Confide In You (Zack Merrick Fanfic)

Chapter 3

I found it a bit odd how people could sit down and tell me their life story. No, I couldn't move, but why? Was it because I couldn't move or talk that they trusted me? I guess it was more like talking to someone, without them interrupting or judging wrongly. That's why it pissed me off when Dr. Rhineheart would say that I might not wake up. Did he not bother to see the bright side of anything?

"Guess who, Johnny!" A light knock and giggle let me know it was Marina. Plus she was the only one who called me Johnny. "Dad's getting better, so I'm in a good mood." She sat at the end of my bed, her usual spot. I was happy that her dad was getting better. "I brought you flowers. I hope you're not allergic. They're daisies."

There was the sound of glass against the table next to the bed. She giggled again. There had to be something more to her good mood. I could tell. I was waiting for her to go one and explain.

"I got asked to the spring dance." She finally said. "I'm excited. I need to get a new dress, and shoes. Maybe something in a nice champagne color. That'll bring out the highlights in my hair." She went on and on about who she got asked by, and about her excitement for the dance. I somewhat dozed off during part of her rambling.

"Oh my God! Someone help him!" Marina screamed, but her voice got fainter and fainter.

___

Apparently I'd died for about seven minutes. Literally I was seven minutes in Heaven. A collective sigh of relief sounded throughout the room when my mind returned. I was still in a coma, and by then, I was more confused than anything.

"We almost lost ya there, John Doe." Dr. Rhineheart told me.

"Is he okay? Johnny?" Marina asked, her tone desperate and broken. I really hoped that I hadn't made her cry because I had died. She didn't need to cry. "Oh, dude, please don't ever do that again!" She playfully slapped my arm, but I could tell he was truly scared.

"Yeah, he's fine. Good job, team." With that Dr. Rhineheart and a group of footsteps echoed out the room. I felt a kiss on my cheek.

"Ya know, Johnny, I would much rather go to the dance with you. But a guy like you would never go out with a girl like me." She said sadly. Why did she think that? She sounded like such a wonderful person. I added that to the top of my list of things to do when I woke up; take Marina on a date. She deserved to be treated right, plus, I wanted to show her she was wrong.

I liked to imagine Marina in my head a lot, from what she told me she looked like. Each variation was still beautiful, but I couldn't help but wonder what she actually looked like. From our conversations, she seemed like a kind, quirky and quiet person.

"I should probably go. Visiting hours are almost over." She spoke with a sigh. "I'll see you soon, Johnny. Don't die on me, okay?" I was alone again, with my thoughts. I thought back to how I'd died and Marina had freaked out. And then I thought back to Linda. She was always so gentle and affectionate towards me. I was really missing my mom and Emily. How were things working for them without me? I mean, I was always with Emily, since Mom had to work. So, who was with Emily now? A babysitter? A neighbor?

How was school? When I did wake up, how would I got about finishing? It'd been the third quarter when I was last conscious. I was a senior, so would they just let me redo my second semester? I'd been pretty good at school. I was honor roll, never tardy and turned work in on time.

It wasn't like I didn't want to wake up, I did. I wanted to wake up so badly. I wanted to see my family. I wanted to help Linda and Marina. I ached to work out. But there I was, silent and practically dead.

___

The party I'd went to, I wasn't supposed to go to. My mom told me no, because she said she hadn't wanted me partying. I should've listened. But, I didn't do bad thing like that, ever. I figured one night of rebellion wouldn't hurt. Now I couldn't fix this myself. But I didn't feel any pain. I only felt emotional pain.

Why was I even in a coma? I think that my body was in a stage of repair, and needed my whole body on shut-down while it repaired itself.

I remember my first drink that night. Jack had handed it to me upon my entering. Then I started dancing with some girl with long blond hair and green eyes. Later that night, she got all drunk and emotional on me, so I went to find my friend Tony. Then Ronnie showed up, and with his drug-dealing friends. They were usually fun dudes, I just knew they were trouble. Shortly after they had shown up, people started smoking pot. Sirens could be heard and everyone left in a scramble.

I had used to run track, so I got away pretty fast, but I was all alone. And that's when things had gone downhill. Just like I'd been alone on that street, I was alone in a hospital bed.

Was it worth it to go to that party? No. But I'm seventeen. I'm going to do stupid shit and regret it later. But getting knocked into a coma is a tad too far. What shouldn've happened was that I should've got home, disappointed my mother, went to bed and got grounded.

But if that would've happened, then I wouldn't have met Marina or Linda, and I wouldn't have a new appreciation of life. I was always a positive person, but now I was even more so. Life is a beautiful and magical thing. Something I'd failed to see before. I wanted to wake up and live life, and truly appreciate it.

Marina bounded into my room after visiting hours one night. I could hear nurses calling after her that she couldn't be there. I felt her collapse onto the bed. Sobs escaped her mouth in ragged breaths. This was unusual. Even when her dad had started getting bad again, she hadn't cried that hard. I wanted to ask what was wrong, but my lips were shut and silent.

"Oh, Johnny. It's horrible. Things are horrible." She said in between sobs. "Uncle Kev...he...I can't even say it." She continued on crying. Hearing her cry like that broke my heart into pieces. "It started a few weeks ago. But, he'd never actually..." She cried harder and harder. I assumed that the door had been either locker or closed, since the nurses had left us alone. Marina started to calm down, slightly.

"Let me start over." She said, her voice weak but audible. "I've been staying with my Uncle Kev since I can't stay on my own, and my dad's here. A few weeks ago, Uncle Kev started making sexual innuendos at me. At first, it was words and jokes. Then, he'd touch me. No matter how much I screamed, no one ever seemed to hear me. I-I-" She broke down in sobs all over again. "It was like no one cared about me. Tonight, he actually beat me and then he...raped me. I feel so...so...dirty. So used. I-I can't go back there, Johnny. T-They c-can't make me." She clung to me. Her body trembled. My heart was beating rapidly in anger. How could someone, especially her fucking uncle, take advantage of Marina? I wanted him to feel pain like she felt. She lay crying in my arms until she fell asleep. Surprisingly, the nurses let her stay. She wasn't bothering me.

Added to my mental to-do list; beat the living shit out of Marina's Uncle Kev. No one should ever, ever, fucking rape someone.

___

I felt Marina wake up, she's whimpered and panicked a little until she realized it was only me, and that she'd fallen asleep in a hospital bed. I couldn't quite imagine the mental and emotional condition she was in.

"Oh, hey, Johnny." She laughed nervously and sadly. "I'm sorry. But, I think I'll just stay until they kick me out. But first, I need to see my dad." Her weight left the bed and I instantly missed her body heat. I couldn't tell if she was going to tel her dad or not. Knowing her, she'd keep it bundled up inside, as to not burden her father.

That's something I admired about her, but in this instance, her not telling anyone was dangerous. I wanted to wake up so badly, but I felt so buried deep in my mind. I really wished I could have comforted Marina or just tell someone what was going on, but I was silent and drowning in my unconsciousness.