Melissa sat by herself in the dark waiting room. It was 7:00am and the doctors had agreed to let Carter have visitors through the night. Melissa was having a hard time holding herself together however, so she decided to let Zac stay with her for a while. Mr. Porter was in another area of the hospital begging the doctors to do something. Isaac was somewhere in the hospital but nobody had seen him for a few hours.
Melissa looked up suddenly to see Tanis standing in front of her. She looked like she had been crying. "Taylor just called me and told me what happened..."
"It's seven in the morning." Melissa stared at her, not really wanting to talk.
"I know." She looked around.
"If you're looking for Taylor, he's at home being an asshole."
"I know he's at home. I just wanted to see Carter. Is she ok?"
"Ok?" Melissa stood up. "She fell off a cliff. Do you really think she's gonna be ok?"
"I just wanted to be here for her."
"She doesn't need you here."
"How would you know?"
Melissa took a deep breath. "She has who she needs right now. Zac's in with her."
"So what? Taylor said she needs a lot of stimulation to keep her going. How do you know I couldn't help?"
"Because I don't want you here. Is that a good enough answer?"
Tanis blinked. "I... Uhm..."
Melissa stared at her and then something clicked in her mind. "You don't know, do you?"
"Know what?"
"Taylor lied to me. He said he wanted to be with me and I believed him..."
"I'm... I'm sorry Meli."
"Don't call me that. Only my friends call me that."
Tanis sighed. "I'm sorry." And then she left to try to find somebody else that would at least talk to her.
Zac sat quietly in one of the uncomfortable visitors hospital chairs and laid his head on Carter's arm. He was waiting patiently for her to wake up, but deep inside of his heart, he was scared to death. He couldn't lose her. He didn't know how to deal with losing her. However he was happy that he had somebody impartial with him.
Sara had been sitting in Carter's room with him for an hour now, watching, waiting. He didn't know why, but somehow Sara managed to keep him at peace. "Maybe you should try singing again." She whispered from her chair in the corner of the room.
Zac looked at her, surprised. "What?"
"Sorry." Sara blushed. "When I walked by earlier to see if she was awake yet, I heard you singing. I didn't mean to eavesdrop."
"No it's ok. Carter loves music. I was going to go home and get some cds and her portable cd player. I just don't want to leave her for a minute. You know?"
"Yeah. Well... what is her favorite song?"
"She has so many..." He thought for a long moment. "Angel."
"What?"
"Angel, by Aerosmith."
Sara nodded. "You should sing it to her."
Zac looked at her and then back to Carter.
"I'll leave if you want... you don't have to sing in front of me."
"No, it's ok." He thought back to when he and his brothers used to sing for people. It had been so long ago. But with another deep breath and a burst of courage, just for Carter, he sang her favorite song.
"I'm alone yeah I don't know if I can face the night. I'm in tears and the cryin that i do is for you. I want your love let's break the wall between us. Don't make it tough, I'll put away my pride. Enough's enough, I've suffered and I've seen the light.
You're my angel come and save me tonight.
You're my angel come and make it alright.
You're my angel come and save me tonight.
Don't know what I'm gonna do about this feeling inside. Yes, it's true loneliness took me for a ride. Without your love, I'm nothin but a beggar. Without your love, a dog without a bone. What can I do, I'm sleepin in this bed alone.
You're the reason I live.
You're the reason I die.
You're the reason I give when I break down and cry.
Don't need no reason why.
Baby, Baby, Baby
You're my angel come and save me tonight. You're my angel come and make it alright.
You're my angel come and save me tonight."
Everything was silent for a long time before Sara finally smiled. "I was right, you are a great singer. You should sing more often. Ever thought of being famous?"
Zac laughed. "Yeah." He remembered again to the times that Carter tried pushing them into making an album. If MayFest hadn't been rained out the year they were supposed to sing... he had no idea where they'd be now. They had given up on that dream very early on.
"Well..." Sara looked at her watch. "My mom is going to yell at me if she finds out that I'm not in my room."
"Ok. Sleep well. I'll see you later."
Sara smiled.
"Hey thanks for everything. Especially for sticking around here with her. She's really going to like you."
"I hope so." Then, Sara left.
Zac sighed and looked back at Carter. "You're the reason I live, you're the reason I die, you're the reason I give when I break down and cry..."
She opened her eyes, or at least she thought she did, to a room filled with white furniture and white walls. She knew she was in the hospital. She wasn't sure how she got there, but she recognized the room from when Taylor was there a year earlier. She called out for Zac and looked around, but he wasn't there. She remembered him telling her he'd stay with her until she woke up, so where was he? Why did he leave her?
Carter squinted through the scrapes and winced with pain. She fell. She remembered that now. She fell a long way and landed right in an uncomfortable, lonely hospital bed. The door opened and in walked somebody she hadn't seen in a long time. She wore a long blue dress with short sleeves. The bottom whirled around her ankles with a breeze that wasn't really there. Then, she saw the blonde hair... and the smile... it was her mother. "Mom?" She asked, trying to open her eyes wider.
Lacie walked to Carter and put her hands on her cheeks. "I'm here baby, don't be afraid."
"But... why are you here? Are you going to take me away?" She felt tears filling her eyes. "You are, aren't you? You're going to take me away from Zac... and Meli... and Dad. Mom, don't do that. Please. They've already lost you..."
Lacie sighed. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I don't have a choice. They've been waiting for you to wake up. They've waited too long. You should have come to by now on your own. Why haven't you?"
"I don't know."
Lacie smiled. "Yes you do. You were always horrible at lying."
"I miss you..." Carter choked back tears. "I guess I thought... if I stayed here... I would get to see you eventually."
"Well... they've sent me to take you away now. I'm sorry. It's just been too long. Everybody is waiting for you. Grams and Grampa... they can't wait to see you."
"I don't want to go..." Carter looked around the room. "Where's Zac? I have to stay with him... Please?"
Tears streamed down Lacie's cheeks and she frowned. "It's been too long."
Carter sighed and looked off to the side. Somewhere in the room she heard music... singing. She didn't no what it was at first but then it was clearer. She heard Zac. He was singing to her. Suddenly she felt his warm hand on her own. But he wasn't there. Why couldn't she see him. "Mom... it's Zac. Don't you hear?"
Lacie smiled. "Yes... He wants you to come back to him."
Carter blinked hard. "I want to stay... please let me stay?"
Lacie nodded. "You can stay. Try your hardest and wake up. You don't have much time. Hurry." She leaned over and kissed Carter's forehead. "I miss you, baby. But don't forget that I'm always there. Whenever you're on the balcony, I send you those shooting stars to remind you. I'm always there. You have so much left to do, you're not ready to come with me yet. Don't be afraid."
Carter felt her own tears falling down her cheeks as she saw her mom slowly fade away. "No... Mom... please stay with me! If I can stay, why can't you?!" She cried... but it was too late. Lacie was gone...
Zac stayed with his head on Carter's arm. He massaged her hand lightly, trying desperately to wake her up. Then, he heard a wimper. His head shot up and he looked at her face to see tears streaming down. Instictively, he jumped up and ran out of the room. "MELI! GET A DOCTOR QUICK!"
Melissa jumped from her seat and ran out of the waiting room. She didn't even ask why.
Zac ran back to the room and stood next to Carter. "Car... wake up... please..."
The tears continued to flow and he didn't know what was going on. Finally, the doctor ran into the room followed by Melissa, Isaac, and Mr. Porter. They were all panicked, afraid that she was gone forever. The doctor looked at Carter, puzzled. Then, she wiped her cheeks, took her pulse, and checked the machines. "Her pulse is a little fast..."
"But she's crying! What does that mean?" Zac asked, almost hysterical.
"Oh, I'm sorry. That could be anything. Her eyes could just be watering... but it is a good sign." She looked at her watch and everybody could see the panic in her eyes. It had been a long time. She didn't have much time left before they knew she wouldn't wake up. "I'm going to go check the charts. I'll be back." She patted Zac on the shoulder as he leaned over Carter and watched.
Then, the minute the doctor and everybody else left, Carter's eyes fluttered open and she stared at Zac with tears in her eyes.
"Carter..." He almost forgot how to breathe as he saw her eyes open, the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen, even prettier now after going a day without seeing them.
Her breath caught in her throat. "Mom... she..."
"You saw your mom?" He said quietly, terrified about how close Carter had been to dying. "I should get the doctor..."
Carter grabbed his hand weekly and closed her eyes. She smiled. "Stay... please? They'll be back..."
Zac nodded and sat down by her again. He put his head down on the bed and smiled up at her, running his fingers across her cheek. "Are you in pain?"
She shook her head. "Not right now. Thank you..."
"What for?"
"The song..."
Zac's eyes widened. "You heard me?"
"I couldn't wake up without you. You were here the whole time. I felt you here. I felt your hand on mine. I just couldn't see you. And you brought me back. Mom came to get me and take me away and then we heard you singing. You saved me."
Zac closed his eyes and tried not to cry. "I love you... I was so scared I would lose you."
"I wasn't going to leave you. I never will. I love you." She held onto his hand as her eyes grew heavy again. She was weak and she wasn't sure how much longer she could stay reponsive. "I guess you should get the doctor now." She smiled.
He looked nervous.
"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." She laughed lightly and then winced.
"Ok. I'll be back in a minute." He smiled again and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I love you..."
Carter smiled to herself after he left the room. "I love you too."