I see black. Everything is black; like my eyes are closed. I want to open them but I can't, I can't move anything.

I hear a squeaking of a door followed by the rustling of chairs.

"How's his condition?" A woman asks. She sounds like my mom only a more scratchy voice like she's been crying.

"He's shown no improvement or response. I'm afraid if he's like this much longer he’ll be declared brain dead and will have to be taken off life support." A man replies in a calm and sympathetic voice.

"No! Not my baby! There must be something you can do! I can't...lose my baby." The woman says and it sounds like she's crying again.

"I'm sorry, but his condition is critical. And even if he were to wake up he would still be bed ridden for a while and may never be able to use anything below the waist if he's lucky. The likely thing is that he will not be able to move anything below his neck, and that's if he wakes up." The man I'm assuming is the doctor says and I hear more crying. ," I'm sorry ma’am there's nothing else I can do."

With that I hear footsteps leave, a door close and more sobbing. I know it's just a dream but I fear that they were talking about me. I want to open my eyes and walk up but they wouldn't open, I want to move my hands and say that I'm OK but nothing will move. I start to panic and cry along with my mother beside me.

"Trace." I hear a voice in the distance." Trace, you got to wake up." I recognize the voice it’s Zack calling to me from reality. I feel his warm hand on my bare shoulder. "Trace please wake up!" I hear Zack beg and I open my eyes.

"Zack." I say my mind a little hazy and voice groggy.

"Hey, you scared me don't you know you can't sleep in the tub you'll drown." He says hoisting me up a bit so I'm sitting properly.

"I'm sorry I was just really tired."

"Are you OK. It looks like you were crying.” Zack says holding my cheek and using his thumb to wipe away the one lone tear that fell.

"Ya I just had a bad dream and got a little scared." I tell him.

"It's OK I'm here now." Zack says as he hugs me. "It's all going to be OK."

He let's go and stands up after a minute of holding me. "I brought some clothes for you." He says pointing to a chair with my p.j's and a towel folded on it.

"Thank you Zack. For everything." I tell him.

"No problem. Take your time." He says and walks out leaving the door partially open behind him.

I soak for a few more minutes before getting out, drying off, and getting dressed. I come out of the bathroom to find Zack in his pajamas sitting on the bed looking through take out menus.

"Hay." I say to get his attention.

"Hay, how you feeling?" Zack asks me looking up from the menus.

"Better, thanks. So what you up to?" I ask stepping closer to him.

"Just looking through some menus to try to figure out something for dinner."

"Oh."

"So what was your nightmare about, I mean if you don't want to talk about it fine, but it must have been bad to make you cry." Zack asks me putting down the menus.

"That I was in a coma or something and that soon I'd be declared brain dead, and taken off life support." I tell him starting to cry again.

Zack stands up and pulls me close holding me in his strong arms, and rubbing my back as I cry into his chest.

"I'm sorry Trace." Zack whispers in my ear.

"It's not your fault, I'm just so grateful that you're here for me. And that it’s not real." I reply through the muffled tears.

After a while when the crying stops Zack pulls away, leans down, kisses my forehead, and walks away.

"So... Um" I stare in a little bit of shock. "Where do you want to go next year?" I ask not wanting silence between us.

"I don't think there will be a next year." Zack says his back turned towards me.

"Why not? This was fun." I say wondering why we can't go on vacation next year.

“This is all my fault.” He says through his own tears.

“What are you talking about, Why are you crying, its ok.” I say a little worried about what's going on.

“NO IT’S NOT OK!” he yells making me jump tears rolling down his face. “Trace this is the dream and the other is reality." He says holding my arms tears rolling down his cheeks.

"What about going to New Orleans next year?" I ask refusing to believe the confusing thing Zack just said as he leans his forehead against mine I want to look away because I'm so confused.

"Wherever you go I go. I’ll always be with you. Because I love you Trace." And with that he grabbed my chin with one hand, putting the other behind my back pulling me closer, leaned down and kissed me. My eyes struck open in shock and disbelief. Could this really be happening? Could the one I love really love me back? I closed my eyes, wrapping my arms around his neck and melted into our kiss; our first kiss. Filled with more love and passion than I've ever felt before. And then I could feel his lips fading away, with his body and his presence vanishes. Our lips never parted but he was gone. I wanted to open my eyes to know what had happened but my eyes were glued shut and I couldn't move and then.

"He's waking up."

"Are you serious? He's still there. He's coming back. My baby's coming back to me!" I hear my mother say.

I can finally open my eyes to see my mom and a doctor standing around me I was in a bed but not my bed. Then it all came back to me. Zack and I got hit by a semi on the thruway.

"Where's... Zack?" Was all I could say, no one answered but the look on my mom’s face concluded my suspicion. Zack was dead. I start to cry I want to scream to get up and run away because I don't want it to be true. But all I could do was cry.

"Hey it's OK. I'm right here." I can hear Zack's voice but I can't see him anywhere. "Its OK I told you I'd always be with you. My body maybe gone but I will live on in your heart and in your mind." I can hear him as if he was right in front of me.

"You promise I'm not crazy. You're really ok." I think knowing that no one would understand if I said it out loud.

"Body no. Mind and love, great and with you always.”

“I love you Zack."

"And I love you Trace.”

The End