A/N So sorry for the wait! But longish chappie to make up for it! Sorry if its a little confusing...

Dedicated to xoxdefygravityxox for her help and support.

Chapter 33

Beep. Beep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

I was in complete darkness. There were voices to my right, and a beeping sound to my left. What was this - Murder in the Dark?

"I'm sorry, Mr Ackerman, but I can't let you in. Visiting hours are from 9 - 11am, and then from 4:30 - 6:30pm. Feel free to visit the cafe until then."

Jake? What was he doing joining in Murder In The Dark? Why was there even such a game happening?

"Geez, Carey, will ya let me in? My girlfriend's in that room, lying there on a hospital bed - attached to a life support system!"

WHAT???

"I understand, Mr Ackerman, I really do, but I cannot let you in."

"Jake!" I wanted to cry. "Get me out of here! Take me home!"

But I couldn't. I was frozen, on the hard, lumpy mattress. My limbs were icy cold, and so stiff I couldn't raise any of them. Please let him in so he can explain! I wished silently.

But the voices had gone. All that was around me was darkness, and a slow steady beep, ringing in the cold, silent room.

Suddenly, a phone began to ring. It was relieved after three tones, and a sweet voice answered. "Carey speaking," she said. "Emergency ward."

After a few 'mm-hmm, mm-hmm's, she spoke again. "Yes, Mr Ackerman, of course. We have Susannah here right now - her comatose state is stable."

Comatose???? I was comatose???? What had made me this way?

Then it flashed before my eyes, like an old fashioned film, or a tutorial in Calculus.

My tyres slipped off the road, and the car tilted. I screamed, letting go of the wheel. I clutched at the seat, shutting my eyes. The heavy car banged against the cliff, eventually, flipping over and rolling. Shards of glass came flying through the open window as the windshield smashed against the trees, and scratched my cheek. I hit my head as the car took a final tumble, then became stationary.

I felt the trunk dent the roof of the car, and crush my body. All the breath left my body in a sharp gasp. Then everything around me became black.

Oh my God! The crash was what had got me here!

"Suze? You there?"

I felt a warm hand close over my frosted fingers, and hot air blown onto my cheeks. It was Jake.

"Please hold out on me, Suze," he pleaded. "I need you. We all do. Me, Dad, David, even... Brad. God, Suze, I'm so sorry for hitting him. And you. I never meant to hurt you. I was so mad, but that's no excuse."

It wasn't at all. The sharp pang of the slap burned brightly on my face in rememberance.

"But Suze, wake up, and everything will be OK. You wake up... and... I'll marry you, Suze, I really will. If you'll marry me, of course." Jake paused, and sighed. "Marry me, Suze?"

I wanted to burst out crying, throw my arms around his neck and tell him that I was awake, I really was, and of course I'd marry him. I loved Jake, more than pizza, more than shopping, more than kicking ghosts up the a-

But I couldn't. I was still stationary in my comatose pose.

"Not even a faster heart beat?" asked Jake.

But I'd begun to drift out of consciousness, into a dream-world of where I was Suze Simon - mediator and most popular girl in school - the place where my hot Spanish boyfriend met me everyday after school -

"Susie? Wake up. Its your mother speaking."

Mom?

"Susie, its 5:30pm, and I've flown across America to see you. How could you have done this? How did you create such a mess?" I felt both her hands on my cheeks, and kiss upon my forehead. "Oh my God, Susannah - I thought you were as good as dead. You'd been missing for two and a half months, and the next thing I hear, you're in Carmel Hospital comatose. Ran off with that Ackerman boy, did you?"

Of course, I was silent. my head swelled as I wanted to release a river of tears, plead my mom for forgiveness and fly back home to Gina. But all that came to me was a headache.

"Mrs Simon?"

That same sickly voice called my mother cautiously, and I felt her stir beside my bed. "I am," she replied, her voice sticky with sadness.

"Mrs Simon," Carey repeated. "I have news of your daughter. After various CAT scans, we've come to a conclusion."

"And?" asked Mom, slowly and seriously.

"She has serious internal bleeding and severe head injuries," explained Carey. "She's also broken four ribs, and her two elbows are broken. She's in a bad way."

"But she's going to pull through - yes?" persisted my Mom. "I mean, its all going to heal?"

"We're hoping-"

"I don't want any hoping shit," she retorted. "Is my daughter going to live?" There was a definite growl to her tone.

"Mrs Simon, please sit down. There is something else we need to tell you."

I felt my mom resit, and her cold fingers clasp my own. "Yes?" she whispered.

"Further test have shown that... Mrs Simon, Susannah has lost her baby."

I felt my mother's fingers drop my own, and the beep of the monitor slow down drastically.

I was numb. All I felt was confusion before sinking into another bout of endless sleep.