Thanks for reviewing! Sorry about the wait, my little brother Braden screwed the computer up and my dad had to fix it, resulting in everything being erased...at least all of my stuff somehow got erased...

Anyway, you can thank Braden for the wait. Hope you like it. April Vacation is in 2 days for us, so I'll add more then.

Chapter 36

Calum's eyes blinked open and a sharp pain ran from his fingers all the way to his toes. He let out a small groan and opened his eyes. He definitely wasn't in the valley anymore. Even if his sight was blurry, he could see no green. Just white. Plain, boring white and a bright light. He heard a fuzzy voice- that he was almost sure was his mother's- and saw the blurry washed-out colors of his mother's blue and gold nail polish.

He tried to get words out, but he didn't have the strength to. He let out another groan. With each blink his vision was getting better. He could make out his mother and brother's outlines, but there was a third figure. He turned his head to get a better look.

"Calum, don't move," said Cam.

"Oh, sweetie," his mother said, putting a hand over her mouth.

He could now see both faces clearly and from his place on the bed, he could see his mother's red puffy eyes. He was connected to a bunch of machines that he didn't know. He cocked his head a little bit to look out the window. The bright sunny light hurt his eyes.

Questions flooded his mind, but he couldn't speak. He didn't have the strength to open his mouth. Then he felt a squeeze on his hand and looked into the face of Mack. When he saw her smile, he couldn't help but smile too. He tried his hardest to speak.

"Where am I?" It came out hoarse, scratchy and soft.

"You're at the hospital sweetie," his mom answered. "And you're safe."

Calum took deep breaths, memories were flooding his mind. It seemed like yesterday that Chad had found him laying in the yard. But the more the thought, he figured it had to have been a longer time because Cam was in normal clothes.

"How long..."

"You've been out of it for like a month and a half," Cam said smiling. "We were starting to worry about you kid."

"You don't have to worry about me," Calum said. "What happened to dad?"

"He ran off like a coward when he thought you wouldn't make it," Mack stated. Then there was silence.

"Lets give Calum some time to think," Karen said as she bent over him, kissing his forehead. "Hope you feel better sweetie." Cam and Mack stood up and walked behind her out of the room. Mack turned her head right before she walked out the door and blew him a kiss.

Once the door shut behind Mack, Calum sighed in both pain and confusion. What had Mack meant by 'he ran off' or 'you wouldn't make it.' He looked at his badly bruised arms and shut his eyes. Calum had never bruised easily, which made it easier for him to get by without suspicion that he was abused.

He heard the door creak open and his eyelids jumped open. Troy sat on the edge of Calum's bed and both looked at each other silently for a few moments.

"How you feeling?"

Calum looked up at Troy. His bruises were gone and he looked normal. "Okay," Calum replied.

"You got some good friends. They came in everyday from what Mack said."

Calum smiled, glad that they cared enough to come see him when he wasn't even really there.

"Get some rest, okay," Troy said as he stood. He slowly glided to the door and walked through it, leaning on it after it closed. He shook his head and walked down to the lobby before picking up his bike and riding around on it. He stopped in front of his house and stared at it.

"What are you staring at Troy?"

He turned as smiled at Mack. She had on an East High Basketball t-shirt with some short and a basketball under her arm. He shook his head, "just wondering."

"About what?"

"I don't know," he answered. "Life?"

"Wanna play?"

Troy chuckled. "You know that I could beat you."

Her smile turned competitive. "Care to bet?"

"Sorry, saving my money."

Mack rolled her eyes, "for that big first date you and Gabriella can't seem to make happen?"

Troy sighed. "Okay, that it isn't my fault that I got sick."

"But it was your fault about the fight."

He looked at her. "You're never going to forgive me for that, are you?"

Her eyes narrowed. "They're still cleaning up their gym! I don't care if you and Cam get to be best buddies, but it's going to take a while for you to gain my trust again. All he did was apologize and you couldn't even tell your friends that you and him were on equal ground!"

Troy nodded as she continued. "I can't trust this new attitude that you have."

"Yeah...so about basketball...you want to play?"

She smiled, "I'll cream you!"

"It could be dangerous to play with me, I'm so hot."

"I laugh in the face of danger," she said, then let out an devilish laugh. "Mwa ha ha ha!"

He lifted her up over his shoulder and carried her to the basketball court.

So, I'm trying to decide whether to start the new one with the first day of high school or have a short summer fic and then a new one with all the high school drama...tell me what you think because I don't know. I've got to go, dinner!

Review and tell me what you think!