Hey, Nixy Angel here. Usually, I would apologize here why the chapter took so long, and then ask for you to review. BUT I know you don't want to hear it, so I'm just going to say I hope you like the chapter, and hopefully the rest wont take so long. Enjoy! (Reviews are appreciated though...)

Carly's grip lightened as we entered the room, and the sight before me caused me to drop her hand instantly, because I was overcome with a rushing feeling of a feeling of grief, and shock, all balled together. The combination was sickening, and I could feel my insides churning, threatening to explode at any moment in tears, or audible cries.

Griffin was laying in his bed, partially propped up by pillows, eyes open and staring ahead. Well, at least it seemed like it. I didn't have full view of his face, so as horrifyingly depressing it was, I walked closer to him to get a better look at his face.

It wasn't much different than I had seen before. He was covered in bruises and bandages, his neck extended by the brace clasped around it.

But the worst part was his eyes. At first glance, you couldn't tell that there was anything different about them. But there was something about the way he was staring ahead, with no emotion, nor sign of acknowledgement of his surroundings that really killed me. His face seemed so…lost. And blank.

"Griffin?"

Griffin remained, staring at the wall in front of him and not saying a word. But at the sound of my voice, something nearby moved. I turned to look in the direction, and saw Ben settled in the chair next to Griffin's bed, raising his hands to reveal a strained face with the obvious trace of previous tears. He looked at me and smiled slightly, then motioned towards Griffin.

"Griffin, its Cody."

"Hey" creaked a voice, barely audible.

I let out a breath, relieved at the sign of life in his body.

"Um, how do you feel?" I whispered. Well, what else could I say? There wasn't much TO say. But then, there were a thousand things to say. Its just one of those times where you can't say them until the sort of icebreakers are done.

"Seriously?" He let out a hoarse chuckle. Then he added, "where you at?"

"Over here." It took me a minute to realize that that meant nothing to him, since he couldn't look and see where over here was at. Awkwardly, I reached out a hand and touched his shoulder, so to let him know the direction he was in. His head turned slightly until he had locked his gaze on me. I remained silent, and he began squinting his eyes.

After a few seconds of looking, he straightened his back as best he could, and said in the smallest voice, "Your shirt is white."

"But I thought…wait. You can see? Like what? Color or something?" I just couldn't help myself.

"Sorta. I like…I dunno." He mumbled.

"That's good…I guess." I didn't have the heart to tell him that my shirt was gray.

"The doc says its real temporary." His voice sounded distorted, and I could tell he was fighting back tears. But then, it could have been his weakness.

"Griffin, I'm sure it'll all end up, like, ok." I know I sounded stupid, like someone out of a movie or something. Everything will end up ok.

Bullshit

Everything was SO not going to end up ok. I mean, not trying to be pessimistic, but he was blind.

But then, at least he wasn't dead.

"Yeah." Griffin was quiet, though I'm sure he was broiling inside. Broiling inside with pain at the reality that he had discovered only moments before.

We sat there a few minutes in silence, until I couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Why were you driving?"

I instantly regretted saying it. It was rude, and would probably make him feel stupid or ashamed or anything at what he had done. It was psychology. I'm not even sure why I asked…it was just the question that had been nodding at my mind since I first learned of his accident. And me being the stupid person I am couldn't hold it in.

"I dunno, I just wasn't thinking. I was all mad about everything, like all you saying 'oh you need a license you can't drive. When you gonna get a license? ' Blah blah blah. I guess I wanted to do it, just so I could."

I looked at him in shock. I hadn't expected an answer. I had expected more of a grunt, or an angry stare…wait that was wrong. He couldn't give an angry stare, could he? He knew where I wasn't…agh!

"What?"

"Yeah."

I nodded, but then remembering he couldn't see me nod, I whispered. "Yeah."

We sat in more silence for a few more seconds, until I began babbling partially incoherently everything that was going on in my mind

"Griffin, I'm like really sorry and everything and I really care and I'm mad and…I think it will be ok but I don't know, I mean I do, but like, I just hope it will." My voice ended in a small trace of the tears that had been threatening to fall since I first walked in. I moved closer to Griffin, and stared into his blank eyes, trying to find any type of reaction. But there was none.

"Cody? We have to get out now." Came Ben's voice. He walked towards Griffin and placed a hand on his shoulder, his face strained.

"Remember what I told you ok man?"

Griffin slightly nodded, and we left in silence.

"Bye man. It's I'm pretty sure its gonna be ok." We left with a silent sign off, letting the door shut behind us.

As soon as we exited the room, Griffin's parents rushed by us, and into his room instantly.

"Visiting hour's gonna be over in a sec" Carly said. "I've been there for a while. So how is he?"

"He's real quiet. And really upset. Did you know he could see color?"

"Yeah, the doctor says it will last a very short time." She replied softly.

"He told me what color shirt I was wearing."

"He told me too. I think he's going to be alright, except…"

"I know. Its gonna kill him when he gets back home. And he can't see…" She let out a choked sigh.

"Cody Martin?" A woman's voice sounded. "Your mother wishes to see you right away." I jumped slightly, remembering that I hadn't told my mother about Griffin. I had just left…and she was going to kill me.

"Ok, where is she at?"

"Follow me."

I tagged behind her through a series of doors, until we were once again in doorway of Zack's room. Zack lay peacefully in his bed, sleeping, and I tried with all my strength to rebuke any bad wishes towards him that even threatened to appear.

"Cody? Where have you been?"

"Mom, remember my friend Griffin?" I started.

She nodded.

Well, the car that Zack hit…it was his. And he got really hurt."

"Oh my God," she put her hand to her mouth. "But he is alive?"

"Yeah. But he's not gonna see again. Hes blind."

"Oh my God Cody, I'm sorry. She extended her arms for a hug, and I accepted, needing comfort from someone now more then ever. "Well I'm sorry if you want to stay with him, we're going home to the Tipton tomorrow.

I smiled a bit, because as much as I cared about Griffin, the thought of sleeping in my bed sounded really really good.

VvVvVvVvV

"Griffin is coming home today!" A cheery Carly greeted me at the door of our school building.

"Really?" I smiled; feeling relieved about how much he had improved.

It had been a little while since the accident now, and Zack had been home for some time. Griffin had slipped in and out of consciousness, but had finally settled…out. After several operations and such, he had been patched up and placed in a new room to rest for a while. He could no longer see anything, except light. His sight of color and large shapes had vanished, and now he could barely tell whether the light was on or not.

As for my relationship with Zack, we smiled a lot more. He had stopped hanging out with the particular group of friends that had crashed, but not much is to say about the rest of his friends. Once, he actually asked me for help with his homework, and we actually walked from the bus, to our suite, and to school…together now. I can say that though we were not extremely close, things were better then they had been for a really long time.

"He hasn't been very happy lately. He keeps on asking for his paper and paints. We give him pencils, and then he starts getting all upset about not seeing it. I'm really worried about him."

There it was. The conflict we had introduced in the beginning. Griffin was an artist, and loosing his sight was probably the worst thing that could have happened to him.

It was like me loosing something that enabled me to read, or something like that. If I went blind, I could always learn brail. But he could never paint again.

"Oh God. Its gonna be even worse when he gets home with all his paintings." A picture of his room, crowded with canvases, and unfinished paintings flashed in my mind.

She nodded solemnly, and I added a comforting word. "At least he's alive."

"Yeah." She smiled, but I could tell I hadn't helped at all.

"What's up?" Zack limped up, smiled at me, and nodded at Carly.

"I thought we were losers," she muttered under her breath. Thankfully, he didn't hear her.

"Griffin's coming home," I smiled, ignoring Carly's comment.

"Thank God." He said. "Now I don't feel so guilty."

"He's still blind." She said coldly. "You should feel guilty."

He looked down at his feet, taken aback by her comment. I also remained silent, not sure what to say. I was trying to make peace with my brother, but what Carly said did make sense.

"Ok, well peace." He muttered, and limped away. I turned and noticed that a few of his other friends had come in the door. Figures.

"Can I come see him today?"

"No Cody, I refuse to let you come to our house and see him." She said sarcastically.

"Ok, how about four?"

"Cool, see you then."