Bucky walked through the automatic doors in time to intercept Addison before she could run out. Before he could say anything, Addison threw her arms around her cousin and cried into his chest.

Immediately, Bucky thought the worst possible thing: something had happened to Zoey. He held his cousin tighter and fought back the wave of tears threatening to break loose.

Bree ran over to them and said, "She's not crying because of Zoey she's crying because of Zed."

Aside from the obvious conversation Bucky would have to have with Zed, he was more concerned about the little girl who collapsed than the shaky relationship of his cousin. "What about Zoey?" Bucky asked in worry.

"They're taking her for imaging but they don't know what's wrong with her," Bree said. "We can't go up, though. They're only letting her family see her now."

Addison squeezed him tighter. Bucky rubbed her back comfortingly. "Ssh, it's okay," he told her gently. "I got you guys your clothes if you want."

"Thank you," Bree said quietly. She took the keys from Bucky and said to Addison, "I'll grab your bag."

Some time later, Zevon arrived. He brought the three cheerleaders up with him to the ICU where they were told Zoey was. They had to stay in the waiting room, while Zevon went into the imaging room where they were told Zed was.

Two and a half hours. Addison had fallen asleep on Bucky's shoulder in the time, completely tired and wiped out from the day of cheering and the emotional stress that had followed suit. Both Bucky and Bree were shaking her awake. When she opened her eyes and had woken up her mind, Zed was rushing into the waiting room and heading straight to her.

Addison stood up and stepped toward him. She had barely made it on step before Zed embraced her tightly, dropping his head into the crook of her neck and sobbing. On instinct, she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, trying to give him as much comfort and support as she could manage.

People didn't just cry for no reason. Addison knew this. Zoey was in the hospital. She'd gone into cardiac arrest. Things weren't looking good for the young Zombie. Addison had to choke back her own tears. She needed to be strong for Zed here. He needed her.

Zed pulled back from her and sniffed. His eyes and nose were read and puffy and he just looked a mess. Without saying a word, he held her arm and walked back into the hall, away from Bucky and Bree and the other people in the waiting room.

Zed leaned against the wall and took a deep, shaky breath. "Zoey's dying," he breathed out slowly. "She—my baby sister is gonna die." He dunk to the floor and covered his face with his hands, sobbing into his palms.

"This is a heart of a healthy eight year old Zombie. And here's Zoey's heart. Do you see the difference?"

Addison nodded silently. "It's huge."

"A little more than three times its average size," Dr. Stevens explained. "What I told her family is that in a situation like this, we'd perform a heart transplant."

Addison was afraid to ask, but knew she had to. "But?"

"But there would have to be a heart donor who matches Zoey in all aspects. Cavity size, blood type, Zombism, to name a few. There are only a few registered organ donors who are also Zombies, but…"

"But Zoey's gonna die before they do," Addison finished in a strained voice.

"Precisely."

"So that's it?" she asked helplessly. "You're a doctor for god sake! There's nothing else you could do?"

"There's also the cost factor," the hospital administrator, Rachel Winston, added. "It would take a twenty percent deposit to even put her name on a donor's list. She won't even make it through the night. And, if by some miracle her heart doesn't give out from being overworked or her lungs don't fill up with blood—and one of the six registered organ donors in Zombietown dies and matches Zoey perfect—it'd be impossible for the costs to be paid. The Necrodopoluses would never be able to afford it, even if they sold themselves."

Addison swallowed back everything: her riding bile, all the hateful and crude things she was thinking, everything.

"Zoey is going to die," Addison said, quietly, tiredly, completely exhausted.

"We're sorry," Dr. Stevens said in his most gals apologetic voice. "We could medicate to make these next few hours as painless as possible, but there's nothing we can do. With the combination of fluid buildup in her heart, her Zombism, and her Z-Band completely exhausting the body's natural pacemaker, there's nothing we can do to change her fate aside from a heart transplant."

She could feel she was on the verge of crying. Zoey was like a little sister to her. Zoey was someone's daughter, she was Zevon's daughter. She was actually, physically, biologically Zed's little sister. If Addison felt so sickened, so completely heartbroken and lost and confused, she couldn't even begin to fathom what Zed and Zevon must be feeling.

"Will you at least let her stay here?" Addison asked quietly. "Until…until she's gone. I'll pay for it. The room and the medicine and-and everything."

"Of course," Rachel Winston said. "I'll draw up your bill."

"Make sure she's as comfortable as possible."

Zoey died five hours and twenty-six minutes after getting to the hospital. Zevon and Zed were by her bedside, holding her hand and talking to her. Bree and Bucky were further in the back, still with her but giving the family their space. Addison was by Zoey's bed, rubbing Zed's back as he watched his little sister die before his eyes.

Before she died, she started crying. "It hurts," she cried. "Daddy it hurts."

Zevon did his best to comfort her, to tell her everything would be alright. "I'm gonna die Daddy," Zoey sobbed. "I'm gonna die!"

Zed cried. Hearing his little sister talking, wishing there was something anyone could do to spare her life made his heart break.

"It's okay, Zoey," Addison said gently. She knew she sounded sick from how clogged her nose was and how she was crying and couldn't breathe. "It'll be okay."

Zoey looked at Addison, sadly and tiredly, like she was struggling. "I don't wanna die," she choked out. "Help me, Addy. Please. P-plea—" Zoey sounded like she choked, and then she was gone.

Zoey died with her eyes open, her father and brother still holding her hands. She died in complete pain, begging for help and crying. The only sound in the room was Zed sobbing and the machines heading her vital signs going flat.

A nurse came in and closed Zoey's eyes and covered her completely with the sheet. Zed ducked his head into Addison and cried and Zevon left the room. They wheeled Zoey's body from the room, as if that would somehow finalize her death. But it didn't. She was eight years old. She had hopes and dreams and a life to live. And it was all over.

Addison and Zed sat on the curb outside of the hospital. It was past dinner but neither felt up to eating or making a move to Addison's car to go home. Home. Addison couldn't even think what life for her would be like without Zoey. But for Zed, it'd be miserable. He'd go home and pass her room, knowing she'd never sleep in her bed again. He'd have to care for her dog who wouldn't even understand why his little girl wasn't coming home. It'd be horrible for him.

Zed wasn't think about that though. The first thing he said to her since Zoey's death was, "I'm sorry for yelling at you."

Addison was surprised, to say the least. She had to wrack her brain to understand what he was talking about. "Oh," she said once she remembered. "I-it upset me for a little. But…but you were upset and you wanted to blame someone and I get it."

"Thank you." Then silence.

Zed has stopped crying not long after they had gotten outside. Zevon was nowhere to be found and Bree's parents had told her to go home. And Bucky. Bucky was inside, taking care of all the details.

"You can stay at my house," Addison offered. "If you'd like."

Zed nodded. "Thank you," he said again.

"What're friends—girlfriends—for?" she said, trying her best to keep her voice light. "Do…do you want me to call Eliza and have her watch Puppy?"

Zed nodded slowly. "Okay," Addison said. "I'm sorry for asking you so many questions—"

"I like the distraction," Zed said quietly.

"I'll remember that. But do you want to go now? Bucky can handle…himself."

Zed stood up. "I want to get as far from here as possible." His voice was dry and hoarse and flat, but also filled with misery.

Addison stood up too, slipping her phone from her pocket and sending Bucky a quick text saying that she was leaving before walking with Zed to the garage, where Bucky had dropped off her car. She held his hand and rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand, letting him know she was there if he needed her.

"You two look like hell."

Addison glanced at Zed and released his hand. "Go on up to my room. I'm right behind you."

Zed nodded shortly and continued to and up the stairs. Addison waited until she heard her room door open and close before turning to her parents, watching as their faces went from light hearted teasing to concern. "Addy, what's wrong?" Dale asked.

Addison felt her lip quiver as she choked out, "Zoey died."

Missy rushed to her daughter and embraced in a hug, just in time for Addison to start sobbing into her mother's arms. Dale wasn't far behind, wrapping his arms around the two of them.

"Oh sweetie, what happened?" Missy asked.

"She—her heart—" Addison sniffed and wiggled from her parent's embrace. "Her heart wasn't working properly and it was filling with fluid and her Z-Band just destroyed it and it gave out and there was nothing we could do!" Addison cried.

"Oh Addy," Missy said sadly, on the verge of tears herself. She glanced up with a sudden realization. "How's Zed doing?"

Addison shook her head. "He's so broken and I just—I just want to be there for him and I know he needs me because we don't know where his dad is but I just—I just can't."

Missy pulled her daughter in again, rubbing her back affectionately. "It's okay baby," Missy said. "Oh my god, you'll be okay. I know it hurts, baby. I know."

Addison sobbed against her mother. She couldn't even bring herself to hug her back. "Dale, you should go check on Zed," Missy said.

Addison heard her father going up the stairs and into her room. Missy walked with Addison to the couch and they sat down together. Addison cried against her mother until she felt exhausted and wiped out, until she had no tears left to cry.

"I think I'm gonna go check on Zed," Addison decided. "I'm sure he's sick of Dad at this point," she added with dry humor.

"Okay," Missy said. "Have you guys eaten yet?"

Addison nodded and lied, standing up and making her way to her room. Her dad wasn't in there and Zed was in the bathroom. When she found him he was staring st himself in the mirror. He had a towel around his waist and had droplets all over and she knew he had just come from the shower.

His eyes didn't stray when she walked up beside him. "Hey," he said quietly. "What took you so long?"

Addison looked at him through the mirror and gestures to her red and swollen eyes. "I was with my mom." Zed nodded and then Addison asked, "You took a shower?"

"Your dad said it might make me feel better."

"Did it?"

Zed shrugged. "I just want to go to sleep and forget this day."

"You can sleep in my bed. With me."

"Thank you."