I own nothing from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

"How are they Marion?" Carey asked as she spoke to Moesby outside the room where Zack was being prepped for surgery.

"The doctors don't think Madeline will last tonight" He replied in a subdued and defeated tone.

"Oh god" Carey almost whispered, she had left Cody to sit with Zack as he was being prepped for surgery, he hated seeing how tormented he was at Maddie's condition and she was crushed inside at the decision he had been forced to make, essentially decided whether Cody and Maddie would die. "I don't know how I'll be able to tell Zack when she's gone" Carey said in a painfully strained voice.

"How is he doing?" Moesby asked

"I don't know, I think he's gone numb inside, he loved Maddie, but I think he made the right decision in the end" Carey replied

"As do I, but it will be hard, you should be with him. Is Cody still out?" Moesby asked

"I know I should be, but I don't know if he wants me in there at the moment, he seems lost. Cody is still out, they don't think he's going to wake up before the surgery, their drugs aren't helping him wake up though" Carey replied with a hopeful note in her voice, it was obvious that she desperately wanted Zack and Cody to be well.

"I'm sorry Carey, you go be with Zack, and I'll be out here if you need me" Moesby said and Carey kissed him on the cheek and he went inside.

"How are you doing honey? Are you ready" Carey asked Zack, who lay alone in the room on a bed now wearing a hospital gown, a nurse was due to come along to prep him in the coming minutes.

"I'll be fine" Zack responded quietly, he was obviously going over his decision again and again, though he was set on saving Cody's life, he couldn't help questioning his wisdom, it was agonising. Zack couldn't help but think about how he had spent his last minutes with Maddie, she was going to die and in so many ways he blamed himself.

"I know you will honey, and I want to tell you that I love you and I'm so proud that you are doing this for your brother, no matter how hard it has been for you to say goodbye to Maddie"

"Thanks Mon" Zack replied quietly.

"Hello Mr. Martin" was the greeting of a nurse who entered Zack's room to prepare him for surgery

"You'll need to fill out this form first" Said the nurse as she handed Zack a clipboard asking him a multitude of questions about his lifestyle and health which he got into filling out.

"Mrs. Martin, some of the preparation we have to perform on Zack is private in nature, can I ask you to step out please" The nurse asked without a hint of embarrassment, but Zack and Carey's faces both went bright red, Carey nodded and stepped out.

"What do you have to do to me that my Mom can't see?" Zack asked curiously with a hint of embarrassment.

"We have to shave you Mr. Martin, and I'm not talking about your face" The nurse said smiling, it helped make Zack feel more comfortable, and if he had not been in such a down mood he probably would have made a sex joke as she nurse removed his gown and boxer shorts and got to shaving him. It was a particularly awkward situation for Zack, but the nurse remained highly professional and it was soon over and Zack was back in his gown and prepared the nurse continued with the preparation.

"So how long until this surgery happens?" Zack asked

"We will move you and your brother down to pre-op now and there the doctors will explain what is going to happen and then the surgery will get under way" The nurse replied. Zack was getting nervous now, he knew he was doing the right thing, but he was scared, even if he was determined not to admit it.

Not long after the nurse had finished prepping Zack 2 hospital orderlies came to wheel Zack down from the room he was being prepped in down to the pre-operative suites of the hospital, near where they had first seen Cody and Maddie upon arrival at the hospital the previous afternoon. The room was cold and Zack did not find it in the least bit comforting, but Carey went with him down and that made him feel better. Zack was particularly appreciative that Carey had left Cody's side to be with him, it helped him get over his nervousness at the thing he was about to do.

"Are you ready Zack?" Carey asked

"I think so, it's not like there's any other choice if I'm not" Zack sounded depressed and defeated as he spoke and Carey couldn't bring herself to respond, she didn't quite know what to say.

Not long after Zack had arrived in Pre-OP Cody was wheeled into the room by several orderlies moving various machines and tubes along with him, he was still unconscious and looked peaceful Zack though, and he hoped dearly that Cody wasn't in any pain. The surgeons walked in behind Cody along with Kurt.

"Ok, Now Zack, I'll explain to you what we're going to do to you" The surgeon began, Zack, Carey and Kurt turned their gaze to the surgeon and listened intently

"In a moment we will use an ultrasound machine to located your kidney and then we will mark on you where the incision is to be made, we will be able to remove it with a relatively small incision so it won't be a long recovery for you. You and Cody will be in the theatre together and working simultaneously one team will remove your kidney whilst another will keep Cody on dialysis whilst we remove both his kidneys and prepare him for the transplantation". The surgeon said

"So Cody will stay in there for less time than me?" Zack asked

"Yes, significantly longer I'd say, since it will be much more dedicated transplanting into him than taking your kidney out"

Everyone agreed and the surgeons used their ultrasound machines to locate and mark the Twin's kidneys with markers preparing for the surgery. It was now time for the moment of truth, everyone tried to remain hopeful but there was always the lingering thought that Cody, or Zack, or both would never leave the surgery alive.

"I love you Mom, I Love you Dad, I'll be alright, I'll see you when I wake up" Zack said as he was pushed alongside Cody into the operating theatre.

As Zack and Cody were moved into the centre of the operating theatre and the doctors prepared to put them under Zack turned over to Cody and said to his sleeping twin

"I love you Cody, please make it through, for me".

Carey and Kurt made their way up from Pre-Op to the level above where they could watch the surgery take place but what was concerning was the sight of Marion Moesby who stood by the door of the viewing room, a look of distress and utter devastation on his face, it was obvious that he had been recently crying, his eyes were all bloodshot. Carey knew straight away what had just happened, Madeline Fitzpatrick had just died.

Lots of you asked for a miracle to save her, but I simply couldn't creatively justify it, I'm sorry, but in my mind Maddie simply had to die, it allows me to move in the direction I want- I'm not someone who's going to write an 'and they all lived happily ever after' story...leave that to Disney Channel. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, despite the tragic end.