SO sorry, I forgot to update. (. Anyways... um, yeah.

Whenever I try to reply to your reviews the screen gets screwed up (, I must fix that, for now I just have to say thank you SO much! Yes, smileys are wicked and Kristen, I hope you feel better.

Chapter VII: Welcome To Paradise

Salad. He was living on salad. He missed Iggy's usual breakfast of coffee, waffles and cold cereal. Even though he always had complained, living on salad was much worse. The hospital had a kitchen you could use at any time, of course he couldn't cook for beans. The most he could do was unwrap an energy bar or two. So he always had lunch with Angela. Angela's crowd was a bit obsessed with health food. And that meant salads galore. "We are not obsessed." Doxy piped in. Oh right, the mind reading thing was annoying too. "We can't help it." Wake said, poking at her lettuce. "Most people here know how to close off their minds, but you don't. Your thoughts are all just out there. Floating for anyone to hear. And I'm sorry but it's very hard to ignore." She continued. Every nodded happily and chewed their salad at this. "How exactly did you guys, get like this?" He asked, drenching his limp leafs in dressing. "Long, long story." Iris said, rolling her brown eyes with each 'long'. "But we have time." Down said defiantly. She'd never been one to follow the group.

"It all started with eight pregnant mummies. They were promised their kiddies would be the smartest in school if the School could just put some drugs in their womb. They readily agreed and the School was very happy. There were going to be five boys and five girls. One was having triplets you see. So just into the second trimester they pumped the womb with drugs that would slow the development of the brain, then in the third trimester they sped it up. Well you know how boys and girl's brains are different? They didn't realize that and they just shot us up with the dope. All the girls were born fine, but three of the boys were still born. The dope killed them. For some reason, Zion and River survived."

Zion and River were Iris's sickly looking triplet brothers. They were pale, had lank hair and were very frail looking. In fact, Fang was rooming with them. They spent a good deal of time laying on their beds, staring into space and sleeping. They were never seen without each other. Until today. Only Zion was at the table today. In fact... he hadn't seen River since he went to the hot tubs at lunch the other day.

"We think it's something to do with Iris absorbing most of the drugs-"

"And it did not make me loopy! I'm just a bit more sensitive to thoughts." Iris piped in.

"Sure you are." Down sighed. "Well, they survived but they are physically very unhealthy. We were born fine but the poor mummies were forced to give us away, the School said we wouldn't survive unless they gave us up. Load of bull but they believed it. We got stuck in a nursery with a loony who gave use weird names like Down."

"Iris... River... Zion."

"Wake."

"Doxy."

Angela said nothing. "What? Hun don't be afraid of your name." Wake said poking her with the end of a fork. Angela sighed. "Amesia." She muttered. "Amesia?" Fang sputtered. What a name...

"Yes, that's her name. She changed it. We on the other hand, deal with it." Down said proudly. "Telekinesis, telepathy, we never forget, we learn very quickly, overall we just have a super brain. We used 30 of our brains. 20 more than the average person. It's really quite wonderful."

"What else can you do?" Fang asked sarcastically. These guys were good. A lot better then having wings attached to your spine.

"A lot." Zion whispered hoarsely as a sly smile crossed his face. Fang's eyes widened. That was the first time one of boys had spoken. He just thought they were incapable... but now, maybe not.

"Observe." He croaked, he pointed a shaky finger at a vase of flowers. Suddenly, the greenish buds bloomed into bright pink roses. They were beautiful but just as they had blossomed they burst into the flames. Fang heard himself gasp, but the others stayed calm. When the flames subsided all that was left was greenish buds. No ashes or traces of the fire at all. Fang heard Zion laugh huskily, as if an elephant at the circus had just done some marvelous trick. "Optical illusions." Angela smiled. "Zion and Riv like optical illusions. It's been ages since they've had an open mind to work with." Fang nodded. He had to learn how to close off his mind. "No, don't do that! It's quite pleasant. You'll see." Wake said, pouring a glass of water. For them maybe...

"Well I have to go make rounds." Angela said, putting her plate in the sink. "I'll come too!" Fang offered, limping to the door. He was not about to stay here with them... reading his thoughts and making things turn into other things. He'd had enough of that for now. Angela cocked her elbow, and Fang wrapped his fingers around it. This was the first time they had been alone since the kiss that almost was. "I'm glad you came." She said quietly. "River is sick. I think he'd like a visitor besides the seven of us." She smiled. "Why doesn't anyone else visit him?" Fang asked a bit puzzled. Sure the two sickly boys were a bit creepy, but they weren't horrible. "Oh, morbidity is not well dealt with in this hospital." She sighed, shaking her head. He could understand that. Death was scary for most people, but once you've brushed with it, it's not really that bad. At least it wasn't for him. "Hey, do you want to get there a little bit faster?" She asked suddenly stopping, Fang back tracked, staring at her confusedly. "Sure." He said cautiously. He wasn't quite ready for another optical illusion, but maybe this one wouldn't be as bad. "Alright then." She blushed. He felt a bit of wind under him, then he realized that the Hospital had disappeared from under him, in fact the Hospital had completely disappeared. But quick as a wink, it was back, but now, they were in another room. Fang recognized it as his old room. The one he had stayed in before being moved in with Zion, River and Grey. The only difference was the flowers. There were a dozen vases of flowers. "Gifts from his brother and sister." She said, picking one of the many tiger lilies. Fang looked at the bed, there were so many tubes and wires that he thought it empty at first. But then he saw River's lank black hair laying askew on the pillow. He realized that the boy was far worse than he had been, even when he was in a coma he did not have this many wires. Angela took his hand and sat him down in one of the chairs by the boy's bedside. Fang chocked back tears as he watched River's stomach slowly rise and fall with each passing breath. The boy had an oxygen mask covering his mouth and nose, wires coming out of his chest, stomach, arms and several suctions stuck to his forehead. "He collapsed the other day. Right on the stairwell. Fell down two flights. Had a seizure." Angela choked, tears were blotting her lab coat now. "He had the effing flu. He's dying from the effing flu." She cried, laying her head next to his. Their hair entangled with each other. It was impossible to see where her newly dyed black and purple waves ended and his bluish black locks began. "His brother's a wreck, Iris is losing it too. I don't know what will happen to them if he dies. I really don't know." She said wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "I'm sorry, I didn't think I'd get this emotional." She choked. Fang nodded, he limped over to Angela and put his arms around her. "It's okay." He whispered as her tears ran down his back. "It'll all be okay." He said softly. "Promise?" She said weakly. Fang stopped for a split second, then replied. "I promise."

"Thanks, for holding me up back there." Angel smiled as they walked down this hall. "It's no problem." He said squeezing her arm. "Um, but there is something I need to talk to you about." She said softly. "The other day... when were about to kiss... I'm sorry about what happened."

"No, it was my fault. I shouldn't have-"

"No, that was okay. Fang I really, really like you. But I just don't want to get hurt again."

"Hurt...again?"

"Before... before you. Was someone else. He was everything. He was wonderful and w-we were so in love, I thought that this would never end... and then..." She choked, her voice cracked. But he understood.

"H-how did he die?"

"He tried to take on a Shadow. He survived the first time... he got better. I begged him not to go again... but he did. It killed him... and just like that he was gone." She burst into sobs as Fang took her in his arms. "Angela, I'm not him. I wouldn't go chasing Shadows. You don't need to worry." He cooed. "I know... but I do. If they killed you... I don't know what I'd do." She cried softly. "I know." Fang said softly. "I know."

"Bye." He said quietly as he and Angela parted at his door. She was okay, now at least. The door flew open, much to Fang's surprise and Grey pulled him in. "Hey! Fang! Man!" He said loudly over the Guns 'N' Roses playing in the background. "What have you been up to? I mean, haven't seen you since lunch!" He said turning off the CD player. "That's okay. I'll talk to you about it in the morning." Fang said sleepily as he collapsed into his bed, which was in between Grey's and Zion's. He looked down at River's empty bed. He hoped River would be well soon. Zion just wasn't the same. In fact, as Fang rolled onto his side he heard the sound of Zion's muffled sobs. He wanted desperately to reach out and comfort the boy, but just then, the lights went out. "G'night!" Grey said enthusiastically, apparently he did not hear Zion's sobs. "G'night." Fang sighed. He closed his eyes and breathed heavily. Faces raced in front of him. River- Max- Angela- Iggy- Zion- Grey- Angel- Wake- Nudge- Dagan- Gazzy- Jeb, and then... the face that always came last. The Shadow. And so his nightmare began.

( Frowny face party, reveiw? please?