PETER::
He walked up to the coffin, hands folded in front of him. When he reached the body, he stopped. Catching the breath he had been holding for the entire walk, he tried to swallow the permanent lump in his throat. Finally regaining his courage, he reached out and touched the strands of hair on his student's head. The body was cold and pale. The make-up artist had done a good job, but still the healthy glow that was once in those cheeks was no longer present. He sighed and knelt down on the kneeler.
'When I first heard the news I felt my heart shatter. I could not believe the words the doctor spoke. It just couldn't be. I made a promise to both, you, my now deceased student, and the couple that stood next to me. I had promised that no harm would come to you, that Horizon was safe for every student. So when had safe become so borderline? I talk to the kids about death because it is the reality that they'll all have to face one day, if they haven't had to already. I believe in telling them the truth because they have rights just as any other person has rights. They have the right to know if one of their close friends is dead.
When I returned they had all been gathered in the lounge, obviously worried about you. I looked into every pair of eyes in that room and choked down tears as I confessed the unfortunate news of your death.
"Why?" they had asked. "How could this happen?" What do I say? How do I tell them that there is just no reason. That things like this just happen, that death is all a part of life. That's what I was told at their age. I still asked questions, still searched for the answer that was just not there.
I looked up at my beloved Sophie and almost broke down as I saw the tears falling down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away, obviously hoping I hadn't noticed. She pretends to be brave and tough, but I know better. I know better then to believe that any of the Cliffhangers would be ok with this. At least not right away. It would take a lot of time to heal from this tragedy. This on top of everything else that they had to deal with in their lives. Those seven kids were the strongest group I'd ever had the pleasure of teaching, and you were one of them.
So you are gone. I was supposed to watch out for you but I didn't. I don't blame myself because, after many years of therapy, I know better. Still, I can't help but wonder if there was just something I could have said or done. Maybe if I had just been more compassionate, looked deeper into those eyes, I would have noticed it. Maybe if I had just done something. But now I'll never know. And my student is dead.'
~Hanging his head he said a quick prayer and headed back towards his seat, wiping a tear from his eye.