, she perks up? At the sound of your name, her face brightens! If anything good has ever happened to her, it was you! Just standing there will make her happy!"

"For real?"

"For real," Brick nodded.

I was thunderstruck. Just at a loss for words. I groped for something to say that matched the brilliance of what he just said…but all I could do was sit there with my mouth hanging open. A thousand feelings were streaming in my mind, and in my heart. Mostly, it was like rush hour in my mind. Memories of us just spending time flashed through my head. The time we wrote on balloons. The times we kissed. The birthday party. Laughing with Brick and Jo. The time we sat on the bench in the park, just talking. Ordinary activities had always become magical for us. I yearned to go back to the day we sat together, not saying a word because we didn't have to. We were one. A thousand words had passed between us on that day, but had we realized it? Maybe somewhere in the back of our minds. At the back of our minds, we knew what had just happened between us, but we chose to leave it there. We left it there for the day we were old enough to appreciate it. Simple moments together had always meant to be much more. Every single word to each other was a small part of something big. The building of our relationship. Every interaction we had contributed to this moment in time.

Next to me, as these thoughts zipped through my head, Brick sat. And forever I'd remember that he was beside me through one of the most eye opening experiences of my life. Brick was the best friend I could wish for. But how was it that it took such an experience like this for me to realize it? It was times like these that made me wonder how blind I had been.

"And as for family," Brick suddenly said. "She's got us for that!"

Days later (Brick's POV)

It felt like an entire lifetime until I was able to see Jo again. In hind sight, you never really realize how long you've been waiting until the day comes. And boy, did it come…

The first chance I could, my feet pounded across the shiny floors to her hospital room. Breathing heavily with my arms and legs pumping away the distance of the building, I barely felt the ecstatic grin the slid onto my face. All in all, I was as happy as a kid on Christmas. In fact, I felt years younger as I rocketed to her room. I finally slammed to a stop outside of her room, taking a moment to catch my breath.

At my entry, her head turned to me. A grateful smirk spread across her weak face.

"Brickhouse…" she whispered. I felt shocked at how her usually powerful body shrunk under the covers of her bed. She looked…so frail. This wasn't the Jo I knew. In fact, if it weren't for her signature smirk, I wouldn't have recognized her at all.

"J-Jo…is it…really you…?" I asked softly. She nodded. Perching myself on the edge of her bed, I let out a sharp whoosh of breath. Without even thinking, I caressed her soft cheek. To my complete surprise, she didn't protest or offer a harsh retort like she usually would. All she did was close her eyes and allow me to sit there and continue to pour my heart into such a heartfelt action.

She was very quiet as I filled her in on the others. Not much like herself, I saw her eyes grow deep with concern as I told her about Zoey's feeble chance at surviving. Jo's behavior was unnerving, but I was just glad I was able to sit next to her for a while. A pang of hurt flowed through me as I understood how terrible it had to be for Mike, not being able to be by Zoey.

Too soon, it was time for me to go.

"See you later Jo," I said, kissing the top of her head. "You're the light of my life…"

"B-Brick…" she said hoarsely.

"Yes…?"

"Sh-shut….the h-heck…up…" she managed to spit out. There was a moment of pure silence until my laughter pierced the air. Leave it to Jo to give me the kindest words in the English language!

Mike's POV

It wasn't until a week after Brick's first visit that trouble started brewing. It was a pretty normal evening until the doctor burst in, telling me that Zoey's condition was becoming severe, with the probability of losing her skyrocketing.

Brick burst in after him.

"She's not looking too good, guys!" he exclaimed, a few beads of sweat dotting his face.

"I-I've got to see her!" I yelled, immediately sitting up in the bed.

"You can't walk!" the doctor reminded me.

"Then get me a wheelchair or something!" I ordered. "Anything! Just…please! I have to see her!"

They both nodded, scrambling to go find a wheelchair. Seconds felt like hours. And as the seconds multiplied, I grew impatient. I knew that time was running out.

I willed myself to move to a position to tumble off the bed. Quickly, I rolled onto the floor, wincing at the harsh impact of falling onto it's hard surface.

I'll never make it like this! I thought. I knew what had to be done. Forcefully and painfully, I willed my legs to move. Slowly yet surely, I pulled myself onto my feet. I had just zombie my way to the door when I noticed Brick and the doctor tearing down the hall with a wheelchair, their eyes wide in wonder.

"H-How did…." They sputtered.

"Save it! We don't have much time!" I reminded them. I was glad they didn't bother to reply as they helped me into the chair. We sped down the halls at breakneck speed, ignoring the strange looks we got from others. Eventually, we arrived at her room. A machine next to her bed was beeping away like crazy.

"Zoey!" I hollered, pushing my way next to her bed. "No! This can't be happening! It just can't! Z-Zoey! You're the only ray of sunshine I've had in years! If I lose you…Nothing will ever be the same!"

"M-Mike! I think she hears you!" Brick shouted. It was true. The beeping had slowed down as I spoke. "Keep talking!"

"Zoey….I never told you this, but I love you! I love you, okay? You've got to fight it! Please don't leave me! Whatever you want, I'll make sure you get it! If you ask for the world, I'll get it to you! Just…stay with me…" I pleaded miserably. To my surprise, the beeping returned to its normal speed. I noticed that I had been holding my breath in and let it out in a long sigh.

Her eyes fluttered open halfway. My eyes almost popped out of my head.

"M-Mike…?"