Disclaimer: I lied, I AM MEG CABOT!!! spots men in black... please don't hurt me... what-what are you doing? No! AAAAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!

A/N: Yo fellow FanFictolians. Have you guys read the preview of M.C's 6th Mediator book? Whoa, heavy stuff, man. Seriously, I'm actually dreading reading the book.

Also, I am currently reading these KICK-ASS books by MELINDA METZ (who wrote Roswell High but we will ignore that) they are called FINGERPRINTS and they are SOOOO like Mediator and Missing by M.C. Seriously. PLEASE check them out. If you go on M.C's website (www.megcabot.com strangely enough) and you click the selection book in the TOP RIGHT CORNER, then click on FINGERPTINTS and check them out.

PLEASE CHECK THEM OUT. THEY ARE SERIOUSLY GOOD. I'm tinkering on the edge of obsession for these books...

Nice Hayley: Hahaha, take a chill pill, all will be sorted out...moowahaha (expect fight scenes)

reesespeices88: hahaha but Suze CAN be dead...for I have the power to make it so...

kewine: I updated.

RealGrl27: Aw, you got your friend to read me too! Yay!

Shilrley Holmes: Yes...I AM Suze...

Mystique Angelique: Aw, I wish I could make you into a doll and carry you about in my pocket. Sure, I would get odd looks, but it would be fun. And of course I have it in for Suze – SHE HAS A 2 (now 3 thanks to me) HOT GUYS AFTER HER. How many do I have? NONE. Count 'em. NONE. Please continue to kick-ass, not only in reviews, but also in your stories.

Julie: Ah, a simple name is so refreshing.

Rissa: My chappie was so great you wrote it twice.

BloodyRayne: Yes plz updating

My head was swimming and body felt numb.

Where was I? And what was with my body? Seriously, it felt like I was floating on candy floss. It felt...nice, but odd.

I decided to try to open my eyes, have a look around. My mind was kinda blank, but kinda splodgy too. It was like, someone had started a water painting right inside my head, and I had no idea what they were painting but it was all that I could see, smell, hear, thin about. Again, nice, but odd. And scary.

I tried to lift my eyelids...but found all I could was strain my eyebrows way up with the effort. Could you pull a muscle in your eyebrows?

Then my eyes suddenly shot open...

Only to find I had to close them because of all the white.

Ow.

I opened them again tentatively and my eyes grew used to the brightness. I glanced around and started when I found a worried face leaning over me. A very cute, worried face, I might add.

"Susannah! Susannah, can you hear me?" He, whoever he was, lifted his hand to my face and touched my cheek. I jerked my head away and instantly regretted it. Man, it must have been some kegger party for me to get such a hangover.

The guy seemed a little shocked at my jerking back from him and his dark eyebrows furrowed themselves a little – still looking cute – and I noticed a scar running through one of them, but I didn't care. Who the hell was he, anyway?

I tore my eyes away from his deep, dark ones – which were full of concern and - love? - for some reason – and searched the room for any clue as to where I was. All I saw was white. I brought my gaze to my feet and sore fog. Odd. Thick fog was swirling all around my ankles. It was everywhere. I shuddered. I recognised it somehow...from somewhere...

"Am I dead?" I suddenly asked. I mean, I could be. I could see no sign of life, except for the cute odd guy next to me, but he was glowing strangely, and no living, breathing person glows.

The guy looked a little uncomfortable. His eyes had a reflecting sheen over them. Was he...crying? His eyes skittered about for a while and a muscle was straining in his neck. He ran his hand though his crispy black hair then turned his searing eyes to mine, they were flooded with so much care I felt as though it would come spilling out. Just seeing all that emotion made me feel warm and safe. But that was inside, deep inside. Outside was still a cold, hard, scared shell.

His hand lifted to my cheek again, this time I didn't jerk away.

"Querida, my beautiful querida," he whispered. A tear fell down his handsome face.

The truth hit me like a huge wave, drenching me to my bones with chill. It soaked and seeped in, not leaving a single bit of me warm or hopeful.

"No...no, I'm not. I'm alive. I can't be dead. I want my mom. I want my dad. Anyone. Please!" I was jabbering uselessly, on the verge of hysterics. I wasn't dead. "Dad! Mom!" My eyes darted around the whiteness, avoiding the strange man with tearful eyes.

Then I looked at him.

Straight in the eye.

"I don't want to be dead," I whispered.

And then I woke up.

"Mom..." My throat was dry and felt as though it had bramble lining it. Oh God, I hadn't swallowed any poison oak had I? I check my hands for any gross pus-filled mountains. There were none, but...

There were branches of wires and tubes sticking out of me, I looked like some kind of plastic tree.

And where were my clothes? I was wearing a thin blue gown thing. Ew.

Then I noticed all the other machines. The ones bleeping and glowing, with lines, dots, and stats staring back at me.

"What the hell?" I tried to say, but my mouth was like cotton wool, the roof of my mouth felt like a towel, and my tongue felt as though it had sand glued to it.

"Susie? Susie, are you awake? Oh my God! Brad, go get the doctor! Susie, can you hear me?" My eyes rested on a frantic figure leaning over me with a million emotions dancing on her face.

Someone suddenly thrust a cup of water with a straw in it at my face. I blinked and looked at the small, pale, freckled arm. Attached to the arm was a small boy. So pale he almost looked as though he were painted onto the white walls. Except for his stark red hair. Poor kid. (A/N: no offence gingers ;-D)

Even though I was told never to accept things from strangers, I gladly accepted this drink. The boy didn't feel like a complete stranger though... Something about him was lurking at the back of my mind.

The cool water at first felt like glass, cutting through my gums, dragging down the side of my throat. But then it started slipping down and I gulped it down. When I came up to get some air, I gasped in pain as my chest, when it heaved out, contracted back as a sharp stabbing feeling started pounding it.

"Susie? Are you okay, honey?" It was the lady again, her hand flew to my hand, and I tried to yank it back. But she had a firm grip on it.

Suddenly I felt scared.

Who were these people? I noticed there were more now. The little boy, the lady, a man, and a tall, scruffy looking guy. They all looked scared.

I shrank into my pillow and my eyes opened wide. I felt really cold and started shivering.

"Who are you? Where am I?" The lady glanced at the man in surprise, then her eyes flew back to mine. I avoided them.

"Susie, honey, it's me - your mom. You're in hospital." As she said those three words my mind raced.

Memories flooded back to me.

I was thrown into the road...

I was trying to get up...angry at something...someone...

And then...

I squeezed my eyes shut as the reality of the situation hit me...much like that pick-up truck.

I was in hospital.

I felt tears racing down my cheeks.

"Mom," I whispered, the word catching in my throat. A sob escaped from my mom and she hugged me hard. I sat there not moving.

"We thought we'd lost you...I was so scared. So, so, scared." A sob broke from her and she started rocking me gently. "Your body was so battered...I didn't even recognise you. And then...and then you went into the coma," her voice dropped as she spoke that word. Coma. Like I had died.

"Don't you dare do that me again. I couldn't bear to lose you, as well. You mean everything to me." She was staring at me with such earnest eyes I felt a surge of guilt. God knows what for. For almost kicking the bucket?

Then the door opened and a thick set boy rushed in, followed by a man in a white coat and a lady in a nurse's outfit.

As they came round to my side, I noticed another figure in the room.

I don't know how I hadn't noticed him before, he was sat by my other side, hand clasped round mine. It was the guy from my dream...

"Jesse." He was smiling a huge smile and his eyes were wet. "I'm okay," I whispered.

I caught the thick set boy glance sharply at me, his eyes becoming slits and his fists clenched. Brad. His name suddenly sprang to my mind. My step- brother. How many other things had I forgotten?

The doctor was shining a light in my eyes and I had to drag my eyes to him.

"Pupil reactions' normal." He murmured to the nurse, who jotted it down on the clipboard.

"Can you tell me your name, young lady?" He said while looking at all the machines and things. God, way to be rude, I thought, I felt like waving a hand in front of him and yelling, "Over here!"

"Suze," I grunted. He looked at me sharply then away again.

"And your age?"

"16." The doctor nodded.

"And do you remember what happened to you?" He asked, still not looking at me.

I swallowed.

"I got hit by a car," I winced as the memory hit me again.

The doctor merely nodded and opened up the slit in my gown above my stomach to check it.

"Hey!" I protested. The doctor didn't even glance at me. I stopped scowling at him and looked down to where he was looking at. I gasped as I saw bandages wrapping my entire stomach and chest.

"Oh my God..."

"Yes, you sustained some very serious injuries. We weren't sure we could restore all your lost blood, especially with the internal bleeding. We were also forced to remove your spleen, you ruptured it when the car hit it." I took this information in without really listening. I don't even know what the spleen does. "You have suffered a few cracked ribs, but you should know how to deal with that, as I believe that's nothing new to you," the doctor actually looked at me and smiled. Wow, he did have a personality. I just stared back. He coughed lightly, then continued to describe the damage, looking away again.

"Your shoulder was dislocated, so it will be sore, you also have a broken wrist where you fell on it." He pointed to my left arm and I mechanically moved my eyes to the cast. Ouch, that looked as though it would hurt when I got off the morphine. "Your legs haven't suffered too much, a few cuts and bruises. And your hip may be a bit sore – that got quite bashed too. Your head generally didn't get hit too badly. A few scans and X-rays show that, apart from being bruised and concussed, you suffered nothing else to it."

Okay...

I sat there in silence. My mom was chewing her lip, Andy was standing behind her with his hand on her shoulder, Doc was still sat by the table by my bed, and Dopey and Sleepy were standing by the door. Sleepy's eyes were wide with deep shadows underneath. They were also kinda bloodshot. Everyone's were.

"How-how long have I been here for?" There was silence after I asked this. I looked around expectantly.

"You've been in a comatose-like state for...for about two weeks. That's what we couldn't understand. All your provincial scans revealed no brain damage, no fractured skull or severe concussion, and our CAT scans showed the same. We couldn't understand why you wouldn't wake up..."

I stared at the doctor. He was quite young and quite good-looking. He was also incredibly uncomfortable.

I turned my eyes to Jesse. He smiled weakly at me, trying to be a comfort. He was distant, and all I wanted to do was be held by him. I was so confused and I needed to be comforted by someone I knew.

"Everyone at school was worried about you, Susie," my mom suddenly gushed in a vain attempt to cheer me up. "Your year grouped together to buy you some lovely flowers," she pointed to a large vase full of now drooping flowers. Their bright colour had faded and they looked as if they wanted to die. "They also sent you a huge card – Adam and CeeCee brought that. They visited everyday. Adam was extremely upset, very sweet, but so upset. And another young man came to visit everyday, too."

"Slater," growled Jesse from the corner. I darted a look at him.

"Paul?" I asked. Mom looked up at me. "Yes, yes that's his name! Paul! How did you know?"

"Instinct," I growled. My mom beamed back.

"He brought flowers everyday. Kept telling us it was his fault. Quite traumatized by the whole thing, it seemed. Such a sweet young man." I stared at my mom.

Kept telling them it was his fault? And then I remembered. Hadn't he been trying to warn me about something?

Louisa.

I had forgotten all about her.

That bitch had almost killed me!

And Paul had tried to warn me...and I had just ignored him.

Damn him for being so repulsive. And I bet he expected me to thank him for trying to warn him. Or to apologise for ignoring him.

Crud, as if my life couldn't get any more confusing and difficult.

After a few hours, I began to feel a little tired. I had caught up on everything that had happened while I'd been...gone. Not much, by the sound of it.

My eyelids were starting to droop when Dopey and Sleepy began arguing about the best tyres for a burn out...why? Andy noticed this and said, "Come on guys, I think Suze has had enough of us now. We better go home and let you hit the hay...again."

He smiled at me and I smiled an appreciative one back. Mom took a longer time to leave and fussed about my bed and whether I was comfy/thirsty/hurting/hungry. She finally stood still after tucking in all the already-tucked-in bed sheets.

She had tears in her eyes.

"I love you Susie, you know that, don't you?"

I had to resist rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, mom, I know."

She smiled and kissed me on the forehead. "Sleep tight, honey." I smiled and she left the room.

Then I rolled my eyes and rubbed the place where she kissed me on the forehead.

"She really does love you, Susannah," said a voice from the corner.

"Yeah yeah, I know, Jesse." He walked over and sat down next to me. He kissed me on each cheek and then gently on my lips, letting his rest there for a while longer so it didn't qualify as a peck.

"Goodnight, querida," he whispered as he continued to look at me.

My eyelids drooped even further and I yawned, "G'night, Jesse." And I was out like a light.

After a week of visits from Adam, CeeCee, Father Dom, and Paul (unfortunately), and Sean, I was allowed to go home. Father D had given me loads of lectures on how I wasn't to go near Louisa (duh) and I was just to rest and take it easy at school so Jesse was hanging around me all the time. Which is, you know, pretty funky, but a girl's gotta have some time alone.

So now I'm at home. I have school tomorrow and I am not looking forward to it. I was busy thinking about all the pros and cons of going back to school (get to see friends/get to be stared at), when an all too familiar ghost materialised in my room.

"Hey Susie..."

A/N: OK dudettes (and dudes, if your into this which I DOUBT), whenever you review, can you tell me where you're from? As in, which country and state and town etc. I'm just curious. And odd. But we all know that anyway.