During the day, Zoey was in her dorm room laying on her bed doing her homework while Cory and Topanga were practicing their vows.
"For ours is a love unlike any there has ever been or ever will be again. What I feel for you transcends love itself as two souls become one On this, our wedding day'." Cory read out as he paced around the room. "Oh! This is really beautiful. But, uh... I think I'd rather wait until our wedding day to hear your vows"
"Those aren't my vows. Those are your vows." Topanga told him.
"Uh, Topanga, I appreciate your input, but don't you think I can write my own wedding vows?" Cory asked.
"You're right. Why don't you try?" She insisted.
Zoey smirked. "This should be good."
"Sometimes two people who love each other are in love, and because of that love... They love each other." Cory began. Topanga only stared at him which caused him to sigh in defeat and sat beside her on the bed. "All right, you write the vows."
"Okay, now, regarding our wedding night..." Topanga trailed off.
"Topanga!" Cory exclaimed with a mischievous smirk..
"Bermuda." Topanga whispered.
"I'll call you whatever you want." He responded.
"No, Cory, we're going to honeymoon in Bermuda." She explained. "It's the perfect climate, fabulous food, and just about the best darn snorkeling this side of anywhere."
"But I don't want to be in the ocean. I want to be in the room. A lot." He told his fiancée.
"Why are you so obsessed with sex?" Topanga questioned.
"Because I don't get any." Cory replied simply.
Then a knock was heard from the door, and a one of their classmates poked his head into the room.
"Matthews. Telephone." He informed.
Cory nodded and quickly rushed out of the room to go to the phone out in the hall, leaving Topanga and Zoey in their dorm room. Zoey rolled her eyes, smirking as she continued with her homework.
Topanga smiled as she turned to face Zoey. "Isn't my patient little Cory cute?"
"You know, he's not gonna be so cute when his patient little head explodes." Zoey pointed out.
Cory walked back into the room with a shocked expression. "Shawn's father had a heart attack."
••••
Zoey's heart ached for Shawn as her, Cory and Topanga rushed to the hospital. They walked out of the elevator and found Shawn asleep out in the waiting room.
"Shawn?" Cory called gently.
"Oh, hey, guys." Shawn greeted tiredly as he woke up.
"How you doing?" Cory wondered.
"Good. I was just... resting my eyes." Shawn replied, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
"How's your dad?" Topanga asked, her voice full of concern.
"Well, the doctor says he might need bypass surgery." Shawn answered with a frown.
"Is it okay if we go in and see him?" She asked.
Shawn nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, he'd like that."
Before Zoey followed Topanga into the hospital room, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Shawn.
Even though it should have been awkward, it was anything but as Shawn hugged Zoey back. She could feel him bury his face into the crook of her neck. She could hear the quiet, shaky breath he released as his arms tightened around her to pull her close.
Shawn reluctantly released her after several long moments but their contact was prolonged as her hand ran down his arm to catch his fingers.
Zoey gave him a sympathetic look before she followed Topanga into Chet's room.
When Zoey walked into the hospital room, she was shocked to see Chet lying on the bed. For as long as she'd known him, he'd always been full of life and energy with a personality big enough to fill up the room, and to see him lying to still threw her for a loop.
"Hey, Chet." Zoey greeted.
Chet's expression brightened when he saw her. "Shawnie's wife!"
"How are you?" She asked sincerely.
"I'll be out of here in no time. Don't you worry, Shawnie's wife." Chet replied, letting out a raspy chuckle. "But, uh, before you go, can I ask you a big favor?"
"Um... yeah, of course." Zoey agreed.
Topanga gave her a small smile before she left the room. Zoey pulled up a chair next to the bed and offered her hand to Chet. His grip was weaker than she remembered and her heart ached once more at his state of condition.
"Can you look after Shawnie after I'm gone?" He asked her.
Zoey stared at him in surprise. "Well, you're not going anywhere, Chet. You're not dying."
"I don't mean dying. I mean when I move to Las Vegas." He explained. "You've been there for him every time he needed you and even when he didn't think he did. I've watched you two grow up together. He needs good people in his life like you and Corky. Please look after him, Zoey."
"Of course. I'll look after him." Zoey responded earnestly.
"Good girl." Chet replied, squeezing her hand. "Good girl."
••••
Chet was going downhill quickly. When Shawn and Jack went back inside to talk to their father, they called for a doctor when he began struggling to breathe.
Shawn and Jack left their father with doctors and nurses as they waited anxiously with their friends, including Mr and Mrs. Matthews and Mr. Feeny.
Zoey leaned against the wall with Shawn, hugging his arm and glided her hand down to hold his hand, trying her hardest to comfort Shawn during the best she could.
"He's been up there a long time." Shawn stated, looking towards the door.
Morgan walked over to Shawn and Jack. "Guys, I really hope your dad's gonna be okay."
"Yeah, so do I." Jack muttered.
"Chet is a fighter, boys. And besides, he owes me a game of pool." Mr. Feeny said.
Shawn then turned his attention to the wrapped gift in Jack's hands. "Hey, are you gonna open your present?"
Jack sighed heavily before he began to open his present to reveal a photo that had been taken the day before of the three of them.
"Well, that's something I don't have." Jack said as he stared at the picture.
A doctor appeared shortly after them which caused Jack and Shawn to hurry over to him with hopeful looks on their faces.
The doctors looked at them with a solemnly expression. "We lost him. His heart wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry, kids. I'm sorry."
_____________________
PUBLISHED: December 15, 2018
WORDS: 1085