Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.
A/N: Alright, I'm going to say this one last time. As you have all read in the summary, Troy is going to die. You can flame, you can give bad reviews, you can stop reading the story, you can threaten me, you can beg and plead, you can tell all your friends to boycott my stories, whatever. Nothing will change the outcome. This story is about Gabriella, Sharpay, and Ryan, and their reactions to Troy's death, as well as the effect the tragedy has on the community at large. Changing the death would involve changing the whole story, and it's not happening. I'm sorry if that's not what you want to hear.
Sorry for the delay, but exams are over, school's out, and the story continues!
Enjoy!
Gabriella started awake when she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around, confused for a moment as to her surroundings. In a flash she remembered her conversation with Troy, and falling asleep next to him, her head resting on the bed and her hand still clasped in his.
"Gabriella, why don't you run home?" Kellie whispered quietly into her ear, leaning forward to talk to the teenager. "He's asleep now, and he probably won't wake again any time soon."
"I want to stay," Gabriella said firmly, looking up at Kellie without leaving her spot next to Troy.
"Gabi, I want some time with him," Kellie whispered, her eyes pleading with the girl. Gabriella struggled with her emotions for a moment before relenting.
"I'm not leaving," she said, surrendering her chair to Kellie. "I don't want to go home, I'll stay until he's better."
"Gabriella, your mother is waiting right outside, she wants to take you home."
"Mom?" Gabriella asked, as it suddenly dawned on her that, in the chaos, she had forgotten to call her mother. Kellie nodded.
"She's been worried sick, she showed up awhile ago after Sharpay and Ryan called her for you."
"Sharpay and Ryan? Are they still here?"
"Their mom made them go home an hour ago, but they came in while you were asleep."
"How long have I been asleep? What time is it?"
"It's almost 6:30."
"6:30?" Gabriella repeated, her face blank as she struggled to comprehend the time that had passed. At that moment, Jack appeared at the door, looking tired and haggard, holding two cups of coffee. He walked over to Kellie, handing her one before settling into his spot near the window.
"I think I'll go home for a little," Gabriella said, thinking aloud. "I should probably shower and change."
"Your mom's still outside," Jack told her, his eyes not leaving his son's face. Gabriella nodded, leaning forward to gently kiss Troy's forehead before walking from the room. As she left, she looked over her shoulder to see Kellie laying her head next to Troy's arm, squeezing his hand tightly as she sobbed quietly into the blanket that covered his legs.
Gabriella shut the door to her mother's car as they pulled up outside of East High. She had showered quickly and changed after watching the news, on which she was part of the headline story. School had been cancelled in light of the circumstances, and students were given the day to talk over their feelings with counselors, parents, friends, or loved ones.
In spite of the day off, hundreds of East High students had gathered in front of the school with candles and flowers, standing in silent solidarity in front of the steps to the school. A steadily growing area on the steps had been set up by the students, who brought the flowers and candles to show support for Troy.
Gabriella walked slowly toward the crowd of kids, her mother close behind her. Ms. Montez put a hand on her shoulder for support as Gabriella slowly weaved through the throng to the front. Nearly everyone they passed was crying, girls holding tight to their boyfriends and best friends to share their sadness, guys struggling to keep their composure. No one complained when Gabriella passed them. Most of the students offered her their support through hugs.
Reaching the front, Gabriella was slightly overwhelmed by the vast numbers of cards, flowers, and signs that people had placed there. Unable to look, she turned away, her eyes locking with Ryan's. The twins were standing a few feet away, Sharpay holding a candle as Ryan hugged her tightly. Sharpay looked haunted, her eyes empty as she stared unseeing at the mass of get-well cards and balloons. Ryan's eyes had a similar look, the look of someone who has witnessed an event that will change them forever.
"Hey," Gabriella whispered, walking over to them and hugging Sharpay before standing next to Ryan, trying to block out the sadness around her.
"How's Troy?" Ryan asked, squeezing Gabriella's hand gently. Ms. Montez stood next to her daughter, her heart breaking for the pain the three teenagers shared. No one else in that crowd felt the way they did, no one else understood their pain.
"He was asleep when I left, but holding his own. Who started this?"
"We did," Sharpay said quietly, watching as two girls laid another card on the pile. "Zeke, Chad, and Jason got together and came to us. The basketball team wanted to do something to show Troy we're all behind him."
"Basketball team? Where are they now?"
"They went to see if they could see Troy," Ryan replied, looking over at Ms. Montez as her cell began to ring. She stepped away from the three teenagers to take the call, her expression becoming grim almost the second she answered the phone. Walking back over, she sighed heavily.
"Mom? What is it?"
"We need to get to the hospital. There's been a complication with Troy."
"Mrs. Bolton? What's going on, what's wrong?" Gabriella asked as she ran up to Troy's parents in the waiting room of the ICU. Both Kellie and Jack were wearing expressions of worry and anguish. It took Gabriella a moment to notice that Chad, Jason, and Zeke were all standing nearby, wearing similar expressions.
Ryan, Sharpay, and Ms. Montez caught up with her, slightly out of breath from running after Gabriella. Kellie acknowledged Gabriella's mother and the twins before addressing Gabriella.
"He was still asleep, the monitors started wailing. The doctors rushed in, but they couldn't tell what was wrong. I think one said something like PE, but I don't know what it means, or if it's serious. They took him for tests, and then to emergency surgery. They should be coming out any minute now."
As she finished, Troy's surgeon walked into the room, a grim expression on his face. He immediately spotted the large group and walked over, gesturing for everyone to gather closely.
"I'm afraid that Troy suffered a fairly serious complication, one which we hadn't foreseen." He paused, looking into the faces of the people gathered in front of him. "Troy suffered what is called a pulmonary embolism. What that means is that a blood clot loosens from some blood vessel in the body and ends up in the pulmonary artery, affecting breathing, heart rate, and blood flow to the lungs. In a conscious patient, it usually presents with chest pain and can usually be fixed with a simple procedure. In Troy's case, he was unconscious, which meant that we had no warning until the alarms went off."
"But did you fix it? Is he okay?" Kellie asked, searching the doctor's face.
"Mrs. Bolton, we did everything we could. We managed to remove the clot, but we're having trouble stabilizing Troy. I'm afraid he's in a coma."
"But he's alive?" Jack asked, almost as though he were stating a fact.
"Yes, he's alive, but probably not for long. I know that seems blunt, but I need to be frank with you. Troy has slipped into the coma, and it is not likely that he'll come out of it. He probably won't last the night."
"But tomorrow's Valentine's Day," Gabriella said quietly, clearly struggling with her denial. "He has to get better, it's our second Valentine's Day, we were going to go out."
The doctor looked compassionately at Gabriella, understanding the nature of her response.
"I know this is difficult to swallow, and I'm sorry that I had to be the one to tell you. But I'm afraid that there is nothing more we can do but let nature run its course."
Kellie was openly crying as the doctor finished his remark, burying her face in Jack's shoulder. Gabriella was shaking violently as her mother wrapped her arms around her, biting back her own tears. Sharpay's head had found Zeke's shoulder and she was using his shirt to absorb her tears.
"I'll give you a moment alone," the doctor said quietly, respectfully turning to leave them to grieve. "If you'd like to say goodbye, I'll take you to his room, two at a time."
Jack, the one person in the room who by all rights should have been bawling, nodded and resolutely kept strong for his wife, holding her close as they mourned for their son.
At three in the morning, Gabriella walked into Troy's room, immediately struck by the oppressive silence. Kellie was holding his hand, her other gently stroking Troy's hair. Jack was leaning against the wall, his eyes red from an obvious bout of tears.
Everyone else had already said goodbye and gathered in the waiting room, allowing Gabriella, Kellie, and Jack to be alone with Troy in what they felt were his last moments. To the surprise of everyone, especially the doctor, Troy had survived until the early morning.
As she walked to the bed, Gabriella picked up Troy's other hand and brought it to her lips, kissing it tenderly. She sat in the chair opposite Kellie and settled in, preparing to wait for as long as she needed.
"I love you, Troy," she whispered, gently running her thumb along his hand. Kellie and Jack looked up, remaining silent as Gabriella spoke quietly to their son. "I love you so much. You are my life, and I don't know how I'm going to live without you. Just know, Troy, that wherever you're going, you better wait for me." She broke off, tears filling her eyes as she kissed his hand again. "I'll never stop loving you."
Even as she spoke, the monitor beside the bed began to show a flat, green line, accompanied by a high-pitched wail. Kellie cried out in anguish and buried her face in the blankets by Troy's knees, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed uncontrollably. Jack slid down the wall, his head in his hands as he stared at his son's unmoving body.
Even as a nurse came into the room and shut of the alarm, turning off all the machines that were keeping Troy alive, Gabriella continued to talk to him.
"You're my everything, Troy, and you always will be. I'm going to remember this Valentine's Day forever. You'll never leave my heart."
With that, Gabriella stood up slowly, kissing Troy's hand one last time. She passed the doctor on her way out of the room, not seeing him through her tears. He struggled with his own composure as he checked Troy's vital signs for himself, careful not to disturb Kellie or Jack.
"Time of death, 3:14 A.M.," he said quietly, looking at the clock on the wall. "Take as long as you need," he told the grieving parents, taking the nurse with him as they left Kellie and Jack with their dead son and their grief.
Gabriella walked into the hall and instinctively toward the waiting room, somehow managing to keep her composure until she reached the room. The expectant faces of all her friends broke her resolution, and she fell to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Ryan immediately jumped up, fighting back his own tears to hold Gabriella.
Each person sat in shock, crying, sobbing, or just staring into space. Each person dealing in their own way with the truth of the matter:
Troy Bolton, at the age of eighteen, was dead.
A/N: Well, there you go. The deed is done. No turning back.
Reviews greatly appreciated as always!
Coming in Chapter 6: The rest of the community reacts to Troy's death. Those closest to Troy start to break down.