disclamer: I own none of the Rocket Power characters, I do own Rob and Jess.

Chapter 7: Why?

Sam opened his eyes to see a blinding white, he was immedietly confused.

'What the hell, This isn't my room! What happened?' he thought to himself. The memories of his suicide attempt came flooding back into his head- the note, the bathroom, his knife, blood stained water, a familar voice screaming his name.

"Oh shit." Sam said as he observed his surroundings. He was in a white hospital room, he was wearing a hospital gown, there were a series of stitches on his arms and tubes pumping blood back into his body.

'I'm still alive, they know about the cutting. I have to face everyone now!' he thought panicly. He started breathing heavily and beads of sweat formed on his brow.

"Easy there kid. We wouldn't want to lose you again." a husky voice said. Sam looked up to see a man wearing green scrubs. He had broad shoulders and took up most of the doorway, his dark skin and hair lead Sam to assume that he was latino.

"How long have I been out?" Sam asked the man.

"About 18 hours, we had to use security to get rid of your friends last night, they really wanted to see you, but the doctors were kind of busy making sure you wouldn't die. My name is Phil by the way, I'm a nurse here at Ocean Shores Hospital." He said, "don't laugh" he added jokingly. Sam gave a small chuckle and examined the stitches on his arms.

"Yeah, the doctors put in about fifty stitches total, it's not as bad as it sounds, but I'm afaid your gonna have those scars for the rest of your life." he said solemnly.

"What happened after I passed out?" Sam asked quietly.

"Well, those three friends of yours found you just in time, any later and you would've been dead like you wanted." Sam bent his head down in shame. "Don't start with that self-pity stuff kid, you made a mistake, you're human. Anyway, the doctors stitched you up in a hurry so you wouldn't loose anymore blood. Then they got some blood that was donated to the hospital and pumped it back into you. Your friends even volunteered to give blood, only one of them matched your type though."

"Which one?" Sam asked.

"Uh, it was one the girls; the pretty one with purple hair, name started with an 'R' I think?" Phil said while racking his brain for answers.

"Reggie" Sam said feebily.

"Yeah that's the one. Anyway her blood in now flowing through your veins; you've got some great friends Sam. They wouldn't leave until we said you were alright. They had to got to school but their back now." Sam glanced at the clock, it was four in the afternoon. "Can't see why you would want to leave them." Phil added in a soft voice.

"Everyone turned against me because I've been a real asshole lately. I figured everyone would be better off without me." Sam said in a shaky voice. Phil nodded and began talking agian.

"I've worked in hospitals for a few years now, not just here but in cities too. I've seen countless patients like you; failed suicide attempts. There have been people younger than you, older than you. People who overdosed on tylenol, people who tried to hang themselves, cutters like yourself. But they all had one thing in common, they all had the same excuse- that the world would be better off without them."

"But, your one of the lucky ones Sam. You have people in that waiting room who care about you. Some patients have people who couldn't care less or nobody at all. Like it or not, your gonna have to face them, and their gonna ask 'why?'." Phil lectured.

"What do I tell them?" Sam asked.

"Tell them, everything- your feelings, your regrets, your reasons. They'll understand." Phil said with a comforting smile.

"But what if they don't?" Sam asked

"Then they will eventually, time heals all wounds Sam. Trust me on that one. Because I was in your shoes once, and it wasn't fast, it wasn't easy, but everything did get better." Phil said, he raised his arms that were littered with faint scars.

"Hey is my mom out there"? Sam asked.

"Yeah, why?" Phil asked.

"Because I'm ready to see her." Sam said

"I'll go get her." Phil said with a smile.

"Thanks for everything Phil, that was quite a speech."

"Don't mention it. I've told that speech so many times, I could do it in my sleep." For the first time in a few days, Sam laughed.

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Paula Dullard sat nervously in the hospital waiting room and read Sam's note far what seemed to be the hundreth time-

Everybody:

It seems that my life is not worth living, I continuously hurt those around me and they turn their backs on me. I don't blame them, I have always been a screw up, just like my dad said. The best thing for me to do is to take me out of your lives forever, I hope you understand.

- Sam L. Dullard.

P.S.- This is my own fault, don't blame yourselves. Especially you Mom.

Paula wiped away her tears for the hundreth time, the last line of the not always got to her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see a boy with spiked hair and dark circles around his eyes.

"Don't blame yourself Mrs.D, Sam's gonna be fine." He said.

"I should have seen this coming. Maybe if I had taken him to a psychologist or done something about his father..." She rambled on.

"Hold on, what does Sam's dad have to do with this?" Jess interupted. Paula let out a sigh, and began telling the story of Sam's childhood. His father's rage and drinking problem, the beatings, the divorce, and the fact that Sam hasn't communicated with his father for three years. Sam's friends could only look at her in shock; they couldn't believe it at first but after a few minutes of pondering, it made sense.

"Have you talked to Sam's father at all?" Reggie asked, tears streaming down her face.

"I don't know why but, after Sam turned thirteen, Doug's only communication with us were the checks that he was required to send us every month. Other than that, nothing." the crying women said. Just then, Phil walked into the waiting room.

"Mrs.Dullard, your son is ready to see you now." He said softly. Paula jumped out of her seat and followed Phil down the hallways of the hospital, trying to keep as calm as possible. They stopped in front of Room 135, Phil opened the door for Mrs.Dullard whom ran over to her pale son and engulfed him in a hug.

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Half an hour later, Paula left Sam's room. During their talk she had surprisingly managed to stay calm and understanding instead of screaming her head off at him for being so stupid. Sam had told her everyhting; his father's surprise visit when he was thirteen, the reason he changed his look, the cutting, the fights.

As she listened, everything became clearer, she asked Sam if he wanted to see a pyschologist and was surprised when he said he'd think about instead of immediately saying 'no'. A tear rolled down her cheek- 'He's growing up.' she thought to herself.

She walked into the waiting room to see that Rob, Jess, Otto, Twister, and Reggie were still there. Rob looked up from his book to see Mrs.Dullard standing there with tears in her eyes. He leaped out of his seat and began pummiling her with questions, as well as the rest of the teenagers.

"Calm down, he's fine!" She reassured them.

"Is he really okay, or is that just what he told you?" Twister asked. Paula looked at him in shock for a few moments, while analyzing Sam's behavior when she talked to him. "Well...he seemed fine to me, but he could just be putting on an act." She explained.

"Can we see him yet?" Jess pleaded.

"Sam said he was ready to talk to you and Rob. He's in room 135..." before Paula could finish, the two teens dressed in black almost ran out of the waiting room towards Sam's room. "Well... if you'll excuse me for a moment, I have to call Doug and tell him what's going on." She said to the Rockets, Twister could have sworn that Paula's voice was laced with venom as she mentioned her ex-husband.

The teens merely nodded as the blonde women walked outside while turning on her cell phone. Reggie became more nervous as she waited 'Why dosen't Sam want to see me yet, we're best friends, well we were best friends. He has a good reason to avoid me.' Reggie thought to herself, she started crying again. Twister put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"Are you alright?" he asked, then immedietly regreting asking her that. 'Of course she's not alright you idiot! Her best friend tried to kill himself!' he thought hatefully to himself.

"I don't think I can talk to Sam right now." she wimpered

"That's alright. Let's just hang out until Mrs.D is back so we can tell her we're leaving." Twister said in a defeated voice. He had really wanted to talk to Sam.

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Doug Dullard sat in his lavish office in Kansas. Ever since his divorce, he had been able to work more hours which earned him a series of promotions, a private office on the nineteenth floor of his office building, and a BMW.

He sat at his desk working on a new advertising campaign that would surely earn him another promotion (not that he needed it). Unlike other people on his floor, Doug's desk was neat and bare when it was not littered with papers. Eveyone else decorated their desk and office with pictures of their beloved children, Doug however, threw out every picture of Sam that he owned. His phone started ringing, Doug looked up from his work and picked up his phone. "Hello, Dullard here." he answered.

"Doug, this is Paula." a women's voice said. Doug was shocked, he expected the phonecall to be a business associate, not his ex-wife whom he hadn't spoken to in three years.

"What do you want?"he said in an annoyed voice. Paula was not taken back by his rudeness as she continued talking.

"Sam's in the hospital, Doug. He tried to kill himself." she said

"Did it work?" Doug asked in a toneless voice. Paula gasped.

"Doug Dullard how could you?! He's your only son."

"I have no son." Doug growled. "Well is he dead or not?" he asked grumpily.

"For your information, he's fine the doctors were able to stitch up his wrists and replace the lost blood."

"Figures, I always knew he would be a failure. Can't even kill himself correctly, the little bastard." He mumbled.

"You disgust me Doug! How could you be so cruel? Apparently Sam's been cutting himself for a few years now. And do you know why Doug? It's because of you, your abusive behavior towards Sam has caused him to cut himself, change his image, and resort to reckless behavior!" Paule nearly screamed into the phone.

Doug was now fuming. 'How dare she talk to me like that! I did everything that my father did to me, it builds character! It's not my fault she gave birth to a wuss.' He thought to himself. He than realized that his ex-wife was still on the phone. "Doug! Are you there Doug? Answer me dammit!!" Her distant voice demanded. Doug slammed the phone onto the reciever and stormed out of his office.

He gave no apologies to those he ran into as he stomped into the empty elevator that he was fortunate to get. He didn't feel like talking to anybody right now. The elevator finally reached the parking garage and Doug got into his shiny black BMW and drove out of the parking garage, a bit too fast.

He drove for a few miles until he reached the nearest bar, a high class, sophisticated one that he went to often. People greeted him as he walk through the door and towards the bar, he ignored them.

"Scotch!" he demanded to the bartender, whom responded quickly by pouring him a shot of the amber liquid and setting it before him. Doug grabbed the glass and downed it in one gulp. "Keep it coming." He said to the bartender.

After half an hour, Doug was still drinking nonstop. The bartender called security, whom dragged the screaming drunk man out of the building.

"Bastards." Doug muttered angrily as he stumbled towards his car. He started the car and didn't even look behind him before putting the car in reverse and and slamming on the gas pedal. He pulled out into the middle of the street, surprising a speeding truck that slammed into the driver's side of Doug's car.

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Paula turned of her cellphone angrily. 'What did I ever see in him?' she thought to herself as she walked back into the waiting room.

"Uh...Mrs.Dullard, I don't think I can talk to Sam right now." Reggie said, somewhat ashamed.

"That's okay dear, you go home." Paula said, wipeing off the tears of fury caused by Doug.

"How did Sam's dad react?" Otto asked. Paula snapped her head up and said

"He wasn't very sympathetic, to tell the truth." She said sadly.

"I'm sorry Mrs.D" Otto said

"Don't be, he's an asshole." Paula said. This shocked the teens, they had never heard Paula swore before. The three teens walked out of the waiting room solemnly. Paula decided she wanted to go home, and walked to her son's room.

When she opened the door, all three teenagers were laughing their heads off at something Rob had just said. 'Their acting like nothing happened!' Paula thought angrily. 'No, don't do that! This means he's getting better.' she reassured herself. The teenagers noticed her presence and stopped laughing.

"Well we better get going, See ya' Sam!" Jess said quickly.

"Goodnight Mrs.D" the two teens said to Paula. She smiled and walked over to Sam's bed.

"I really need to get some sleep, are you gonna be alright?" she asked

"Of course mom, go home. You've been here for hours." Sam said reassuringly. Paula kissed his forehead and walked out of the room. She walked throught the empty waiting room towards her car.

When she arrived home, the phone was ringing. Paula heaved a sigh as she picked it up.

"Hello?" she said tiredly.

"Is this Paula Dullard?" a voice asked.

"Yes it is, who are you?" she responded.

"My name Officer Rosten, I'm an Kansas State Trooper. Mrs.Dullard I'm afraid I have some bad news regarding your ex-husband."

"What happened?" She asked panicly.

"Your husband was in a car accident..." the trooper trailed on.

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Paula raced through the doors of the hospital, ignoring the protests of any nurses or secretaries. A women stepped in front of her-"Ma'am, I'm sorry but visiting hours are over." she said, but Paula just pushed her out of the way and continued on to Sam's room.

Sam layed his bed, trying to fall asleep but with no luck. The door burst opened as his mother ran through. Sam jerked back up and looked at her in confusion. She was brething heavily and had tears in her eyes.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Sam asked.

"It's your father Sam, he's dead." Paula said. Sam could only stare in shock.

Next chapter: Sam and Reg talk, finally.

A/N: Big thanks to all you reviewers. I hope this chapter was worth the wait and doesn't ruin the hole fic because of its crappiness.

enema-of-the-state182: Yes, my penname does have something to do with Chester Bennington, I love Linkin Park!