Author's Note: I'm sorry it took so long to update I had a slight writer's block but I am back with a new chapter that will knock your socks off (I hope). Please reviews so that I will keep updating. I need another five reviews in order to keep going. Enough talk. Read on.

Looking For Salvation

Chapter 3

The morning passed and Carmen was walking threw the halls of Winslow High ready for another day of classes. She had received a call from Marla who told her about Ronnie suffering a seizure but the doctor's said it was induced by the ventilator and that she was fine once they took it out. She passed on the message to Danny who she was going to meet at the assembly later so that they could discuss what was going on with Ronnie. She knew that this was going to be a tough time for him. He was a good friend with Ronnie so when he saw her on the floor of her classroom with a bullet wound in her stomach she could only imagine how he had felt. Entering the auditorium she found Danny sitting on a table in the back annex, the sounds of students who where glad to be out of their first period class in front of him.

"Danny hey," Carmen said.

"Hey," Danny said as he looked back at the crowd.

"I adore their arrogance," Carmen said. "A good 19/1000ths of the kids know the hell that we went threw last night because they witnessed it and probably scarier for them to see that happen in one quick shot then for us to have to sit in the waiting room hoping that Ronnie would come out of this okay."

"Yeah," Danny said his tone not showing any emotion. "They got an instant mortality check." He paused staring at the group of students sitting at the front of the steps; they were the group of students that saw Ronnie get shot. "I'm just glad none of the other students were hurt."

"Me to," Carmen said lowering her head as Steven took the podium.

Immediately the room was silent and everyone's eyes turned to Mr. Harper. Steven gathered up his note card and took a sharp breath in as he began reciting his speech. "As some of you may know yesterday during eighth period a student came into school with a gun. He took the gun up to Ronnie Cook's classroom where he shot her point blank in the abdomen. Ronnie was taken Boston General Hospital where we the teachers waiting for two hours for news on Ronnie's condition. The shot had no positive affects to Ronnie's condition. She lost a supreme amount of blood and it was a miracle that she was still conscious when we got to the hospital. When the doctor came out she told us that Ronnie was in a coma and there was a chance of paralysis, hopefully it is just temporary. Then as she went on to explain the severity of Ronnie's condition she told us that Ronnie might not even wake up because of the infection caused by the bullet. The teachers saw her last night and when we left we realized that the only thing we can do was to keep hope in our hearts that she awakens from this coma. Even though there is a chance of paralysis." He looked at the students and saw that most of the girls had tears streaming down their face. "We want to encourage you to talk to the guidance counselor and to come to any of your teachers, we are here to help you and we are here to support you. Classes are on hold today so that we can grieve for Ms. Cooke. I hope that all of you will take some time and examine the ways that Ronnie has helped you in your time at Winslow High. Thank you."

Steven left the podium at which point Marie, a student Ronnie had helped earlier this year, ran towards him. Her eyes where watery but that didn't stop her, there was something that she had to do.

"Mr. Harper," Marie yelled after him.

He turned around to see the girl chasing him. "Yes?" He questioned her.

"Mr. Harper," Marie began. "I was wondering if Miss Cook was up to taking any visitors?

"Marie, Miss Cook isn't even conscious at this point," Steven tried to tell her.

"I know," Marie said. "I can't explain it but I have to see her. She tried to help me before and I protested her and in the end she respected my wishes. I just need to see her, I never really thanked her for what she did."

"She is in room 5 ICU," Steven said. "If you want to go over now we won't penalize you. It's a hard day for everyone and as I said before we aren't having classes."

"Thank you," Marie said as she turned to leave. "I appreciate the offer." *** Marie ran into the hospital twenty minutes later. She found the ICU wing and sprinted down the hall. She began counting the numbers.1.3..5! She found it but suddenly had a bad intuition about going into the room itself. So she quietly moved towards the glass window. And glanced in gasping at the sight of her favorite teacher lying on the bed with her blonde hair sprawled out around her shoulders. She saw a doctor in the room checking Ronnie's pulse and she suddenly realized that she didn't have the strength to go in but she gathered her wits and forced herself to walk threw the doorway and into the bleach white room.

Now that she was inside the room she could see how bad Ronnie's condition was. Her face was pale, a tell tale sign that she had lost a lot of blood and she could see that the hospital had put a wheelchair near the side of Ronnie's bed. Marie could tell sense that the doctors didn't think that Ronnie would be able to walk again when she woke up and she could only imagine how Ronnie was going to feel when she woke up. Then again Mr. Harper did say that they thought it was temporary. That could be a good sign but Marie was smart enough to know that even if her paralysis were temporary Ronnie would still have to go through intense physical therapy. She knew that Ronnie would be frustrated while she went through the therapy, her sister had been shot once during a bar fight. Marie crept closer to Ronnie's bed and suddenly the soft beeping of the monitors became noticeable as she took a set next to the chair that was placed by her bedside.

"Hey," she said as she began speaking to Ronnie as if she was conscious. "Mr. Harper told us what happened today in school. I'm only sorry that it happened to you." Marie paused drawing a sharp breath in. "I realized I never really thanked you for respecting my wishes and not going threw with the case. That is why I came here and when Mr. Harper told us that there was a chance of paralysis I thought that I could help you. My older sister Kylie was injured in a bar fight and there was a extensive amount of therapy involved but I think I could help you get threw it, or at least get Kylie to help you get threw it. Miss Cook you need to come back to us. The school is a wreck without you there and frankly I don't know how the students are going to get through the year especially me. You should also know that Miss Torres and Mr. Hansen are bother nervous wrecks as well as every other teacher." Marie dropped her head again and put her hand on Ronnie's offering support. "Please come back to us Miss Cook." With that being said Marie got up to leave but then felt a small movement under her hand, the hand that was covering Ronnie's cold one. She realized what was happening, Ronnie was waking up. "Oh my God!!!" Marie yelled as she ran to the doorway. "Nurse!!!! Nurse!!!!"

A soft moan escaped Ronnie's lips as the nurse entered the room.

"Let me go get the doctor," the nurse said running back down the hall.

"Miss Cook!! Miss Cook!!!" Marie yelled trying to bring her teacher back threw the familiarity of a human voice.

Ronnie could feel the IV tubes in her right hand now and she could feel the oxygen being blown into her lungs by the clear tube that rested behind her ears. She finally gathered the strength to open up her eyes.