Guess what?  I've finally decided to get this story going again!!  ^_^  Sorry it took me forever to update it.  Someone shoot me.  Ok… Ready?  Here we go:

~One week later~

As I opened my eyes I noticed Gaz sitting on the windowsill.

"What are you doing?"  I asked her.

"Huh?  Oh, you're awake…"  She said, much more cheerful than usual.  "I was just thinking…  Never mind.  Here, someone sent this to you.  I found it in the mail today."  She said as she threw me a small package.  Inside was a note and a picture.  The note read:

Dib

I know how much you loved this picture, and I

             always have as well.  I know you sometimes feel

     like no one cares.  That's why I did it.  Always

     remember that I love you.  Oh, you remind me

    so much of myself…  You are a wonderful person…

Love,

Mom

  Underneath the letter was the picture I had broken that night, but it was reframed and everything.  My eyes filled with tears, but Gaz suddenly spoke.

"Hungry?"  She asked, offering me a sandwich.

"Well…  Yes."  I replied.  "But if you don't mind I've kind of lost my appetite for sandwiches."  Gaz just smiled, which almost gave me a heart attack.  She was acting odd lately…

"That's ok I'll eat it."

"Gaz?"  I asked.  "Why are you so… happy all of a sudden?"

"I don't know, do I need an excuse to be happy?"  She said, starting to get a little defensive.

"No."  I replied.  "But you don't have to snap at people"

"Sorry."  She said sarcastically, but she suddenly perked up.  She knocked on the window and waved to someone.  I put on my glasses and read through the note again.

"Who are you waving at?"  I finally asked, stuffing the note and package into a drawer.

"Zim."  She smiled.

"HUH?"  I asked.

"You wanted to know who I was waving at so I told you…"

"Oh… God…"

"Look Dib, he's not that bad, he…. "But she was interrupted by a knock on the door.  She ran to open it, and there stood Zim in the doorway.  "Hi Zim!"  Gaz said as she hugged him.

"Hello, Gaz…"  Zim said warmly.  He kissed her, and I almost fell out of the hospital bed.

"Accckkk!!  Gagggg!!"  I made a fake choking noise, and then Gaz glared at me with those sinister eyes of hers…  Then they left.

I was alone with my thoughts…  Awful thoughts…  Fear, anger, endless pain, death, eternal darkness, broken hearts…  Thoughts like, "why didn't it work?" and "did my mother really write that letter from…  God knows where?"  "Will Madelyn ever think of me the same way again?"

God I hope so!!  My life is like a cruel charade…  I am unable to scream aloud…

Hiding my feelings…  I ask myself, "Is this love?  …Or complete misery.  After all it could be love; I can't stop thinking about her.  Her image is impressed upon my mind like nails into wood.  I can't sleep.  I've tried to sleep but dreams of loosing her follow me there…

"Arhg!"  I screamed in frustration.  I began to search for something sharp.  I pulled open drawer after drawer of the cabinet beside the hospital bed.  Finally I opened the drawer that I had put the package into.  The note and package were gone but the picture was still there along with a tiny rip out from the note.  It said,

Always remember I love you…

As I looked at the picture I noticed something different.  My mother was smiling brightly.  In the earlier picture she had been frowning as she held a newborn me.

"Mom…"  I whispered.  My feelings began to well up inside me as I realized how much I missed her.  I looked at the piece of paper again, but this time it said something more,

I miss you too…  Always remember I love you…

I was just about to start crying again when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in."  I said in a groggy voice.  Then Madelyn walked inside with a smile on her face.

"Hey."  She said.  "I brought you something to eat."

"Please not a sandwich…"

"No…"  Madelyn giggled as she pulled out some pizza from a plastic container.  Seeing the pizza I remembered how hungry I was having been on an I.V. for a week.  "I can heat it up in the microwave if you want me to."

"No that's ok."  I said as she handed me the pizza.  As I began to eat, Madelyn told me about what was going on in school and how summer was in just two weeks.  Having someone to talk to was so wonderful.  I wished I always had someone.  Her voice brought a smile to my face and her face a quiver to my voice.  She suddenly looked at me strangely.

"What's wrong?"  She asked.  I guess she noticed the fear in my eyes.

"Nothing!  You wouldn't understand!"  I accidentally snapped at her.  She suddenly looked hurt and left wit tears in her eyes.

Smooth, Dib…  Real smooth…

YAY!!  Ok that's it for now ^_^  I'm so very tired… Must… Sleep… ZZZZZZzzzzzz…..