Disclaimer: I do not own The Suite Life of Zack and Cody so please do not sue me.

A/N: Please don't kill me!! I am extremely sorry that this chapter has taken me so long to write. I was planning on updating within the week, but I never had internet service (I needed it for partial research) and then as the weeks progressed, I lost a bit of inspiration, not gonna lie. Then, as I got near finishing the chapter, I ended up having to go to the emergency room for surgery. So sorry it's taken this long. So, if this chapter seems a little dry or forced, I'm really sorry about that. I had really high hopes that this would be one of the best chapters. Hopefully it will not disappoint. (Oh, and p.s. I have chapter 15 completed and 16 is about 1/4 of the way through. I've got inspiration back!)

High Tides
Chapter 14: Raison D'être

"We will be arriving in Monaco in fifteen minutes, please prepare to dock." the intercom voices after the incessant ding. This is it, we're finally here. Taking in a deep breath, I push off the comfortable bed in the room. But, I'm stopped. Maddie has taken a hold of my arm firmly, and I have a feeling I won't be getting off this boat that easily.

"Are you ready?" Maddie asks. I simply nod my head in response, but deep down, I'm truly not ready for this. How does someone get ready for a doctor's appointment that could drastically change their life? Releasing a breath I didn't know I was holding, I pull my arm out of her grasp. "Zack, I-"

"Don't," I interrupt her. I really am not in the mood to hear something really sappy. Right now, I just want to be able to get out of this room and find my brother for a change. I feel as if Maddie has taken me out of the world I enjoyed so much on the S.S. Tipton. "I'm going to head down to the gangplank, okay? Cody is going to be there waiting for me. I'll see you after I see the cardiologist."

I turn my head away from Maddie, and damn, it's the hardest thing I've had to do all week. I know she's torn up about all of this, but what about me? After all, this is all happening to my body. How does she think I'm feeling right now? Fine and dandy? It's so hard to walk to the door right now, but I know it's for the best. I resist the temptation to turn my head back to glance at her one last time before I go see the doctor, and open the door, not planning to return for quite some time. I hear her breath hitch for a second, as if to say something, but I shut the door in time before she has the opportunity. I barely made it out of that bedroom alive, let alone a doctor's office.

Walking down this hallway to the gangplank has me thinking. What is going to happen after this cardiologist sees me and gives me a proper diagnosis? Will I have to stay in this little country called Monaco until they can cure me? Will I be curable?

"Zack, there you are," I hear my brother's voice from behind me, it's very assuring at this moment. "I was heading out to meet you. Are you ready?"

Is everyone going to ask me that question today?

"I guess so. I really have no choice, except to be ready." I state dryly. He simply nods in response as we both walk down the endless hall to the gangplank. I'm just going to keep hoping and praying that this will go over smoothly. "Hey, Cody. I just wanted to tell you thank you for being here with me."

"Any time bro, I'll always have your back." he responds with a goofy smile. Ah, I love my brother.

The annoying ping from the intercom goes off to announce that we have arrived in Monaco. Taking another deep breath, I am ready to walk onto the foreign country. It's now or never I guess. With Cody closely behind me, we walk onto the boardwalk. There are a few people that have signs up that are looking for people who are wanting to take a quick tour of the country. As I continue to scan the people, I see a man with a sign that has my name on it. My stomach seriously just fell onto the boardwalk.

"Hello, I'm Zack Martin." I state, my throat drying up.

"Bonjour, Monsieur Martin. I am ze Cardiologist who will be seeing you." the man says in a happy tone. How can he be happy?! "Come now, we go to ze clinic."

I give my brother a sideways glance and he shrugs his shoulders in response. I guess we have no choice but to follow this crazy French guy. Glancing at my surroundings, I notice there is a wide array of koi ponds in the area. I elbow my brother to make him look at them, and he opens his mouth to speak,

"Monaco has loads of these around the place. It's quite a beautiful country isn't it?" he asks. I watch as he glances off toward the mountains behind us. "Ah! See that smoke in the distance? In Monaco, there is not enough land to bury the dead and most are cremated - unless you're royalty of course."

"Gee, that's something to look forward to if I die here..." I murmur under my breath. I feel the short French man tug on my arm as we skirt around a corner. He leads me into the small clinic that is practically hidden in the markets on the street.

"I know it's a bit small, but we will manage. Okay?" the cardiologist says as he motions for me to sit on a makeshift bed. Not wishing to upset him, I do such. "Sorry for not introducing myself Monsieur Martin, you may call me Doctor Channing. I have been faxed ze papers from your EKG and have analyzed all ze data. For me to make a diagnosis, I must do a cardiac catheterization. Zis will help identify what is affecting your heart."

I watch carefully as Doctor Channing goes to the back of the room. I have no idea what he is planning on doing, mainly because his french accent is so thick, but I'm just hoping that it will finally be over with. That we can finally know what it is.

"Now, you will have to be awake for zis process, you will be given a local anesthesia zat way I will know if you feel any pain. If you do not mind, let me see ze inside your elbow." the doctor says. I easily oblige and he presses on my veins. "Ah, okay. Now we do ze cath."

To say the least, it isn't the most comfortable positions. The cath, or whatever he calls it, doesn't really hurt, but there is still pressure where he is inserting it. I try to hide my discomfort, and moments later it has finally ended. I don't really know what he has accomplished by this, but hopefully it will be sufficient. Some papers appear out of nowhere and the next thing I know is that this crazy Doctor Channing basically has his nose pushed in them.

"Doctor Channing," I hear my younger brother chime in quietly. Both me and the doctor glance up at him. "Does it look good? What's wrong?"

"Zeeze results are not so typical. With ze results zat were faxed in and ze results in my hands..." he states, his beady eyes scan the paper once more. I take a deep breath, waiting for him to continue. I am ready for this. I have to be. "Hmm...let me go look at ze documents zat explain what symptoms you have had. One moment."

You have got to be kidding me! The suspense is about to eat me alive. He shuffles across the small clinic and I watch him like a hawk. Cody shifts on his feet and seems to stand a little closer. I think the suspense is getting to him too. Doctor Channing finally finds what he is looking for in the pile of papers and shuffles right back over to the bed I am laying on. Once again, I watch his eyes on the paper, and he sighs heavily. Every time someone sighs heavily it is never a good thing.

"Yes, zeeze symptoms all add up." the doctor scratches his head. "I am sorry to tell you that you have been diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy."