Disclaimer: We own nothing but the plotline and our own made up characters.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait. We've both been very busy. Thanks to all of you who reviewed. We are very greatful. To make us even happier, review some more! Yeah! Woo hoo. Here's chapter 4!
"Deep breath, Zack." Zack let out a deep breath so the nurse could listen to his chest. It was three days after Zack's surgery. There had been no word on how the search for the shooters was coming. Scott was still stuck guarding the Martins. Zack was doing very well.
"You're doing surprisingly well for such a short time after being shot," said the nurse gleefully. "How's your stomach feel?"
"Okay, I guess. A little weird. Feels like it was mixed up in a blender," replied Zack. The nurse had Zack lie down. She felt his stomach a little.
"Ah, that's tender. Tender," moaned Zack, as the nurse touched the skin around his surgical wound.
"Sorry," said the nurse. She finished her exam.
"You're done. I think you're about ready to go home. That bullet just missed causing some serious damage," said the nurse.
"Thank God," said Carey, who had been sitting quietly next to Zack's bed through the entire examination. Cody was sitting next to her, too tired to really say anything.
"So, uh, anyone know who shot me?" asked Zack, lying back in bed.
"I was hoping you could tell me," said a voice from the doorway. Everyone turned towards the door. Scott was leaning against the doorframe.
"Agent Rivers. How nice to see you," said Carey.
"Agent?" asked Zack.
"That's right. Scott Rivers FBI. I need to ask you a few questions, Zack," said Scott.
"FBI? What's that stand for?" asked Zack.
"Federal Bureau of Investigation," explained Cody, rolling his eyes.
"Oh. Why do you need to talk to me?" asked Zack.
"I want to know who shot you," said Scott, walking into the room.
"I don't really remember what they look like. I just remember the blood. Sorry I'm not being more helpful," said Zack.
"No worries. If you think of something, let me know," replied Scott. Zack nodded. Scott left the family in peace.
After Scott and the nurse left, Carey and Cody helped Zack get changed into some real clothes. It took a while though because Zack was so tender. It was hard for him to bend down or raise his arms. When the whole ordeal was done though, the Martin family checked out of the hospital.
"So you don't remember who shot you?" asked Cody after the car had been silent for quite some time.
Zack shook his head solemnly. "No. The last thing I remember is you telling me not to fall asleep. But then I fell asleep so, yeah; I definitely don't remember what happened after that."
"We're home!" Carey exclaimed from the front seat.
As soon as the car stopped, both Carey and Cody jumped out of the vehicle to help Zack get out. "I can do it myself you know," he said.
Carey and Cody wouldn't hear of it though as they practically carried Zack to the Tipton lobby. Once inside, a roar of cheers sounded. "Welcome home, Zack!" It seemed that everyone Zack knew was at the Tipton. Just to name a few, all of his teachers, Max, Tapeworm, Bob, Warren, Jessica and Janice, Barbara, and Darlene were all there. The Tipton Staff had all gathered, too. Zack was most excited about Maddie.
Everyone was asking how Zack was doing. He would always reply with "I'm alright." Then Mr. Moesby stepped in front of the crowd of people and told everyone there would be cake and ice cream down in the ballroom. All the kids raced towards the elevator while the mature adults walked slowly. Only Zack and Cody didn't run to the elevator. Zack's stomach couldn't handle that quite yet.
When at last Zack and Cody made it to the Ballroom, almost everyone had gotten some cake and ice cream. While the two of them stood in line, Janice and Jessica came to talk.
"You are so brave, Zack!" said Janice.
"Really, really brave!" Jessica said next.
"Um…thanks. I wouldn't exactly call it bravery though. I got shot, then I went unconscious."
"But if I would have gotten shot, I would be really scared I was going to die," Jessica replied.
"Really, really scared!"
"It was nothing. Hey, I'm going to get some cake now," Zack said when he realized that the line had long since disappeared. Jessica and Janice left him so he could get his cake and ice cream. Then he went over by Cody who was talking to Maddie.
"Hi, Zack! It's so great to see you! When I heard you got shot I was so worried. It really scared me," Maddie exclaimed.
"So you missed me?"
"Of course I did, Zack!"
"Well in that case…" Zack steps just a little closer to Maddie and plants a tender kiss on her cheek. Maddie stares blankly at Zack for a moment. Then she gained her composure.
"I didn't miss you that much." Zack was truly hurt by that statement. That is until he saw the twinkle in her eyes that said she was just joking.
"Hey, Zack! Zack!" Max was running towards Zack, waving her hands in the air. "I've been looking for you! It's so crowded in this place."
"Yeah well, I guess a lot more people love me than I thought." Zack said with a laugh. Maddie and Cody were watching this exchange of words and looked at each other. Both smiled.
"Oh, um. I've gotta go get some more cake," was Cody's excuse to get away from the cute couple.
"Yeah, me too. It's really good cake," Maddie said as she ran after Cody.
Then it was Max and Zack's turn to look at each other. "Well, that was weird," said Zack.
"Yeah. It was. So, did you see the flowers I got you?"
"The orange ones?"
"Yeah. I thought you'd like them."
"I did. Orange is my favorite color." Just then, Darlene walked up.
"Hey, Zack. How are you feeling?" asked Darlene.
"I'm alright. Actually, I'm really sick of people asking me that. Could we talk about something else?"
Darlene nodded her head. There was an awkward silence where everyone just looked at each other. "So…" said Max.
"Um…daytime television sucks," said Zack. Everyone's faces shifted from confusion, to "wow, that was random", to hysterical laughter. Zack, not knowing this statement would get such a laugh decided to take it a little further and began mocking some soap opera he had seen.
"Oh Leonard! Don't leave me!' 'But Susan, I'm not in love with you. You know I love that cocktail waitress at the Plaza.' 'How could you? You made love with me! Didn't that mean anything to you?" Zack just couldn't go on anymore. He was laughing so hard he was crying, as was everyone else who happened to listen in on the conversation. Maddie had walked back into the conversation, as well as Tapeworm and Warren by now.
"Soap operas are so weird. You're totally right though, Zack. That's pretty much how they go," said Cody who had walked into the conversation just in time to hear the impressions.
"I don't think they're that bad," said Bob adding to the conversation.
"Since when do you watch soap operas?" asked Zack.
Bob looked stunned that he would openly say something good about soap operas, but he recovered quickly. "I don't. My mom does."
Zack didn't answer though. It sounded like he was coughing his brains out. "Zack, are you okay?" asked Cody, slightly worried about his brother's condition.
"Yeah. I just swallowed some cake and it went down funny," he said in-between his coughing.
"You don't look okay. You want me to get mom?
"No. I'm…okay. I think." But Zack kept right on coughing. It was getting so bad that tears were forming in his eyes. Cody looked again at his brother. He wanted to get his mom so bad, but didn't want to worry her. "Get mom!" Zack finally yelled. That's all Cody needed to hear. He was dodging through the people and yelling for his mom.
Then blood began dripping from Zack's mouth as he coughed. Seeing the blood, he started panicking. Mixed in with the blood now were his tears. His throat burned. Then, without warning, Zack vomited all over the floor. By now, Carey had been found and was standing by Zack's side. Zack had stopped coughing, but still stood there, dazed.
"Zack. Are you okay?" Carey asked with loads of worry in her voice.
Zack didn't answer though. In fact, he didn't even look at Carey. Instead, his eyes rolled in the back of his head as his body started convulsing. His body tumbled to the floor and Carey screamed, "Mr. Moesby! Call 911! " He was gone before Carey even finished her sentence. One of Zack's teachers took off his coat and threw it down to Carey who put it under Zack's head to stop it from hitting the floor too hard.
Tears were streaming down Cody's face and forming a puddle on the floor where he sat watching his brother shake violently. Everything was a blur for him after that. The ambulance came and took Zack, Carey literally dragged him with her as she got into the car, and soon enough he was back at the place he had just left only a couple hours ago. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not when everything was just beginning to become a little bit normal.
The waiting room was quiet as everyone waited for word on Zack. According to the doctor he was suffering from septic shock. He had been rushed to the OR for emergency surgery. Cody and Carey arrived soon after. After twenty minutes, Moseby arrived with a bunch of people from the party. Maddie, Max, Janice and Jessica, Darlene, Bob, and Mr. Woodman the woodshop teacher, and Zack's favorite teacher. Max sat down next to Cody who was staring blankly at the floor.
"How's he doing?" asked Max. Cody looked at her.
"Not good. He was bleeding into his stomach cavity. He also has a leak in his bladder. He's going to be in surgery awhile," explained Cody, sniffling every once and awhile. Max rubbed his back. Carey was explaining everything to Woodman and Moseby. Cody thought it was great that Mr. Woodman had gone out of his way to come to Zack's party. And now here he was at the hospital, worried about one of his favorite students. The hours dragged on. A nurse would come out every once and awhile to assure everyone that Zack was doing fine. Scott Rivers showed up about four hours into the operation. He had been called off duty after Zack was released. Looks like he was back. He nodded at Carey as he went to go stand guard at the OR doors.
In the operating room, the surgery was coming to a close after six hours. The two main surgeons carefully closed Zack up. But there was still some excess fluid in his stomach. Doctors made a small incision in Zack's navel. They then stuck a small hose through it and into Zack's stomach. They would leave it in for a few days to drain Zack's stomach so an infection wouldn't occur. Zack was taken to intensive care as the surgeon went to talk to the crowd in the waiting room.
After six hours, the surgeon came out. The front of his shirt had some dried blood on it. Carey went to talk to him. Cody and Max watched her reaction. Cody saw relief wash over Carey's face. Zack was OK. Carey waved Max and Cody over. Cody didn't have to be told twice. He bolted up and followed Carey to Zack's room, not sure of what to expect.
Don't forget to push that little button!