In 'Probability', Marshall's reluctance to complete his community service project inadvertently causes a string of events that nearly costs the members of the Science Club their lives. Thankfully, all is well that ends well. At least on the show. In the following story, things didn't go so well, and if Marshall doesn't get his head together, they may be worse still...

An Alternate Probability

By: Emilie

I'm not exactly sure how I feel about her. I mean, she's one of my best friends, but if we began anything more than that, what if things went wrong? Could we go back to being friends? Would she even want to?

I know I didn't mean to give her the worst day ever. I would never knowingly hurt her. But I still don't know how I feel. Why can't we just go back to being normal, ordinary friends, before everything got so complicated?

All of these thoughts were going around in my mind when I heard a sudden scream from the top floor. I ran as fast as I possibly could, but by the time I reached the bottom of the staircase, it was all over. Josie, Lucas, and Vaughn were huddled around someone, and what I heard made my heart stop.

Josie sounded like she was crying.

"Josie, what's the matter? Where is Cor-"

My friends looked up at me, their expressions a mixture of shock, horror and it might have been my guilty conscience, but I thought I saw blame there too. Corrine lay there, and she wasn't moving. I was so scared, I couldn't make my legs move, I was so afraid that if I got close enough to her, I would discover something way worse than just her being a little hurt.

"Oh my god, what happened?" It was all I could say.

"You did this, Marshall, it's your fault! If you had just done your community service project like the rest of us, none of this would've ever happened. You had to do what you wanted, and now Corrine..." she started to cry again. Josie never cries. It's just not what she does. If she'd yelled more, or called me a dumbass, or even socked me, I could handle that. Well, I could handle the first two, at least. But this, this was so not her.

"What is it? What's wrong with her?" I was scared, but not so much that I could stay away from her. I had to know what was going on. I moved in between Josie and Lucas, taking Corrine's hand. It felt warm, and I could feel her heart beating in her wrist. I let out a sigh, and it was only then that I realized I hadn't breathed since I heard the scream.

"Corrine, Corrine? It's me, Marshall. Can you hear me? I'm so sorry, please wake up, please."

I stared at her, trying to will her back to...life? Oh my god, was she in a coma? The paramedics rushed in, lifting her onto the transport gurney. I rushed to her side, but Josie stepped between us.

" I'll go with her. You've done enough." I looked back at my other friends. No one would look me in the eye. The corridor emptied quickly as half the school followed the paramedics outside. Everyone knew who she was, and it wouldn't take very long to know who was responsible for her accident. I didn't know what to do, but I was about to take a page from Josie's book.

She didn't want me there, but I wasn't going to listen. I had to see what hospital she was going to, and I had to be there when she woke up.

If she woke up.