Chapter 12: iCan't Hear Your Voice

"Welcome back." I grinned at Sam as her eyes flew open. It had been a week since I'd seen her gorgeous eyes. I had only myself to blame.

I should've known Jeff and the others would pick Prom to attack Carly. Thank God we'd been kissing in the closet when they tried to force Carly inside to rape her. I was just glad Jeff was a moron. Who tries to rape someone in a janitor's closet? "How are you feeling?"

Sam groaned and sat up in bed. She had helped me fight off the gang before one of them found a mop and used the handle to beat her. I remember the blood around Sam's head. I remember Carly yelling for help. And I remember the ambulance taking Sam away.

"The doctor said you'll be fine." Carly told Sam, trying to smile instead of cry. "There's no concussion."

Sam frowned and her hands reached up to her ears. She kept whispering two words that made my heart stop: Can't hear. Can't hear. Can't hear.

"Get the nurse!" I shouted to Carly. She ran out of the room, looking scared. Sam was starting to hyperventilate. Tears fell silently down her face as she touched her ears. I couldn't see anything wrong with them….but my voice did have that affect on her. I guess she'd always hate the sound of me talking.

"Sam!" I shouted, grabbing her shoulders. "What's wrong?"

Sam's terrified eyes stared into mine. "I'm deaf."

X

"What do we do now?" I asked Carly later that night in her room. Sam was asleep on the couch downstairs. They'd given her a drug to make her calm down. The doctor had called to give us our options. Whatever the hell that meant. "What did he say?"

Carly took a deep breath. Her eyes were red and puffy. "She's completely deaf. A hearing aid won't help her at all…but a cochlear implant might."

"As soon as possible." I said, reaching for the phone. "Maybe they can schedule the surgery for tomor-"

"We can't." Tears shined in Carly's eyes. "They have to cut into her brain, and it works better if you're a baby. And it's permanent. It's too risky."

I put down the phone, feeling helpless. Sam had lost a sense forever. She would never hear laughter again, or the sound of raindrops on the roof, or even me whispering "I love you" in her ear. Not that I ever had, but I'd been working up the courage!

"We'll make it work." Carly assured me. "She can keep her cell phone on vibrate, and there are a couple deaf schools in Seattle…and we'll all learn sign language."

"Sign language?" I repeated. "You mean use our hands to talk? No thanks."

"God, Freddie, you think I'm happy about this? I hate it just as much as you do! But we can't change what happened. We have to do the best we can."

"I'm not going to learn sign language. I want her to hear my voice."

"Then I hope you enjoy disappointment."

X

"I hope you didn't lose your sense of taste." I told Sam as I handed her a greasy McDonalds bag. "One double-meat cheeseburger and fries."

Sam stared at the bag suspiciously. "Large or small fry?"

"Sorry, that's personal."

Sam didn't laugh. She didn't even roll her eyes and call me Frednub. She just put down the food and stared at the book in her hands, The Penny Treasure. Our book.

"Wow, usually the food would be gone by now." I said, sitting down next to her on the couch. "Somebody call CNN."

"I'm never gonna be normal now." Sam whispered. "Just when my life was perfect…"

"Don't say that." I put my arm around her shoulders and grinned. "Ronald wouldn't want to see you this way."

"Who the hell is Ronald?" Sam realized who I meant a second later. "Nub!" She shouted, punching my arm gently (Except it really hurt). "Like I care what a greasy clown thinks about me!"

"That may make him cry. And you don't want to see a clown cry. It's not as funny as you think."

"Will you shut up?" But Sam was smiling for the first time all day. "God, I don't know why I even bother talking you."

"Back at ya."

Carly entered the room then. "Hey, Sam." She screamed loud enough to break glass. "How. Are. You?"

"No matter how loud you yell, I can't hear you." Sam reminded her. "Just talk slower so I can read your lips."

Carly nodded. "I'm glad you're awake. I found a few books on sign language and I thought we could all practice a few letters…" She handed us each a heavy book full of complicated symbols.

"Freddie, you sure you're up for this?" Sam asked, smirking at me. "You just learned the English alphabet. I don't think we have seventeen years…"

"Oh, believe me, I'm laughing on the inside." I snapped, dropping the book. Well, if you counted crying as laughter. Maybe Ronald McDonald did.

A/N: Well, I wanted to give you guys some drama. I bet no one saw that coming. Obviously, this will have a huge impact on the story.

Just wondering: How do you feel about Sam being deaf? Do you think it will make the story better or worse? BTW, the next chapter will explain more and contain more drama about Jeff (but not in the way you expect)!

In a sea full of slimy oysters, reviews are the pearls :D