Marco

I was gaining closer to Jake's bedroom, Rachel followed me tentatively. We were both scared of what would happen if Jake was awake. We knew he wasn't going to attack us or anything like that, but he would be pretty upset. I know I was pretty upset when my mum 'supposedly' died. I didn't hang around long enough to see how Jake had handled the news and I'm glad I wasn't. From the sounds of it, he had taken it really badly.

We reached Jake's hospital room and walked in. Jake was asleep again, the cut on his head looking nasty.

"Tobias?" Rachel said, stalking over to the window ledge where a red tailed hawk was. "What are you doing here? Where's Ax?"

((Ax went back to his scoop,)) Tobias said, looking at Jake. ((I came back here. Tom opened the window after Jake went back to sleep. I thought I'd come in and make sure nothing happens to him.))

Rachel smiled. "That's sweet," she said smoothing Tobias ruffled feathers.

"Do you guys mind?" I said, feeling slightly nauseous. "I think I might be sick."

"If you don't like it go away," Rachel snapped.

"I'm not the only one who's queasy over your little love fest," I said. "Jake doesn't look too good."

"Jake's asleep," Rachel snapped. "And that's an evil thing to say."

"Oh, so now I'm evil?" I said, yawning. "Great insults, Mighty Xena."

((Guys,)) Tobias said. ((Pipe down. You're going to wake Jake up.))

"You know they did an autopsy on Uncle Steve without Aunty Jean knowing," Rachel informed Tobias.

((Are they allowed to do that?)) Tobias asked, astounded.

"I don't think so," Rachel said. "What idiots."

Again nobody disagreed.

"Anything interesting happen with you today, bird-boy?" I asked Tobias. "Besides the whole car accident thing?"

((What's there to happen?)) Tobias asked, dryly. ((I don't know how I'm going to find my way back to my meadow. It's so dark.))

I looked out the window and realised that he was right. It was dark. I looked at the clock on the wall.

"Crap," I cursed. "It's eight. I've got to ring my dad before he files a missing person's report."

I flipped out my mobile phone and dialled my home number.

"My mum's coming over, so we'll probably be able to take Cassie home," Rachel said as I waited for my dad to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" my dad said as he answered the phone.

"Hey dad," I said.

"Marco, where have you been?" he demanded. "I thought this was the police calling to tell me they've found your body."

I didn't laugh. That was more of Jake's story.

"I'm at the hospital," I said. "There's been an accident."

"Oh my god," he said, sounding scared. "Are you alright, Marco? Please tell me you're alright."

"I'm fine," I said. "It wasn't me. Jake and his dad crashed into a truck, I think it was."

"Are they alright?" my dad said, less scared but still sounding worried. Jake was like a more distant son to him.

"Jake's got a few broken bones," I informed him. "But his dad's…Dad, Steve is dead."

I heard my dad gasp. "I'm coming over," he said quickly. "I'll be there soon."

"Alright, bye," I said.

I hung up and turned back to Rachel and Tobias. Rachel was sitting on the end of Jake's bed, looking grave. A tear trickled down her face. I was stunned. Rachel never cried. Never.

Tobias was perched on her shoulder, also staring at Jake.

"People die all the time," Rachel whispered. "You just never realise that it might happen to someone you love."

"Yeah," I said. "I learnt that the hard way."

"But your mum didn't really die," Rachel said, turning to look at me angrily as though this was my entire fault.

"No," I agreed. "But I know how it feels."

We all fell silent for a while. The only noises made were nurses walking up and down the hallway hurriedly.

"Press charges," a loud voice said at the door.

I turned around and found myself looking at Jean, Naomi and Cassie.

"Press charges against the police?" Jean laughed.

"I'll be your personal lawyer," Naomi offered.

"It's alright, Naomi," Jean said softly as she came closer to Jake's bed.

I jumped out of the way and Tobias fluttered quickly to the window.

"What is a bird doing in here?" Naomi demanded. "Rachel, did you let that bird in here?"

"No, mum," Rachel lied. "Maybe the nurses…"

"Yes," Naomi muttered. "These people have no sense of hygiene." She stalked towards Tobias and shooed him out the window.

I rolled my eyes.

"Should I wake him?" Jean asked Naomi, smoothing Jake's hair out.

"Leave him to sleep," Naomi said, looking down at Jake pityingly. "God knows when he's going to get that opportunity."

"Have you given Dan a ring?" Jean asked.

"I'm trying to put it off," Naomi answered. "I don't want to tell him that his brother died over the phone."

I walked over to Cassie, not wanting to eavesdrop further on the girl talk.

"What happened to Tom?" I asked.

"He called his friends and they came to pick him up," Cassie informed me. "They weren't too pleased that he didn't turn up for the meeting."

I shrugged. "Life sucks, what can you do?"

"I wouldn't say that too loudly if I were you," Rachel said joining us.

"Hey Marco," someone said behind me.

I spun around. My dad was standing there, looking pitiful as he stared at Jake and Jean.

"Hey dad," I said. "You got here fast. What'd you ride, the bat-mobile?" He glared sternly at me and I automatically felt guilty. "You going to speak to them?" I said, covering myself up.

"I'll be a minute," he said and walked over to Jean and Naomi.

"I can't wait to get out of here," I said, turning back to Rachel and Cassie.

"We should call a meeting," Cassie said quietly.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "Cassie? Your barn around twelve?"

"Alright, my parents will be out around then anyway," she said. "Maybe we could visit Jake together."

"Come on Marco," my dad had come back after speaking with Jean and Naomi.

"Alright," I said to them. "See you tomorrow, then."

Author's note I swear you reviewers are so nice! Nobody has ever been so nice about any of my stories! Thankyou! And I promise I will get around to reading and reviewing your stories! I've already read the stories of the authors who have requested it and they are BRILLIANT! Oh, and I'm sorry if I use or will use Australian words! I think I used 'what a beauty' in the story! I only just found out that was an Australian term. Sorry!