The rain fell in sheets as the woman ran from the store to her car in the parking lot.  She tossed the grocery bags into the backseat, hopped in, and immediately started the car, hoping for a little bit of warmth to thaw out her bones.  Just as she was getting ready to put the car in drive, her phone rang. 

Groaning after she saw the caller id, she rolled her eyes as she answered.  “Hello?”

“I hope you got the right kind of water this time,” her boss said without preamble. 

“No, JC, they didn’t have that brand at the store I was at so I got you the other kind that you like.”  She put the car in drive and pulled forward out of her parking spot as she hoped he wouldn’t demand that she go from store to store until she found what he wanted. 

“Well then Lisa, you are just going to have to go to another store and get the right kind,  you know I have a sore throat and that is the only kind that I want to drink.”  He cleared his throat in her ear. 

He was getting whinier all the time, Lisa thought as she rolled her eyes.  “JC it’s pouring down rain, I’m cold and wet, and – ”          

“Then I suggest turning the heater up while you drive and hurry.  I have a date tonight and need the water so I can take some medicine before she gets here.”  With that statement, JC hung up, already onto something else. 

Lisa let out a scream of frustration as she tossed the phone on the seat next to her and leaned her head on the steering wheel.  Only an incessant honking had her looking up to see the stop light had turned green.  Stepping on the gas had her skidding and attempting to get the car back under control.  She barely missed hitting a car in the turn lane next to her.  Her heart thudding now, she took a deep breath to calm herself.  Why do I stay?  She asked herself. 

More cautious now, she merged onto the freeway to try and get to the next store before it closed.  Unfortunately, it was all the way across town, which didn’t leave her much time to get the groceries home to JC. 

Lisa stepped on the gas and sped around car after car until she saw flashing lights in her rearview mirror.  “You have got to be kidding me.”  She carefully moved to the right, turning her flashers on as she made it to the side of the road.  The officer parked behind her and walked up to her window, dressed in his raingear. 

“License and registration, please ma’am.”  As she handed over the requested information, he continued.  “Do you know why I pulled you over?”

“Speeding,” Lisa remarked sheepishly. 

“Yes, ma’am, I clocked you going almost 15 miles over the speed limit.  What’s the rush?”

“I was just trying to get all my shopping done for my boss before the store closes.”  She decided honesty was the best policy.  Stupid JC and his precious water!

“Stay put, I’ll get your ticket.”  The officer called in her license information as he walked back to his cruiser. 

With a long sigh, Lisa threw her head back against the seat and closed her eyes as she waited for an expensive ticket.  How much worse could this day get? 

***

Water dripped from her clothes, there was not an inch of her that was dry.  A sudden sneeze preceded the dripping of her nose from the cold, wet weather.  She sniffed as she fumbled with the lock on the door, when it was suddenly thrown open to admit her. 

JC stood in front of her with a scowl on his chiseled face.  “Where have you been?  I thought I told you to get here before my date.”

He made no move to help carry any of the heavy bags inside, instead slowing her down so that he could search for the water he had demanded.  “Well, sir, after you sooo politely asked if I could go to another store and please bring you the water, that you want because you can’t drink the water from the tap or the water that I had already purchased for you, I almost hit a car, I got pulled over for speeding because you had to have the water before your date arrived.  Once I got the very expensive ticket, that you will be paying for by the way, I finally made it to the store after they had closed, but luckily there happened to be a sympathetic clerk still there who after I explained my situation, as I’m standing in the pouring rain, decided to take pity on me and only charged me three times what I normally would have paid for the water that you don’t need.  Now I’m tired, soaking wet, and now thanks to you have acquired my first ever speeding ticket.  How’s your night going so far?”  She finished sarcastically finally able to make it past him and set the bags on the counter. 

He didn’t appear to have heard a word that she said as he triumphantly held up the bottle of water that had caused so many problems.  “Got it, oh and by the way can you put together a plate of strawberries.  And don’t forget to take the tops off this time, you didn’t last time.”  With the parting instructions, he walked out of the kitchen, the bottle of water in his hand. 

“Free place to live, free place to live, good money, good money,” Lisa chanted to herself as she put away the groceries and violently yanked the tops off the strawberries.  Tossing the last one on the silver serving tray, she left it on the island in the kitchen and walked out the back door.  It was only a short distance to JC’s guest house, where Lisa called home. 

She closed and locked the door behind her, pulling her cell phone out of her coat pocket.  With joy, she clicked through her phone until she came to JC’s name.  Relishing the experience, she pushed the buttons on the screen until she sent his calls straight to voicemail.  Now perhaps she could have a quiet and peaceful evening. 

Hopefully JC’s date would keep him busy for the rest of the evening and allow Lisa to have a JC free evening for once. 

***

Lisa rolled out of bed the next morning to a spinning room, the pounding on her front door just compounded the headache she had.  With her feet on the floor, she placed her head in her hands trying not to throw up.  She heard someone unlock the deadbolt then heavy footsteps came down the hallway to her bedroom.  Maybe whoever had come in would just put her out of her misery. 

“Lisa!  Why aren’t you dressed and ready to go?  You know I can’t be late and I need you to come with me to the taping.” 

“I’m sick, JC, can’t you go by yourself just once?”  Lisa croaked out through a very sore throat. 

“No, what do you think I pay you for?  Now throw on these clothes and let’s go.”  He grabbed some clothes from her open closet and tossed them next to her on the bed.  “We’re not going to have time to stop and get my cappuccino so you’re going to have to go back out and get it once you drop me off.  Do you think you can handle that?”

“If I go with you, you’ll be exposed to my germs.”  Lisa was trying anything just so she could lie back down and sleep until she felt better. 

“Then just stay on the other side of the car and don’t breathe directly on me.  Now, get dressed and let’s go!”  He headed back down the hallway, “I’ll wait in the living room, you have five minutes.”

Making her aching muscles move, Lisa forced herself to get dressed.  At times like these she wondered why she kept the job.  Barely pausing to run a brush through her hair, she grabbed a box of tissues, a pack of cough drops, and a bottle of cold and flu medicine before stumbling into the living room. 

JC was tapping his foot by the door, waiting impatiently for her.  As soon as she appeared, JC was out the door and into the car parked right outside.  Lisa took a moment to lock her house before she heaved herself into the backseat next to JC. 

Nick the driver took one look at her and gave her a glance full of sympathy.  He understood exactly how she felt, JC had made him get out of his sick bed a couple of weeks ago to drive him around. 

Half dozing in the backseat, Lisa wondered why JC had started acting the way he was.  When she first started working for him as his assistant, she loved her job.  He had been patient and understanding and never as whiny or needed as he had become in the last six months. 

Lisa and Kelly, Joey’s wife, had been long time best friends.  They had met one summer at a camp and had been inseparable.  After camp had ended, they had stayed in touch and Lisa had even joined Kelly when she was NSync’s tour, keeping her company and loving hanging out with the guys, they were all so grounded for being the hottest boy band out there. 

Lisa had lost touch with all of the band members except Joey through Kelly.  To this day, she hadn’t missed opening night of any of  Joey’s performances on Broadway.  Their daughters thought of Lisa as a loving and doting adopted aunt.  When Kelly had mentioned that JC was in need of an assistant several years ago, Lisa had begun thinking about taking the job.  She was unhappy with what she had been doing since college and had always gotten along very well with JC.  She understood the pressures he was under and had Kelly get in touch with JC to see if he might be interested in hiring her.  Not five minutes after Kelly had gotten off the phone, JC was calling Lisa up and offering her the job.  The salary was unbelievable and the offer of the guest house so she could be close sealed the deal.    

Within a week, Lisa had packed up her life and moved to LA to start her new job with JC.  The job had been perfect, she ran errands, maintained his schedule, and helped in any way that she could.  Some days she felt guilty taking a paycheck because her job was so easy and ideal. 

All that had changed about six months ago though, when JC had broken up with his girlfriend at the time.  They didn’t love each other, JC had admitted as much after the breakup.  She had been using him for his status and he was getting sick of it.  But that breakup changed JC’s personality, taking him from an easy going, laid back guy to a whiny, needy man.  Lisa was sympathetic for a while, knowing he needed time to get over the end of the relationship, but enough was enough. 

One day, she had made the mistake of asking JC what was bothering him.  Unfortunately, JC had blown up and screamed, yelled, and threw things for 15 minutes while Lisa tried to stay out of the line of fire.  At that point, she realized their relationship had gone from friend and friend to employer and employee.  She began to distance herself from him to protect her heart.  She had been on the verge of falling in love with JC at one point, but had always protected her heart since he always had a woman hanging onto his arm. 

Lisa didn’t want to abandon him in his time of need, but was getting tired of being the scapegoat all the time.  She was startled out of her reverie when JC punched her on the arm.  “Hey, go get my coffee and make sure it’s hot when you get back here.”

He exited the car and sent them on their way as he walked through the adoring fans waiting on him, gracious now. 

***

“You look awful,” Justin remarked as he came into the break room to get a cup of coffee. 

“Thank you, Justin, I love you too, you always know exactly what to say to make a girl feel good about herself.”  He took a sip and sat down across the table from her.  Lisa had her heavy head resting in the palm of her hand.  Her box of tissues sat in front of her almost empty, while the pile of used tissues was growing by the minute. 

“If you’re sick, what are you doing here?”  Justin asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. 

“His royal highness can’t tie his shoes without me.  What are you doing here; I thought you were in New York this week.”  She unwrapped a cough drop and stuck it in her mouth. 

“I’m having lunch with JC, he wants to talk about a project he’s working on.”

Lisa coughed, “What do you mean you are having lunch, I’m waiting around for JC’s lunch order right now.”  She blew her nose again, seeing Justin grimace. 

“Go home, Lisa, I’ll run interference with JC.  You need to take care of yourself before you get sicker or make everyone around you sick.”

She looked at Justin, hoping shining through the glassy fever eyes.  “Really, I mean, are you sure?  He’ll be really mad.”

“I can handle JC, you just get Nick to run you home.  I have my car here so I can take JC home when we get done, who knows how long it’s going to take.”

“Thank you, Justin, you are the best!”  Lisa didn’t waste any time in gathering up everything in front of her and heading out the door, calling Nick on her cell phone as she went so he would be waiting at the door for her when she got there.  She was going straight to bed!

*** 

A shrill sound penetrated Lisa’s sleep.  She struggled to wake up from her drug induced sleep to find the object making the annoying sound.  Apparently she hadn’t set her cell phone so that JC’s house phone would also go straight to voicemail like she had his cell phone. 

“Lo,” She managed to croak out. 

“Lisa, who said you could leave the taping?  I needed you to run a couple of errands for me.  You can’t be that sick.”  JC accused her right off the bat. 

“JC –”  A coughing fit overtook her as she fought to get out of the blankets and reach her glass of water. 

“And something is wrong with your cell phone, for some reason it sends my cell straight to voicemail, but it doesn’t with the house phone.  You should get that looked at.  I’m gonna text you the address where you need to pick up my new wardrobe.”

“JC, I quit.”  Lisa mumbled into the phone.

“What?” 

She cleared her throat before she tried again.  “JC, I quit!”

And hanging up the phone, she pushed the power button.  Let him think on that for a while.  Hopefully, when she woke again, she would have enough strength to pack a bag and go stay somewhere until she figured out what to do next. 

***

Lisa dug down deep for strength when she packed all her belongings and moved out of JC’s guest house.  For the time being, she would be staying in the Fatone’s guest room.  JC had paid well enough that she didn’t need to have a job right away, but Lisa didn’t want to spend too much of her savings. 

Her phone hadn’t rung for a couple of days after she had announced to JC that she was quitting, but that had all changed.  He was now demanding that she come back to work.  If she came back, then he would forgive her for leaving.  So far Kelly and Joey had kept it a secret that she was staying with them so she could avoid JC a little while longer. 

“Am I doing the right thing, Kelly?”  The two women were alone in the large kitchen, sharing a pot of coffee.  “I mean he’s turned into such a spoiled brat lately, but doesn’t that mean there could be something wrong with him?”

“Lisa, you can’t work in a job that you’re miserable in.  What’s the point in that?  You know that’s why you left your last job to come out here and I’m so glad that you did.  But I can’t help but feel guilty for even mentioning the job to you.  It’s all my fault that you took that job.”  Kelly paused and looked Lisa over critically.  “You have feelings for him, don’t you?”

“Had – had feelings for him?  Were they that obvious?”  Her face turned a slight pink, Lisa thought she had hidden her emotions so well, but this was Kelly, her best friend, who knew everything about her. 

“Just to me, I had hoped that by you taking that job that you guys would get together and become a couple.  I’m so sorry, but that was the reason I told you about the job.  You are perfect for JC.”

Lisa scoffed, “I may have been at one time, but that’s over.”  She paused to take a sip.  “Has Joey had any luck getting to the bottom of why JC is acting this way?”

“None whatsoever.  Has he stopped calling yet?”

“No, I’m at the point where I just need to stop ignoring him, answer the phone, and talk to him.”

“Maybe, do you know what you’ll say to him?”

Lisa’s phone vibrated against the table and she looked down to see JC’s number displayed.  “Speak of the devil.”

She took a deep breath before she clicked the phone on.  “Hello?”  She spoke hesitantly, not sure what JC’s mood would be. 

“This is Dr. Bailey from Memorial Hospital, with whom am I speaking?”

“I’m sorry, how did you get the phone you’re calling from?”

“The owner of the phone was in a car accident and this number is listed as the emergency contact.  What is your relationship to Joshua Chasez?”

Lisa wasn’t sure what was going on and she sent a confused look at Kelly.  “I’m Lisa, I was JC’s assistant.  Is JC hurt?”

“Yes, he did sustain some injuries in the accident, can you come down and fill out some paperwork for him, and I’ll be happy to explain everything then.”

Lisa stood and dumped the rest of her coffee in the sink, “Yeah, I’m leaving right now, do I just ask for you when I get there?”

“Yes, ma’am, just come in through the ER and tell the nurse on duty that you need to speak with me.”

“Okay, thank you for the call.”  She hung up and grabbed her purse from the closet.  “Apparently JC’s been in an accident and they need me to sign some forms.”

Kelly stood and followed her to the door, putting a hand out to stop her for a second.  “Wait a second and I’ll come with you.”

“No, that’s alright, I’m sure it’s nothing and JC just needs his hand held for a shot or something.  I’ll call you when I know more.”

***

The doors to the ER slid open silently as Lisa walked into the busy hospital.  She gave a quick glance around the waiting room, at least the media hadn’t been alerted yet to the fact that JC had been in an accident. 

She carefully stepped through the many people and stopped in front of the desk, waiting until a couple with a sick baby had checked in before she stepped up and asked for Dr. Bailey. 

“Just a moment, please,” the nurse conferred in a whisper with another nurse.  Both of them cast side-glances at her before both heading her way. 

“Who are you here for?”  One of them asked.

Lisa looked both ways and leaned forward slightly, not wanting anyone to hear her.  “JC Chasez.”

“Come with me then, I’ll take you to his room.”

Lisa was buzzed through the doors and followed behind the nurse that introduced herself as Addy.  They made their way past the rooms in the ER to an elevator.  “I thought he was in the ER, he’s been taken to a room?”

“Yes, he’s been admitted.  I’ll take you to him; Dr. Bailey should answer her page and meet us in his room.”

“How badly is he hurt, can you tell me?”  They arrived at their floor and stepped out of the elevator. 

“You’ll have to wait and talk to the doctor.”  Addy stopped outside a door to run her keycard through to allow them access.  Lisa looked at the overhead sign as she realized this was a whole lot more serious than she had first thought.  They hadn’t brought her down here to hold JC’s hand for a shot if he was in the Critical Care Unit. 

Making their way down the hall to the last room, Lisa looked around trying to get a feeling as to how badly he was hurt. 

“You need to prepare yourself, he’s not going to look the same.  The doctor will be right with you.”  With that statement, Addy left Lisa alone in the hallway outside a closed door. 

With a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped in.  Tears instantly came to her eyes as she brought both hands up to her mouth to cover her horrified gasp.  There was no way the man in the bed was JC. 

Lisa staggered backwards as she began to hyperventilate.  Her gasps and sobs combined as she fell into the wall before sinking onto the tiled floor.  She curled into a ball as she tried to get control of herself.  She shook off the hand that latched onto her shoulder, but then thought again and grabbed it back. 

“Wait, is JC going to be alright?”  She clutched at the hand like it was a lifeline. 

The hand belonged to a woman in a white coat with a stitched name on the pocket of Dr. Bailey.  “You must be who I talked to over the phone.  Let’s discuss this in a more private location.  Can you stand?”

Lisa felt as if she had aged 50 years from the time she had entered the hospital.  With the doctors help, she managed to get and stay on her feet.  The doctor led her to a room just across the hall she hadn’t noticed before.  It was an empty waiting room for the families of the patients on the floor.  It had comfortable looking couches and chairs and a large television that the doctor immediately turned off as Lisa sank into the closest chair. 

“Now you are Josh’s assistant, is that correct?”  Dr. Bailey pulled another chair up close to where Lisa sat. 

“He goes by JC, actually, or Jace.”  She took a deep breath, still trying to get a hold of her emotions.  “I was his assistant, I just quit a few days ago.”

“But you are still his emergency contact; does he have any family close by?  A wife?  Or someone else to make medical decisions for him?”

She shook her head, “He’s not married, his parents and sister live in Chicago, and his brother is in Europe right now.  But I have power of attorney and medical power of attorney for him.  Please Dr. Bailey, will JC be okay?”

“Well, Ms…”

“Lisa.”

“Well, Lisa, JC has sustained some pretty serious injuries.  Right now we are the most concerned about his brain swelling.  He wasn’t wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the vehicle.  He has multiple cuts from the glass fragments.  He also has several broken bones.”

“His spine?  Will he be able to walk again?” 

“We will run some tests when he wakes up, right now the next 24 hours are crucial.”

“And if he doesn’t wake up in the next 24 hours?”

“We will cross that bridge when we get there.  It’s important that we keep everything positive within JC hearing, people in comas can hear what is going on around them.  Talk to JC.  Would you like to see him now?”

Lisa sniffed and nodded, but before she rose she asked one last question, not wanting to hear the wrong answer.  “Is JC going to live?”

The doctor hesitated long enough for Lisa to become very afraid.  “We are doing everything that we can.”

Steeling herself at the door, Lisa walked into JC’s hospital room behind the doctor.  Once again, tears poured down her cheeks and she couldn’t stop the sobs.  The doctor checked his pupils and his iv before patting her on the shoulder and leaving them alone. 

Lisa stood at the door, not daring to enter further until she had herself under better control.  JC lay in the hospital bed as still and as pale as she had ever seen him.  What little she could see of his face was swollen, the rest was covered in bandages as white as his face.  He had a tube down his throat as he was unable to breathe on his own.  There were so many wires attached to his chest and head.  She cringed as she saw the iv stuck in the back of his hand.  Poor JC had never liked needles and this one served a purpose just to keep him alive. 

The arm that did not have the iv in was wrapped in a splint up to his elbow while there also appeared to be another on his right ankle and leg.  There was a sheet that came up to his waist.  And there were more bandages around his chest, Lisa presumed that meant that JC had broken ribs as well. 

The breathing machine showed his oxygen levels and another tracked his heart beat.  They both hummed softly in the background.  Trying to distract herself, Lisa looked around at the stark whiteness of the room, his one window overlooked the parking lot. 

Lisa prayed silently as she forced herself to stop crying, this wasn’t doing JC any good.  Moving over next to the bed, Lisa tried to figure out the best place to touch him that wouldn’t cause him more pain.  His arms were lying by his sides so she settled on lightly gripping the fingers on his hand and rubbing a thumb over his knuckles, trying not to jostle the iv. 

“JC…you know you’re going to have to wake up soon, don’t you?  I know you don’t want the cavalry to arrive and sit by your side so why don’t you do us all a favor and open those beautiful blue eyes…”  Hoping against hope for a response, but none came.  He was as still as ever, the rising and falling of his chest came from the breathing machine. 

“You know you didn’t have to go to this kind of extreme just to get me to come see you, I’m sorry for ignoring you these past couple of days, but I think we both needed some space from the situation.  What am I going to tell your mom and dad, did you think of that?  You’re just pretending to sleep just so you don’t have to listen to a lecture.”

She sat in the chair next to the bed for a few silent moments, counting the seconds between the breaths.  “Are you sure you won’t wake up and save me from having to explain this to your mom?”  She waited.  “Okay, but once she gets done with you then it’s my turn and don’t forget about your brothers.”

Giving one last caress to his fingers, she stood, “I’ll be right across the hall making a couple of phone calls so if you need anything…I’ll be right back, JC.”

Softly closing the door behind her, she headed into the waiting room, grateful it was empty for the time being.  In just a few hours, she knew it would be filled to capacity with friends and family.  Giving into her tears, she sat and cried for who knows how long before forcing herself to calm down.  It wouldn’t do her or anyone she was calling any good to listen to her cry over the phone; there would be time enough for that later when they were all together. 

Her mind was filled with how was she going to explain this to his mom first of all and then to his brothers?  Best to get it over with and get the support that JC needed here as soon as possible. 

The phone rang as she first tried JC’s parents house, hoping they were both at home and able to get on the next flight out.  Lisa didn’t want to be responsible for making any of JC’s medical decisions by herself, even if she had the signing authority to keep him on the breathing machine forever.  She knew JC wouldn’t want to live like a vegetable – wait  - why was she thinking these thoughts?  JC was going to wake up and be the same strong, virile man he had always been. 

“Good evening, Lisa, you’re working late tonight aren’t you?”  Lisa hadn’t thought about the time change in calling his parents.  Evidently, JC hadn’t yet told them that she had quit her job. 

Lisa spoke, her voice rough from the crying she had been doing, “Karen, I’m sorry that I have to call you like this, but JC has been in a car accident.”

“What kind of car accident?  Is he alright?”  Karen yelled for Roy in the background and Lisa could hear that Karen hit the speakerphone button so Roy could listen as well.

“Jace is in critical condition, he has some broken bones, a lot of cuts, but they are saying the next 24 hours in the most crucial…Roy, Karen…he hasn’t regained consciousness since it happened.”

“Oh, my baby,” Karen cried in the phone.

“Which hospital?”  Roy asked tersely and at the reply, he immediately said they would call her back once they got their flight information.

“One down,” she said to herself as she looked through her contacts for the next number.  This call would be just as hard.  Justin and JC had always been closer than brothers. 

“Hey girl, have you come to your senses and decided to come work for me yet?”  Justin teased as he answered the phone, not knowing his world was about to come crashing down. 

“Oh Justin,” she said with a sob.  “JC’s been hurt.”

“What?  What happened?  Did he stub his toe?  Lisa you know you don’t have to back to work for him any more.”

“He’s been in a car accident and it’s not looking good, Justin.”  She ran a hand through her hair. 

Swear words came through the phone line.  “How bad is he?”

Sniffing, “It’s bad, really bad.  I just called his parents and they will be on the first flight out, Justin, he hasn’t regained consciousness.”

“Are you with him now?”  Lisa could hear doors slamming in the background. 

“Across the hall, listen, can you call the other guys and let them know.  I don’t want to leave him alone too long.  We are in Memorial Hospital, room 620.  Are you coming?”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Justin, please hurry, he doesn’t look the same, this is not JC.  I don’t know what I’ll do if we lose him.”

Sternly, Justin remarked, “We are not even going to think like that.  Get those thoughts right out of your head!”

Shaking herself, “You’re right, I’d better go, I need to get back to sit with him.  Drive carefully.”

One last call to make and it would be a quick one. 

“Hey, how is he?”  Kelly answered. 

“It’s really bad, Kel, can you come?  Quick?  And bring Joey?”

“I’m leaving right now?  Where?”

“Memorial, 620.”

“On my way.”

Lisa ended the call and headed back to sit with JC.  This would be a draining experience on all of them.

***

She wasn’t sure how long it took the first people to arrive.  While she waited, she sat there and lightly caressed his fingers and pleaded with him to wake up.  Silent now, she simply sat back in the chair next to the bed and alternated between watching his face and the monitors to see if she could find any change. 

The horrified gasps from the door startled her into turning to view Justin, Chris, Lance and Joey standing there speechless.  She tried to lightly push them out of the door frame but none would move.  “Guys we need to step across the hall and I’ll try and explain everything.  We can’t talk here.”  She turned back to JC and spoke like they were just running to the store and nothing was wrong.  “JC, the guys are here, we are just going to step across the hall, I’ll be right back, okay?” 

More forceful now, she finally shoved hard enough to make them move.  There were many other people in the waiting room now, all friends and family of the 4 men who had just arrived.  They were there to support them and be there for JC and whatever his family might need.  The fearful faces turned to look at the group who trooped in.  They all fell silent and waited for Lisa to speak. 

Before she could speak though, Dr. Bailey strode through the open door, closing it behind her.  Her eyes searched the room, until they fell on Lisa.  “Is everyone here for JC?”

Lisa nodded against her tears, her hand was held tightly in Justin’s and Kelly’s arm was wrapped around her shoulders. 

The doctor proceeded to explain what was going on, but went into a little more detail about the accident.  JC had been driving on his way to the studio when a car ran a red light and slammed directly into the drivers side door, causing JC’s severe injuries.  The other driver had been drunk at the time. 

The doctor also informed them that the hospital was now surrounded by media who had found out about the accident.  “I understand that you all want to be here to support JC, but security is understaffed and cannot handle everything for all of you.”  Her sympathetic eyes drifted across the members of NSync.  “Perhaps it would be better for everyone involved for you to stagger your visits and never be here at the same time.”

Almost in unison, the four men spoke their vehement denial.  Then Joey’s voice rang out in authority.  “We aren’t leaving, we are here for JC.  We will pull our own security in in any case.”

“In that case, do you have someone to handle a statement or would you like the hospital to do so?”  The men looked at each other and nodded to one of the others sitting in the room.  That person walked to a corner to call their press secretary.

Dr. Bailey stood to exit, but turned back before she could.  “I understand you all want to be with JC, but please limit the number of people in his room.  Remember he can hear everything that you say, so no negative comments.  Are there any further questions?”  Hearing none, she took her leave and left them alone.    

The four men stood in sync, betraying the many hours they had spent together over the years, and surrounded Lisa as they went to their bedside vigil. 

Karen and Lisa were finally alone in JC’s room.  They had persuaded everyone else to go home for the night, stating they would call if there was any change.  Roy had gone with Heather to JC’s house to sleep.  One of the nurses had a brought in a cot for one of the women to sleep on, but the other would have to make do in the chair. 

The women spent much of the night talking, Karen had always been fond of Lisa, they knew they wouldn’t get much sleep anyway.  They even included JC in the conversation, not expecting but hoping and praying for a response, but none came. 

MTV had picked up the story and was running with any tidbit of information that they could come across.  The news that they were running made Lisa sick.  For many years, they hadn’t paid attention to the talented man that was lying in the hospital bed, now they appeared to be best friends and very concerned. 

“You love him, don’t you?”  Karen asked into the silence of the night from where she was laying on the cot. 

Surprised, Lisa tried to come up with an appropriate response.  “I – I love all the guys.”  She wasn’t sure how she felt anymore and was even more confused now that she didn’t know what was going to happen.

“I see,” Karen responded. 

Searching for a quick change of subject, Lisa asked, “Do you suppose anyone else is sleeping tonight?”

Karen recognized the tactic for what it was and allowed the change in subject.  She didn’t want to stress Lisa out any more than necessary, there would be time enough to talk about her feelings when JC was well. 

The first crucial twenty four hours passed with no change.  Lisa had Kelly send some clothes and her laptop with Joey when he came so she could shower and have clean clothes and begin to answer some of the questions about his health from his fans.  She wasn’t going to leave JC’s side. 

As the days passed, his bruises and cuts began to heal and the swelling had gone done in his brain, but he still continued to remain unconscious.  People had to get back to work and their lives.  Even Roy and Karen needed to go back to Chicago, Karen was distraught at the thought of leaving her son in the hospital.     

Roy had said his goodbyes to JC and told Karen he would be waiting in the lobby, he couldn’t stand to see his son in pain. 

“Maybe I shouldn’t go,” Karen clutched at JC’s fingers as she stood at the side of his bed. 

“Karen, I know it’s hard to leave him, but your foster kids at home need you as well.  JC understands, I know he does.  I will be right here with him.  I’m not going to leave him here by himself.”

“Oh Lisa, you shouldn’t have to put your life on hold, I’ll just tell Roy that I changed my mind and am staying.”

Lisa stopped Karen from exiting with a hand on her arm.  “Karen, I will be here.  I have to be here.  I need to be here for him.  I’ll call every hour if you want me to with updates.  It’s okay to go home.”

Karen searched her eyes for a moment, sensing that this was something that Lisa needed to do. 

“Okay,” she breathed out.  Leaning back over the bed, she pressed a kiss to JC’s cheek.  “Josh, I love you, but I’m going back to Chicago.  If you need me for anything, just let Lisa know and I will be on the next flight out.  I’ll be back out in a week or so, you’d better be awake by then.  Lisa will take good care of you.”  She looked over his body one final time and brushed a hand through his hair.  With a final hug for Lisa, she hurried out of the room before she broke down in tears. 

***

The nurse finished her evening routine, pulling off her gloves and throwing them away before wheeling her cart down the hall to the next patient.  It had been another week of no response from JC.  People were in and out during the day, but for the most part it was just JC and Lisa alone in the evenings.  The only time she ever left the room was to grab something to eat from the cafeteria or to stretch her legs with a walk around the halls.  She didn’t feel she could go outside with all the media still camped out waiting to harass anyone they thought could give them information about JC’s condition. 

“Well Jace, it’s just you and me again, are you getting sick of me yet?”  She paced over to the window for a moment, stretching.  “Well, do you want to hear the news?  I’ll read the paper to you then we’ll pick up where we left off in that other book, how does that sound?”

Lisa had gotten in the habit of reading the news and a book to JC every day.  When they were alone, she held entire one-sided conversations with him.  Sharing the news of the day and what was going on with the people who cared about him was becoming second nature. 

She yawned her way through a couple of chapters before telling JC she was tired and was going to bed.  She went through her nightly routine, taking a quick shower and brushing her teeth, before shutting the hallway door and crawling under the covers on the cot next to JC’s bed. 

She pulled the covers up to her chin as she settled on her back, listening to the now soothing sounds of JC’s monitors.  The breathing machine had been removed since he was now breathing on his own, but the doctor was still monitoring his every heartbeat. 

Lisa was almost asleep when she thought she heard the sheets on the hospital bed rustling.  Turning just her head, she convinced herself that she had been dreaming, but turned on her side to face JC and try to fall asleep. 

Her eyes were open as she looked at his silhouette in the dim light.  She thought she saw his face twitch, but dismissed it even as she sat up and softly called out, “Jace?” 

Nothing.

Deciding she had been in the hospital too long, she lay back down again.  Then in the next moment, leapt out of the cot, getting tangled in the sheets on her way over to JC.  His hand had moved, she was sure of it now. 

She placed her hand in his, “Jace, can you squeeze my hand?”  She waited several agonizing moments, before a slight pressure was felt on her hand. 

Beginning to cry, her gaze flew from his hand to his face.  His eyelids were just beginning to open and his gorgeous blue eyes looked up at her in recognition. 

“Oh my gosh, JC, you’re awake.”  She pressed the call button on the bed.  “We’ve been praying and praying for this.” 

The nurse came through the door, not expecting anything out of the ordinary until Lisa practically yelled at her.  “He’s awake!!”

Rushing now, the nurse moved to the bed and checked his pupils before putting her hand in his.  “Sir, can you squeeze my hand?”  He must have obeyed, for the nurse gave them a huge smile, before heading back to the door.  “Let me just page the doctor, I’ll be right back.”

Lisa couldn’t even speak, she was so happy to have those blue eyes looking at her.  It seemed like mere moments had passed when the nurse walked back in with the doctor.  The doctor gave a brief examination before asking Lisa to leave so a more in depth one could be performed.  “If you could just wait across the hall for a moment…I believe you have a couple of phone calls to make?”  Dr. Bailey smiled, neither one of them missing the significance of this moment. 

Lisa smacked her lips against JC’s forehead.  “I’ll be right back, Jace, I just have to let everyone know the good news.”

The first call she placed was to Karen and Roy, knowing they would be ecstatic.  She would be waking them up, but knew they had been praying for this phone call. 

“Lisa, what’s happened, is he…?”  Karen answered, fear in her voice. 

“He’s awake, Karen, he’s awake!”  There was silence from the other end of the phone.  “He just woke up, they are in with him now examining him, but he’s awake and he squeezed my hand.”

“Roy, he’s awake, our baby is awake, Lisa we will be heading to the airport in 10 minutes, I don’t care if we have to get a private plane, we are on our way.  Thank you!!”  And Karen hung up the phone. 

The other phone calls were just as joyful, but Lisa convinced them to wait until morning to rush the hospital, knowing JC wouldn’t be up to many visitors just yet.  But after she finished the calls and was pacing outside JC’s door waiting to be let back in, familiar footsteps headed her way.  Turning, she saw Justin, Joey, Chris, and Lance almost running toward her. 

Laughing, she didn’t even try and ask them why they were there when she had asked them to wait.  She had known they wouldn’t.  They spent a long time engulfed in a group hug before the door cracked open to allow them back in. 

“Just a few minutes everyone, my patient needs his rest,” Dr. Bailey was still smiling as the men walked single file into the room to surround the bed.

Lisa couldn’t stop either the smile or the happy tears – JC was awake, that was all that mattered at this moment.

Frustration was building up; JC was getting ready to explode.  How could something as simple as lifting a fork to his mouth be so tiring?  Lisa sat in the chair next to him reading a book, but he could tell she was watching him out of the corner of her eye, just waiting to jump in when he couldn’t do it.  He had now been conscious for three days and could do little to take care of himself.    

Letting the anger take over, he swept his good arm across the table in front of him, not caring where anything landed.  He threw his arm over his eyes not knowing that Lisa sat unbelievingly next to him – covered in the grape juice from his nearly full cup. 

 She sat for a moment since she couldn’t quite believe what had just happened.  JC heard her get up, but he didn’t want to see the pity in her eyes.  He heard her remark, “I’m going for a walk.”  He didn’t look up until he was sure she was gone. 

Finally some peace and quiet, but that thought had no more than entered his head when his mom poked her head into the room.  “Is everything all right?”  Karen asked timidly, stepping into the room. 

“Yeah, why?”  JC responded shortly. 

“Well, I just ran into Lisa in the hall…”

“So?”  JC didn’t care. 

“She didn’t say anything, is she okay?”

“Why wouldn’t she be, she can use both hands and legs.”  He said sarcastically. 

“So you don’t know why she was dripping wet with…”  Karen picked up the fallen glass from the floor and looked inside at the purple remains.  “Grape juice?”

JC sighed deeply and leaned his head back, “I didn’t know…I didn’t mean to.”

“Why do you treat her so horribly?  She hasn’t left the hospital since you were admitted.  She’s barely left this room.  When she has left the room, she just goes to grab something to eat or stretch her legs.  No one could get her to leave, she said she needed to be here.”

JC interrupted, “She should be here, she’s the one that quit and left.”

“And I don’t blame her, if this is how she was treated.”  JC scoffed and rolled his eyes, already dismissing her words. 

Karen finished picking up the results of his temper tantrum before deciding to leave for the night.  “I hope you don’t live to regret how you have been and are treating Lisa.  Good night, JC.”

“Night, mom.”  He accepted her kiss on the cheek and watched as she closed the door behind her. 

He reached over to turn off the overhead lights, leaving just a dim glow from the nightlights outside.  I shouldn’t have thrown the juice, but Lisa should be used to dealing with me by now.  She’s the one that left me.  How could I ever regret how I’ve treated her?  I’ve paid her an enormous salary, given her free room and board, gotten her tickets to the best concerts and on and on.  She should be at my beck and call.  He pushed aside the twinge of guilt he felt and tried to fall asleep. 

But before he could, the door cracked open to admit Lisa.  She tiptoed inside while JC slid his eyes open a crack to watch her.  Lisa walked to the bathroom and flipped the light on, but shut the door until just a sliver of light shone so she could gather her toiletries for a shower. 

JC could see in the light that her entire front was stained with the grape juice.  Her hair had clumped together in thick strands from where the juice had hit her hair.  He thought he caught a brief glimpse of red-rimmed eyes. 

“I’m sorry about the juice.”  Lisa jumped at his words; apparently, she thought he was asleep. 

“It’s alright,” she said still gathering her supplies, not looking at him.

“No, really, I didn’t mean it.” 

“I said, it’s fine.”  She headed into the bathroom and JC was sure he wasn’t meant to hear her next words.  “It’s what I’ve come to expect from you.”

What?  What did she mean by that?  JC took a good hard look at himself for the first time in a long, long while.  Maybe his mom had been right.  He hadn’t meant to treat Lisa the way he had, it was just that she was always around and wanted something to do.  So he began to give her more and more errands to run that he normally would have performed himself.  When he had a bad day, Lisa was always there with a sympathetic listening ear.  In time, he had begun to abuse that power of being her employer.  When had he stopped being her friend?

When had he turned into such a jerk and hurt the people that were around him?  And it was really just one person – Lisa.  He ached at the thought but wasn’t sure how to fix it. 

The door cracked open again and steam rolled out.  Instead of shutting the light off and going to bed like she had the other days since he had woken up, she quietly started to gather up her belongings.  He watched her for a moment until she stepped lightly next to his bed to grab something on the floor.  Before she could move away, he grasped her arm with his good hand.      

She gasped at the movement.  “What are you doing?”  JC asked, holding as tightly to her wrist as he could so she couldn’t move away.

“I’m gathering my stuff.” 

“I see that, why?”

She pulled away, his strength gone.  “I’m going to Kelly’s house for the night.”

“I’ll ask again, why?”

“You don’t need me here anymore, heck you don’t even want me here.”

Speechless for a moment, he realized he had gone too far earlier.  “But – I – I do need you here.”

“JC –” She said as she shook her head. 

“No listen, just stay tonight, it’s late enough and you don’t want to wake up the girls, do you?”

“Then I’ll stay in a hotel.”

“You shouldn’t be out this late by yourself.”

Her eyes flashed furiously at him through the dim light.  “That never bothered you before.”

This woman was impossible.  “Well, it matters now.”  Suddenly, he yelled in pain. 

“What’s the matter?”  The concern in her voice calmed him somewhat. 

“Cramp in my leg,” he tried to reach his calf, but couldn’t find the energy. 

“Let me call the nurse,” Lisa reached for the call button, but was stopped. 

“No, just rub it, see if that helps.”  He groaned at the pain until she found the muscle that was quivering.

He rested his head back against his pillow and closed his eyes as she carefully massaged his calf.  “You’re really good at that.”

“Who do you think helped with your therapy while you were asleep?”  Their eyes met briefly, before Lisa looked back at his leg.

JC cleared his throat in the awkward silence.  “So will you please stay?  You know in case this happens again.”

“I don’t know, JC.”  She moved down to his foot and he gave a moan of pleasure. 

“Is it true that you’ve been here since I was admitted?”

She paused in her ministrations.  “Where did you hear that?”

“My mom…is it true?”  He tried to read her face in the darkness.

“Yeah,” she admitted reluctantly.  

“Thank you,” JC remarked softly.

Lisa froze and turned a stunned gaze toward him, “That’s the first time you’ve said that in a long time.”  Her expression was unreadable in the darkness. 

“I’m sorry, I’m going to change, I promise.”  He stretched his leg out and Lisa stopped massaging.  “Will you please stay tonight, we can talk about it more in the morning.”

With narrowed eyes, she considered his request for a moment before she nodded slightly.  “Alright, just for tonight.”

She snapped the light off in the bathroom and lay down on her cot.  JC rolled carefully onto his side so he was facing her.  “Good night, Lisa.”

“Good night, JC.”  She rolled so her back was to him, but little did JC know that she was awake a long time, listening to his breathing, thankful he was alive and doing well, but not sure what to do now.    

Lisa wasn’t sure how he had done it, but JC had convinced her to stay the night.  It was a long while until she fell asleep.  She could feel his gaze boring into the back of her head.  It was the reason that she turned her back – so she wouldn’t have to look into those sad blue eyes.  You know the ones that you took one look at and would do anything to make them happy again. 

Lisa had to get out of the cycle of catering to JC’s every whim.  She didn’t work for him any more.  The night was very short in terms of sleeping, but very long as she counted every hour and sometimes every second.  She was dreading the talk they would have come morning. 

The last thing Lisa remembered was JC’s heavy breathing as he slept.  She envied him his ability to fall asleep at the drop of a hat.  But this could probably be attributed to the medication he was on to help with the pain and coma. 

Before she knew it, the morning sun was shining in her eyes, sometime during the night she had rolled so she was facing JC.  It was surprising to see JC’s eyes open and staring straight at her.  He was never awake before her.  There was an unreadable expression in his eyes. 

“Morning,” JC said in his rough morning voice. 

Lisa stretched and yawned before responding, “Morning.  Did you sleep well?”

“Like a log, you must have had a restless night?”

“Why do you say that?”  Lisa asked.

He simply gestured to the floor around her cot.  There were a couple of pillows and the majority of her blanket on the tiles beneath her cot.  “That’s probably not the most comfortable place to sleep, is it?”  Lisa was shocked, JC was thinking of something and someone other than himself for a change.  She was afraid to be too optimistic, this was JC after all and surely just one night couldn’t undo the months of raging and whiny JC, could it?”

“Ah…it works, I’ve slept in worse places, besides I’ve been here so many nights now, it’s starting to grow on me.  I’ll be spoiled when I get back to an actual bed.”  She swung her legs over the side, but avoided putting her bare feet on the cold tile.  It was the worst part of getting up in her opinion – going from a nice warm bed to the cold shock of the morning.  She finally lost the battle and quickly jumped to her feet, running on her tiptoes into the bathroom, trying to touch as little of the floor as possible. 

She heard JC chuckle as she closed the door behind her.  She finished as quickly as possible and scurried back to the warm covers in her cot.  It was early yet, it would be a while until the doctor came in for morning rounds, maybe she could get a little more sleep.   

Just as she was pulling the blankets up her body, she looked over at JC.  “Oh, do you need help getting to the bathroom?”

“Yeah, I’m not sure I can make it by myself just yet.”

She threw the covers back off and resigned herself to the cold tile floor.  “Maybe we should call a nurse for this.”  She was doubtful, not sure she could move him by herself and unwilling to hurt him. 

“Nah, between the two of us we can get it.  How hard can it be?”

Lisa helped him swing his good leg off the edge of the bed, then his broken one.  The day after JC had woken up, the doctor had him put into a walking boot so he could start therapy as soon as possible.  JC carefully slid with Lisa’s support so that his feet were touching the bed.  Lisa was grateful that he had on his own pajamas, not sure she wanted to deal with a JC clad in a hospital gown open in the back. 

He took a moment to steady himself and get used to being in an upright position.  He clenched his jaw and placed an arm around Lisa’s shoulders.  Her arm went around his waist, trying not to grip too hard and reinjure his ribs.  He finally stood with tremendous effort on his part. 

They took shuffling steps at JC’s pace to the bathroom.  Lisa was hoping that JC would be able to manage on his own.  She flipped on the light with her free hand then placed it back on JC’s stomach for support. 

They were almost directly in front of the toilet.  “Do you think you can manage on your own?”

“I can try,” JC said unconvincingly.  Lisa tried to loosen her grip and take him at his word.  But just as she moved one hand away, she felt JC start to sway.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to call for a nurse?”

“That’ll take too long, can you please just help?  I really have to go.”

Lisa turned red, how did she get herself into these situations?  “Just don’t look,” JC suggested helpfully.

“Alright, I’ll hold you up, but the rest is all you – understood?”

“Yep.”

Lisa’s hands clutched his waist as she stepped behind him, trying to get out of view.  She gave him the support he needed as he undid the tie to his pajama pants. 

“This is not in my job description,” she mumbled with her head tucked between his shoulder blades. 

Breathless, JC replied, “You quit, remember, and there is no job description for friends.”

“Is that what we are?  Friends?”  She spoke loudly trying not to think about what was going on in front of her.

“It’s what I’d like to be again.  I’m sorry about the past six months.”  He finished doing what he needed to and retied his pants.  “Okay, I’m done.” 

Still blushing, Lisa moved back to his side, careful not to look up into his face.  “Normally, I would force you over to the sink, but since I don’t want to have to carry you back to bed, I’ll bring the sink to you when you’re settled.  Just don’t touch anything; it freaks me out when people go to the bathroom and don’t wash their hands.”

JC leaned on Lisa more and more, she feared he was at the end of his stamina.  This must be so hard for JC, he was the most active man; he always had to be moving and now to be winded and tired just walking the ten feet to the bathroom must be devastating. 

He stayed where he fell into the bed, having no more energy to move himself to a more comfortable position.  Lisa gave him a moment to catch his breath while she got a soapy washcloth from the bathroom.  One hand at a time, she gently washed and dried his hands.  Tossing the washcloth into a nearby hamper, she tenderly maneuvered his body into a more comfortable pose.  As if he were a doll, she arranged his legs, taking a moment to rub a quivering muscle. 

JC’s eyes followed her the whole time.  He had closed them immediately upon reaching the bed, but when she began to wash his hands, they flew open.  He really didn’t deserve her, he decided.  Quitting was probably the smartest move she had ever made.  If she hadn’t, JC most likely would’ve continued to treat her as badly as he had been. 

Therapy took it’s toll on everyone around JC.  He screamed and yelled in frustration, threw things (but never at someone, having learned his lesson), cried in pain, and laughed in joy.  JC had lost so much muscle mass from his time in the coma that he had to build it all back up. 

But JC was determined.  He spent hours at therapy every day, many of the hours were on his own, trying to get back to the shape he had been in before the accident.  Once he had been released from the hospital, he moved into a private rehabilitation center where his condition would still be monitored and therapists were on call during the day. 

JC had convinced Lisa to stay the nights while he was still in the hospital, but after he moved, she went back to stay with Joey and Kelly once more.  She made frequent visits to JC’s therapy sessions, but now that he had been gaining strength, she came less often. 

There were some days in the beginning of therapy that JC had been so frustrated he had started to take his attitude out on her until he calmed down and realized what he was doing.  After that, he always apologized and tried to make amends. 

JC’s mouth was tight and the area around his mouth was completely white from the strain, but he was running.  It had taken weeks to build back the strength he had lost during his three-week coma.  But he had done it, he was running on the treadmill!  The therapist stood close by to help if he needed it, but JC was determined to do it by himself. 

Lisa stood out of his sight, watching proudly.  He didn’t know she was there and the treadmill came to a stop and he hopped off just as she was about to announce herself. That was when JC turned to the beautiful therapist and pulled her into his chest.  He ducked his head and gave her a long, intimate kiss. 

Lisa’s heart broke at the sight, she took a step back, but backed into a chair  causing it to skid across the floor making a screeching sound.  It caught the attention of the two in the embrace.  

JC looked up startled, annoyance on his face until he saw who had interrupted them.  The annoyance transferred to Tina’s face instead, but there was also a hint of jealous anger there as well.  JC’s face transformed into a brilliant smile.  He sat heavily on a stool that was close by and wrapped an arm around Tina’s waist, pulling her close to his body.  She flashed a triumphant smile toward Lisa that went unnoticed by JC. 

“I was running, Lisa, did you see me?”  He exclaimed excitedly, breathing heavily. 

“I did, Jace, I’m so proud of you, you have come so far!”  Lisa hoped that if he detected any tears in her eyes, he would attribute them to joy at seeing him running. 

“I’m not up to my dancing days yet, but soon, I think.”

Lisa chuckled, “You have to remember that you’re not as young as you were back then anyway.”

JC choked on the water he was drinking at her statement as Tine threw her a dirty look.  “I’m going to forget you said that.  Anyway, I was thinking that this calls for a celebration and what better way to celebrate than with my girlfriend and one of my best friends.”  He caressed Tina’s waist as he looked between the women. 

Tina whispered loudly enough for Lisa to hear, “JC, I thought it would just be the two of us tonight.  You promised.”

JC drew back from Tina as he looked up at her in shock.  But before he could give voice to what he was thinking, Lisa interrupted.

“Actually, I can’t go.  I just came to talk to you for a moment.”

Lisa couldn’t believe that she was about to do this, but she could no longer stand by and watch JC with all these other women.  She thought they were becoming closer as they had spent so much time together since JC’s accident, but apparently JC still only thought of her as a good friend.  Kelly had tried to convince her to hang on and Lisa had agreed until she walked in and saw JC and Tina in an embrace. 

“Sure, what’s up?”  JC pulled another chair over next to him and patted the seat. 

Lisa hesitated, glancing at Tina.  JC caught the hint.  “Can you give us a sec, babe?”

She smiled down at JC, leaning over him so her hair hid their faces from view as she gave him a lingering kiss.  Straightening up, she tossed a haughty look at Lisa as she sauntered away from JC, never leaving earshot. 

Walking over to sit next to JC, she took a shaky breath.  “JC, I’m so happy that you are doing so well.”

JC waited and when she didn’t say any more, “That’s what you came to tell me?  You seem so serious.”

Lisa looked deep into JC’s eyes, “I just came to tell you goodbye, I’m going back home to Ohio.”

JC rose on his quivering legs, “What are you talking about?”

“It’s time.”  Lisa said simply.  

“But – but  -  is it money?  I can give you money.  I can hire you as my assistant again.  I promise I’ll be so much better now.”

Lisa shook her head, not willing to listen to his protests, her mind already made up.  “JC, you know as well as I do that we do better as friends than we ever did as employer and employee.”

He sank back down next to her, “That’s true, but why now?”

She shrugged, “I think it’s time, I was making plans to go back home when you had your accident….”  Her voice drifted off. 

JC sighed.  “Your mind is made up?”

Lisa nodded, “Yeah, it is.”

“Are you going back for good?”

“I don’t know yet, we’ll see, there are lots of divas out here that need an assistant so after I take off for a couple of months, I may come back out.”  An offer for him to come visit her died on her lips, she wasn’t sure that she could deal with a clinging girlfriends presence in her home.   

Giving a wry smile, he nodded, “And some of those divas have changed their ways, thanks to you.”  He grabbed her hand tightly in his.  “I’m going to miss you.  I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me and for sticking by me even when I was a jerk.”

“I couldn’t do anything less.”  Lisa lowered her lashes, afraid he would see too much in her eyes.  “Well, I’ve just got a few things left to pack then I’m outta here.”  She stood and tried to pull her hand away, but JC just put it around his neck as he pulled her close for a hug.  Even thought he had been sweating, she still loved how he smelled.  There was a hint of his musky deodorant mixed with the sweet smell of his sweat. 

Drawing back, he said, “You’ll call when you get there?”

“Yeah,” she stepped back from his embrace.

“You know I’m going to be calling to see what you think about the show, right?  Remember how you used to give me your opinions on how I judged the dance teams.  I’m not letting you off the hook that easily.”

“Sure, I’ll be happy to let you know where you went wrong, you knew I have those decades of dance experience.”  She laughed since she had two left feet. 

“I look forward to it and I look forward to your return out here, where you belong.” 

“Yeah, well, I’d better get out of here.  You take care of yourself and keep working at your therapy.”  Lisa turned toward the door, wanting to exit before she started crying. 

“Hey,” he called to her.  “Don’t forget me.”

She spun around, walking backwards for a moment, but never stopping.  “I won’t, I couldn’t.”  The smile left her face as she left the building.  “I won’t forget you, but you’ll forget me.”