Author's Note:Okay...sooOOOooooo LOL! Alright yeah I haven't updated in like...EVER? ha. But yeah...alright. I don't have an excuse blah blah blah. Hopefully since Easter break is in like...2 days I'll get some written on Thursday or Friday. (Note: HOPEFULLY) And I gotta couple a words ta say LOL.

1. I'm changing the disclaimer. Not on the first chapter, but it'll go into effect as of now. I DO NOT own Rebecca. I own most of her personality and all of her lines and such, but I did NOT make up her character. Sarah, the girl who originally role-played as Rebecca, owns her. No Sarah did not complain. I just feel that I don't have the right to take Rebecca. Okay that sounds weird. Oh and just as another note, Sarah DID give me permission to use Rebecca in this story.

2. I have a couple of funny moments. I kept messing up when I was writing this chapter. LOL! Alright here we go:

a. I meant to write "so much worse" and instead I wrote "so much horse." I don't even KNOW what I was thinking lol!

b. I meant to write "heart beat" and instead wrote "heart bed." ? lol!

c.I meantto write "the tears were already making their way down his face." and instead wrote "the tears werealready makingtheir way down their..." and then I got myself. TEARS HAVE FACES! LOL!

3. This chapter is entitled "Stroke by Stroke" for obvious reasons.

Done okay here, enjoy, be merry. Alright here:

Chapter 7: Stroke by Stroke

Zack slept in late the following morning. When he finally trudged out to the living room, he found Cody comfortably seated upon the couch, his math textbook on his lap and a frown furrowing his brow.

Zack rolled his eyes playfully, "Who does homework on a Saturday?"

And just when a smile had appeared on his face, it was chased away by the remembrance of what had happened the previous day. Martha.He couldn't believe he'd almost forgotten. He wanted to slap himself. Instead he fell into a chair at the kitchen table, letting his head fall into his hands.

Zack visited Martha at the hospital twice that weekend, once on Saturday and once on Sunday, staying for hours on end, until his mother or the doctors forced him to leave. Sometimes Cody went with him, or Rebecca, or Raine. And sometimes all four went together. Either way it still hurt to go and broke his heart to see Martha the way she was, all hooked up to a million machines. It brought back memories he'd been trying to forget.

One of the doctors had told him Martha may have suffered brain damage. She also might have paralyzed her entire right side. He was told Martha was lucky he'd been there. At least he'd done something.

But it was Monday and he had to go back to school, for six hours- six long, long hours. He wouldn't be able to see Martha until after school. He went anyway, that day and the next and the next, while Martha lay alone in hospital bed, mostly irresponsive to anything happening around her.

Zack refused to talk about it, not even to Cody or his mother. Even though he knew they'd understand.

He felt horrible, absolutely horrible. He didn't think anything could be worse, except for that horrible thought that wouldn't leave him alone. Martha could…could…die. And then all of a sudden, it got worse- so much worse.

They got the call late Thursday evening. Dinner was done, dishes were washed, and Cody was at Rebecca's helping her study for her math test. Zack had been in his room, doodling all over his notebook, neglecting the pile of homework cluttering his desk. Just as he was about to fall asleep of pure boredom, the phone rang. He heard the distinct click as his mother picked it up and then her voice as she answered.

"Hello?"

His heart began to pound hard in his chest.

"It could be anyone," he reminded himself, "Or it could be about Martha." Since Zack visited her every day, there was no need for the nurse to call…unless something happened. There was silence from Carey's side of the conversation. Zack put down his pen and crept closer to the door so as to hear better.

"Oh…" He heard finally, "Alright…Y-yes of course…Thank you." There was a click as Carey hung up.

"Zack!"

Zack's chest tightened at the call of his name. Slowly, he opened the door.

"Yeah?" He asked, pretending he hadn't heard a word, hadn't been eavesdropping.

Carey motioned him towards her. He did so. She sat down in a chair and held him at arms length, "Zack…I…"

Zack's heart beat sped up.

"Zack…Martha…she…"

"No…Oh, God…please no…"

"Martha had another stroke, Zack, shortly after you left. And…s-she's getting worse. I'm so sorry, honey. I…"

"No…" Zack whispered, interrupting, "No…"

"Zack…"

"No…" he repeated, lifting his head to look at her, "NO! You promised!"

"What!"

"You PROMISED!" he screamed, trying to break free of her firm grasp.

"What did I promise?"

"You promised! You-you said Martha was going to be fine! You said everything'd be okay!"

"Zack…"

"YOU PROMISED!" The tears were already making their way down his face, "Martha's not fine now, is she! And nothing's going to be okay! NOTHING!" Zack shook her off completely, making a run for the door, slamming it shut behind him. He ran to the elevator and slammed his hand against the 'close door' button at least five times and then 'lobby.'

As the elevator began it's decent, he sat down, pulling his legs up to his chest, silently whispering,

"No…no…no…" through the elevator's dings at the next twenty-two floors. He was shaking involuntarily, even though the elevator was the perfect temperature.

The elevator eventually came to a halting stop and the doors slid open. Gathering himself together, he hurriedly made his way to the doors.

"Zack!" he heard Maddie shout his name, but he didn't dare turn around or stop.

"ZACK!" He heard her shout again and broke into a run.

"Zack! No running in the lobby!" He heard Moseby yell. He shoved open the door and a blast of warm, September air hit him full-on, startling him. In the same instant, he felt Maddie grab hold of him and turn him around.

"Zack, what's wrong?"

Zack shook his head and turned to go.

"Zack…" Maddie whispered and turned him round once more.

"I…it's Martha," He told her tearfully, She-she had another stroke. She's getting…she's getting worse."

"Oh, Zack…" Maddie murmured as she embraced him, letting his tears soak into her Tipton uniform without a care. She recalled how upset she'd been when her Nana had died. Martha was like a grandmother to Zack. He talked about her all the time.

"It's okay, Zack." She told him quietly, "Martha'll be fine."

"That's what everyone says. She's not fine now."

"But she will be. At least…we can hope she will."

Reviews PLEASE!

Fig