To Die For

I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!

Chapter 10

"Well what?" Peter said nervously

"When we were closing him up, his heart stopped," Peter's stomach sank, "We were able to resuscitate him, but he was gone for a long time. Because of this, the blood flow and oxygen to his brain were stopped," He looked from Peter to Sophie to the Cliffhangers and back to Peter, "He's brain dead, I'm sorry."

He watched as the teens fell apart, they all began crying including Sophie and even Roger. Peter tried to remain composed, although there were tears visible in his eyes, "Are you sure? I mean, couldn't he be in a coma?"

"There is no brain activity; we have tested him to the full extent."

"Where is he now?"

"We have him in the ICU hooked up to a ventilator that is breathing for him."

"Can I see him?" Peter asked, getting choked up.

"Sure, just give the nurses some time also."

Peter nodded and the doctor walked away. The group stood in the waiting area trying to comfort their "family" while trying to comfort themselves. Sophie cried in Peter's arms.

"Oh my God, how could this have happened? Shelby is going to be crushed!" She cried hysterically

Peter's mind went to Shelby, "Who's going to tell Shelby?" He said thinking aloud

"Oh Peter, I could never do it." Sophie cried

"Alright, you go and see Scott, and I'll tell her." Peter said although he wasn't sure if he could really do it

Thirty minutes later, they were informed they could visit with Scott and Shelby. Sophie walked into Scott's room and just held his hand, unable to speak without crying.

Peter walked into Shelby's room slowly. He had his mask on and noticed that Shelby did also. Her face was puffy from the medicine she was on, and she was staring at the empty bed, Scott should be lying in. When she heard Peter walking towards her, she looked at him worried.

"Peter, where's Scott?"

Peter sat down next to her, "He's in the ICU Shelby."

Her eyes filled with fear, "Why, what happened to him?"

Peter tried to think of a way he could tell that would make her feel better, but knew there would be no comfort for Shelby.

"Peter, what happened to Scott?" She asked again

Peter looked into her eyes, "At the end of the operation, his heart stopped working…"

"No…" She cut him off

"They did tests Shelby…"

"No…" She said again with tears in her eyes

"He's brain dead." He said, tears glossing his eyes

"NO! No Peter, please tell me you're joking, he can't be, TELL ME YOUR KIDDING!" She said hysterical

Peter held her and rubbed her back, "I'm SO sorry Shelby."

After a few minutes, she looked at Peter, "I want to see him."

"Shelby…"

"No Peter, I want to see him, I need to see him!"

"I'll go talk to Dr. Arkus." He said and walked out of the room

After twenty minutes of pleading, Dr. Arkus agreed to allow Scott to be moved back his and Shelby's room. As Shelby watched his lifeless body on the bed being rolled into the room, she felt as though her heart were ripped out, stepped on, chewed, spit out, and set on fire. He appeared to be sleeping, and when they moved his bed right next to hers, she held his hand, and it was still warm. There was a tube sticking into his mouth, but other than that, he looked like he had before he left.

Shelby cried; she cried for Scott, for herself, for letting him change her mind. That night, Shelby fell asleep holding onto Scott's limp hand tightly.

During the night, Dr. Arkus found Peter sleeping in the waiting room along with the rest of the group, he quietly woke him up and they walked away from the group to talk.

"I've just gotten Shelby's tests back."

Peter looked worried, "What do they show?"

He sighed, "That her body is rejecting the liver. Although this happens many times, I'm afraid her body isn't responding to the anti-rejection medications."

Peter shook his head; he didn't think anything else could go wrong, "What does she need to do?"

"Well, she's going to need another transplant."

Peter looked at him in disbelief, "But no one else matched!"

"Besides Scott."

"Yes, but now Scott's brain dead, and for no reason." Peter sigh, he was so frustrated with the whole situation.

"No, you're not understanding, there is a possibility that her body is rejecting it due to one of her medications."

"What does that matter? How does that help at all?"

"Well, we can take the remainder of Scott's liver and transplant it in Shelby."

That's not what he wanted to hear, if they took his liver than he was dead, and although Peter knew it was already a reality, the action made it all to real, but he knew it had to happen to save Shelby, "I'll talk to Shelby, and tell her what's going on in the morning." He said tired, emotionally and physically

"Alright, but come find me once you do, it's important to do it as soon as possible."

Peter nodded, the rest of the night he was unable to sleep, trying to think of how Shelby was going to fight him every which way. When it was morning, and a nurse informed him Shelby was awake, Peter walked slowly to her room. When he opened the door, his heart broke, Shelby was holding Scott's hand, begging him to wake up, when she heard Peter she turned to him, tears in her eyes, "Peter he won't wake up!"

"I know Shelby." He said quietly

"It's not fair! He promised nothing would happen and that everything would be alright!"

"I know, Shel, I know he did." Peter said, also with tears in his eyes

"What are we going to do?"

Peter thought back to what Dr. Arkus had told him, "Shelby, some tests came back early this morning."

Shelby waited quietly for Peter to continue.

"Your body is rejecting the liver because of medication your on…your need another transplant and there's only one option."

"What is it?" She asked confused

Peter looked from Shelby to Scott, and she instantly understood.

"How could you even think that Peter?" She asked with disgust

"Shelby it's the only way."

"No, there's a list, I'll go on the list."

"There's not enough time for a list Shelby, this is the only way."

"I'd rather die." She said

They both had random tears falling down their face

"Shelby, it's either him or both of you. Scott would want it this way."

Shelby furrowed her eyes in anger, "Scott wouldn't want to be killed."

"HE'S ALREADY DEAD!" Peter yelled with a shaky voice

Shelby shook her head, "No-NO! YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" She said pointing to him

"I wish I could! But there's nothing they can do!"

Shelby looked at him, his chest rising and falling synchronized with the machine, "Peter there's always hope," She looked at him, "You taught me that."

"Yes Shelby, hope that you will be able to live a long time. But for Scott there is none, this is just his body Shelby, Scott is gone."

Shelby shook her head, tears falling more than ever, "I can't do it, it's not fair, I love him so much!"

Peter wrapped his arms around her, "And he loved you more than anything in the world, so much so that he was willing to die for you. This is what he would want. This is what needs to be done." He said calmly

"I know, but it's too hard Peter."

"I know Shel, I know," He rocked her back and forth, "But I will be there for you, I'll get you through this."

After a while, Shelby stopped crying, she laid down facing Scott and again just held his hand, staring at him. Peter walked out of the room and told Dr. Arkus that they would go ahead and take him off the ventilator. Doctor Arkus allowed them to have time to say goodbye to Scott, and agreed to allow the Cliffhangers all in to say goodbye.

There were no dry eyes during the entire time, even David was crying. No one could believe that Scott would no longer be there. When they were finished Peter found Dr. Arkus and he came into the room. Only Peter and Shelby stayed, the other's unable to watch while the machine was shut off.

Shelby took his hand, her heart racing more and more with each second that passed, and her stomach doing loops. She looked at the monitor, and focused in on it while thoughts came back to her.

Beep.

My mom told me that friends are two people who share the same soul…you're my best friend.

Beep.

You're beautiful, you know that?

Beep.

Why'd you come back?

Because…Because I love you…

BeEep.

I don't know what I'd do without you.

BeEeEep.

I'm here Shelby, I'll always be here.

BEEEEEEP

Do you trust me?

BEEEEEEEEEEEEE

I love you so much; you mean everything to me because you ARE my everything.

BEEEE… the machine was shut off

Shelby kissed his hand, tears running fiercely down her cheeks.

"We have to take him now." Dr. Arkus said apologetically

She just nodded, leaned down and kissed him on the lips for one last time, even though the tube ran out the side of them. Tears fell onto his face, but for one last time, Shelby took in as much of him as was possible. This would be the last time she would ever see him, and she wished that for just one minute he would open his eyes and smile at her and tell her everything would be ok, just one more time. She backed away, and Scott was wheeled out of the room. Shelby collapsed into a crying Peter's arms. Twenty minutes later, it was Shelby's turn to go back into surgery, and a part of her hoped she wouldn't wake up, she didn't know if she could handle it…

One Month Later

"Peter made a memoriam for you on our bench…on our docks." Shelby said quietly looking at his grave, "I tried to go down there a few times to see it, but it's still too hard."

She allowed a few tears to trickle down, "Every day I wake up and hurry to get dressed, I run to the cafeteria hoping that you will be there with all the guys, laughing and making fun of David like always. I always wait for you to look up and me and see me. I wait to see that sparkle in your eye, the one that Daisy says she only saw when you looked at me. Everyday I reach the cafeteria and I throw open the door and your not there. There is no laughter, only David and Auggie having some quiet conversation. Your not there and you never will be. We all try to joke like we used to, but nothing is ever funny anymore."

She looked down and the ground, then back up, "Peter says we need to try and get on with our lives, that you would want us to, but I can tell he still hasn't been able to get on with his just like we haven't with ours, and deep down, I don't know if we ever will. Scott…"

Saying his name made her voice crack.

"Scott, the last thing you told me was that you loved me, you died so I could live. I couldn't see how I could repay you, but I've finally found an answer. Kat came to visit last week, I talked to her about her sister's death, she said she also felt like it was her fault, and she realized that she had to continue living, to live the life that her sister would never have. So that is what I will do for you Scott, I will live my life for the both of us, no matter how much it hurts being here with out you."

"You saved my life in more ways than one, and I will always have your liver as a reminder of that, not that I could or would ever forget. I love you forever, my heart will always belong to you, and until we can be together again, I will miss you. I will continue living as only half a person because only you can make me whole again. My life will never be as full of life, of love, of happiness, as it was when I was with you. I love you Scott!"

She placed a single red rose in the flower holder in front of his grave, between a picture of the Cliffhangers along with Peter and Sophie and a tiny football. In front of the vase was another small picture. The picture was of Scott and Shelby, both with wide smiles, smiles that showed nothing but love and pure bliss, Shelby had her head resting on Scott's shoulder, they both looked like they could stay there forever.

Before turning and walking towards a waiting, sniffling Cliffhanger group, Shelby looked at his grave and read it, a single tear dropping:

Scott Christopher Barringer

April 19, 1984-December 12, 2001

He Lived and Died For the Ones He Loved

The End

a/n- Seriously, as I was writing this, I was imagining being Shelby, and completely like teared a few times. I hope your like this story, please review with what ever you thought of it, good or bad!