Zane's POV - you'll find out who he is soon

I stare at his bed, the one just next to mine, in the cold and dreary hospital ward. You would have thought that they would make the children's ward a bit more colourful, but no - it's exactly the same shade of white as the entire hospital.

I haven't said anything thing since they told me - I could never find the right words. They told me that a new person would come to the ward today, they would stay in his bed. They tried to get me to speak with a phycologist, saying it would help me in my fragile state but I refused.

Staring at his bed I feel a pang in my chest, I shouldn't be feeling so sad, we all knew it was happening - his condition was getting worse and there was nothing they could do to save him. That the thing about cancer, it tears the body apart and nobody has found a way to put it back together again.

My train of thoughts is interrupted when a loud and excited voice breaks the silence that had enveloped the ward.

"What! There is? And it's signed! YOU NEED TO GET IT - LIKE NOW!" A girl screams as she is pushed past the rows of beds.

The boy next to her just laughes and tells her "I already got it - now calm down,"

"How can I calm down there is a new book - and it's signed ! And you got it? Did you bring it? Can I see it?"

"I did get it, but I didn't bring it - but I did bring you your other books," he adds hastily as he sees the angry glare she is sending his way.

I decide that this is my opportunity to speak "If you wouldn't mind some people are trying to mourn here, so could you please keep it down." The long break of not using my voice has made it dry and croaky as I speak. To my surprise the girl answered me with kindness.

"I'm sorry, we didn't know - we'll keep it down now."

"What?" I say in utter confusion.

"I said I was sorry I didn't know, and if you don't mind me asking - who died?"

"But why are you being so nice?"

"I know what it's like to deal with loss," she says simply.

"Oh. And it was one of my best friends - cancer."

"What a horrible way to go, by the way my name is Charlotte, and I can't use my legs anymore - but I'm fine and you are...?"

"Zane, and how are you alright if you can't use your legs?"

"Oh I had a long time to think about it when I was sitting in my hospital bed for four hours because doctor Raynold was late to work." As she said the last part she raised her voice so that doctor Raynold - who was coming into the ward could hear her complain. Even though she said she was fine I could see the hurt behind her eyes as she was talking.

I'm not surprised by what 'Doctor' Raynold did - I mean I don't understand how he got the qualifications to be a real doctor, he must be a fake. As he walks up to Charlotte's bed, he says, "I wasn't late for work - I just forgot about you."

"Like that's any better," we both day at the same time. We immediately look at each other

"Jinx!"

"Jinx again!" We shout. We end up just laughing at each other while doctor Raynold looks at us with a bewildered expression on his face. I feel like this could grow into a wonderful friendship - that is made up of making fun of doctor Raynold.

Everyone else in the ward is looking at me with shock written all over their faces - I haven't talked, let alone laughed since his death - no wonder they're surprised at me. Doctor Raynold, finally remembering how to talk, tells​ Charlotte that he's here to show her, her x-rays, but instead of showing them to her he stands in front of the screen and poorly explains the damage to her back.

Meanwhile, the boy who came in with her (who I guess is her boyfriend, because they look too different to be siblings) is staring at me with an intense glare. But I ignore him and look around at the other children in the ward - who are all either staring at Charlotte in amazement for finally breaking my silence. Or they are trying not to laugh as Charlotte is making faces behind the useless doctors back, the younger ones find this extremely funny and burst out laughing - much the the confusment of doctor Raynold - but this just makes them laugh even harder.

When the ridiculous excuse for a doctor finally leaves, Charlotte turns to me,

"Are you going to introduce me?" She asks nodding her head towards the girls and boys who are all staring at her - well apart from Lucy, who - like always - is reading a book. I decide to introduce her first.

"Over their that's Lucy," I say pointing to her, she's a small girl with big blue eyes, light brown hair and very pale skin when I say her name she looks up from the book and smiles at us.

"Hi I'm Lucy, and I would love to talk but I've almost finished my book and big stuff is happening so I need to go, sorry." That was pretty much all she ever said to anyone - she always had her nose in a book and it was kind of cute how her facial expressions would change while she was reading and if there was a huge plot twist she would sometimes drop the book and start shouting 'WHAT' at everyone. She was a few years younger than me and very small she was diagnosed with pneumonia a few weeks ago and it still hasn't cleared up yet - it was a really bad case.

"What book are you reading?" Charlotte asks,

"Oh, it's the new Skulduggery pleasant book - you probably wouldn't know it."

"What do you mean I wouldn't know it? That's my favourite book series and the new one is out! Is it any good? I'm waiting for my dear brother here to bring it for me so I can read it." She points to the boy. She's a book worm too? I can tell her and Lucy will get in great - they have the same taste in books too. But, brother?

"Finally I have someone else who likes Skulduggery pleasant! And it's awesome you have to read it!"

"Wait, there's a new one?" I say having listened to their entire conversation.

"Yeah, it's called resurrection and it's five years after the last book, I can't wait to read it!" Charlotte replies with a confused look on her face. "You know Skulduggery pleasant?"

"Yeah it's awesome, of course I've read it,"

I decide to stear our conversation away from books, "Anyway, that girl over there who is looking at us with a deeply confused and shocked face is Mia, she's really nice,"

"Hi, your name is Charlotte, right - well you have absolutely beautiful hair and eyes and look at your eyebrows! Omg you are beautiful! I can't wait to be your new friend - I could do your makeup and shape your eyebrows and make you look even more beautiful!"

"Woooooaw, slow down - there will be no makeup - And no painful plucking! I'm not a chicken!" Exclaims Charlotte with a worried expression. I don't blame​ her Mia can be quite full on at times and it can be a bit scary, also the idea of having your eyebrows plucked is not very appealing either. But she is really friendly - she just has a weird way of showing it.

"So off of that topic, over there is Zaneta - she was the first one to actually talk to me when I got here, when I was the odd one she's really nice - you'll like her." I say pointing to the girl in the bed across from me - she had always been nice to me, she has coffee coloured skin and a bright smile on her face that reached all the way to her bright blue eyes that had a hint of purple in them in curtain lighting, her crazily curly hair gave her a slightly mad vibe but she was nice once you got to know her.

By the time I had introduced her to everyone else in the ward she was laughing and joking as if she had been friends with everyone for years - Lucy had even put her book down to talk to her, granted they talked about books but it was still something.

She surprised me by asking " friends?"

"Friends." I confirmed.

Charlotte's 'brother' had left at some point during the introductions and no one missed him - for some reason I still can't believe that they're siblings​ - Charlotte had golden brown wavy hair and a tanned complexion and beautiful grey, green eyes that changed colour in different lights they went from bright shades of green to greys that reminded me of storm clouds and even venturing into pale blue colours. While her brother had dark brown hair - almost black and light brown eyes and very pale skin.

Charlotte confused me even more when she went all quiet after her parents talked to her when they visited when they left she looked sad and angry. I asked her what was wrong but she snapped at me to keep out of her business.

I left her alone after that.