WARNING: Character death.

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly. I also do not own a lot of things, like a unicorn, or a unicycle, or Utah. However, I do own a big bouncing inflatable green ball. It's green, and it's also inflatable. So that's pretty cool.

The Color White

Chapter 3

Light streamed through the window of the Benson's guest room, shining into the eyes of one Samantha Puckett. She groaned, not wanting to wake up, and attempted to roll over to shield her eyes from the sunlight and perhaps go back to sleep. When she tried to move, however, she found that she was being restrained. She unwillingly forced her eyes open, trying to figure out why she couldn't turn. She was face to face with a sleeping Freddie Benson.

Her heart swelled at the sight of her best frenemy lying there. She recalled the events of the past night. She had woken from a nightmare of the car crash, screaming bloody murder, and he had been there to comfort here. Right before she had fallen asleep, he had kissed her forehead and whispered the three words she hadn't realized she had always longed to hear. I love you. She pretended to be asleep, hoping that her face wouldn't betray the shock and pure desire she felt at that moment. She had finally figured out what it was she felt for him. Sam Puckett was in love with Freddie Benson.

She looked at him now. His eyes were shut, chest rising and falling rhythmically. His short brown hair stuck up in a few places, and surprisingly, Sam found it incredibly adorable. She snuggled herself closer to him, resting her head against his neck, inhaling his scent. He smelled clean, like soap and spearmint toothpaste, and there was a lingering hint of cologne in there somewhere, too. As Sam pressed her body closer to his, Freddie's arm tightened around her waist, pulling her so that she was almost entirely on top of him.

She inhaled quickly, her heart pounding at the insanely close proximity of their bodies. She reveled in this rare contact she got with him. It was the one time she could let go and not feel stupid or guilty for having feelings for that crazy, adorably nerdy boy. She was just Sam, and he was just Freddie, and they were together, if only for a moment. If only in a dream.

Freddie chose that opportune moment to wake up. He lifted up a hand to his face, his eyes squinting at the bright light that was infiltrating the room. He groaned, rolling on his side until he was face to face with Sam. There was less than an inch of space between their faces, and either of them could have easily closed the gap for a kiss. But no, it's never that easy. Freddie's eyes went wide. "Oh-I... Hi, Sam."

Sam did the one thing she knew how to do best. She put on the mask she wore so often. She pulled away from him and narrowed her eyes, trying to seem angry. She succeeded. "Get off me, Benson." Freddie scrambled to quickly move his arm from under her and scoot away from her on the bed, looking terrified. She glared at him as she stood up. She grabbed a sweatshirt and threw it over her head, combing her fingers through her curls to tame them. She looked back at Freddie. "Look, Freddifer. This was one time, and one time only. I was sca- never mind. We forget this happened and never speak of it again, okay?" Freddie nodded, sitting up and straightening his sweatpants as he went to leave the room. Sam's expression softened. She couldn't just end it on that note. "Hey." He turned back to her, and she could feel her heart stop. He was absolutely gorgeous.

"Yeah?" he asked, his voice rough and deep from having just woken up. Sam glanced nervously at her bare feet.

"Thanks."

Freddie was shocked. He had never heard Sam thank him before, or anyone really, for that matter. He found himself smiling as he replied.

"Any time."

Freddie went to change clothes for the day, thinking hard. He couldn't believe that Sam would let him be so close to her, physically and emotionally. She had to at least like him a bit, considering that she would never let anyone see her at her most vulnerable. As he thought, he put on a clean pair of jeans and went to get a clean shirt. He pulled off his white t-shirt to change, but as he took it off, something took him by surprise. He pressed the shirt to his nose. It smelled of vanilla and raspberries. He would remember that smell anywhere. It smelled like Sam. He pulled the shirt back over his head. He wasn't about to just leave behind that reminder of that night. He wasn't going to be able to forget as Sam had suggested he do. If anything, he'd always want to remember it. He pulled on a blue t-shirt and a soft grey hoodie. Zipping it up, he walked towards the kitchen to start making breakfast.

Freddie walked to the refrigerator and pulled out the pre-prepared package of bacon he kept just in case Carly and Spencer ran out and needed to appease Sam. He started the stove and set out frying the bacon. He toasted a few slices of bread and poured orange juice into two glasses. By the time he had set the food out on the dining room table, Sam ran out of the guest bedroom, wearing a purple long-sleeved shirt with a grey vest, and a dark pair of jeans with a colorful pair of sneakers. Her beautiful curls were pulled back in a half-updo with her bangs brushed to the side, a few strands of hair hanging haphazardly in her face. She skidded across the hardwood floor into the kitchen. "Mama smells bacon!" she exclaimed, smiling and completely back to herself. Freddie gave her a faint smile and motioned for her to sit down at the table. She eagerly jumped into a seat, immediately stuffing her face with the greasy meat and draining the glass of juice. Freddie just chuckled and sat down across from her, beginning to butter a piece of toast. By the time he had taken a bite, Sam had finished the food on her plate and was beginning to steal food from Freddie's. He almost protested, but decided it was of no use, letting her eat to her heart's content.

The two continued eating in silence, with only the sounds of chewing and clinking silverware making noise in the Benson's apartment. When Freddie finished his piece of toast and the only remaining slice of bacon on the plate, he sat back in his chair and watched as Sam finished her meal. When Sam had cleared her plate, she leaned back, letting out a contented sigh. "I'm surprised, Benson. I didn't know you could cook."

Freddie just smiled, looking up at Sam. Chocolate eyes met ocean blue. The two stared into each other's eyes for a moment, but it felt like forever to both of them. Freddie was certain that this was going to be awkward, but it wasn't. It actually felt familiar to him. I could get used to this, he thought.

Surprisingly, Sam broke the eye contact first, looking down to her hands in her lap and then to the clock above the microwave. Freddie looked as well. The clock read 10:45. Sam looked back at Freddie, all trace of happiness having disappeared from her face. Her diamond blue eyes bored into Freddie's, and she almost looked as if she were about to cry. "Can we go now?" she asked quietly. Freddie didn't have to ask where she meant. He just knew. He nodded quietly and stood, taking both of their plates and glasses to the dishwasher. He zipped his hoodie up farther, sticking his phone and keys into the pocket. He turned to find Sam shrugging into her black jacket. As they had been doing so often in the past day, they silently exited the apartment. They had to get to the hospital.

As Sam strode into the hospital, she felt a strange sense of urgency. Well, her mother was in a coma, for God's sake. She was allowed to be worried a bit. But hearing Freddie's rhythmic steps behind her helped calm her down a bit. She wasn't alone in this.

She walked up to the main desk, where the same receptionist as the day before was sitting. Shirley, the nameplate read. The lady named Shirley smiled brightly at Sam and Freddie, who stood just behind Sam. "Well, hello, dears. How can I help you?"

Sam got straight to the point. "I need to see my mother, right now, please." Shirley nodded.

"Name, please?"

Sam swallowed. "Pam Puckett." Shirley typed quickly on the keyboard, her bright red fingernails clacking on the keys. Sam didn't exactly enjoy the sound. Finally after a few seconds, Shirley nodded in understanding.

"Your mother is in the ICU, just down the hallway. You can talk to them and ask if she's allowed to have visitors." She motioned in the direction of a hall just to their left. Sam nodded at the receptionist and set off at a brisk pace down the hallway.

She heard Freddie sigh from behind her. She could just imagine him rolling his eyes at her, which was one of the things she thought was so adorable about him. But now wasn't the time to be thinking about the nerdy boy she loved. She had to see her mom. "Thank you for your help," she heard Freddie say politely. Then she could hear his footsteps behind hers on the white linoleum floor of the hall. She was sort of glad Freddie was there with her. Spencer and Carly weren't out of town, so without him, she had no one else. It was nice to have someone to count on, sometimes.

Sam reached the doors labeled 'Intensive Care Unit' and, taking a deep breath, pulled one of the doors open. Freddie followed her in.

It was quieter here than in the rest of the hospital. All that could be heard was the whirring of machines and quiet footsteps of the doctors and nurses who were milling around from room to room. Sam quickly found the desk and approached a young, 20-something woman in blue nurse's scrubs, bending over a clipboard and scribbling something down with a pen. She looked up and smiled at Sam and Freddie, setting down her pen and standing up straight.

"Hi, how can I help you?" the lady asked, her face kind and sincere. Her light brown hair was pulled back into a messy bun behind her head, and her hazel eyes were welcoming.

"My name's Sam Puckett, and, uh, I was hoping I could see my mom. Pam?"

She smiled sadly. "Of course, Sam. Right this way." She started off to the right wing of the unit. Sam looked around. All the rooms looked exactly the same. Sliding glass doors, many of which were covered by dark curtains, separated the rooms from the hallway. From the ones that didn't have the curtains drawn, Sam could see vague forms lying in the hospital beds, surrounded by machines. She didn't dare give each room more than a glance, not wanting to see the full extent of the injuries that had ended these people in the ICU.

The nurse stopped in front of a room that looked exactly like all the others, with it black curtains drawn so that no one could see inside the room. She turned to face Sam and Freddie. "Here you go. Do you want me to call her doctor in? He can update you on what's happening." Sam nodded, glancing nervously at the glass pane that separated her from her mother. She needed in, now.

The nurse noticed Sam's anxiety and grimaced. "Sorry, I'll let you go. My name is Anna, by the way. Feel free to give me a call if you need anything."

Sam finally looked up at the nurse who was being so helpful. She appreciated it. She liked this person a lot, actually. "Thanks, Anna."

Anna nodded and put a hand on Sam's arm, only for a second. Then she dropped her hand and turned to walk back to the desk at the entry. Sam was surprised by the comforting touch, but welcomed it all the same. It was nice to know that someone cared.

She turned back and looked at Freddie for the first time since they had gotten off the bus. He motioned to the door. "Go ahead, Sam. I'll wait out here. I think you need some time alone with your mom. Just call me when you want me to come in, okay?" Freddie spoke quietly, but his voice was the only thing she heard. She gulped and nodded, before taking the handle of the sliding door and pulling it to the side.

Sam took two steps into the room and tried to take in the sight before her eyes. It took all her strength not to break down into tears right then and there.

Lying there, tucked under the thin bleached-white hospital sheets, was Pam Puckett. Yes, it was Pam, but Sam almost didn't recognize her mother at first. Her short blonde hair was not visible, as the top of her head was completely bandaged. She was dressed in a hospital gown, the bed sheets pulled up and tucked around her thin frame at the armpits, leaving only her arms and the upper part of her chest uncovered. From under the sheets, a multitude of various tubes were running from her body to different machines around the room. An oxygen mask had been placed over Pam's mouth. Sam took a moment to gather herself, before finally walking across the room to stand next to the bed. From what she could see, her mother's face looked ashen, and only the steady beeping of the heart monitor reassured her that her mom was still, if only barely, alive. A very uncomfortable looking metal chair was next to the bed, and Sam lowered herself into it, taking her mother's hand. An IV was stuck and taped into her arm, and through the pale skin, Sam noticed how prominent the blue veins looked. Pam's skin seemed to hang from her bones. She was slowly deteriorating into nothing more than an unmoving, lifeless skeleton.

Sam tightened her grip on the bony, thin fingers she held in her own hand. She took a breath, trying to calm herself. Then she spoke. "Mom?" She asked quietly. Sam was surprised by how choked up she sounded. She sniffed one more time. " It's me, Sam. Can you hear me, Mom?" Sam saw no indication that her mother could hear a single word she said, but nonetheless, she kept speaking. "Mom, if you can hear me, I want you to squeeze my hand, okay? Can you do that for me?" Still, not a single movement. Sam felt the tears begin to drip down her cheeks. "Please, Mom. Please. I need you to let me know that you're okay." Nothing. Sam lowered her head and let the tears fall, sobbing softly to herself.

There was the sound of a door being slid open, and someone spoke. "Miss Puckett?" Sam was startled, her head shooting up to see who had suddenly entered the room. A man in a stark white lab coat walked further into the room, and behind him, Sam could see Freddie, standing outside the room, looking the same as Sam felt: distraught and scared shitless. Sam realized she was still crying. She dropped her mother's hand, where it fell onto the white sheet where it had been before, and hastily wiped away the tears that remained on her face. She turned back to the doctor, waiting for him to speak.

The doctor came closer, the bed still separating him from Sam. He glanced nervously around the room, adjusting his glasses, pushing the thin silver rims farther up his nose. He was awkward. Sam didn't like him. So she focused on Freddie instead. He stood in the doorway now, his hands clasped tight behind his back. His eyes darted nervously around the room until they finally came to rest on Sam. He raised his eyebrows, surprised to see Sam crying, she guessed. She shifted her gaze away from his, trying to wipe her eyes as discreetly as possible.

The doctor cleared his throat, and Sam finally looked back at him. "Well?" she asked impatiently. The doctor looked surprised to hear her speak. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong with my mother or not?"

The doctor sighed audibly. "Miss Puckett, your mother is suffering from severe head trauma and slight internal bleeding, as well as other minor injuries. Currently, she is in a coma caused by the concussion and the bruising that the accident caused to her brain. We have her on life support, so her condition is stable at the moment."

Sam took a minute to process the information. She didn't really understand, but she knew that it was really bad. She went into her default mode: anger. "Well there has to be something you can do!" Sam shouted.

The doctor shook his head. "There is a surgical procedure we can do, where we could drain the excess fluid surrounding her brain. But it's a dangerous operation and we aren't sure how it would effect her condition."

Sam paused. "When is she gonna wake up?"

The doctor sighed again. "We can't be sure when or if she will regain consciousness. If she does, there is a very high chance that she will wake up with a severe brain disorder. She could potentially be extremely mentally handicapped for the rest of her life." Sam let out a barely audible whimper, and she saw Freddie's gaze shoot to her, his warm chocolate eyes filled with concern. The doctor, however, didn't notice. "I'm very sorry, Samantha. There isn't much we can do at the moment." Sam tried to contain herself from strangling the doctor for calling her by her full name and being so damn condescending and unhelpful, biting her lip so hard she nearly drew blood. With that, the doctor gave her a curt nod and exited the room.

It was quiet for a moment, and then Freddie tried to speak. "Sam-"

He was cut off by the sound of the door sliding open. The nurse they had met before, Anna, peered into the room. "Uh, hi, guys. I need to run a few tests on your mom, so can I have you step out for just a minute? I asked Dr. Cooper, but he said you needed to leave the room while I finish up. I'm really sorry, I'll let you back in a few minutes, but for now, you can just stand right outside the door and watch, if you want." Anna shrugged apologetically, and Sam could tell she really was trying to be helpful, much more so than the stupid doctor. This Anna person was really starting to grow on Sam. She nodded silently, standing up from her chair and brushing past Freddie and Anna out into the hallway. She stood outside the glass door, staring in and crossing her arms. She watched as Freddie left the room and took his place standing next to her and Anna began bustling around the room, checking the machines and doing her tests.

Standing helplessly in the cold, white hospital, Sam had a feeling this wouldn't end well.

A/N: Well, there ya go! I apologize profusely for taking so long to update, you guys. I really do. I feel awful. I hope the next chapter will be up soon. Either way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! But how will I know if you don't review? Hmm? Hmm, I ask you? HMMMM? By the way, your 27 current reviews have saved unicorns and narwhals from extinction. Now, all reviews for this chapter go towards saving the much less common, but quite imaginary Zebratard, which is half pig, half eagle, half zebra, making it an improper fraction. That's one and a half mythical creatures. It's surprisingly graceful. SO REVIEW AND SAVE THE ZEBRATARDS :D

Thanks to my lovely reviewers from the last chapter: jackpotdante, Geekquality, jhuikmn08, RyryVaught, SilentDreamsxx, mamaluvsangst, Channylover08, White Firebird, Kpfan72491, xXSeddieXx, TheRockAngel, PinkFanF, smileyBAM03, Velandrae, Noelle Lane, Flutter360, and Fiddlegirl :) You guys are the best!

Alright, anyone who can tell me the two references in this chapter (one in the disclaimer and one in the author's note) will get a special dedication in the next chapter and a lifetime supply of internet hugs. And now, my friends, go forth, review, and be awesome. Ta ta for now…

AVPFangirl ~less~than~three~