I own nothing from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.
"Zack, are you going to say anything?" Carey begged her son to speak, for the last thirty minutes since he had been told of Cody's tragic death he hadn't uttered a word.
"Please Zack, it will feel better if we talk about it" Kurt added to Carey's plea. For Zack though nothing could make it better, nothing was going to help his pain, he was totally and utterly crushed, his brother, his best friend, was gone forever.
Moesby just sat silently in the back of the room, his presence supporting everyone, but it was not a happy occasion. Moesby was there as their humble servant, ready to do anything for them that they needed. Moesby was distraught inside, but amazingly kept his regular demeanour, not letting out his love for Carey and his despair at seeing her sad, nor his utter devastation and depression at the loss of Cody and Maddie. Not since London's death a year previous had such a horrible veil of death hung over the usually happy gang.
Minutes which seemed like hours passed as Zack cried silently into the pillow, desperately trying to remove images of Cody from his mind, but they remained etched in his psyche. As much as Zack tried he could not block out the happy memories he and Cody had shared all their lives, they were two peas in a pod, inseparable since birth...until Death. Zack didn't want to live any more, not without Cody, not alone.
"Mom?" Zack finally began to speak, drawing muted excitement from Carey
"Yes honey" she replied as warmly as she could through her pain.
"Is...Maddie...is Maddie still around?" it was a question Carey Martin simply did not want to answer, she didn't know how Zack would take it, she was disgusted and angry that he had to take it. For Zack though a part of him knew Maddie was gone, he knew she was dead. Maddie had been dead mostly since the accident and Zack had said his goodbyes, but now he wanted to be with her, to feel the warmth of her presence, to get comfort from his horrible torment at Cody's death.
"Zack...I'm so sorry...but Maddie died not long after you went into surgery" Carey replied quietly and painfully. Zack had known that answer would come, but it extinguished any last hope of comfort for him, it meant he was truly alone, in one single day, in one single car accident Zack had lost the two people most important to him in the entire world. It wasn't fair; And Zack Martin blamed himself.
"I'm sorry Zack, I know how much you loved them both" Carey said desperately trying to comfort him, loosing Cody hurt enough; she couldn't risk losing Zack too. Zack didn't respond to anything anyone said though, he just rolled over, ignoring the pain from his surgical scar, and tried to sleep.
"I don't know how we're going to manage Marion" Carey said sadly to Mr. Moesby as they stood together on a balcony above the traffic below. Carey had been unable to take Zack's silence, the mood of the room just made her think of Cody, and how he would have brightened Zack's world so.
"You'll get through Carey, I'll be here for you" Moesby couldn't really think of anything else to say, so he stuck with what he had been saying all along- that he was going to stay with Carey through thick and thin, especially now in her time of most desperate need.
"Thank you Marion, but this isn't your problem, Cody wasn't your son, and Zack isn't. If you feel you need to go I'll understand, you don't deserve this despair" Carey broke into yet more tears as she spoke.
"Carey, I love you" he responded, smiling and looking into her eyes as he grabbed her hand.
"I know you do Marion..." Carey replied in a distant voice and the two then joined in a warm hug.
After composing herself and believing she could go back to Zack's room Carey finally decided to return. As Carey and Moesby arrived at the hospital room however they met a man in a grey suit who was just arriving at the room. The man had a hospital security pass clipped to his suit; Carey hoped it was nothing bad.
"Ms. Martin?" he asked
"Yes?" Carey replied cautiously
"I'm Adam Trowley, I work for the hospital, I was wondering if I could speak to Zack?" he began
"I don't think he's up to talking, after everything" Carey replied with great sadness
"Yes, I can't tell you how sorry I am, I can't imagine how you must be feeling" Mr. Trowley replied warmly.
"Thank you" Carey replied
"Since your Zack's legal guardian though do you think I could speak to you in the conference room a moment please?" Mr. Trowley continued.
"Is there somewhere else we can talk?" Carey replied nervously, not wanted to revisit the place where she had been told she had lost Cody. She was doing incredibly well not to be bawling her eyes out still, but she had composed herself for Zack.
"Certainly, of course, how stupid of me, I'm so sorry Ms. Martin" Mr. Trowley replied embarrassed and feeling very stupid.
"It's alright" Carey replied quietly and Mr. Trowley took her into an empty office off the ICU with Moesby trailing behind.
Sitting down around the table Mr. Trowley began speaking
"I know you'll want to get back to Zack as quickly as possible but I thought he had a right to know about his late wife's autopsy, I have a copy of the report if you'd like a copy" he began, placing a copy of the autopsy report on the table. "There was just one thing we wanted to discuss with Zack though, a matter which arose during the procedure" He continued
"Yes? What is it?" Carey replied
"Ms. Martin, do you recall how long ago the two separated?" he asked
"About three months" Carey replied looking inquisitively at Mr. Trowley Moesby mimicking her expression "What is it?"
"Well during the autopsy we determined that at the time of her unfortunate death Ms. Fitzpatrick was pregnant. We estimate conception was around 3 and a half months ago" The news was shocking and Carey was taken aback, why hadn't she said anything? This was just the kind of thing Maddie would have normally come to her about
"Do you know it was Zack's?" Moesby spoke up
"No, I was going to ask for your permission to do a DNA paternity test? We already have Zack's DNA on record" Mr. Trowley asked
"Sure, do it, but please, can you come and see me with the results, I don't know if Zack needs to know" Carey replied the Sadness in her voice now mixed with shock.
"Thank you, I'll get you the results as soon as possible" Mr. Trowley replied before again expressing his sympathy at Carey's loss and leaving.
"Did you have any idea Maddie was pregnant?" Carey asked Moesby confusion still evident in her voice
"No, I had no idea. Are you going to tell Zack?" Moesby replied
"I'll wait for the results and then I'll decide. I guess if it was his he has a right to know, but I don't know how he could possibly cope, it's just not fair." Carey replied sadly
"You'll make the right decision Carey" Moesby lent her the words of support she so badly needed. But it was not the time to make such decisions or have such conversations with Zack. Cody had only been gone ninety or so minutes...
Well that was shock wasn't it boys and girls?! Lots more shocks and emotion to come, But I am definitely winding the story down- the clue for me that it's time to end is that I've got a final scene already thought of, so now with a specific destination set I'm just driving the story there. But fear not I will return and as I said before I have an idea for a new story I hope you'll all enjoy. As always please review the chapter. I do love reading your reviews ever so much.