Hey! I'm alive!

Yes, I know it's been quite a while, but that isn't my fault.

My damn, mean, over-powerful volleyball coach has practice everyday after school for three hours (unless we have a game) and by the time I get home I'm so tired that I have barely enough energy to take a shower and go to bed.

Now that volleyball season is here, I no longer can eat supper. Sigh

But today was different! For I was sick today and just could not go to practice, so I finished this chapter.

Yay for being sick!

Random quote #12: "When the world is against you and you're at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." –Anonymous

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"Wha-what?" Starfire stuttered out softly, staring at the doctor. "I do not understand..."

"A coma... is like she's sleeping, Star." Robin said quietly, looking at the cold, linoleum floor in front of him, as if it were the most interesting thing he had ever seen. "Only... she can't wake up and..."

'Maybe never will.' He thought to himself, not being able to bring himself to say it out loud.

Starfire's eyes widened, and then closed tightly when she felt hot tears try to fall down her face.

She understood.

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'... ... ... ... ...' were the thoughts of Beast boy. He knew not what to do, nor what to make of the new information he had just received.

Should he be angry with the doctors for making this happen? Or with himself?

Should he be happy that Raven was just in a coma and still alive?

Should he be scared that she was?

Was it all of the above?

Or maybe none at all?

All these questions blended themselves with each other, making it impossible to decipher which was the correct choice for him.

So he just sat there, motionless and hardly breathing, unable to feel much of anything other than disbelief.

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Lucy looked through her thick spectacles with her kind, soft, brown eyes at the young children in front of her and inside, her heart wept.

The tall, strong, half metal boy was leaning against the back of his chair sluggishly, one large hand rubbing small circles at his temples. He looked stressed, tired, and most of all worried.

A thin, red-haired girl was sitting next to the boy in the black mask and matching cape, her head on his shoulder, his arm around hers, and both of them whispering comforting words to each other softly and slowly.

Then there was the small, green lad sitting across from them all. He just sat there staring at the wall, dark, green eyes blank and unfocused. Yet as void of emotion his eyes were, Lucy could still see glimmers of sadness, raw and pure, underneath the haze of confusion.

She never really let it show, even in all her years of being a nurse, but every time she saw the sorrowful faces of the victim's friends, or family, a tiny part of her dies.

And right now, a whole chuck of her very being was gasping for its last breath.

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"It will be alright, Star. A coma most definitely doesn't mean death."

"I know that, but-"

"No, there are no 'buts'. She'll wake up, don't worry."

"Thank you, Robin. I just cannot help thinking about what might happen if she does not."

"Me too, Star. Me too."

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Once when he was very young, around the age of five, Cyborg and his grandma used to go to church together every Sunday morning, dressed in their finest and cleanest clothes.

It was an old church with creaky floorboards that had an even older pastor, but Cyborg loved to go. He loved the songs, the music, and especially the bible readings.

One of his favorites was Psalm 23.

He now turned to those verses for comfort.

'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.'

'He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadth me beside the still waters.'

'He restoreth my soul: he leadth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.'

'Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.'

'Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anoitest my head with oil: my cup runneth over.'

'Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me in all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.'

'Amen.'

'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want...'

Thus were the concentrated and rhythmic thoughts of Cyborg.

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Dr. Kollock studied the children before him. Many emotions plagued their faces in great drones.

Worry.

Disbelief.

Anger.

Concentration.

Sadness.

Hopelessness.

Maybe he hadn't let them hear the news at the right time. Maybe he wasn't gentle about the whole matter. Maybe he just wasn't very comforting.

Or maybe they needed to get their friend back.

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"Who would like to see her first?" The doctor said in a quiet ton of voice.

Three of the four heads turned toward him.

He fumbled for the right words. "I mean she's stable, so a few visitors wouldn't hurt. Just remember that only one person can be in the room at a time. Those are the rules."

And with that statement, the faces of the Teen Titians brightened ever so slightly.

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Next chapter: Starfire's Visit!

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