My apologies to SillverMedal. I was not able to start typing until today. I had a lot of things to do last night. Sorry!

A/N: Okay I don't know a lot about hospitals and medical stuff so your going to have to bear with me here.

Chapter 2

Reunited

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Cody's heart was fluttering somewhere in the region of his Adam's Apple. He couldn't swallow past the lump lodged in his throat. His shaking hands couldn't be kept still so he sat on them. In just a few short moments he would be reunited with his brother and he was nervous as hell. He anxiously chewed his lip and chanced a sideways glance at his parents to see how they were taking the suspense.

Carey was pale and already tear tracks had smudged her makeup. She was shaking too but was restraining herself better than Cody. Her crisp white blouse and long teal skirt looked as if they had just come fresh off the ironing board and the diamond necklace glittering at her throat displayed the beauty of wealth. However despite her spotless clothes and fine cut necklace, her blond hair (now lightly streaked with silver) had been haphazardly thrown into a ponytail. A few strands had tugged loose from their confining band and gave her the appearance of a frazzled school girl. Only the bags under her eyes betrayed the sleepless night and stress she had endured since the police phoned to say her eldest son had been found only a night ago.

Kurt looked even more woebegone than his ex-wife. His brown leather jacket hung limply off him and his jeans were torn and slightly faded. His brown hair was just as disheveled as Cody's, giving him the look of a person who had just rolled out of bed. His dark eyes were full of panic and regrets as he nervously fiddled with a fray in the sleeve of his jacket. His left foot jiggled anxiously beside Cody.

Cody knew the source of his father's guilt was because of his lack of support for the search for Zack but none of that mattered now. Zack was alive after two (nearly three) long years of abuse. Everything seemed less important, less critical than they had before when Zack was thought to be dead.

The swinging doors to the waiting room swung forward, emitting Dr. Riley, Zack's doctor. She smiled warmly and beckoned them to follow her on back.

Cody rose on shaky legs and leaned into his father's embrace as the small family stepped forward as one to be reunited with their long lost missing member.

Dr. Riley's heels briskly clicked upon the polished linoleum as she fell into step beside them.

"When your son first came in here I didn't think there was anyway he was going to make it. His injuries were extensive. He was suffering from a concussion and was bleeding from the head. He had three cracked ribs that we suspect may have come from the accident. His wrists were raw and cut up and he had several deep cuts that required stitches. Not to mention he was severely emaciated and dehydrated. His condition wasn't good,"

"However your sons a fighter and surprised us all. We have a officer sitting with him at the moment, trying to coax him into talking. He seems to be in shock but we think he'll be fine in a few days. By next week he should be well enough to go home,"

"However, there is something else I think I should discuss with you before I let you see him,"

Dr. Riley spoke in a grim voice as she stopped them in front of a room marked 209.

Cody halted, but with reluctance. Behind that door was his twin, his brother, his best friend.

"I'm very concerned about your son's mental state. He's very quiet and slightly timid. Not as frightened as most kidnap cases but very reserved and unreachable. He hasn't really opened up except to tell us the names of the kidnappers and how they treated him. He wont say anything else. Were hoping your influence will change that. He might need some counseling later on but we think he might always fear strangers, the way he reacted when Officer Higgs first arrived to question him was proof of that,"

"Steady counseling and support from his family will help him, so please don't get discouraged," Dr. Riley smiled again, her once sorrowful blue eyes lighting up as she turned to open the door.

"One last thing; He's very sore so be careful when you go to hug him. Don't want to rip out his stitches," she said quite cheerfully to Kurt and Carey's silent demeanor's.

She opened the door and stood back.

Carey practically knocked Dr. Riley out of the way as she rushed forward in her haste to see her son.

Heart in his throat, Cody stepped forward into the small hospital room, choked with a variety of machines. A middle-aged officer was seated in a chair at the foot of the bed, clipboard in hand. He stood for introductions but Cody paid him no mind as his eyes landed on his brother.

Zack was already enveloped in Carey's arms as she gently clung to him, sobbing into his brown hair and stroking his cheek lovingly. Tears of joy and grief were sliding down Zack's face as he hugged his mother as tightly as his tender ribs permitted.

"…I'm so sorry, mom…my fault. I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to. I-I didn't think," he sobbed.

"No, honey. Sshhh. Baby, it's okay. I'm here, honey. We all are. It's alright, sshhh," Carey murmured, kissing his forehead.

Zack cried harder.

Kurt sidled up to the pair of them. Carey reluctantly released Zack so Kurt could gruffly hug him.

"…Dad!"

"Hey, Bud," Kurt choked, his eyes swimming with tears that refused to fall.

"I'm sorry," Zack moaned in a low, whimpering voice.

"Don't be, Zackster. Don't be," he muttered, lightly clapping Zack's shoulder as he slowly backed away.

Tears fell beyond his control as Cody moved closer to Zack's bed.

"C-Cody!" Zack stammered as he spotted his twin, taking in his black, squared rimmed glasses, long blond hair, and finally his height.

"Y-You've ch-changed, man," he said, wiping his eyes on the back of his bandaged hands.

"You too," Cody replied, his voice surprisingly steady as he bent to hug his twin.

"I've mis-missed you," Zack gasped as a fresh wave of tears crashed into him and he tightened his hold on his younger twin's neck.

"Same here,"

"I'm s-sorry Cody, for all of the hurt th-that I've caused y-you. I-I'm so sorry…"

Cody tightened his hold on his brother as his sobs became uncontrollable. Zack's whole entire body was shaking with the effort of maintaining control as the tears kept falling and falling. His own silent tears were dripping off his cheeks and onto Zack's shoulders as he clung on, never wanting to let go of the brother he never gave up on.

"I never lost hope, Zack. I held on even when others gave up. I never gave up on you," he whispered as his face twisted in anguish.

Cody felt a warm weight fall across his back. Slightly startled, he looked up to see his mother and father sitting on the bed beside him and Zack, their arms wrapped around the pair of them.

The reunited little family, held onto each other, afraid to let go as they finally shed the tears that had been held in for far too long.

To be continued…

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