English is NOT my native language!

Disclaimer: Don't own the "Saved by the Bell"-characters. Someone else does…
Rating: I don't know anything about these ratings, but let's say T or PG-13. Just to be safe...
Warnings: Deals with some disturbing and mature themes. Don't like, don't read…
I haven't seen this show in a while, so I'm sorry if some things don't add up with what happened on the show. I kinda rearranged the timeline… Instead of being situated in the early nineties, it's now situated in the next century. Our own timeline. Still the college years though… So maybe you could say it is slightly AU…
Genre: Drama / Tragedy (I know SbtB is a comedy show, but hey… life can't be fun all the time! Trust me, I know… Let's bring on the drama…)
Summary: Everyone's lives change drastically when one of their own is badly hurt…

Chapter 1

Beep… Beep… Beep…

Zack listened to the beeping sound of the heart monitor and couldn't help but being slightly annoyed with the sound. He knew he should actually be glad that it WAS beeping, because it meant that his friend was still alive. Nevertheless, the sound made him nervous. What if it suddenly stopped beeping? He felt his stomach knot at the thought. From behind the window, he looked over at the small figure that was lying in the hospital bed. The sight made his blood run cold and million different thoughts flooded his brain. This shouldn't have happened… I'm so sorry! Why did this have to happen to you? Of all people… Why did it have to happen to this person… God, why him? Why Screech? Why didn't I see this coming? Feelings of anger, pain and guilt were building up inside of him. We'll get the guy who did this to you, Screech… I swear… I promise… He won't get away with it…

Next to Zack, A.C. Slater was staring at the same young man lying in the hospital bed. Many cuts and bruises covered Screech's body. There was a bandage around his arm and another one above his left eye. Slater couldn't keep his eyes off the unmoving form in front of him. It worried him; disturbed him. Screech used to be moving all the time. Running, jumping around… Even in his sleep he used to twist and turn. Seeing Screech lying deadly still like this was a strange, uncomfortable experience. Slater clenched his jaw and swallowed hard. We'll get him Screech… We'll track him down and make him pay… Oh, will he pay! I'll make him regret the day he was ever born…

"I can't believe this is happening," Kelly said softly to Jessie. They sat on a small bench in the hallway of the ICU unit. Jessie just nodded at Kelly's statement. She didn't know what to say. She just felt numb. From the moment they got the news that Screech had been found things had seemed unreal to her. It was like she was living a nightmare and couldn't wake up from it. "I can't believe we didn't see it coming," Lisa said who was leaning with her back against the wall opposite the two other girls. "Stop it Lisa," Kelly replied, "We've already been through this… It won't help anyone if we keep blaming ourselves…" Lisa sighed and wiped the few tears from her face that had managed to fall from her eyes. "Why him?" Lisa sobbed. Suddenly Jessie stood up. "Shut up!" she said through her teeth, her eyes shooting daggers. "Please, shut up!" Lisa looked at Jessie in shock. This was not the friend she knew. She wanted to scream back at her, but decided against it. They all hurt. They were all in pain. Someone had dared to hurt one of their own and each of them was dealing with that fact in a different way.

"I'm sorry," Lisa whispered to Jessie eventually. Jessie shook her head and choked back a sob. "No, it's okay," she said as she tried to smile but failed miserably. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have yelled at you…" Lisa walked over to her tall friend and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "It's okay to cry Jess," Lisa said gently, "It's okay to be angry… we all are… We have to stay strong together. Pull each other through… for Screech…" Jessie nodded as Kelly stood up and hugged her as well. "Look how messed up we are," Jessie said with a sad smile. Kelly nodded. "Yes," she said, "I can only imagine how Screech will feel when he wakes up… IF he wakes up…" The two other girls nodded in agreement. They fell silent again, each of them lost in their own thoughts. I'll tear this guy apart with my bare hands… Jessie thought angrily. I'll be there for you Screech… Kelly thought. No matter what… She closed her eyes while her heart bled for her young friend. I will never yell at you again Screech… Lisa thought while tears fell from her eyes again. I'm sorry for all the times that I… I… I love you… Not in the way you want me to, but I DO love you… Always… I won't hurt you anymore… I won't let anyone hurt you…

Zack had watched the exchange between his lady friends. He knew exactly how they felt. He felt the same way. Like the rest of them he vowed that he would catch Screech's attacker. He would not get away with it. Many questions filled Zack's mind. Why Screech? Why would anyone do this? Why would anyone hurt such a sweet and innocent young man? Who… Never mind the 'who'… He knew exactly who had hurt Screech. They all knew. He remembered the first day the new teacher had come to college. He had seemed nice, very nice even. The girls had adored him, the guys had thought he was cool. The man had taken a special interest in Screech, however, no one had been suspicious about it. And why should they have been? Someone had to be the teacher's pet, right? No one could have known that this man's intentions were bad. That he would use Screech… abuse him… No one had noticed anything, no one had realized how evil the new teacher's intentions were, until it was too late…

Jessie had found some information about the man while surfing on the Internet. They had confronted the man with it, who had denied everything. The next day, the new teacher was nowhere to be found, nor was Screech… Zach sighed deeply as he remembered the police arriving at the campus, telling them a story about the man, which had made Zack's blood run cold. He had realized that Screech could be in the hands of a madman. None of them had slept much the next few days. School had been the last thing on their minds. They had talked, worried and searched for clues that would lead them to Screech. But they hadn't found him… They couldn't find him… Nor could the police… Until today…

The news had hit them hard. "We found Screech… It's bad… He's been beaten, cut, burned… Assaulted… Sexually assaulted…" Words, fragments of the conversation he had had with one of the investigators flashed through Zack's mind. So did pieces of the conversation he had had with Screech's doctor. "It looks bad… Next twenty-four hours will be critical… Physically, I have good hopes he will be fine… Physically… But mentally? Mentally…" Zack closed his eyes for a moment and then looked over at Slater whose eyes were filled with anger and revenge. Zack guessed they were reflecting his own. He turned towards Screech again, listening to the heart monitor. We'll get through this Samuel… Together… We will pull you through… I won't let you down, not ever again… And we'll get him… I swear to God… He'll pay for what he did to you… to all of us… 'Cause things will never be the same again… Never…

Beep… Beep… Beep…

TBC

My first SbtB fic! I'm a bit nervous now… I hope you like it a bit… Read and review, please!