Disclaimer: I certainly do not own Zero ((but he's sooo cute)) nor do I own many other things Louis Sachar and Walt Disney have made up. HOLES belongs to Mr. Sachar, THINGS-YOU-DO-NOT-RECOGNISE probably belong to me.

My Angel, My Only

Chapter Sixteen ll Big Thumb

----------

Zero awoke to a splashing sound. He groaned. He felt, if it was possible, even worse than before.

He tried to sit up on his boulder.

"How you doing?" came Stanley's hoarse voice. Zero noticed him lapping up water from the water hole.

"Not good," he said quietly. With great effort, he managed to get off the boulder. He crawled towards the water hole, and stuck his head in. With his tongue, he licked up some water.

Feeling a shuddering sensation, Zero pulled his knees up to his chest, trembled violently and rolled to his side. There, he'd have to stay there now. There was no way he could crawl back to his boulder.

He knew he was going to die.

He just knew.

Then he'd never be able to tell Stanley.

With a deep breath, Zero opened his eyes and looked at the boy sitting a few feet away from him.

"I got to tell you something," he managed to say without bringing too much pain to himself.

"Don't talk," Stanley advised, "Save your strength."

"No, listen," Zero tried again, sounding a little more determined. He had to tell Stanley. He closed his eyes and scrunched up his face.

"I'm listening."

"I took your shoes."

There was silence for a few moments. Zero knew he hardly made sense. But he had no energy to elaborate.

"That's all right. Just rest now," came Stanley's voice above him.

"It's all my fault," Zero said sadly, his eyes still closed. He was slowly fading back to sleep.

"It's nobody's fault."

"I didn't know," Zero whispered, his eyes fluttering open.

"That's okay," Stanley insisted, "Just rest."

Zero could tell he was about to nod off to sleep. But he had to make Stanley understand.

"I didn't know about the shoes," he whispered again.

"What shoes?"

"From the shelter."

"Clyde Livingston's shoes?"

Zero knew he had finally made Stanley understand. He wondered if he was angry.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. His eyes fluttered close and he felt his face relax. He had confessed. He felt a heavy load being lifted off his shoulders.

He wasn't sure if he was dreaming, but again he heard Stanley's voice slowly hum;

"If only, if only,
The woodpecker sighs.
The bark on the tree was just a bit softer.
While the wolf waits below,
Hungry and lonely.
He cries to the moo--oo--oon.
If only, if only."

---

It had been two days since Stanley had climbed up the mountain with Zero on his back.

Zero was still sick, but his condition continued to improve. The onions and rest seemed to do him some good. Meanwhile, Stanley tried to make the water hole deeper, but what he really needed was the shovel.

Zero drifted awake to find Stanley sitting beside him, staring at him.

"I think I'll go look for the shovel," he said as the sleep cleared from Zero's mind.

He remembered that Stanley had left both the sack and shovel when he had thrown up.

"I'll wait here," Zero said feebly.

Stanley nodded, and Zero watched his retreating back, following the trail down the mountain.

He took a deep breath, and rolled on his side so that he was facing the water hole. He put his hand into it and scooped up a handful of water. He sipped it, then rolled back on his other side.

Stanley had picked several onions and had left them in a pile near Zero's head.

Zero grabbed one and bit into it. It tasted good, and what was more, it made him feel good.

Good enough to gather up his strength to sit up. Taking a deep breath, Zero sat up. He bit into the onion again, feeling the warmth in his mouth.

He looked around, appreciating nature's beauty. He had never appreciated that before.

Zero lowered the onion and looked at it. He peeled off a layer and stuck it in his mouth, crunching on it.

He realised he couldn't really smell the foul odor anymore. Stanley and him had realised it had been the smell of thousands of onions growing, rotting and sprouting.

A small smile lit his lips as he took another bite. He had no idea how many onions he had eaten since they had reached Big Thumb, but he knew he had eaten quite a lot.

It took Stanley most of the day to go down the mountain, then back up after retrieving the shovel and sack. But Zero didn't mind. He had enjoyed his little moment to himself, eating onions and gazing at the little cluster of white flowers.

Over here, the sky was a clear blue and had a few clouds. They reminded Zero of fluffy bunny rabbits. And cotton candy.

He didn't have the energy to stand up yet. He just sat there, biting into his onions absently. The onions had no taste to him anymore. A sort of tangy taste, perhaps, but that was it. Nothing that would cause bitter tears to form in his eyes.

After eating three onions in a row, Zero stopped and just sat there. He let his whole life wash him over.

"Stay here on this porch step. Now don't leave here until I get back."

Zero remembered how his mother would tell him that whenever she had to leave without him.

He sighed. He would give anything to have her back.

Maybe... she still loved him.

Zero glanced up at the sky. Big Thumb blocked most of the sun, so only a few rays of sunlight shone down.

It was nice and warm, yet not sweltering hot like it was out on the dry lake.

He wondered what the other boys were doing. Digging holes, of course. But he still wondered if they had acknowledged his and Stanley's disappearance.

He wondered how they were coping. Were they talking about them every night?

Everyone must think we're buzzard food, Zero thought grimly, his hands moving over to get another onion, Like I care.

Then he suddenly grinned. The smile made him feel relieved. At least he hadn't turned into an emotionless hole again.

When Stanley came back, Zero could see he was surprised that he had managed to sit up.

Stanley was panting, dragging the shovel and having trouble holding the sack.

"I cannot believe I managed to carry you up that mountain," he panted, collapsing in a heap beside Zero and dropping the shovel and sack.

He glanced at the non-existant onion pile.

"Hey, what happened to all the onions?!"

Smiling sheepishly, Zero rolled on his back and innocently lapped some water into his mouth.

----------

A/N: Short and probably pointless, but I found it cute. :) I wanted to show what Zero had been up to while Stanley had to climb back down to get the shovel. Well, he didn't do much, did he? Apart from eating all the onions, lol. I'm sorry I haven't updated in awhile; I have three tests to study for and an assignment to hand in, plus normal homework. AHH!

Has anyone seen Rabbit-Proof Fence? That is such a sad movie. And Cheaper By The Dozen? Lol, I love that movie. Especially little Jacob Smith, who's older than me... but he's so cute. Hehe. Okay, I better go now. I'm sorry you dear people didn't get a chance to talk to Zero. He's off eating ice cream at the moment. And yay, over 100 reviews! Lol. Bye bye! --MSQ.