Author's note: sorry its taken me a few days, school is back in, you got to love spring break, (sigh) anyway, I will update as often as I can but it won't be every day like it has been.:(
A big thank you to shey. for being my beta reader.:)
And now...back to Remember me..............
Chapter six
Nothing to Celebrate
Tyler's eyes slowly opened, blurry, everything-just one big blur. He couldn't get his brain to work with him, he was tired, the pain was dulled but still there, his head was thudding, his arm throbbing, his leg-wait-his leg-he couldn't feel his leg!
"Tyler?" the voice would have made Tyler jump if he had been able to, but he was only able to move his head towards the voice, a blurry figure swam in front of him, "Hey-are you back with me?"
Tyler blinked, trying to clear his vision, finally the figure slowly came into focus, and he tried to place who the man was who standing over him. He knew him, he knew he did, why couldn't he remember?
"Tyler, do you know who I am?" Brain asked seeing the confusion in Tyler's eyes.
Before he answered, memories flashed in Tyler's head once again, he relaxed a little, "Yeah Brian, I know you, I know everything."
Brian smiled with relief, "Welcome back kiddo."
Tyler coughed making him wince, "Where am I?"
"Saint Mark's hospital, you had me worried there for awhile," Brian said leaning back in his chair, "How are you feeling?"
Tyler didn't answer right away, that was a good question; how did he feel? First things first, he took a deep breath and asked the question that he was dreading, "Why can't I feel my leg?"
Brian laughed, "Don't worry bud, it's there." He patted the metal beside the bed, Tyler looked at it, his leg was there, not only plastered but pins were sticking out of it from his ankle to his knee, he winced automatically, his head falling back onto the pillow.
"I'm glad I can't feel that," Tyler said still wincing.
Brian smiled, "The doctors kept pumping pain blockers in you, so you wouldn't feel it when you woke up."
Tyler blinked, "Pain blockers-that bad huh?"
Brian nodded, "You're pretty beat up Tyler; you were out for a while, to the point where the doctors weren't sure you were going to make it."
Tyler blinked again; he was falling asleep, "Out-how long?"
"Four days, almost five," Brian said, he almost laughed when he saw the confusion enter Tyler's eyes again.
"Four days?" Tyler asked, "What day is it?"
"It's six thirty in the morning, September 18th," Brain said hoping the date would hit the cord he wanted it to.
Tyler's eyes widened and he said one word, "Caroline!"
12 hours earlier, Caroline's room......................................................................
Caroline sat on her bed still in her school uniform even though school had been out for three hours. It was the 17th of September, the day before her birthday. She didn't want to move, she didn't want to do anything. She pulled her throw blanket up over her legs and turned over onto her stomach. She pulled the photo album from the shelf by her bed and began flipping through the pages.
Caroline's fingers traced the outline of the picture that was taken on Tyler's 22nd birthday. He hadn't wanted to do anything; Ally had talked him into it, like she had talked him into a lot of things, eating dessert before every meal for instants. Her eyes fell on her favorite picture: the one with Tyler dancing with her. It was a tradition, her birthday and Tyler's birthday, at the end of the day no matter what, they would dance together. Just as she turned the page there was a knock at her door.
"Caroline?" Ally's blond hair spilled over her shoulder as she looked sideways into the room, "Your mom said you were up here, can I come in?"
Caroline sighed, but nodded.
Ally walked into the room, a gentle smile on her face, she noticed the open album in front of Caroline, one of Tyler's notebooks to the side of it, "What are you up to?"
Caroline shook her head and shrugged, "Nothing really, just looking through some old picture books."
Ally smiled and walked over and sat down beside her. Her eyes fell on the picture Caroline had turned to. "Is that you?" She asked pointing to the picture in question.
Caroline looked at the book in front of her once again. The picture was of her fifth birthday, she was standing on Tyler's feet as he danced her around the room. She managed a small smile as she traced Tyler with her fingers once again, "Yep, that's me, my fifth birthday."
"Tyler looks so young, how old is he there?" Ally asked as she too traced Tyler's body on the picture.
"He just turned fifteen, in fact if you look in that corner there you can see Michael playing his guitar for us," Caroline pointed to the right corner of the picture and Ally could just make out Caroline's oldest brother playing the guitar, a smile plastered on his face.
"He looks a lot like Tyler," Ally said, then winced wondering if she had said the wrong thing, but Caroline just sighed and nodded.
"Yeah, he was happy then-we all were," Caroline tried to hide the single tear that slid down her face.
Ally didn't miss it though; she bit her lip and hurriedly changed the subject, "Caroline-why aren't you talking to your parents?"
Caroline looked up, the tear track still on her face, "They don't understand."
"You talk to me," Ally pointed out.
"That's different," Caroline said as she closed he book and sat up.
"How is that different? They lost Tyler too sweetie, they are grieving just as much as you are, they're worried about you," Ally said putting an arm around Caroline's shoulder.
"They put you up to this didn't they, all three of them, they asked you to talk to me," Caroline said, her green eyes narrowing.
Ally took on a guilty look, "I won't lie to you, they did ask me to talk to you. They knew you would talk to me."
Caroline sighed but didn't say anything; she knew that she was right.
"They're just worried about you Caroline, they need you," Ally said squeezing her shoulder.
Caroline nodded, "I know-I don't know why, I just don't want to talk."
"But you'll talk to me?" Ally said, she really was confused.
Caroline shrugged, "I don't know, it's just easier."
Ally sighed, and nodded, "I understand that, but you need to talk to them sweetie."
Caroline nodded, "I know, I will."
Ally smiled, then knowingly once again changed the subject, "So what do you want to do tomorrow."
"Nothing," Caroline said and rolled back onto her stomach, her necklace jingling, and opened the book again.
"Caroline-it's your birthday, Tyler would want you to do something," Ally said as she rubbed her back gently.
"I don't want to do anything, there's nothing to celebrate," Caroline said as she absentmindedly turned the pages, some of the pictures sticking together, causing her to skip a few pages.
Ally sighed, but then smiled as an idea filled her head, "Okay, I'll make you a deal, you let me take you somewhere tomorrow, and we'll go to ground zero and the cemetery on the way home."
Caroline looked up, somewhat interested, "Where are we going?"
Ally shook her head, "I get to surprise you, that's the deal."
Caroline bit her lip.
"It's better than sitting in your room doing nothing all day," Ally said raising an eyebrow.
Caroline sighed, "Alright-it's a deal." she looked back at the pictures in front of her, "You want to see more pictures of Tyler when he was younger?"
Ally smiled then nodded.
Back to the 18th............................................
"Caroline-it's Caroline's birthday!" Tyler said, he wasn't wide awake, but he wasn't falling asleep either.
Brian laughed and nodded, "You remember your sister, that's good. Tyler you woke up just in time to give you sister the best birthday present she could ask for, her brother back."
Tyler sighed, a little worried, "I'm sure they think I'm dead by now, I mean it's been a week."
Brian nodded, "Yeah, they probably do, all the more reason to call them."
Tyler bit his lip, "So you didn't call them?"
Brian shook his head, "I couldn't get your phone to work and I couldn't find a Hawkins in the phone book."
Tyler nodded, "My dad doesn't have a land line, and my mom's last name is different than mine."
Brian nodded, "That's what I thought, that it would be something like that." He reached over to the other side of the bed and put the phone that was on the table beside it and placed it into Tyler's good hand, and added, "You up for it?"
Tyler grinned and nodded. He took the phone into his hand but then stopped and looked up to Brian, "Um-I think you're going to have to dial."
Charles Hawkins was getting ready to check his e-mail for the day. He was planning on going out the cemetery later with Caroline and Ally, he had promised Caroline he would for her birthday. He was just sitting at his desk when his cell phone started vibrating. Sighing, he flipped it open, "Hello."
"Dad?" the voice asked on the other end.