'That was Troy,' Taylor whispered reverently, 'Gabriella's waking up,'

Taylor's words fell heavily upon the group and in silence they all looked around at one another, still unsure that they had heard those very words.

Surely not. After all this time, at the very end of the time that she had been given, when all hope was almost gone. Surely she couldn't be awake…

And then it sunk it. She was awake. Alive. She was okay.

They suddenly erupted in shrieks, leaping up to their feat. Sharpay screamed, throwing her arms around Zeke. Chad turned to his fiancée and scooped her up, spinning her around, whooping loudly in her ear. Ryan clapped his hands over his mouth, pulling his beloved wife into a tight embrace.

'Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!' Sharpay yelped, 'She's…she's awake!'

Chad, overwhelmed with elation pulled the blonde into a brotherly embrace, rocking from side to side as he did.

'She's awake! She's awake!' he chanted, 'She's awake!'

Taylor couldn't even bring herself to quiet her excitement. Screw the people staring. Gabriella was awake.
For minutes after they stood their, hugging, bouncing on the spot, tears streaming freely from all the girls eyes. All their waiting, praying, hoping. It hadn't been in vain. Gabriella was awake. It was the best news any of them could have received. They no longer had to ponder death and nursing homes. They had Gabriella, back in the same world as them and maybe everything would be okay. Somewhere in the cacophony, Troy rejoined them, his cheeks shamelessly tear stained, a grin stretching his face from ear to ear. Sharpay instantly pounced on his, pressing a kiss to either of his cheeks, twining her arms around his neck.

'She's ok! She fought for us!' Sharpay shrieked, 'Tell us everything!'

And that quieted the whole group. At the true realization that Troy had news they all fell silent, scrambling to their seats.

'How did it happen?'

'What did she say?'

'What did the doctor say?'

'Does Anne know?'

Rapid questions began to hurtle at him, overlapping with one another, urgency lacing each and every request.

Troy held his hands up, his mind spinning. He could barely believe what he had heard. One minute he had been sitting there with his ex-fiancée, begging her to come back and the next thing he knew was the flurry of nurses screeching at him to leave as they fiddled with tubes and wires. He had stood outside the room, listening in intently for any positive sign of the girl.
He sat there, listening to the nurses screech at one another, all the while his heart pounding furiously. This couldn't really be happening after all this time…
And then he heard it, a faint, weak miserable cough as they yanked a tube unceremoniously from her throat. It had been tiny and barely there, but it was enough to make Troy swell with joy. He had made his first call to Anne, who was waiting nearby in the cafeteria. Hell hath no fury like a worried mother. The woman appeared at the door of Gabriella's room, wailing in Spanish within seconds. Troy stepped back as the nurses welcomed her in, gently coaxing her to talk to her daughter. He wished he knew what was going on. Were her eyes open? Was everything okay?
His wishes were never answered and instead, he had been ordered away.

And now he was here, with the instructions to wait there until a nurse came for them.

'Stop!' he ordered, silencing their crazy stream of questions, 'Yes. Anne knows. The doctor hasn't arrived yet, he's on his way. Gabriella didn't say anything, but I heard her coughing. And it…it just all happened so fast, I…'

Taylor leant back in her seat, biting her lip, her eyes shining with tears, 'She's okay though?'

Troy smiled, 'Yeah…I think so,'

'Now what?'

Troy shook his head, scratching his neck, 'Now we wait. Again. The nurse will come and get us soon,'

Suddenly the prospect of waiting didn't seem like such a horrendous task. They'd been waiting for three days, watching her slip away from them. She was awake, and compared to what they'd been through another hour or two seemed insignificant.
They would wait for her.

There was nothing. All around her, there was nothing but darkness and quiet. Nothing existed, nothing matter. She was just…there.
For so long there had been no struggle for life, no tug of death close at her heels. Just… time to time she would float closer to what she hoped was a surface. It was then she would hear vague, whispery murmurs of the outside world, snippets of conversations that had no meaning to her. I have some news for you…
And then there had been a change. She began to feel things. Before her, she saw everything; her and Troy at seventeen, twirling around on a golf course, her and the girls at a slumber party, graduation with Chad crushing her into a hug, Troy shakily lowering himself to one knee, her engagement ring flying across the room as she threw it at him.
With each new memory she was pushed a little closer toward the surface. She heard large portions of conversation, she heard voices a little clearer than she had before.
But still it was all nonsense. What was happening out there? What was going on?
Time no longer had meaning, because for…god knows how long there had been nothing.
And then suddenly…it all vanished, and the light took it's place.

'So what have we here?'

'So what have we here?' Dr Meyer asked, strolling into Gabriella's room.

'She's waking up sir,' one of the nurses said obediently.

The crowd of staff parted as he approached the bed and his patient lying on it. Montez, Gabriella, aged 25 was limp on her bed, her eyes fluttered shut. Her mother sat beside her, clutching her hand, whimpering softly in Spanish to her daughter.

'Ms Montez,' he called, approaching the girl's side, 'Gabriella, can you hear me?'

The girl let out a nearly inaudible moan and her mother sobbed, 'Gabriella? Mija! Answer my baby!'

He leant forward again, pulling a torch from his coat pocket, 'Ms Montez, I need you to follow the light with your eyes, can you do that?'

The girl moaned again, and her eyelids fluttered weakly. He knew this was the hardest part, watching patients he had operated on so arduously, watching their families waiting, praying for the one they loved.

And if Gabriella couldn't open her eyes, follow the light, all that waiting could be in vain. He hated when he couldn't help.

'Gabriella. You need to follow the light with your eyes,'

Slowly but surely her eyelids cracked open, revealing blood shot, vacant dark eyes. Her gaze struggled, darting around the room, unaccustomed to the new surroundings.

'Ms Montez,' he said firmly, 'Look at me,'

'Gabi!' her mother whispered, 'Mirar el medico,'

Following the sound her eyes slid back to him, focusing in on his face. She squinted, wincing unwillingly, but she didn't break his gaze.

'Ok, follow this light please,'

Slowly, he began to shift the light before the girl's eyes. Sluggishly, she followed, still grimacing at the unfamiliar intrusion.

The doctor switched the light off, pocketing again, 'Everything looks ok there. That's good news. She responds to light as well as voice commands,'

Anne released her daughter's hand and the doctor grabbed it instead.

'Gabriella, can you squeeze my hand?'

The girl moaned again, her eyes sliding shut. Her grip was feeble but nevertheless her fingers tightened around his. This too was good news.

'You're doing great Gabriella. Can you tell me what your mother's name is?'

Her mother murmured softly in Spanish, echoing what he had just said.

The girl screwed up her face, contorted with concentration and disorientation. This was the most important part, her speech.

'Ugh…nrgh…' Gabriella grumbled, 'Ugnrgh…'

The doctor waited patiently, coaxing her to say at least one word. If she could do that, she would be fine. She would get used to speaking again…if she just said.

'Nnnnn,' she mumbled.

'What was that Gabriella?' the doctor tested.

'Nnnnnn,' she whined.

'Come on Gabriella, I know you can do this,'

'Aaaannnnne,'

Gabriella's mother burst into tears, promptly kissing her daughter's forehead.

'Oh baby, you did so well! Oh I'm so proud of you!'

Dr Meyers smiled, taking a step back. She could speak, see and move her hands. His work was done for now.

'How are you feeling Gabriella?' he asked.

Gabriella lifted on frail arm, shaky and useless from the days it spent limp by her side, and touched it to her forehead.

'Is your head sore?' he pried.

'Si,' she croaked.

Dr Meyers turned to Gabriella's mother, mildly surprised.

'What language did she speak first?'

Anne Montez frowned, concern suddenly present, 'Uh… Spanish. Her…her father spoke Spanish around the house. She learnt English after that…'

The doctor nodded, comprehension on his face as he clutched the clipboard to his chest.

'Don't be surprised if she only speaks Spanish,'

Anne's eyes widened, 'Forever?'

'No…I don't think so. The English will come back soon,'

The woman suddenly pulled him in, pressing a kiss to either cheek, 'Thank doctor. You…my baby's alive,'

'She's one very lucky woman…'

'What do you mean she's speaking Spanish?' Chad demanded, dumbfounded.

'As in, she is speaking Spanish and Spanish only at the current moment,' the doctor explained gently.

He was breaking his news to her gathered friends who were waiting anxiously on him.

'Why is she doing that?'

The doctor shrugged, 'It's her brain's natural coping mechanism. She learnt to talk in Spanish. Her brain has been violated, it feels…threatened. It's a fight against it's injuries,'

The group stared back at him blankly. A coping mechanism… Spanish…

It was all too much to take in.

'But, the good news is, that she is talking which is great news. She responds to your voice and can move her hands. Considering the nature of your friend's injury, this is a miracle. You should count yourselves lucky,'

They nodded blankly at him, and the doctor excused himself with a, 'Have a nice day,'

As soon as the doctor was gone, they began to look around at one another.

Kelsi was frowning, 'I…I don't know how to speak Spanish,'

'Neither do I!' Ryan exclaimed.

Troy looked distraught as he fiddled with the class ring on his finger, 'I thought she'd…'

'She'll be okay,' Chad assured, 'We'll get to go see her, but we won't… be able to understand one another until the English comes back,'

'And what if it doesn't?' Troy demanded.

'The doctor said that amnesia was a typical reaction for a coma patient. She doesn't remember anything about the accident, she doesn't remember much about even coming to Albuquerque. But the doctor also said that most of that will come back,'

'She doesn't even remember…'

'That you're here?' Chad asked, 'No.'

Troy let a long, heavy sigh pass through his pursed lips. Upset, he raked his hands through his head, shaking his head, 'So I can't see her…'

'It'll confuse her,' Chad shrugged, 'The doctor said so,'

Troy bit back the onslaught that battled him. It wasn't fair. He had waited for Gabriella, for days now. He had waited for her to wake up, begging and praying that she would. And now… and now he couldn't see her.
It wasn't her fault that she couldn't remember him. It simply stung that after all that, he had to wait, hoping that her memory would return.

'Well…uh, Tay and me are gonna go first,' Chad said, trying to brush the awkwardness away, 'We'll be back soon,'

Grasping her fiancé's hand, Taylor and Chad swept from the room, on their way to see Gabriella.

'Does anyone here speak Spanish?' Sharpay asked, looking out over the group, 'Even a little bit?'

Ryan shook his head, Zeke shrugged dismally and Kelsi sniffled. A big, resounding no.

'Troy?'

He shook his head regretfully, 'I can only speak the Spanish that I picked up hanging around Gabi as a teenager… and most of it won't help. I can only say what Gabi would teach me. Stupid things, like…my pants are on fire or… your parrot smells nice. Total nonsense… but I used to like saying them to Chad just to piss him off,'

Despite her sadness, Sharpay snorted, 'That sounds like you,'

Kelsi giggled into the back of her hand and Ryan smirked. For a moment they sat together, laughing at their teenage stupidity. It felt like such a long time ago. A time when everything was of vital importance, the centre of their very being.

Now looking back, it seemed senseless and trivial.

At the time, mocking Chad had been more important and learning silly phrases in Spanish was the best way to do it. Why did he never take the time to learn Spanish? He heard it often enough, between his girlfriend and her mother as she darted through their house, the foreign language sliding fluidly from her lips. He never thought… he never thought he'd need it.

How wrong was he?

'Gabi?' Taylor whispered quietly as they entered her room.

One small part of her had honestly expected to see a dramatic change. In her perfect world, a corner in the back of her mind, Gabriella was rosy cheeked and smiling. She had been watching to many soap operas.

Instead it felt like nothing had changed. Machines, albeit fewer, still bleeped steadily and monitors flashed and glowed important information for the nurses.

The only difference was the lights. The unnatural, bluish glow caused by the halogen lights was gone, replaced by a slightly dimmer, darker shade which was presumably to help ease Gabriella back into seeing the light.

'Hey Gabi, we're here,'

Hands shaking, Taylor took her seat beside Gabriella's bed. Less than four hours ago she had sat here, with a broken lifeless figure, begging her back to life. And now…

Gabriella's eyelids slid open indolently, revealing clouded brown. She looked in their direction, taking a few moments to process them.

Taylor's heart stopped beating for those moments, her nails digging into Chad's palm. What if she didn't recognize them? What if, what if?

And then her dark eyes sharpened and her lips curled into a crooked, broken smile that broke Taylor's heart.

'Taylor,' she whispered.

Taylor's stomach wrenched. Gabriella. She was there, listening to Gabriella's voice when she believed she never would again.

'Oh, honey, I…I don't know what to say!' she blubbered, 'I was so… I was so scared! God, don't ever do that again!'

Gabriella's brow furrowed, 'No entiendo,' she murmured.

'Oh!' Taylor clapped her hands to her mouth in surprise. She'd forgotten for one glorious minute. Of course she didn't understand… What did she say to Gabriella now?

Gabriella was beginning to look panicked. She knew she was missing something, she knew she should understand. Why didn't she understand?

Quickly racking her brains back to the one whole semester of Spanish she managed to complete. She had hated the Spanish teacher and at the end of the semester told him to get screwed and took up French instead.

'Uh… uh…' Taylor mumbled, grasping straws, 'Hablo moy poco espanol. Lo siento mucho,'

I speak very little Spanish. I'm very sorry.

Gabriella seemed to understand and her eyes filled with comprehension, only to be overtaken by worry again.

Taylor had about reached the limits of her Spanish. How did she let Gabi know that everything was going to work out ok? They would be okay eventually.

It was so hard when she felt like she was speaking to a stranger. What did she say? She loved this woman but… she had nothing to say to her. She knew the true America, English speaking Gabriella. This other girl was…different.

'Gabi,' Chad rumbled, reaching for her hand. He began speaking in long, slow syllables, 'It will be okay.'

Gabriella looked vaguely confused, but for the most past, her worry disappeared. He curled his fingers around her hand, patting the top of her hand in the most comforting gesture he could think of.

Despite their new language barrier, Gabriella still understood. That man was like her brother, and she may not understand him but she still loved him.

Taylor reached up to pat her frail arm and Gabriella offered a small weak smile, her eyes closing again.

The silence said all they needed for now; you're here and that's enough for me.

When they returned half an hour later, once Gabriella had well and truly drifted back to sleep, they were met with a news-hungry group of friends. Sharpay, the most vicious and dominating was first to reach them, grabbing Taylor by her shoulders, her manicured talons pinning her tightly.

'What happened? What was it like? Is she okay? Did she recognize you? Tell me everything,'

Terrified by the girl's flashing dark eyes, Taylor's eyes widened, 'I don't know which question to answer first…'

'Did she recognize you?'

The rest of the group leant forward, eagerly lapping up information from the only people who had it.

'Yes. She did. When she saw us, she…she smiled.'

'Can she really not understand English?' Kelsi piped up.

Chad shook his head regretfully, 'Nope. Tay knew just enough Spanish to say she couldn't speak Spanish. Gabi sort of panicked… but if you say it slow enough, and with enough expression in your voice, she gets the idea. She's kind of stressed about not understanding but it didn't take her too long. Obviously we didn't have a lengthy conversation, but we saw her, alive and breathing,'

Ryan let out a ragged sigh of relief, flopping back into his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose, 'That's good news,'

'So…can I go see her?' Sharpay asked expectantly.

Taylor nodded, 'She's asleep now… but, she'll appreciate waking up to a friendly face I'm sure,'

Sharpay nodded, gathering her bag off the floor, rearranging her ponytail, a shaky look on her face.

'Do you want me to go with you?' Zeke asked, catching Sharpay's hand as she walked through.

'Uh… if you want to,' Sharpay shrugged, her voice trembling with nerves.

He smiled warmly, 'Ok,'

Twining her hand with his, the pair walked off towards Gabriella's room.

'Oh god, what if we don't understand each other at all? What if she just sits there and stares and me… oh…'

'Shar, calm down,' Zeke soothed as they walked into the slumbering girl's room, 'It'll be fine,'

Quickly they took up vigil in the seats that were becoming increasingly familiar. A second home considering the amount of time they had been there over the last 72 hours.

Sharpay twitched and fidgeted in the chair and Zeke turned to her, 'Are you okay Shar?'

Sharpay looked around the room slowly, her nose wrinkling with distaste, 'No. No I don't think so,'

'Apart from Gabi, what is that matter,'

'There's… there's something I've wanted to do for a while,' she sighed, 'And… we're going to be in the room a while. What kind of place is this for Gabriella to recover?'

Zeke shrugged, 'Well… it has…the machines and a…bed,'

Sharpay huffed at him, 'You need more than walls to recover Zeke! You need… good things. Things to make her remember the fact that she is our best friend, our baby sister and we want her to get better,'

'Ok…' Zeke said slowly, 'I don't really follow but, good! I support you!'

Sharpay rolled her eyes, and dove into the tote bag at her feet. She pulled out a transparent pink wallet, flipping through it.

'This is what I'm talking about. Something to recover to,' she murmured, jumping to her feet.

Inside the pink wallet was a number of photos, all organized neatly by the date they were taken. Ryan had had far to much time on his hands before he moved to London.

'Shar… what are you planning to do?'

'I'm going to stick these up on the wall!' she whispered, 'Just some… memories,'

'Shar? How are you going to get them to stay up there?'

'Duh, with sticky tape,'

'Where are you going to get the sticky tape from?'

Sharpay rolled her eyes, 'Have you no faith in me Baylor? There's a reason we don't let you men in women's purses,'

She crouched down, rooting through the bag again until she uncovered a bag of stationery, which included a roll of tape.

'Voila,' she said, brandishing it proudly.

'Good job Shar,' Zeke smiled bashfully.

'Now! Back to work!'

It wasn't until much later in the evening, almost eight o'clock when Gabriella woke again. Sleepy and subdued, most likely from the drugs pumping through her system, preventing her from writhing in pain, she blinked blearily at the two new intruders in her room.

Instantly her eyes lightened with recognition and she lifted a feeble hand for Sharpay to hold.

'Shar…' she croaked.

'I love you Gabs,' Sharpay responded, tears already forming, 'Thank god you're okay,'

Gabriella's lips curved into an exhausted half smile, despite the fact that those words had meant nothing to her. She got the idea.

'Hey Gabs,' Zeke whispered, leaning close to her, 'It good to see you again,'

She moved her head a fraction of an inch in what may have been a nod. She winced at discomfort, and Sharpay squeezed her hand.

Gabriella's eyes fluttered shut again, and Zeke patted her leg through her tight blankets, 'Go back to sleep. Feel better. We'll wait for you,'

He had been reduced to this. Sneaking in, in the dead of the night, just to catch a glimpse of the real, living breathing Gabriella.

It was 2am. Everyone else, the smart, sensible people who were allowed to see Gabriella were fast asleep, content with what they had seen, providing them with a perfect nights sleep.

Troy on the other hand…

He crept into her room, dark and still. The occupant of the room slept on peacefully, completely unaware of the man, desperate to see her.

Quietly, Troy lowered himself into the seat beside her bed. Moonlight streamed through the tiny window, dusting Gabriella in a beautiful, angelic glow. The moon highlight the gentle curve of her cheek, which faded into dark shadows around the pillows. The glow kissed her chapped and dry lips, pursed loosely in sleep, air lightly escaping them. Even now… she was beautiful.

Troy leant forward, watching pensively as her chest rose and fell with each breath. There she was, living, breathing, ok.

It felt surreal. She was awake. She was ok.

He didn't know what to do with himself, with the crazed build up of tension. He had spent days worrying, crying, an insane tumult of emotions all for this moment. And now…

Now he was lost.

He wanted to hold her, pull her close and never, ever let her go again. He wanted to stroke her soft skin, rock her to sleep and never let anything hurt her.

But he couldn't.

Instead, Troy sat there and watched. He could handle that, watching from a distance, providing her with the silent protection she didn't know she had.

Gently he pressed a kiss to the palm, lying relaxed on the bed.

'You'll be okay now,'

I could stay awake just to hear you breathing

Watch you smile while you are sleeping

While you're far away and dreaming…

Phew, it's finally done! I've had the flu all week (Yuk, I hate it - but then again, does anyone like having it?) and also attempting to battle the impending doom of exam block. I'm so over school and the moment and I can't wait til we're done for the term! Reviews however make my gloom and doom, assessment filled week a little brighter!! *hint, hint*