--- HIIII! So, if you go to my profile, one of my lovely fans posted a link. My story was written about by Celeb Dirty Laundry; I just about peed myself. Thank you all so much, and keep the votes and feedback coming!! <3 -

The figure lying in the lifeless bedroom of 207 happened to be my mother. I didn't know what to expect when walking the two-hundred feet down the awful hallway, I mean how could you?

But I didn't want to believe that was her.

Her scratched, bruised, pale skin resembled nothing of the young tan women I left at the lake. Her tangled pony tail looked nothing of the brushed blonde hair of my mothers. The frail women lying with an IV shoved up her arm couldn't be her.

Slowly, I forced myself beyond the little glass window and opened the door. My father was sitting at the edge of her bed silently, turning his head to look up at me upon my entrance.

He stood up and passed me out the door and I thanked him with silent gratitude.

"Hey mom." I whispered when the door shut.

Of course the woman in the bed didn't respond.

All that responded was the steady hum of the machine that gave her life and monitored her heart beat. And so the tears finally began to fall freely as I walked towards her, crouching at her bed side.

"I know you don't know I'm here but..." I spoke quietly, starring at her bandaged semi-blood stained arm. "I love you."

Holding her hand in mine, I brought it up to my lips and kissed it gently.

What if I didn't get to hear her voice again? I had so many opportunities but I had to be selfish. I had to be horrible.

"I didn't mean to mommy." A sob broke loose as I pressed my forehead against the stiff mattress she lay on.

I didn't mean to scream at you. Throw things at you. Not eat your meals and lock my door all summer long. Disappear to Vermont with not even a goodbye and ignore every phone call you made.

"I didn't mean to hut you mommy" I whispered.

This woman was my flesh and blood, the one who made up the majority of my DNA. Whether I wanted to or not, I was full of memories with her that would stick with me for life.

Yet that was not the case for my twin siblings, not for Abby and Mike. There small minds might not be able to remember their mother. They were everything to her, she was everything to them. What happens if this is it?

"Who did this to you mom." I heaved in a harsh breath of air, the whole motion of 'breathing' becoming more and more of a struggle.

"Knock-Knock." A young mid-thirty year old doctor tapped on the now open door.

I quickly whipped off my face, rising from the ground.

"I'm Dr. Stanford," He said approaching me, raising his hand to mine in a greeting. "You must be Mia."

"Yes." I murmured.

I've been keeping a strict eye on the two of them. I'm afraid your mother is in worse condition but...we will see with time." He spoke sympathetically, his eyes adverting to the woman.

"You say the two of them..." I swallowed

"Yes. The boy is right next door in critical condition as well." He nodded.

"And he was intoxicated?"

"Yes. We found out from his parents he was just getting back from a trip more north from here, while your mother was heading up to...to get you." He said sympathetically, yet careful in choosing his words, as if there were more.

My father didn't tell me that part.

"Can I see him?" I asked, holding back the sobs with my whole being.

"Sure, I just came from there; I just need a moment to check everything here." He said approaching the counter while opening one of his manila folders.

I nodded making my way for the door. Standing in the hallway I glanced left and right, deciding to check the one on the right first. If whoever this was conscious, he'd be getting a mouthful from me.

"Mia, where are you going?" I heard my father over my shoulder.

"I want to see this kid." I said harshly.

"I don't think that's a good idea." He swallowed.

I turned to look at him once before turning back around, taking the last step to peek through the room window.

My mouth instantly dropped, my hands clasping over in shock.

"No." I whispered shaking my head, stepping back. My legs faltered, causing me to buckle over onto the floor.

"No...No...No!" I repeated, kicking the ground beneath me.

Within seconds my father was pulling me back up to the ground, shielding me from the world as he always has done.

It was just like this summer when Jake got taken away from me.

"Mia...I told you not to..." He whispered running his fingers through my hair.

"Why didn't you tell me it was Jacob?" I yelled pushing myself away from him.

"Because Mia..." He spoke calmly stepping towards me.

I shook my head.

"Just leave me for a minute." I swallowed through the stinging tears.

He didn't ask any questions or try to stop me, just simply disappeared into my mother's room.

My eyes adverted back to the dingy glass window that gave me a clear view of a tattered Jacob Mason.

As if my world hadn't already fallen apart in the past 24-hours, it was now brought to a whole new level of heart shattering pain.

I abruptly turned the cold mental doorknob in my shaking fingers, forcing it open with a loud squeaking noise.

His eyes twitched.

A world in which Jacob Mason was not grinning, laughing and living in was not something I knew of nor wanted to. Even when I was apart from him, it was his choice there fore I knew he would be okay. He would remain unchanged, except now he may be entirely erased for good.

But my mother was hanging by the same dwindling and deteriorating thread that Jake is. Until now, the concept of life and death had never been something that I've faced. No grandparents, cousins, great aunts or uncles, friends- absolutely no one that I've been connected to, yet today it's two of the people I care about most on this planet.

I took a single step towards him cautiously without a sound, as if the floor beneath me would splinter into a thousand pieces.

I was expecting him to poof into mid air. For me to reappear in my cold bland dorm room, awake from this nightmare and then I could return to my family safe and soundly as the original plan had been.

When I shut my eyes and reopened them, the world was still on the wrong kilter. Everything was still in shambles and I still wanted nothing but for him to be okay.

If I stayed in this room any longer, I would touch him. The longing from within to feel the heat of his touch burned me from the inside out. The pain of being in his presence for the first time in weeks created an unbearable ache.

I ran my fingers over his faded blue and white bed sheets, glancing up immediately as he shifted beneath them.

"Mmm..." The broken figure groaned.

I stepped away with a fluttering heart, backing right up into the cold door behind me.

The figures eyes fluttered, opening up to the white ceiling that hung above us. They closed again, and then reopened, registering he wasn't alone.

I fumbled with the door knob, creating the same irritating squeak as I opened it.

His eyes shot to me, piercing right through me.

"Mia." His gruff voice croaked.