I'll be making an extra-special attempt to improve EVERY story of mine. Sorry for the long wait! I was away for the last four days. Now, to relieve the cliffhanger of chapter 6!

Please do review at the end and kindly tell me what is your favourite part from the last two chapters. Thank you.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hannah Montana.

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Her breath was stable, but shallow. Every time she breathed, her chest would rise half an inch before falling into depression. Her eyes were closed; she was asleep, and yet, somehow, she seemed to be bearing a frown on her face, as if she was in pain. With needles, tubes and stuff sticking into her body, and an oxygen mask covering her mouth and nose, Miley looked like something close to a dead person.

"She's in a coma, we reckon." Doc said, standing behind Robbie and Jackson as they gazed upon their dying angel. He hesitated before adding, "We couldn't save her. She'll be gone by morning."

Robbie dropped to his knees beside Miley on the table, Jackson following suit, gripping the edge of the table.

"Oh, Miley..." Robbie began tearfully.

"Dad..." Jackson pointed at the heart monitor. The signals showed fitful unstable fading heartbeats, almost as if her pacemaker was giving up.

"She's flat-lined many times, and each time we had to restart her heart with the defibrillator over there." Doc pointed at the shock machines lying innocently on the table by the side.

Robbie could no longer resist letting his tears flow. His daughter had had so many near-encounters with death, and each time she was pulled out of it in an equally painful way.

"Lord, what has she done to deserve this?"

Stroking her hair gently, Robbie whispered softly into her ear, "Miley? Mile, can you hear me? Miley?"

Miley remained silent and unmoving, save her chest which rose and fell slightly every two seconds.

"She won't answer you Dad." Jackson said bluntly, facing the bitter truth.

Yet somehow, Robbie knew his little girl was listening.

"Don't leave us like this, bud. We couldn't save you. Now only you can save yourself. What do you think will happen if you died? What about Jackson? Lilly? Oliver? Your Daddy?" Tears trickled freely down Robbie's cheeks now as he desperately pleaded for a sign of life.

"Give me a sign, bud. Give me any sign, just to tell me you're alive. Don't let us down like this, bud."

Jackson watched tearfully as his father took one of Miley's hands, a needle still embedded deep into the flesh. Robbie shivered slightly when he felt her icy cold death-pale hand, looking lifeless and woebegone.

"Miley? Give us a sign." Robbie repeated again and again.

Despite the pleading, however, Miley continued to disappoint them. Her face stony, expression unmoving, and impassively sleeping on, she looked as though she was in another plane of existence, and her soul was untouchable. After ten minutes of pleading, Robbie and Jackson learnt that Miley was never coming around, nor was she ever coming back. It was especially hard for Robbie to take the truth. At this, Jackson left the place, not daring to watch his father cry. Mumbling a soft "I'll just be outside, then...", he traipsed out of the operating theater.

Reminding himself so much about what he did four years ago, his wife in place of Miley, Robbie began to make his final confession. It was a good thing all the doctors were out of the room, taking a breather, and that Jackson was also gone. It was a perfect environment for a deep private father-and-daughter moment.

"Miley, I don't know whether you're listening or not, but there will be no other time to say this if not now. I love you, Mile. You were not just a second child of mine when I first laid my eyes on you. From the moment I looked into your eyes, I knew you were a star; a wonder child destined to achieve great things. Talent was in your blood. Look at you! You're Hannah Montana! A teen pop sensation; a true star shining on millions of people! You did us Stewarts proud, bud."

Doc Meyer, the only doctor who remained, hastily wiped a tear from his eye. Robbie took no notice.

"Even as Miley, you were the shining star of our family. All of us knew you as the quintessence of energy and innocence; you were always the Smiley Miley, packed with endless energy, and always bouncing 'round the place. You never dragged your feet; whenever you walked you always had springs attached to the soles of your feet, adding little prances and jumps into you pace. With your beguiling nature and charming sunny smile, you could win over anyone's heart. Everyone remembered you as a lovely adorable hyperactive little girl who never knew evil.

Remember that day in the sunflower field, when you were seven? Remember that beautiful day? I could see the innocence, the positive energy shining from you. Even that hamster, he fell in love with you! Your eyes, they were the most memorable. I remembered when we embraced the cool fragrant wind. An afternoon of paradise."

Miley's face remained motionless. But Robbie could tell that somehow she was smiling.

"Remember the time we celebrated a special Christmas with the entire family, and you held in your hands a little toy guitar? You bounced around the room for an hour, and all of us were laughing as we watched you perform a march-past with Jackson, singing Christmas carols rock-style. You were always full of happiness and perkiness, and with you around nothing could go wrong. Wherever you are there will never be a frown in the area.

Remember the time the four of us went up to the Great Smoky Mountains? That national park was huge, and everywhere we saw clouds, trees and the haze around us. The arduous climb was long, but when we reached the top of the mountain and looked down, what did you feel? The breathtaking sights; all those mountains, the beautiful clouds, the wondrous sky, the cool air. It was lovely, don't you remember?

Remember the time your mom passed away? All of us felt the hurt, but we all could tell you took it the hardest. You were no longer the energetic little girl anymore, and even though you've managed to recover over these years, you were never you ten-year-old self anymore. You've stopped jumping around. I think the shock must have been so big you couldn't describe it. The incident possibly marred you emotionally and psychologically, didn't it? I remembered when we were all trying to help each other get over it. You would lock yourself in your room and cry for hours on end before opening up. We all felt like that, bud. We all wanted to lock ourselves up and cry. But we stayed strong, and over time we pulled ourselves together."

Robbie squeezed Miley's frozen hand harder, as if trying to inject some life essence into her dying spirit.

"I'll always be your best friend, bud. You were not just my daughter; you were the best daughter any parent can hope for. I love you. Stay with us, or go and see your mom, it's entirely your choice. Just remember, we all love you, and always will."

Robbie wiped away his tears and planted a kiss on Miley's forehead. Finally, after a long painful struggle, he felt he was willing to let go of her. Where she chose to go now – Heaven to her mother, or back to the world – was entirely up to her now. No one else save God could help her.

Doc Meyer was deeply touched by the father-and-daughter moment.

"...sob...that was beautiful..."

Robbie gave a start, not knowing Doc was standing by the side. He whipped around in surprise and spluttered, "Doc! But...I thought you were...!!"

"Don't worry, Robbie Ray. This never leaves the room." Doc Meyer crossed his heart with sincerity. Striding towards Miley, he too stared down at her pale face, cold as the surface of the moon, white as a sheet, an oxygen mask placed over her mouth and nose like a muzzle.

"Shame it has to be this way...I mean...I know Miley and you personally...I cannot possibly think of any way to apologise..." he began, not really knowing what to say.

"It's not your fault, Doc. You did your best." Robbie told him with a hard voice.

"No, it very much is! Surgical infection for such an easy operation?! I'd kill myself if it ever happened again! Heck, chances of failure were one in a million!" Doc exclaimed.

"And that 'one in a million' is our family's middle name. There's nothing we can do about it now." Robbie muttered hopelessly. "Our only chance is Miley herself. If she wants to wake up, she will."

"They say we, as doctors, should keep a level of professional detachment. To not be emotionally attached to the patient; to be impassive and stolid. But I know you guys personally, like a family doctor, and...well, it just hurts me to see one of my close patients end up like this..." Doc tore his gaze away from Miley, ashamed of his own failure.

"Ar, oh well, we tried, we failed." Robbie patted the Doctor hard on the back. "Come on, you need to take a break too. There's nothing else for us to do."

And then, Robbie felt a warm flush in his hand.

It might have been something to do with his own body temperature; he was shivering slightly in the frigid coldness of the air. Or did he just feel the hand move?

He looked down on Miley, and traced his eyes to his hand, still holding on to Miley's hand.

His eyes popped out of their sockets when he noticed what happened.

Miley's body, face and head were motionless, but her hand, with a needle still poking in it, was squeezing Robbie's hand weakly; weakly, but still, it was moving.

A sign of life! Miley was trying to stop her father leaving! It was a sign of consciousness!

Then Robbie heard a voice in his head.

"I want to wake up, Daddy. Dad, help me! I want to wake up! I'm scared!"

"Miley!? Is that you?" Robbie asked Miley, thinking he might have gone mad.

"Is who? Is what?" Doc was equally mystified.

"Help me, Daddy! It's so scary and dark in here! I'm trying my best! Daddy!"

"No! No, you're alright!" Robbie crouched down and took Miley's moving hand with both of his, despite thinking to himself, "She's not moving! Robbie Ray, what are you doing?"

"Just one more try, Dad, just one more. I promise I'll wake up."

"You'll be alright, bud! I promise, you'll be alright!" Robbie tried to reassure his daughter. It looked like an act of a delusional madman, for she was completely unmoving save the hand, still squeezing and now shaking in an effort to maintain its state of motion.

Robbie knew. He knew that Miley was trying to contact him.

"What's happening?!" Doc yelled in his state of confusion.

"She wants one more try! Look, she's moving!" Robbie showed Doc Meyer Miley's hand. Seconds after, the hand collapsed onto the table.

"One more try, Daddy...one more try..."

"Miley just spoke to me. One more try, she says. Let's give her another try! Maybe she'll wake up!" Robbie shouted animately at Doc.

"Spoke to you? But she's...never mind. Are you sure you weren't hearing voices?" Doc asked skeptically, hesitant to give another futile attempt to revive Miley.

"I'm positive, Doc! She was trying to speak to me! One more try, just one more try! Get the doctors back in here and let's get the party on again!"

"Right." Doc ran to the wall and yelled into the receiver.

"Doctor Meyer from operating theater 12, requesting supplies for patient Miley Stewart, for details, check in records. Calling all doctors in charge back to their duty!"

In no time at all, the nurses banged the door open, wheeling in the medicine and stuff. The doctors who had previously given up and went to take a rest all flooded back into the room, some with looks of excitement on their faces, others bearing a confused expression.

"To your stations, doctors! We are going to try again! The patient is stirring! There is still hope! I want potentiation of the penicillin!" Doc Meyer yelled out the order to resume their stations. There was a terrific whoop of joy and motivation in the room; the doctors punched the air in half-triumph, glad to know that their efforts were not for nothing after all.

"Robbie Ray, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave." Doc turned to Robbie. Robbie nodded and ran to the door. Seconds before he reached it, though, the door banged open again.

The sunlight was glaring, and for awhile the person revealed to be behind the door was a silhouette. Robbie squinted and stared before he made out who it was.

"ROXY!"

Roxy strode imperiously into the operating theater, Jackson behind her, yelling, "Dad! Roxy came back to help!"

"No infection's gonna kick Roxy out of her job of being a bodyguard! I swore to protect Miley, and I'm not leaving till she's well! No germs are gonna stay for long when Roxy's Funk is in the house!" Roxy marched past the stunned doctors carrying a large pot of her homemade Funk.

"Come on, you worthless lot! What're y'all standing there for? I came as reinforcements, so MOVE, MOVE, MOVE! You're in Roxy's army now!" Roxy bellowed at the doctors.

Robbie was pulled out of the room by Jackson.

"Where did Roxy come from?" Robbie asked Jackson, shutting the door to the operating theater.

"You remember when Lilly and Oliver arrived? And, we talked and waited and all that? Well, Roxy slipped off during then, but we never noticed, not even when we were waiting the night out, and when Lilly and Oliver had to go home. We completely forgot about her. But all the while she was brewing her Funk to help Miley. I don't know what the heck that is but it works on anything. So, here she is! She only reappeared just now when I was waiting outside."

They never noticed Roxy giving us a slip. Apparently, upon hearing the news that Miley was probably a goner, she rushed home to brew her magical potion which she calls the Funk. Robbie had a moment's time to praise Roxy's resourcefulness before turning towards the window and muttering the same prayer to the Lord.

"Father who art in Heaven, for the sake of the world, and for those who deem it worthy to call themselves loved ones, come us to ask mercy from thy glory. May the Lord spare the life of the innocent soul behind the doors, and provide salvation for us all. For the devil now threatens the one we love dearly, and even if be it Your will, we find it difficult to let her go so easily like this. Please spare us some mercy, O Lord. Let not the evil Satan defeat us when news come, be it good or bad. Help Miley, O Lord, and with all of thy grace, help thy children, us all, through these troubled times. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen."

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It was morning, before school hours began.

Lilly and Oliver arrived in time to witness Robbie and Jackson waiting outside the door once again. Feeling a sense of foreboding, Lilly questioned, "Still waiting for the news?"

To their utter amazement, Robbie jumped up and told them, "You'll never guess what happened." He was unable to control the excitement in his voice.

"What? Mr Stewart, what happened?" Oliver and Lilly were puzzled.

Jackson was told beforehand about what happened during the long period of time. After a long wait well into the night, the doctors reported a failure to save Miley, and they were told that Miley was a goner. Nevertheless, they were allowed one last visit before the white cloth descended. Jackson couldn't bear to watch his father cry, and had left to be on his own. The rest of the tired doctors traipsed out of the room for a breather, all save Doc Meyer. Robbie and Miley shared a deep father-and-daughter moment, during which Miley's hand squeezed her father's. Realising that Miley was trying to communicate with her father and tell the doctors to try again, Robbie and Doc ordered everyone to resume their stations. Just then, Roxy appeared with her Funk and took command of the operating theater.

"You mean she still has a chance?" Lilly yelled, hardly able to contain her excitement.

"You bet'cha!" Robbie shouted happily.

There was much celebrating between the four people waiting outside the theater.

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About an hour passed. Robbie and the eagerly waiting friends crossed their fingers, constantly muttering prayers to Heaven for Miley. Finally, Doc Meyer emerged from the room, sweat-faced but triumphant.

"We've won! We've won! She's saved at last!" was his victorious roar.

"Sweet niblets, Doc! How did you do it?" Robbie patted the exhausted doctor on the back.

"Umpteen doses of penicillin, a potful of Roxy's Funk, and a whole lot of luck!" Doc gasped.

"How did you administer the Funk?" Jackson inquired the doctor.

"Eh, what you do want to know is whether she's fine or not. That Funk was a sort of miracle stuff! Roxy told us to clear off and she used her funk. After a hard battle, we've won! Hahaha!" Doc clapped Robbie on the back in return.

"Yes, but, how did she actually use the funk? Inject it? Pour it? Make Miley eat it?" Jackson went on.

"How is she, Doc? Is she gonna be alright?" Robbie asked.

"She's awake, in fact! She just woke up, completely well! Admittedly, she was still slightly groggy, but she's no longer in a comatose state. You can see her if you want to!"

"Hallelujah!" Lilly, Jackson and Oliver charged into the operating theater, tearing up the floor tiles. Robbie looked at the bright sky and said, "Thank you, Lord. For all You've done. For answering our prayers. Amen to that."

"Yes indeed. Amen to that."

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Miley was sitting up on the table, the oxygen mask taken off her face, many of the tubes removed from her body and arms. On her face, a welcoming smile shone, and her arms were outstretched as Lilly, Oliver and Jackson ran up to her.

"MILEY!"

Lilly was the first to get there, and immediately she threw her arms around Miley, bursting into tears on her shoulders.

"Oh Miley! You had us so worried last night! The doctors said you were a goner!"

Miley patted her back reassuringly, as if to say, "I'm not going anywhere, Lilly. I'm fine."

"I couldn't sleep last night. All I did was think about you. How could I live without my best friend? My sister? Oh, Miley..." Lilly's tears choked up her words.

After a tight and long embrace, Lilly broke away, hastily wiping her eyes dry. Oliver came up and clapped Miley hard on the back like as if she had just won a marathon.

"Well done, girl! I mean, you could have died, and you nearly did so many times. But you decided to stick to living and never gave up. You know, dying is a lot easier, actually. We're proud of you." Even Miley thought it sounded weird. I went through near-death and you're congratulating me for making it?

Miley gave him a "thanks" look and beckoned Jackson to come closer. Jackson pulled his sister into another deep warm embrace. Never in history had brother and sister felt so close before.

"We were so close to losing you, you know that? The doctors told us they failed to save you and that you were going to die. If it wasn't for Roxy, you'd probably be up there with Mom now."

"That's right, Jackson. No need to thank Roxy. Roxy's just doing her job, 'cause that's what family do for each other." Roxy waddled over contentedly. "Just a potful of Funk, and that did the job! Those doctors were useless." she added casually. "You're doin' good, Miley."

"I couldn't think of anything but you for the whole of last night. I never had the time to say it, Miles, but, even though you're not dying, I'm not gonna take it for granted and say it. I love you, Miles. You're my little sister, and we'll always be a team." Jackson hugged his sister closer, letting first tears fall on her back. Miley pulled away from her brother, blushed slightly and looked at Jackson incredulously, as if Jackson was giving extravagant praise.

"He should know, Mile. He sat out there waiting for you all night long."

Robbie appeared behind the Jackson, looking at Miley happily. "Welcome back, bud."

Miley smiled even wider and beckoned for her father to come closer. Robbie stretched out his arms and pulled his daughter into them, never willing to let her go so far away from him again. Miley snuggled deeply into his warm loving arms, and Robbie tightened his grip around her, trying to confirm to himself that Miley was well and alive.

"I won't let you get so far away from us all again. Ever. I swear. Till the day I die, I'll be your defender. You're my little girl."

Miley buried her head even deeper into his chest in response, tears cascading like a waterfall down her grey eyes. Beside them, Lilly went "Aww!" and put her head on Oliver's shoulder.

"Aren't they just so sweet?"

Robbie never heard her, though. Still bound to her frail body by his arms, he said, "You never gave up hope after all. I felt you, when you squeezed my hand. From then, I heard you. One more try. What was it that scared you? Monsters? The dark? A feeling of hopelessness?"

Miley shook her head. Robbie went on, "Well, whatever it is, you'll always have me to protect you. I'm your Dad. I don't know whether you heard or not, but I tried to talk to you while you were asleep. The doctors say you were in a coma. And yet, somehow, I thought you were awake. When you squeezed my hand, I knew you were."

Then, with voice heaving with emotion, he whispered into her ear, "I love you, bud. I hope you know it too."

Miley was close enough to his ear to whisper, "I know, Dad. I heard you then."

Robbie's heart stopped pumping for a few seconds. You don't mean...she heard me when she was supposed to be a coma?

"You heard me?"

"Every word, Dad."

Then, for another eternity, Robbie and Miley hugged each other, engaging in the deepest of father-and-daughter moments.

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Phew, I finally got that out of my head. No need to thank me for posting, just PLEASE tell me what is your favourite part in the last two chapters, including this one. You feedback will be much appreciated.

And FYI, what I meant by "Every word, Dad" at the end was: Miley heard every word Robbie said when everyone was out of the operating theater, all save Doc Meyer. Remember? That part about the sunflower field, and the mountains, and Christmas and all that? That was the father-and-daughter moment I want to emphasise on. That's when Miley was actually conscious all the time, listening intently to her father.

And, to escape accusations, NO ROMANCE BETWEEN LILLY AND OLIVER INTENDED!!! Just keep that in mind.

And now, time to build on my other stories...

Terrorking Tragedian