Room 267

[kandie]

Francis sat in one of the chairs just outside of the Emergency Room. He knew he was supposed to be back in the club but a fellow worker was injured. So the Nightclub could wait. But, oh, he could just imagine the boss throwing a fit when he found out that two of his employees abandoned their posts. Francis sighed a sigh of both frustration and worry.

When he looked up he found the doctor opening the doors to the emergency room. Dr. Burnham faced his way and nodded in recognition. A bed with an unconcious Zack was suddenly rolled out of the emergency room and into one of the rooms nearby.

Room 267.

"What's his status Doctor...?" Francis asked as he walked into the room seeing the nurses setting some equipment up.

"He'll be fine. I took a CT scan and thankfully, he only has a concussion. Nothing was broken, and I treated the rest of the minor wounds." the doctor said as he faced Francis "I'm Doctor Burnham by the way. Please, sir, would you mind moving outside. No visitors are allowed as of yet." he informed the other adult.

Francis nodded and said "Could you tell him to get well soon?" he asked, when Dr. Burnham nodded as a reply Francis took one last look at Zack before he walked out of the room and out of the hospital. He needed to head back to the Nightclub anyway, if he didn't who knows what the boss would do to him.

[BlueSails]

"Hey Zack, come teach us how to bike!"
He biked back toward the forms of a 5-year old Meg and an 10-year-old Jess, stopping just in front of them.

"You already know how, Jess."
She pouted. "Of course, I do, it's just... I get scared all the time when we go down the hill."

"All right then." He put Meg on her bike, safe with training wheels, and let her pedal, holding the back of her shirt with one hand as he steered his own bike with the other. The three of them biked down the street as Taylor and Marissa watched from the window. Zack grinned up at them.

Jazz Avenue wasn't exactly a good place for children to go biking. It was a busy city street, smack-dab in the middle of Manhattan. Cars, buses, trucks, and the regular 'bad guy' came down the road every day, some even stopping in front of the Alejo's apartment to yell some curse words at an acquaintance. But the kids made it work--Manhattan was home to them.

"Okay, do you think I can let you go now?"
"O...kay..." the 5-year-old was panting and puffing, trying to bike as fast as she could. Zack slowly let go of her shirt, and he and Jess beamed as their youngest sister biked on her own, wobbling a bit but going steadily on.

"She's a natural, Jess." Zack knew Jessie had tried to teach Meg too, but the kids got impatient with each other. "Thanks for teaching her the basics." Jess blushed and pedaled on to catch up with Meg.

The two of them seemed intent on racing an imaginary biker together, and Zack didn't have the heart to tell them that bike races were individual, and that they didn't have training wheels there. The kids were having fun, and it was his job to babysit them, after all.

Jess and Meg turned the corner at the end of the street, and Zack told himself that he had to catch up with them, in case there were big dogs or bullying teenagers or the like, around the corner. He pedaled faster, testing himself and his bike as he careened around the corner scarcely two inches away from the curb--

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

...A bright flash...

...and then nothing.

---

"Yeah, I guess it's not so bad." He examined the wound in his bathroom mirror, aware of his mother standing in the doorway with a worried expression wrinkling her brow. "I swear, Ma, it's fine."

Eighty-six stitches, a dose of anesthesia strong enough to kill a baby elephant (well, that's what he thought), an hour of persuading Mom to let him get up, and a few minutes later, Zack sat up in a wheelchair healthy and strong, despite the fact that a metal screw was inserted in his bone just above his hip.

The six-wheeler truck's driver had no fault, of course. The smart kid had had insurance, and so the Alejos paid for Zack's injury, all of them, including the two little girls, staying at the hospital overnight, killing themselves slowly with the thought that their eldest son and brother might be hovering between life and death at that moment.

But he had survived, maybe because he had such a strong will to live or maybe because God had taken pity and decided to let this boy wake up again. Zack stared at the unfamiliar reflection in the mirror, eyes memorizing the six-inch-long and 1-inch-deep cut across his cheek.

"See, when this heals it'll just be a big scar, and that'll make me look dashing. The ladies'll love it," he cracked, turning away from the image facing him before he got too horrified with himself. "It'll be all right, Mom."

"No, Zack, I have to tell you something..." She came over and hugged him in that way Mothers do.

---

"Hey. Angela?"
"Zack! Oh my God! I'm so glad, so glad you're okay!"
"Yeah..."
"But are you hurt? Can you walk?"
"I'm in a wheelchair, got a fractured hip, and a lot of stitches, but otherwise fine."
"Oh, thank God!! Listen, I'm coming over with a couple of friends, they really want to give you cards and presents and stuff..."
"No, wait, Angela..."
"But really, we all stayed up last night praying and we want to make sure you didn't leave some parts of your brain out on Jazz Avenue--"
"We're moving."
"...And you can still go to the Spring Formal anyway, right? I don't care if you can't dance, not everyone dances with their dates anyway WHAT?!?!?"
"We're moving. We're going to Oranda."
"Where the **** is Oranda?!"
"It's a new state, California split itself up and now they have Oranda State and California beside it."
"..."
"I'm sorry, Angela."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"My parents kept it a secret from me, too. They were already thinking about it, and this was the last straw."
"What does this accident have to do with moving?!"
"Angela, I was smashed by a six-wheeler truck. You should see my bike. It doesn't even look like a bike. I'm lucky to be alive!"
"I don't care, I don't care... Zack, oh my God, Zack..."

For the next four minutes all he could hear was crying.
He put down the phone.

[BlueSails]

"Zaaaaaaack... Zaaack?"

He cracked open an eyelid, waited for his head to clear, and found himself staring into Jess's eager face. Zack moaned and tried to run over on his side, but he couldn't.

"Jjjjaaaeeeess."

"Hiya, big bro." She waved a hand cheerfully at him. She had always been good at hiding sadness. "How're you feelin'?"

"I told you, Jessie, he might not be able to talk properly for awhile." That was Marissa, smiling with tears in her eyes, sitting beside Taylor. "He has a concussion, and it will take a bit of time before his muscles react again." His parents. Zack fought to remember what parents meant to him, and managed a smile at his family. Family. Alejo family. 45 Rosewood Drive.

Jess laughed. "Man, Zackie, we told you not to get in any trouble! That guy punched you right on your scar, and then he threw you onto the wall. Whoops," she added hastily as her parents glared at her.

The fight. Devon. Candi.

"Ccccccceeeeeennnd."

"Can't? Can't what?"

He shouted with frustration at himself and then tried again, this time pleased to see that it was easier to talk.

"Candi."
"Whozzat?"

He laughed at Jess's expression and shook his head. "He's a girl. I mean, she's a girl I met in the park. I fell in the water and pulled her in after me."

"My, my, you're recovering quickly," Taylor said gently. "But Zack, you have to rest, so we're leaving you and Jess for a little bit. She's staying with you till later. I won't let your Mother do it--she has to get home and rest, too. Too much excitement." He smiled at his wife, reassuring her.

Jess nodded, and Zack groaned. "Great, stuck with my perky sister." Jess scowled at him. "Just kidding, Jessie."

"Oh, Zack, I brought a friend," Jess said after their parents had gone out. "Her name's Kathy." Opening the door to let Kathy in, she called her friend.

[landlordlll]

Kathy walks toward the bed and smiles, "Hello, my name is Kathy a pleasure to meet you. Sorry if this was an awkward meet but i am very pleased to meet you." Kathy slowly scanned his face and looked deep into his eyes,"And what is your name?" Kathy seemed very polite today. She didnt know why but she wanted too. She zoomed into his face and acted a little bit idiotic for what she is thinking. She backed up further from his face and waited for his reply.

[BlueSails]

"Uhhh... Zack," he said uneasily, and then laughed. "So I guess you're Jess's friend? Hey sis, I'm glad you didn't make any friends that got you beaten up, like me..." He laughed again until he coughed and stopped himself. It's not as though I blame Candi, though... I just wish I was fully awake to see Francis take out that Devon guy, he thought, grinning suddenly.

Jess shook her head at her brother. "Don't mind him, Kathy, he's a bit dazed right now from his accident." She winked at her friend and stuck her tongue out at Zack like she had when they were kids. His scar looked the same, though she was worried that its wound had opened again.

[kandie]

Bea walked to the front of room 267. Breathing in and composing herself, she entered. Seeing Jess and Kathy, Bea muttered "Hey, mind if I come in?"

[BlueSails]

"Nope." Zack answered for them, raising an eyebrow at Jess. "It's my room, after all, so I answer her," he argued back to her glare. Jess shook her head and scooted over to make room for Bea on the Guest sofa inside the room.

"So what brings you here, Bey? Is Candi all right?" Jess asked. Zack's eyes visibly widened at the mention of Candi's name, but he pretended to be trying to fall asleep.

[kandie]

Bea thanked Jess' older brother and walked into the room "I'm Bea by the way, Bea Ramirez." after introducing herself she faced her friend.

"She's fine, sleeping right now actually. Julian's in with her. The stupid git probably won't leave her side till she's out, but knowing that overprotective fool, once Candi's out of the hospital he's gonna go find the guy who did this to her and smash his head in." a pause came after this, putting a grin on her face Bea put her forearm up as if threatening some invisible person "...and I'll help!"

[landlordlll]

Kathy walked in front of Bea and greeted a hello. Soon after that she just realized she was sitting in a leather chair beside Bea and Jess looking at Jess's brother, Zach. Zach had been dazy and opened his eyes slighty then returned to sleep. Kathy smiled and put her hand over Jess's shoulder and been seeing that Bea and Jess seemed to be hungry. She had notice about 3 minutes ago that their stomachs seemed to be grumbling loudly, this caught Kathy's attention. She left the room and walked slowly down the hallway looking for some vending machines for food for Bea and Jess. She came across a vending machine at the end of the hall. Put two dollars in and pushed the red button that said Minibar Snickers. She pulled them out of the veding slot and walked back to room 267. She handed the candy bars to Bea and Jess and sat back down onto her seat. She waited for her friends brother to wake up and have a chance to meet him formally. Her mother, Rowena, always told her to do so. She looked at both of her friends and Zach. She put her hand over Jess's should and gave her the ensurity that Zach, her brother, was going to be alright.

[BlueSails]

She smiled. "Thanks, Kathy." Her new friend always knew just what to do to make Jess feel better. She opened the candy bar and started eating, raising an eyebrow at Zack.

"Zack, I know you're not sleeping, so wake up. Your girlfriend's fine."

As expected, Zack's eyes shot open. "She's not my girlfriend."

Ignoring him and fluttering her hand at him instead--"Yeah, yeah..."--Jess thanked Bea. "Judging from what happened, I doubt you could both take him out alone. I mean, Zack could fight people his age, but this guy must have been ten times stronger to do that." She cast a worried glance at her brother, for the first time letting her concern show, and then continued.

"So that means you have to come get me first, before you go and beat him up."

[kandie]

Bea thanked Kathy and took a bite off the candy bar. She then cast both Jess and Zack a confused look, "Girlfriend?...wait, wait, wait. Back up. You two mind telling me how Candi's...injuries...are involved with his?" she asked pointing casting a look at Zack. Now that realized it, it was kinda weird that he and Candi would happen to have wounds severe enough to get rushed to a hospital; in the same day no less.

[BlueSails]

She shrugged. "I have no idea, the doctor just said that the man who saw them had found them in the same place." Turning to Zack with a smirk on her face, she put her hands on her hips. "So, Zackie, what exactly happened? Tried to snag someone's girl?"

He scowled back. "Nothing like that. I was just working."

"Yeah, working as a bartender...In an abandoned alleyway on Djan street. Right."

"Okay, okay..." he shook his head. "Sisters. She was getting... harassed by this guy, and when she left the bar he followed her. So I decided to go along too and check if anything had happened, and then there, I found them in the alleyway. He had pushed her up against a wall and then..." He frowned, trying to remember the still-foggy details in his head. "I don't remember much, except that I got knocked out and I guess Francis came and helped us."

"Francis?"

"The bouncer." Zack shook his head. "I am never doing anything like that again. I should have just looked for him in the first place."

[kandie]

"I guess you're right...but look at it this way, if you hadn't been there earlier Candi would be staying here, more nights than one. So me, Julian, my mom, Karmen and especially Candi owe you our thanks." Bea said, giving Zack a reassuring smile. What she told him right now, she believed it whole heartedly.

She sighed, that Davon guy is so definitely gonna get it. For harassing his sister like that, what kind of man was he? Definitely not one with dignity, actually he's probably not one at all. "Alright, I think I've been here long enough. I need to get back to Candi, just in case Julian did something stupid, being who he is."

Bea walked towards the door, opened it, but before she went outside she gave Zack a sly grin "By the way if I know Candi, the second she finds out she's gonna be thanking you herself." and with that she gave him a wink and walked out. She hurried back to room 208 and walked inside.

[BlueSails]

"...And here we go." Jess whirled from where she had watched Bea leave, and in two leaps crossed the room to where Zack lay. "Now tell me everything. Everything, Zackie, you're not getting off this easily." With a wicked grin on her face, Jessie leaned comfortably against the wall. "And you can't run away this time, because you can't even get up."

Zack sighed. "Nothing else to tell--"

"Zachariah Stephen God-knows-what-else Alejo, you mean to tell me that you tried to save a girl from rape, got beaten up, woke up in the hospital, and say you don't at least feel ANYTHING for her?"

"Okay, okay--"

"A-HA! I knew it!" Jessie bounced on top of the bed, pumping a fist in the air.

"Ouch, Jess."

"Oh. Sorry." She climbed down and sat on the foot of his bed instead. "Go on."

"I guess she seems nicer than anyone else I've met here... I fell in the park lake and I accidentally pulled her in after me, and she actually didn't blow up for ruining clothes or something like that." Zack grinned. Jess would understand, she always did. Okay, not always, but she was good to talk to.

"And her name is Candi Ramirez--"
"I know."
"And she is just... I don't know, it's just something about her, you know?" He tried to say what he felt and failed.

"I know." Jess mumbled out of the corner of her mouth.

[landlordlll]

Kathy was a little bit confused. She didnt exactly know who were they talking about.

"Uuummm...do you want me to leave, I can" She said stuttering trying not to disturb thier converstation. She sat back down on her chair an waited for their reply.