Chapter 14:
"Ms. Martin, we are incredibly sorry to tell you this…especially over the telephone. Your son has slipped into a coma this afternoon. We are doing everything we can for Zack…." They didn't need to hear the rest of the message. Those three sentences were enough to break anyone's heart. Carey dropped into a chair, her face horror stricken. Rebecca's worried face bursts into tears and Raine just sat, in disbelief. Tears flow down Cody's face as he pulls his legs up on the couch and wraps his arms around his knees. He buries his face in them. Carey gets up and sits between Raine and Cody, pulling Cody against her. She kisses the top of his head and holds him as tight as possible.
Eventually, Carey goes to be with Zack…leaving an already traumatized Cody with Rebecca and Raine under the watchful eye of Maddie.
Sobs shake Cody's whole body as he watches his mother leave and Maddie enter, crying tears of her own. She walks over to the couch and sits down beside Rebecca, embracing her in a hug. Rebecca hugs her back while Raine hugs Cody.
They try to talk to each other, but speaking about it makes them even more depressed. Maddie makes them dinner, but they're too worried to eat it. They try to watch a movie, but they don't pay attention. Carey called once to say that she'd be home late, but said nothing about Zack or his condition which made them even more anxious.
The group fell asleep soon- Cody on the couch, Raine and Rebecca on the floor, and Maddie in the chair. Raine hasn't even drifted into dreamland before she's awakened by Cody sobbing.
She stands and walks over to the couch.
"Cody?" She says, softly so as not to wake the others.
"Raine?" He turns his head slowly to look at her shadowy figure, standing in the dark.
"What's wrong?" She asks, sitting down beside him. Cody cries harder and Raine hugs him. He calms enough to break their hug, but Raine leaves her arm around him and he rests his head on her shoulder. He sobs softly still.
"He died…" Raine gives him an utterly concerned look, then realizes he can't see her face.
"What?"
"In my dream….Zack…died." He says with a gulp and tears escape, though he's attempting to hold them back.
Raine hesitates before asking, "You…you wanna tell me about it?" Cody gives a long, slow sigh and then begins to talk,
"We…we were…we were just playin around….and then he fell down….and I…I couldn't wake him up…and he died…" He starts sobbing again and Raine holds him. "I don't know what I'd do without him, Raine! He's my twin! We've been through everything together! What if he really does die?"
"He won't…" She reassures him.
"How do you know!" He says, louder, "I dunno what I'll do if he's gone! He can't die, Raine! He can't!" Raine is silent. She doesn't know what to do or say, because everything Cody says…is true.