Disclaimer: If I owned anything related to Higher Ground, do you think I would be writing fanfiction? (The correct answer to that question would be NO! I would be writing the SECOND SEASON!!! )

Author's Note:Ok, you guys officially rock! Your reviews made me feel so special! Thanks soooooo much for your support and encouragement :) The song is "Full Of Grace" by Sarah McLachlan. It was going to be by The Calling, but I'm putting that in a different chapter, where it makes more sense..Oh, and I made up Stonyville hospital.

Note to anyone who likes The Calling: Please email me at jd108@hotmail.com, I am desperate for other fans of The Calling to talk to!!!

Chapter 6

"If a great wave shall fall and fall upon us all, then between the sand and stone, could you make it on your own?"
-from "Wherever You Will Go" by The Calling

David sat completely and utterly still in the passenger seat of Anne's old, grey Honda. The seat's material was cold against his back, sending an icy shiver up his spine. The teenager's hands were numb with cold, but he didn't seem to take notice or care; his mind was in another world. Cold, far, unreachable. The only sound was the occasional ticking of the turning signal before Anne rounded a corner, slowly, with every turn, every meter, every mile that was accomplished, diminishing the seemingly endless distance between David and the Stonyville hospital. The consistent swish-swish rhythm of the windshield wipers resonated through David's mind as they pushed away the ever falling snow that landed to form a white blanket over the windshield.

the winter here's cold, and bitter

it's chilled us to the bone

we haven't seen the sun for weeks


David stared at the blanket of white, a feeling of comfort washing over him as the world was momentarily erased. For a nanosecond, he could breathe. His lungs filled with air, his head felt clear. But then the incessant swish-swish sound permeated his mind and, as could be expected, the inner peace was broken. The heart wrenching fear returned, and his mind reeled again into a void of terror.
to long too far from home

I feel just like I'm sinking

and I claw for solid ground


Stonyville Hospital's interior was a busy maze of hallways. The ceiling was lined with incandescent lights, and confusing, colorful lines marked the floor, intended to serve as a map. David walked as if in a trance, following Anne through the crowded, bustling hospital in search of Daisy. Neither one spoke. Patients and doctors passed by in slow motion as David stopped suddenly in the middle of the hallway, his eyes focused on the figure lying on the single bed in room 114.

Time froze.

"David!" Peter's voice broke through the barrier that separated the teenager from the real world. The barrier that kept him sane.
"W-what?" David's voice was distant and detached as he struggled to tear his eyes away from the room that stood before him.
"It's good to see you again, and I'm glad you're here, but...well...There's some things we need to tell you before you can go in there." Peter continued. His voice had regained it's calming, controlled tone.

I'm pulled down by the undertow

I never thought I could feel so low

oh darkness I feel like letting go


Slowly David shifted his gaze in Peter's direction. The small group of teenagers sitting in the open waiting room just behind his counsellor caught his eye. The Cliffhangers. His friends...his family, he thought...until their faces registered in his mind. Inexplainable looks of anger and a twisted sort of jealousy masked their faces as they watched him with cold eyes...

"What do I need to know?" the dark-haired boy asked finally. He could deal with the Cliffhangers later.
"You should probably sit down." Peter replied, pausing while David stumbled into a chair. Anne sat down next to him.
"Is she going to be okay?" he asked the only question his mind could form.
"As I explained to you on the phone, Daisy and her father got in a car accident on the way home for a week long visit. The car slid out of control on a patch of ice, crashing into a telephone pole before flipping into a ditch." Peter drew in a long, shaky breath. "Mr. Lipenowski hit the pole head on, killing him instantly."

if all of the strength and all of the courage

come and lift me from this place

I know I could love you much better than this

There was a pause as David registered the information for the second time that morning. He nodded slowly for Peter to continue.
"Daisy was more fortunate - if you can even call it that. The doctors say she has a broken leg and hand, a head injury, and a large number of cuts and bruises." Peter's eyes shifted from David to the pale teenager who lay in room 114. "She's on a large amount of strong medication for the pain, so she may be..." Peter searched for the right words. "...a little out of it," he finished, focusing on David again.
"Can I see her now?" David asked. He could no longer stand the pain in his heart, the sick feeling in his stomach.
Peter nodded solemnly in reply.

full of grace

full of grace

my love


David stood up slowly, as if testing his limbs to make sure they were still functioning. He wouldn't have been surprised if he had fallen to a heap on the floor, unable to support himself. Carefully, on shaking legs, he walked into room 114, pausing somewhat uncomfortably in the entrance.
"Why does he get to go in there first?" David heard Shelby ask Peter.
Shutting his eyes, he tried desperately to tune out the rest of the world. Yet, despite his efforts, he considered Shelby's question. She was right, but he wasn't going to turn back now. Bringing his attention back to Daisy, he slowly pulled a chair next to her bed and sat down.
so it's better this way, I said

having seen this place before

where everything we said and did

He sat in silence for a few minutes, his eyes travelling slowly over her body, trying to absorb her pain. Her left leg was in a cast, as was her right hand. A white bandage was wrapped securely around her head, covering a dark, bloody gash on her forehead. Bruises were scattered over her body, dark purple and yellow in the harsh hospital light. As if sensing David's presence, Daisy's eyes fluttered open.
"David?" she asked, struggling to turn her head so that she could look straight at him.
"Yeah, it's me. It's ok, don't..." his voice trailed off as he touched her cheek gently, stopping her from turning her head.

hurts us all the more

its just that we stayed, too long

in the same old sickly skin

Daisy looked up at David, her eyes filled with a biting fear. Then she closed them, looking away as she struggled to keep the pain inside. The world was a cold place, and shutting down was something the Cliffhangers did all the time...it was the only thing they really knew how to do. But David sensed her retreating, felt her backing away. He shook his head only slightly, as if the almost unnoticeable action would stop her.
"Dais, it's ok... It's just me...I'm here."
David took her unharmed hand in his, squeezing it ever so lightly. Her eyes focused on his again, and it took all the strength he had to keep from breaking down. A small smile graised Daisy's lips as she closed her eyes again, peacefully this time. As the teenager drifted into a fitful sleep, a single tear slid down David's cheek...

full of grace

full of grace

my love

-*-*-*-*-*-

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter was so...uneventful...and bad. It's a setup for the next chapters, which I promise will be more exciting. There will also be more dialogue in future chapters too...It's just that there are things (emotions, glances....hint hint) that needed to be explained. Anyway, thanks so much for reading! And if you have a minute (or even a few seconds!) could you tell me what you think???