Thanks once again for all the wonderful reviews, they really do make my day and make writing worthwhile!

This chapter is dedicated to my MSN/AIM buddies Steph, Madi, Jess and Em for letting me bounce ideas off them! Look out for Debbie, Em Hehe!

Oh, and there are tissues over there –points- and the especially soft one is for Mairead hehe :)

Enjoy!

Charli xox


Chapter 9

"What?" Kelsi gasped. "But we just saw her not even two days ago – she seemed fine! She was a bit stressed out but apart from that..."

Principal Matsui nodded in understanding. "I know it's hard to accept but..." he trailed off, shaking his head, "...life is like that sometimes. Things happen that seem completely unfair, but we just have to work through them the best way we can. I know you are all close to Gabriella, and this will be a hard time for you. But she is very lucky that she has all of you to support her, and you are lucky in the same way – that you have each other to talk to about how you are feeling in all of this. Debbie has set aside the entire morning for any of you who feel like you need to talk to her about this."

The school counsellor smiled warmly at the young group.

"You are excused from classes for the morning. I understand you will need some time to get your heads around this. If you aren't with Debbie, you may use the conference room next door to my office. I called a staff meeting this morning where the entire faculty was informed of the situation regarding Miss Montez. They know where you will be if you aren't in class."

The Wildcats nodded robotically and filed into the conference room, their parents following. Jason was comforting Kelsi who was crying softly. Zeke kept rubbing his eyes fiercely, telling anyone who would listen that his eyes had something in them. Ryan was openly sobbing, his mother doing her best to comfort him. Chad and Taylor watched Sharpay as she stood silently with her forehead resting against the small window on the other side of the room.

For once, she had nothing to say.

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

"Ok Gabriella – we're pretty much set. Do you have any last minute questions?" Dr Zamitt asked. They were currently in the pre-op wing off the operating theatres, awaiting Gabriella's surgery.

"Um...no, I don't think so. Mum?"

Maria shook her head. "No, you've explained everything pretty thoroughly," she told the doctor.

"Ok," he nodded. "Gabriella, can you explain to me in your own words what you are having done today?"

"I'm having a Lymphectomy – which means you are taking the lymph nodes from my neck and under arms that have cancer in them, and the ones around those too. I'm having a Splenectomy, which means you are removing my spleen because it has cancer in it too. You are also going to try and resect the tumor on my liver. Oh, and I'm having a central line placed," Gabriella answered correctly.

"Good girl," Dr Zamitt said. "You have a very smart daughter," he told Maria. "Ok, that's me done – Greg Burton – the anaesthesiologist – will be in shortly and then I will see you in theatre."

"I won't be seeing you," Gabriella teased. "I'm the lucky one that gets to have a looong sleep," she yawned dramatically.

"You get the easy job," Maria smiled fondly, stroking her daughter's hair. As Dr Zamitt left, laughing.

Lucille leaned down and kissed Gabriella's cheek. "Good luck, sweetheart. I have to get to work, but you get in there and show them what you're made off, right? I will ring Troy a bit later on to see how everything is going."

"Ok," Gabriella nodded. "Thank you for coming in. I'll see you later."

Lucille squeezed her hand. "Love you honey."

She hugged Maria and kissed her son on the cheek before wishing Gabriella luck one more time, and leaving.

Gabriella's expression suddenly turned serious as the curtains of the small cubicle fell back into place. "I love you, Mom."

"Oh honey, I love you too," Maria replied, hugging her daughter close. "You're going to be just fine."

"I will be Mom, I promise," Gabriella told her determinedly, crying a little. They looked up as Greg Burton came into the cubicle, followed by two nurses.

"You must be Gabriella," he said, shaking her hand. "I'm Greg, and I'll be your anaesthesiologist this morning."

"Uh huh," Gabriella said in a small voice.

"We're ready for you now, so I'm going to put up the sides of the bed and we'll wheel you in."

"Ok..." Gabriella trailed off as the nurses bustled around, getting her bed ready to go. She looked up at Maria, her eyes filled with tears. "Mom...Mom, I'm scared..." she said hoarsely.

Maria took her hand and lifted it to her mouth, kissing it gently.

"Be brave, baby. We'll be right here when you wake up. I love you sweetheart," Maria said, trying to hold back her own tears.

She moved away from the bed as the nurses began fiddling with the drip. Gabriella turned her head to the left of her, and her eyes connected with those belonging to the boy loitering in the corner of the cubicle, right near the curtain. She reached for his hand and he took it, moving in and leaning down to kiss her gently.

"I love you, Gabi...I love you so much," he told her, close to tears.

"I love you, Troy. I'll see you soon," Gabriella replied, gripping his hand and holding it against her cheek.

"I'll be waiting," he winked at her, stroking her cheek. She smiled and closed her eyes as he brushed her hair off her face and kissed her one last time. He moved away from the bed and wrapped an arm around Maria as the brakes were flicked and the surgical team began to wheel the bed away. Gabriella blew a kiss in the direction of her mother and Troy as she was wheeled off and they returned the gesture, watching her 'catch' the kisses and place them close to her heart as she disappeared down the corridor and through the enormous theatre doors.

She was in God's hands now.

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Lunch was a solemn affair at one particular table in the East High Cafeteria. Hardly a word was exchanged as the group of best friends sat picking at their food, occasionally raising a fry to their mouths and chewing with little enthusiasm.

Ryan was the one to finally break the silence.

"I still can't believe it," he shook his head. "I keep thinking I'm going to wake up from a dream any minute, or Gabriella and Troy going to jump out and yell 'SUPRISE! GOTCHA!' and tell us it was all some kind of sick joke," he paused for a moment before adding softly, "I just want to see her and check for myself that she's ok."

The gang nodded their heads in agreement. "She was in reasonably good spirits last night. Tired, but holding up well all things considered," Taylor commented.

"How's Troy doing?" Zeke asked.

Chad shrugged. "He didn't really say too much about it while we were there. I think he was still in shock. From what I could tell, he's taken it pretty hard."

Taylor nodded. "Gabi is his world...I think Troy is going to need our support as much as Gabi."

The gang murmured their agreement.

"We should do something for Gabriella, to cheer her up a bit. Like...I don't know – a scrapbook of our past year or something," Kelsi suggested.

"Yeah that's an awesome idea, Kels!" Jason exclaimed enthusiastically.

Kelsi grinned. "We should all gather up as many photos of us with Gabi and together as a group as we can find, and we'll spend a day putting the book together."

A chorus of "Yeah!" "Cool!" and "Sounds great!" could be heard.

"Shar?" Ryan said suddenly. "You're very quiet...are you ok? Do you want to go and see Debbie about anything?"

Sharpay stood up quickly. "I'm fine. I...I just remembered I have to go and see...I mean go and do something in the...I have to return some library books!"

With that she hurried off, leaving a very confused group of Wildcats in her wake.

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10.08am

Troy sighed and rested his head back against the wall of the parents and loved ones waiting room. An hour and a half – that was all the time that had passed. It was going to be a long, stressful day.

12.19pm

Maria gripped her empty coffee cup so hard the cheap Styrofoam cracked and crumbled beneath her fingers. Troy took it from her and tossed it into the bin beside him.

1.49pm

Troy ran his hands roughly through his hair and then leaned forward, his head in his hands, his elbows propped on his knees.

"She's going to be ok, she's going to be ok, she's going to be ok..." he repeated under his breath.

Maria rubbed his back.

2.24pm

Maria paced the room, subconsciously biting her fingernails.

"It's been 6 hours – 6 hours! Why haven't we heard anything?" she exclaimed. They said she would be in there around 5 – 6, well it's been that long, and..."

Troy took her hand and pulled her back into the seat beside him.

Maria began to cry.

Troy rubbed her back.

3.52pm

Maria and Troy's heads snapped up as the silver double doors of the operating theatre swung open, and Dr Zamitt emerged, striding down the corridor towards them.

He took a seat directly in front of them and removed his face mask slowly. As he opened his mouth to speak, Maria and Troy tried desperately to read his expression...


Dadadaduuuuum!!! Oooh, is it good news or bad??? Next chapter will reveal all! Please review!

Charli xox