Disclaimer: I don't own The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.

Chapter Nine

Someone's Watching Over Me

The sound of gunfire filled the air mixed with Maddie and Esteban's screams as they drove over the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge. Maddie clung tightly to Esteban and buried her face in his tuxedo. More shots ran through the air and one of the bullets smashed the back window of the taxi.

The driver swerved to miss several more shots, but was unsuccessful. One of the back wheels popped and the taxi started spinning. Maddie screamed again as she lost the grip she had on Esteban and was forcefully thrown back in her seat. Her window smashed as the taxi tipped to one side rolled over the edge of the bridge and into the inky blackness of the Charles River below. The last thing she could remember was Esteban screaming her name and then. . .complete darkness.

Maddie&Esteban

When Maddie awoke, she had no idea where she was. Then she heard beeping coming from her right. What was it? The sound wasn't familiar. Maddie didn't dare to move, but instead listened to the beeping of the machines that surrounded her. Maddie moaned as her head throbbed. What had happened? She couldn't remember.

The thought frightened her and she was tempted to get up and run. Then a thought struck her. What if she was tied down? Maddie felt her arms. No, they were not tied down. Okay, that was good. Maddie tried to sit up, but pain like a knife ripped through her. Maddie let her head fall back against the flat pillow and then again there was darkness.

Maddie forced her eyes open several hours (she guessed) later. Lights from the buildings outside twinkled like millions of stars and the sky was dark. Maddie blinked and licked her lips. She felt so thirsty.

Again she tried to remember what had taken place only hours before. Nothing came to mind. Moaning again, Maddie closed her eyes.

The sound of sudden movement made Maddie's body tense. Someone was here.

Maddie tried to run, but a firm restraining hand held her back.

"It's alright," said a woman's voice. "Don't be afraid."

"Where am I?" asked Maddie. "What happened?"

"You were pulled from a taxi that had plunged into the Charles River. By all reasons in nature, you should be dead right now. Someone must have been really watching over you."

Maddie nodded but wondered who the woman was talking about.

"So where am I?" asked Maddie.

"Your at the Jessica Lain Hospital in Boston, sweetie. Do you remember anything that happened to you?"

Maddie shook her head.

"I see," said the woman, frowning. "Does the name Esteban Ramirez ring a bell?"

Again Maddie drew a blank.

Maddie&Esteban

Downstairs in the hospital lobby, Esteban paced the floor nervously. What if Maddie had been killed? It would be his fault. He had already called Mr. Moseby and told him about what had taken place on the bridge. Mr. Moseby promised he would come over soon.

The elevator doors open and Annie Jensen, made her way over to him.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Ramirez," she said.

Esteban's dark eyes widened with sudden fear.

"Is she—" he began, not wanting to say the dreadful words.

"No," said Nurse Jensen, shaking her head. "She's not dead, but she does however seems to have amnesia."

"Amnesia?!" cried Esteban. He began to speak very fast in Spanish.

"Calm down, Mr. Ramirez. Like I said, it's only temporary. amnesia never last forever. Didn't you say she hit her head on the window as the taxi tumbled down into the Charles River?"

Esteban nodded.

"Then that's probably what caused it. There's no need to worry. She'll come out of it in no time. I just don't understand why someone would shoot at you."

I do, thought Esteban, angrily.

Esteban excused himself and left the hospital in search of Maddie's attacker.

Maddie&Esteban

Several blocks away, Esteban found Xavier at a cafe. Strolling up to him, Esteban grabbed the young man's shoulders and turned him around.

"Hey, what's the big id— you!" exclaimed Xavier in surprise. "Your suppose to be dead!"

Esteban stared at Xavier in shock.

"What?"

"You heard me," Xavier snarled. "I told Maddie if she continued to love you I would make it so she wished she had never laid eyes on you."

"You would have me killed?" asked Esteban. "Just so you could hurt Maddie?"

"You got it, buddy," said Xavier, causally. "As I see it, Maddie loves you so much that she wouldn't want to lose you. That's why I suggested to your almost-wife that she sang at your wedding. There would be some grief there because she would sing a song about losing you. I wasn't counting on the fact that you would say no to Charlotte."

"How do you know Charlotte?" asked Esteban, suspiciously.

"Oh pl-ease," said Xavier. "Do you really want to go into all that? Charlotte is my aunt, the younger sister of my mother. I told her to meet you there at the airport in France."

"How did you know I was going to France?" asked Esteban.

Xavier grinned smugly. "I saw you hiding behind the theater when I kissed Maddie. I knew it would make you so angry that you would become depressed that you'd have to take a leave from work. That's why I paid London Tipton to suggest the idea that you go to France. She's so clueless that she had no idea what she was doing. With you in Paris, I knew you would hook up with my aunt and I would have Maddie all to myself. Wasn't that a clever plan?" He laughed darkly and then frowned. "Then you had to go and ruin it by rejecting Charlotte at the wedding. Seeing that I was running out of options, I had to do something. So I shot at your taxi and sent you into the Charles River. You should have died and I would have been able to save her. Nevertheless, when I got down there, she was already gone."

"That's because instead you got Maddie," said Esteban, bitterly.

Xavier raised his eyebrows. "Is she—"

"No," said Esteban. "I had to fight to save her from the watery grave that tried to claim her soul. She has amnesia."

"Well then," said Xavier, looking around the almost deserted cafe, "When she remembers, you won't be there to tell her what happened, now will you?" He pulled a gun from inside his jacket and pointed it at Esteban. "Say your prayers, Ramirez. Maddie is mine."

The shot echoed through the room and Esteban tumbled against a table and sunk to the floor. Blood poured out from the hole in his chest.

Esteban felt the room spinning as he drifted further and further away from reality.

Maddie&Esteban

The door opened and Nurse Jensen came in. She smiled warmly at Maddie, who was now sitting up.

"I must have been here for hours," said Maddie. "When will I be able to go home?"

"Dr. Regan will decided that. You need to try to remember what happened to you, Madeline."

"My name's not Madeline," said Maddie.

"Oh? Then what is it?"

"I don't remember."

The door opened an a man walked in. His movements were swift as he walked to Maddie's bedside.

"From what Nurse Jensen tells me, your name is Madeline Fitzpatrick. Am I correct?"

"I don't know who that is," said Maddie.

"Then let me try to make this easier for you. What is the last thing you remember?"

Maddie scanned her mind but remembered nothing.

"There's nothing there, Dr. Regan," she said, sadly. "Nothing."

"Alright then," said Dr. Regan. "I'll come back in a few hours. I need to check on another patient. In the meantime, try to get some rest. It will all come back to you."

As Dr. Regan left, Maddie settled herself against the pillow. As her eyes sought the ceiling, she tried in vain to remember something. . .or someone.

Maddie&Esteban

"Esteban! Esteban!"

Esteban moaned as he heard two voices calling his name. He opened his eyes slowly and was able to make out the blurred figures of Zack and Cody.

"He's coming around," said Zack.

"Oh, Esteban!" cried Cody, "I thought you were dead!"

"Two of my employees!" moaned Mr. Moseby, as he rung his hands. "What will Mr. Tipton say?"

"It wasn't your fault, Mr. Moseby," said Esteban, weakly. "What about Maddie?"

"She's alright," said Zack. "She still can't remember anything. At least that's what Dr. Regan tells us."

"Poor Maddie," said Esteban. "It's all my fault."

"No it isn't," said Zack, firmly. "You saved her, Esteban! You loved her too much to let her drown. You sacrificed your own life to save hers."

"A regular guardian angel," said Sister Dominic, one of the nuns from Maddie's school. She smiled at Esteban as she walked to his bedside. "I know there is someone who is very proud of you, Mr. Ramirez."

"Gratias," said Esteban.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news," said Dr. Regan, as he walked into the small hospital room. "It seems as if Madeline has a fever. I just checked on her and her temp is above normal. But that's not the worst of it."

"What's the worst of it?" asked Esteban.

"I'm afraid she has slipped into a coma."

Maddie&Esteban

That night Esteban knew Maddie had tasted the bitter taste of death.

Despite Dr. Regan's warnings, Esteban had come to see her. The sight that met his eyes filled him with horror. Maddie's cheeks were flushed with bruises and the red veins in her face almost popped. Blood ran down her chin that had escaped from her lips and eyes. What had happened to her?

Nurse Jensen said she had heard several shouts, banging and Maddie's screams. When she tried to open the door, she had found it to be locked. Dr. Jensen had left to find a key, and when she had returned, she had found Maddie lying on the floor covered in bruises and blood.

Xavier did this to her, Esteban thought angrily. He kneeled beside Maddie's bed and did something he would have never done in front of another human being. Esteban cried.

Maddie&Esteban

Minutes turned into hours, hours turned into days, days turned into weeks. It has almost been three weeks since that day, that dreadful day when Maddie had slipped into the sleep-like trance of the coma. She might as well as lost her life because Esteban new that her dark eyes weren't staring at him, but instead were closed, probably closed forever.

One dark evening, Esteban stood by Maddie's bedside. His own wounds had begun to heal and he was now able to stand without much difficulty. Maddie's breath came out softly. Esteban longed to awake her from the coma, but didn't dare. She looked so much like a sleeping child that he was afraid to awaken her would be Maddie's death.

Esteban kneeled right beside her bed, his eyes locked on her face. His fingers rubbed against her cold palm smoothly and tenderly. He reached out his hand and slowly brushed off some strands of her blonde hair off her face. He jerked his hand off of her forehead and put them at his side. He watched her, so angelically beautiful, in a mystical kind of way.

"Maddie. . ." He whispered finally. "Please hear me. . .hear the sound of my voice. . .come back. Please come back to us, mi amor. Your friends need you. I need you. Come back to me. . ." He glanced up and once again faced her with no sign of emotion or any other expression. Her face was straight, cold and pale, no sign of life at all.

"Remember the times, we shared together

Remember the times, the times we spent together

And when we're apart

Remember those times

Remember. . ."

Esteban's body shook with sobs. He gazed at her pale face that showed no signs of life.

"Oh, Maddie," he said softly, "I am so sorry, I am sorry for all of it, I never meant to cause you any pain! I never would want to harm you. . .not in a thousand years. I wish I could tell you that, oh how desperately I wish I could tell you that, but now. . .now I never will be able to, will I?"

There was no response.

"Please wake up, Maddie. You must. I should not have been so angry with you before when I found out about Xavier. But I love you, mi amor. You know that. I love you! Please, please wake up. I promise I will never again hurt you." His voice was a magnificent sob as he continued. "I love you, I love you more ardently and blindly and faithfully than I had ever loved anything in life." Maddie&Esteban

Three days later. . .

Esteban looked sad as tears came into his dark eyes.

"Maddie. . .I never wanted you to be hurt in the beginning. . .but you where. I was a fool. I know I saved you when I had the chance, but it wasn't enough. I am so sorry, my friend. You're the opposite of me. Beautiful, graceful, kind and gentle, brave and strong willed. No one can compare to you. . .you know that, Maddie? You are the most amazing girl I have ever met. That's why I want you to be safe. I care very deeply about you. As if you where my younger sister. If I could turn back the time, I would. I know you were angry when I almost married Charlotte, but I confessed my love to you. Please, Maddie, wake up and look at me." He stared down and her stone-like form. "Maddie. . ." He whispered her name softly, too soft to hear clearly.

I have a very twisted mind when it comes to my own characters. (As you can see.) Thanks for all the reviews!