Zak knocked on the doorframe of the hospital room. Zoey and a redheaded nurse looked over at him. Zoey smiled at him warmly, "Zak!"
"Hey, kiddo!" he said. He walked to her bedside and handed her a stuffed Winnie the Pooh toy. "Thought you would like this. Pooh was Calla's favorite. Don't tell my friends but," he leaned forward and whispered, "I like him too."
Zoey giggled and hugged the bear to her chest. "Thanks. I love it."
The nurse smiled, but sadness was embedded in her eyes. "You have fun, Zoey, be good. I have to go take care of Billy." She said standing and leaving the room.
Zoey looked out the window at the rainy Chicago cityscape. "Billy is my age. He has heart cancer. He didn't make it."
Zak wrinkled his eyebrows, "How do you know that Zoey?"
"He's standing behind you."
Zak turned around and no one stood behind him. "What?"
"You can't see him. No one can. I'm the only one. You are a host hunter, right Zak?" she said quietly.
Zak sat on the foot of her bed. "Yes."
"They think I'm going mad. They want me to see someone. I don't think I'm mad Zak." She said.
"What are you talking about, Zoey?" Zak asked.
Zoey turned to look at Zak, her green eyes filled with tears, "I can talk to ghosts, Zak. They find me and ask me to do things for them. Things they can't do on their own." She said.
Zak couldn't believe what he was hearing. He stayed calm. It obviously bothered Zoey. "Does it scare you?"
"No. Only at first. The first people were my mom and dad. They were murdered and they wanted the police to know who did it. They moved on after the man was caught. Then, Call came for help," she said.
Zak froze up, "What did she want Zoey?"
She started crying, "S-she wanted help from me. She told me that she needed my help telling somebody something. She told me that before she died, you guys got into a big argument. She said that after you argued, you thought she didn't come to your graduation from film school. She did though; she hid in the back so you wouldn't see her. But she came, Zak. She came because she loved you. She told me that after she died, you came to her grave and asked her a question. She said the answer was every day. What was the question Zak?"
Zak was crying, his hands over his mouth. He moved his hands away, "D-do I make you proud?"
Zak hugged Zoey tightly as she cried. He cried and rubbed the little girl's back. She looked up at him with red eyes, "I'm sorry Zak."
He held her again, "Do not be sorry. Don't you ever be sorry for who you are. Don't ever be sorry."