I'm Right Here by Rose Haze
Disclaimer I do not own The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
Author's Note: Wondrous, astonishing readers, I have a confession to make. I am very worried about this story. Those of you who are reading Blood in the Bathroom probably know that I'm having issues with that story too, but this is different. In the beginning, this story was 30 chapters long. But after chapter twenty I made a very drastic change in direction. It went from being the climax chapter to just the beginning. It'll probably take me at least ten more chapters to end this. It's getting too long…. PLEASE let me know if you think it's getting boring. I don't want to drag it out, you know? Anyways, here's chapter 25!
Chapter 25
The Letter
"I'm sorry for everything I've said; and for everything I forgot to say, too. When things get so complicated I stumble, at best, muddle through. I wish that our lives could be simple. I don't want the world—only you. I wish that I could tell you this face to face but it's never the time, never the place. So this letter will have to do. I love you.—Aida
Cody Martin lay motionless in a hospital bed, unaware of his surroundings. Dried blood coated the black stitches that were laced through the skin on his face. Gray crescent shaped bruises framed the bottoms of his eyes. There was a bandage around his head. In one hand, there was a needle from an IV. The other was intertwined with his brother's.
"Okay," Zack whispered, "Here goes."
He unfolded the piece of paper he was holding, and began to read the words.
"Dear Cody," he began, "Ever since we were little—," he stopped. Tears clogged up his throat, making it impossible to talk. He took a few deep breaths and started again.
"Ever since we were little people assumed that you were the weak one and I was the protective one."
Zack looked at Cody's lifeless body, "But they were wrong. Even though I was more outgoing and you were more sensitive, it was you who looked out for me. Like the time I got lost at the zoo in Middlesex. We were on a field trip and everyone had partners. You asked me to be your partner before we got on the bus to the zoo, but I wanted to be partners with Brendan. But once we got to the zoo and I was looking at the tigers, Brendan went off without me and I got lost from the class. I was so scared, walking around in circles crying but then there you were with your partner Kelly. You would never leave me behind.
"What I'm trying to say is that you have always been there for me. I remember when Dad left, you must have missed him as much as I did, but you always helped me feel better."
He stopped reading when he realized that he was crying. "This is so hard, Cody," he whispered tearfully. He looked at the paper in front of him.
"Whenever people ask me about myself, I never know what to say," Zack continued, "I usually say things like 'I'm the athletic one' or 'I'm the loud one'. Whenever I describe myself, it's like I'm subconsciously comparing myself to you. I think that's what Mom means when she says that you're my other half. I never got that until now. But it means that everything that makes me me has something to do with you. I don't know who I am without you.
"I need you, Cody. I need you to wake up. Because without you I'm nothing. The idea of living without you scares me to death," he drew in a deep, shuddering breath, "Before the accident we had a fight. Well, we had a lot of fights lately—some really bad ones. This one wasn't as bad as some of them, actually. But I said something really stupid about the only good thing about you was that you could do my homework. I don't remember the exact words. But if I had known—,"
He stopped again. He wasn't crying, but his voice was wavering.
"If I had known you it might have been the last time I ever talked to you I never would have said that. I would have thanked you for being there for me for both our whole lives. I would have told you that I love you. I would have told you the truth about so many things. Like how sometimes I get jealous of you for being so smart and that I hate myself for making fun of you because I know I only do it because I'm insecure.
"You know me better than anyone else—even myself. That's because I trust you. I know that I can tell you anything, and you can do the same to me. When I'm older and I look back on my life, my best memories aren't going to be of dates or dances or basketball games or anything like that. They'll be the all times we stayed up really late and then fell asleep talking to each other. Those were the times I was truly myself. There's things that only you know about me, like the writing thing.
"I really miss you. I've been here, sitting with you for the past three days, but you aren't really here so I miss you. You have so much to live for. You're the smartest kid in our class. You always see the good things about people, especially me. You have forgiven me for so many things, given me so many second chances, and I don't always deserve it.
"Please don't die. Give me a chance to be the brother you deserve. Love, Zack."
Zack folded the letter in half and slipped it under Cody's pillow, "That's what I wanted to tell you, Cody," he said huskily. He picked up his hand and stroked it softly, "and that you're the best brother in the world."
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Carey stood alone in the bathroom connected to Cody's bedroom. She stood at her reflection and was surprised to see that she actually looked like herself. She washed her hair and styled it with gel. She smelled like cucumber-melon from the body wash she used in the shower. She was wearing dark indigo dress pants and a lavender blouse. She even went as far as to put on a little makeup.
"Life goes on," she said to the mirror in front of her. While she was in the shower, she thought about many things. She thought about how horribly she treated Samantha and the fact that she was not sorry about it at all. She thought about how neither she nor Zack nor Cody had taken a step off the hospital property since Saturday afternoon. She thought about her job and her friends. She thought about the decision she and Zack might have to make about Cody's fate. All these contemplations jumbled together and spelled out the phrase 'life goes on.'
Carey put her powder compact, lipstick, and mascara into her purse.
'Tomorrow I am taking Zack to school. I'm going to sing at the Tipton. I am going to pick up my dry-cleaning. Then I am going to visit Cody.'
It was going to be hard, but she knew she had to get her life back on track. Not for her, but for Zack. Cody was the one who was in a coma. Cody was the one whose life took a dramatic pause. Zack was still very much alive.
She slung her big white purse over her shoulder and walked into Cody's room. Tears filled her eyes when she saw Zack sitting with him, talking in a low voice and holding his hand. She knew that it was going to be hard for him to leave.
"Hey Zack," she said as she went to sit by him.
Zack looked up, "Hey," he answered softly.
"Do you want to come down to the cafeteria for dinner?" she asked.
"I'm not really hungry."
Carey rested her hand on Zack's shoulder, "You need to eat."
He shrugged and looked at Cody. Carey looked at him too.
"I'm going to call your principal tonight," Carey said softly, "You need to get back to school."
Zack was already shaking his head, "I'm not leaving him," he said forcefully.
"We'll see what arrangements your teachers want to make," she said, leaving the subject on an open end.
Zack nodded, not pressing the matter further. He was tired of fighting and he knew that if they kept the conversation going it would end in another blowout.
"I'm taking you home tomorrow," Carey continued. Zack's whipped his head around and he looked at her, "I know you don't want to leave Cody," she said, speaking his mind before he could, "but life goes on."
Zack scowled. His mom was really making his mad, but he was not going to fight with her. Not in front of Cody.
"Mmmm…"
Zack's eyes widened. He looked at his mom then at Cody. Carey scooted to the edge of her chair.
Cody's lips were moving slightly, and a soft mumbling sound came out. His eyes fluttered.
"Oh my God," Carey whispered, "Cody, baby, can you hear me?"
"wuzzhammening,"
Zack pushed Cody's hair back and stroked his cheek.
"Cody?" he asked, "Cody, buddy, it's me. You gotta wake up, Cody."
"nahno"
Tears spilled down Zack's cheeks. But he wasn't sad.
'He's waking up,' he thought wildly, 'he's really waking up!'
Cody's eyebrows knitted together, "em treeng."
"Cody?" Zack asked again, trying to rouse him, "what are you trying to say?"
"Open your eyes, Honey," Carey said passionately.
And then there was nothing. Cody's frown disappeared. His lips stopped moving and his eyes stopped fluttering. Once again he was lifeless and still.
"No," Zack said desperately, "No, Cody you were waking up. Don't do this."
Carey's heart sank. She rested her hand on Zack's shoulder. She too had thought that Cody was waking up.
Zack buried his face in Cody's chest, "No, Cody," he said in a high pitched, muffled voice, "Come back."
To Be Continued…
A/N Please review!
Up next: Chapter Twenty-Six: Battle of St. Lucia
