Chapter Five

wake up

Tyler's eyes shot open, he was still in the dark and yet some how he wasn't, light was coming from somewhere.

"Tyler," the voice startled Tyler and he jumped, wait-he jumped? The last time he checked he hadn't been in any condition to move much less jump.

"Tyler?" This time the voice was questioning and it was coming from behind him. Tyler turned around to come face to face with his older brother.

"Michael?" Tyler asked blinking not sure he should believe his eyes at the moment.

"Hey Ty, how are you?" Michael said a smiling playing at his lips.

"I'm-confused," Tyler admitted not sure of what else to say, and then he added, "Am I-am I dead?"

Michael chuckled, "No Ty, not yet anyway."

"What do you mean?" Tyler asked, he was getting more and more confused by the minute.

"What do you remember?" Michael asked coming over and putting an arm around Tyler's shoulders.

Tyler didn't wait, he buried his head in his brother's shoulder and hugged him and then answered his question, "I remember the tower collapsing, getting buried in the scrap metal that once was in the shape of a building."

Michael nodded, "Okay, that's good, what else?"

"I was under some-I don't know what it was-a big metal panel-," Tyler continued taking his brother through his memories, memories that he really didn't was to relive.

"The elevator door," Michael said, "Then what?"

Tyler blinked, the elevator door? No wonder he had been in so much pain, that thing had to weigh a ton. He shook his head and continued, "I started talking with Brian-the guy who pulled me out of the stairwell. I know he was just trying to keep me awake, but I told him everything, about Caroline-Ally-you." his voice trailed off.

"This is good Tyler, you remember a lot," Michael said with a smile.

"The last thing I remember is some light shining on my face-next thing I know I'm talking to you," Tyler said looking up at his brother again, green eyes meeting blue ones.

Michael nodded, "Okay, the reason you see me right now Tyler is because at the moment-well how do I put this-you're not doing to good Ty."

Tyler bit his lip, "What do you mean-I thought you said I wasn't dead?"

Michael shook his head quickly, "You're not, but as of right now you're in a coma."

Suddenly the darkness was gone and they were in a different place completely. A hospital. Michael gripped his brother's shoulder and lead him to the bed. Tyler sucked in his breath, it was him in the bed, lifeless, an oxygen tube ran under his nose and over his ears. His left arm was strapped to his chest, his left leg hung over the bed in a leg lift, it was plastered to well above his knee, and the tubes, so many tubes.

"That's-thats me-," Tyler said trying to convince himself more then Michael.

Michael nodded, "You're breathing on you're own Ty, that's a good sign, but you've been out for almost a day and half now, and you've shown no sign of coming out of it. I finally decided it was time for me to step in."

"That's Brian," Tyler said pointing at the man that sat beside the bed, "Why is he here, where's mom and dad, where's Caroline?"

"Brian doesn't know how to contact mom and dad, they're not listed and you're phone won't turn on. Tyler, the only way mom and dad will know you're alive is if you wake up," Michael said watching his brother's reaction.

Tyler shook his head, "Michael-I don't know how to wake up."

"Just keep fighting Tyler, you were about to give up when I came to you. Please Tyler, you can't give up, not now, not when you've made it this far. I didn't get you off that floor just to have you die now," Michael said tears threatening to fall.

"It was you-the voice I heard-it was you," Tyler said his eyes wide, he knew it had been his brother's voice from the beginning, why he was so surprised now he had no idea.

Michael nodded, "I knew that the plane was going to hit, I wasn't about to let you die, not that way. Besides it wasn't you're time yet. You're not suppose to die yet Ty, so you need to keep fighting, I don't know how long it will take but just keep fighting, don't give up."

"Michael, can't you help me wake up?" Tyler asked a look of hope entering is eye.

Michael shook his head, "I'm sorry Ty, I can't do that, its up to you to wake up, no one else. You have to do it on you're own."

Tyler's eyes were glistening with unshed tears, "You can stay with me though, right?"

Michael nodded, "I can keep you company, no more, no less."

Tyler smiled, "That's all I want." With that he looked at himself in the bed, trying without much success to will himself to wake up.

9-15-2001 4pm the Cemetery......................................................

Caroline walked through the gate that led to her brothers grave sites. She was dressed in her school uniform but as she climbed the hill she unhooked the top button of her sweater, her charm necklace, being hidden all day long since necklaces were against the dress code spilled out to jingle around her neck. She separated the flowers in her hands evenly as she finally made it to the headstones.

Caroline sighed and once again sat down between the two stones. She pulled out the old flowers from both of them and replaced them with the new ones, the red roses were glistening in the sun from the tears that had landed on them on the trip up the hill.

"Its so hard to believe you've been gone for four days," Caroline said looking at Tyler's headstone, "It seems just like yesterday when you threw that fire extinguisher though the window-and then went to jail for it," she smiled to herself, tears still falling, "You know, sometimes I wish dad had let you spent the night in jail, if he had you would have been mad but at least you'd be here right now. Tyler-I miss you-I miss you so much!" She was crying openly now, she pulled her legs to her chest and put her head on her legs, she began rocking back and forth, the tears falling down her cheeks, onto her socks, she couldn't have cared less.

"Caroline?" Caroline's head shot up at the sound of the voice, once again Ally had caught her crying. "I wondered if I would see you here."

Ally carried a small handful of flowers in one hand and a small box in the other, she came and sat next to Caroline not hesitating to put an arm around her.

Caroline wiped at her eyes, "How is it you always seem to know when I need you?"

Ally shrugged, "I didn't, I was just coming to see Tyler, like I do every day, I knew it was just a matter of time before I saw you here. Are you alright?"

Caroline shrugged, "I want to come every day, but I can't bring myself to do it."

Ally smiled, "You don't have to come every day, I just do because its my way of coping."

Caroline nodded, "I will come every day-eventually-I just have to build up to it."

Ally nodded, "That sounds like a plan." She rubbed Caroline's shoulder,knowingly she changed the subject, "So-I hear someone has a birthday coming up."

Caroline nodded, "Yeah-Its on Tuesday-but I don't want to do anything-I don't even want any presents-I don't feel like celebrating."

Ally nodded, "I thought you might sat that so-," she handed the eleven year old the box in her hand, "so I brought your present with me."

"But-," Caroline began.

Ally held up her hand, "Oh, no buts, its not your birthday yet so you really don't have to consider it a birthday gift, consider it a thinking of you gift."

"But you already gave me those charms, I don't need anything else," Caroline fingering her two newest charms on her necklace as she spoke.

"Oh stop, will you just open it already?" Ally asked as she put the flowers she brought with her next to Caroline's by Tyler's stone and kissed her hand to it.

Caroline, knowing that Ally wouldn't take no for an answer, she had spent way to much time with Tyler to back down, sighed and pulled the colorful paper off the small box and pulled open the lid. Caroline gasped, on the tissue paper inside lay two small lockets. She picked them up one at a time and opened them slowly, they both held a small picture of both her brothers.

"You're mom helped me with the picture of Michael, but I had the picture of Tyler, in fact I took it. Its one of my favorites," Ally said watching Caroline run her fingers over the small pictures, the only memory of her two brother's that she had left.

Without saying a word Caroline unhooked her necklace, fresh tears collected on her face as she slid the small lockets in place, one on each side and then hooked it back into place, "Thank you Ally, I don't know what else to say, thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Ally wiped away a few tears of her own and put a hand on Caroline's shoulder and smiled through the tears, "This way Caroline, no matter what-you'll always have them close to your heart."

9-17-2001 930pm St. Mark's Hospital, New York City....................................................

"Come on Tyler, I can't let you're family know you're safe, I don't have a way to contact them, you have to wake up," Brian pleaded.

Unknown to Brian his pleads were not falling on deaf ears. Tyler sighed and looked over at Michael who was still sitting across from him.

"Michael how long has it been, how long have I been sitting here?" Tyler asked trying to come up with any idea of time.

"Time stands still here Tyler, but if you mean how long have you been in a coma, its going on four days." Michael said not sounding worried at all.

Tyler sighed, "You know I'm feeling really tired, can't I just sleep for a little while?"

Michael shook his head, "I'm sorry Ty, no, you go to sleep you'll stop fighting, you need to fight."

"I'm tired of fighting Michael, I've been fighting for four days and what do I have to show for it?" Tyler asked motioning with his hands towards the bed.

"You're getting there Ty, you are, just a little bit longer," Michael said coming over and squeezing his brother's shoulder.

"I don't know if I can," Tyler said, and it was the truth, he was so tired he just wanted sleep, that was it, just sleep.

"Tyler, think for a minute-who are you fighting for?" Michael asked he was trying to help his brother the best he could, it was time for a helping hand to get him out of this.

"I'm fighting for me-for my life," Tyler said, he was confused, that was what he was fighting for wasn't it.

"No, you don't understand what I'm asking, not what you're fighting for-who are you fighting for?" Michael asked, he couldn't just spell it out for him, Tyler had to do some of the work.

Tyler thought for a moment and then a face came into head, "Caroline-I'm fighting for Caroline."

Michael smiled, he was getting it, his brother was getting it, "That's right, why are you fighting for Caroline?"

"Because she needs a brother," Tyler said, realizing what had been holding him back all along, he had to know who he was fighting for before he could win the battle.

"Yes, Yes you got it Ty," Michael said grinning, "I realize I shouldn't have done what I did and I've regretted leaving you two ever since. I didn't have a choice because I didn't have a chance to fight. You do Tyler, you have a choice now, you can either give up and come with me or you can go back to Caroline and mom and dad-and Ally. What's it going to be?"

As Michael spoke the light around him changed, it got bright and white, almost a glow. Michael hugged him and then walked towards the light. A loud beeping noise filled the silence Tyler realized it was the heart monitor that he was hooked up to, he had two paths set before him and now he had to choose one. Tyler swallowed, he knew he had missed Michael so much, but then he thought of Caroline-of Ally. He looked to Michael who smiled, Tyler nodded, he knew what Michael wanted him to do.

"I love you Michael," Tyler called as he started walking towards the beeping sound, as he did Michael began to fade, "Michael?"

"Remember Ty, even though you can't see me I'm always watching." and with that Michael was gone.