"How was your CAT scan?" Rachel asked as Melissa was wheeled back into the room with her. She tried not to smile as her best friend gave her a look that asked if she had gone crazy. "Just wanted to know if it was as fun as mine trying not to get sick while the thing whirred around my head." She was a glad a smile creased the corners of her friends mouth.
"It was a CAT scan. Now I feel like I'm on a tilt a whirl and want to get off," Melissa replied, sitting up a little and grimacing when her ribs caught with the tape that was on them. "Someone get that license plate of the truck that hit us?" she joked, leaning her head back as tears came. Melissa felt bad Rachel had gotten hurt, and most of all wanted the one thing she couldn't have. She was doing what she'd always done when things got too much, she was running away. And now she'd gotten her friend hurt. None of this came out, only in tears. It had scared her to see it all happen in slow motion, the truck colliding with her Mustang and the screech of the tires and other cars.
"Hey," Rachel said, getting up gingerly to make her way over to her friend, putting an arm around her and pulling her in close. "We're alright, Mel. I called the guys....they were worried. I told them I'd call them back before the show so they could hear your beautiful voice," Rachel sighed inwardly as Melissa cried harder. "Buck up, little camper..you cry on them and they'll freak out."
Melissa wiped her eyes and tried to get her emotions in check. "Did you cry?" she asked, eyeing Rachel and watching Rachel nod. "Just call them," she finally said, watching Rachel dial the number.
The phone rang and there was a fight for the phone, Justin coming up with it. "Talk to me, gorgeous," Justin said, holding up a finger and putting it on speaker. "You're on with all of us, Rachel," he said, holding the phone in the middle of the guys.
“I told you I'd call when Melissa got back. Say hi, Mel,” Rachel said.
"Hey," Melissa told them all, listening to a chorus of hi's. "I survived the wreck, and them giving me shots...and a CAT scan that made me want to throw up. I'm fine," she lied, hoping they would believe her.
"Bullshit," Justin said before anyone else could, "Rachel said you looked like you went a few rounds with Holyfield and broke your ankle and shit. That is not fine, chica."
"Okay, so other than all that stuff, you're fine," Chris asked, his eyes going to Joey's. He watched Joey chew his bottom lip, and not look at anyone, just the phone. "Cause we got people over here about to flip out."
“Oh I'm wonderful, Kirkpatrick. Couldn't be better,” Melissa snapped at Chris, sighing. She swallowed hard. “I'm sorry, Christopher. I'm alright. I'm here with Rachel in this nice room and a button to push to make a nurse come in and give me pain meds. And I get to have surgery on my ankle in the morning,” she told them, looking over at Rachel then leaned her head on her best friend's shoulder. “Don't worry about us. We're fine. Gonna sit here and watch television and mourn over my car. I loved that damn car.”
“We can get you another one, Chica. It's just a car. What kind do you want?” Justin asked, frowning when he heard a sniffle. “What did I say?” he asked, his hand over the reciever.
Joey had an angry look on his face when he lifted his head to face Justin. “I took her to get that car. Signed the note on it and wrote the fucking check. Graduation present,” he hissed.
“And earlier you fucking said who cared about the fucking car?” Justin retorted angrily, glaring at Joey, hearing the phone shuffle. “Rach?” he said, not sure who he was talking to.
“Yep. It's okay Timberlake...” Rachel looked at her friend who was just staring at the television a tear or two escaping down her cheek. “Kick ass at the show for us tonight.” It was her not so subtle way of changing the subject.
“We'll see you later tonight,” Lance promised the girls, hanging up the phone after the guys said goodbye.
“What the fuck?” Justin growled at Joey, body checking him slightly as he walked by. “I didn't know any of that shit about Mel's car. You were bitching earlier because she was worried about the car. So either you don't give a shit or it's tearing you up,” he watched Joey fight his emotions, shaking his head.
“Let's just get through the show,” Lance said, waiting to get the mic hooked up to his clothes, trying to defuse the situation. “We gotta do this and them I'm out to L.A for a day or so.”
The other men nodded, finishing up what they needed to do to get ready.
“I'm going with you,” JC told Lance as they got on the lift.
Lance nodded, listening to the crowd go crazy. He'd felt better now that he'd heard his sister's voice as well. That wouldn't compare to seeing Rachel and Melissa, praying that the show would go fast. He caught Joey's eye and wished the other man was going as well. He doubted that would happen with Kristen being there waiting for them backstage. He couldn't imagine her being thrilled if Joey announced he was hopping on a plane. He heard Justin sing 'Dirty Pop' and tried to get his mind to focus. A couple of hours and he'd be on a plane heading to California.
*^*^*^*^*^*^
“We'll call you when we get to the hospital. Someone better have their phone on,” JC told the other three guys who were gathered in the room they'd started in before the show. “We'll be back in time for the curtain to go up in Dallas,” he said, ticking off the plan for the next day. Joey, Justin and Chris had a radio interview with one of the Dallas radio stations after the buses pulled in the next day.
“I'll have my phone on,” Joey told him, wishing he was going. He'd mentioned it to Kristen and she'd given him a nasty look. He relented, but that didn't mean they were done talking about it. It was his friends in the hospital and it hurt him that he couldn't go. He felt like it was his fault Melissa was there. It was a constant fight with his mind. Hating himself for sleeping with Kristen, getting her pregnant and the happiness he felt at the news of impending fatherhood. The two parts went back and forth while his heart reminded him that he felt empty. All while he had to keep pretending he was happy.
“Had no doubts you wouldn't be up,” Lance said, clapping his best friend on the shoulder. “I'll call you first.”
“Sure, call him first,” Justin teased, rolling his eyes at Joey. “Leave us out. Chasez will tell us what's the 4-1-1.”
“Be careful,” Chris told them, not missing the raised voice of Joey as he'd walked by the dressing room earlier. He hadn't stayed to listen, but he could tell Joey wasn't happy.
Justin watched two of their bandmates leave and looked at the two remaining members. “Well, this officially fucking sucks ass. We tried to talk her out of moving,” his eyes went to Joey's. “You tried to talk to Mel, right? Tell her you needed her to stay? Begged or some shit?”
“And what good would that have done, Justin?” Joey held up his left hand, showing his ring finger. “You seem to think it's just that easy to forget now that I'm married. I lied to her and told her I'd be happy. So here I am-”
“Fucking miserable,” Justin interjected. “No need to lie among friends.” He flinched when Joey cussed, his fist hitting the door and making the metal rattle. “That's it, Rocky. Beat the shit out of something. Let off that steam.” He smirked when Joey flipped him off, looking at Chris after Joey had walked away.
“You shouldn't do that. He's hurting,” Chris said as they went to grab their bags.
“What are we doing? Fucking living with rainbows and god damn unicorns? I'm not tiptoeing around Joey just because his life's riding on the roller coaster from Hell. Besides, you know Melissa's just as miserable as he is. It's like one of those Shakespeare tragedies. No one fucking makes it out happy, or alive.”
Chris gave Justin an odd look and shook his head. “Somehow, I don't even want to know. You need some therapy or something. You make it sound like Joey and Mel are going to be miserable forever.”
“Dawg, if I fucking lost my soulmate, I wouldn't have bothered to leave my house. Just let me lay there and die. But not our Joey, he's going down in a blaze of glory,” Justin hitched his bag onto his shoulder and waited for Chris so they could walk together.
“What about Mel?” Chris asked, still not quite sure what Justin was talking about.
“Chica's gonna get out there and realize her life goes on. Then she'll be the girl none of us knows, all the time wanting Joey back. She won't say it, but no one will be her Joey. So she tries to substitute it with whatever...Trust me on this.”
“You sound insane, Justin. Either insane or a genuis,” Chris told him as they were then flanked by security to get on their respective tour buses. “You write songs about this shit don't you?” he asked, halfway leaning out of the door to the bus.
“It's what I live for,” Justin called out with a laugh, getting on the empty bus. He sat down and sighed after the bus started going, watching the fans yell and shout as it left, giving a wave and then looking around at the empty seats that his friends usually sat in. His mind was full, unable to relax. His thoughts went to Rachel and Melissa, glad they were alright. He'd only teased Joey because it was how Justin dealt with situations that made him scared. It unnerved him to think of his friends being so upset over the absence of the other. Justin picked up his phone and sent off a text message. 'You missed the Astrodome.'
He smiled when he got one back, his phone beeping. 'No shit.My car was turned into a sardine can. How was the show?'
'As always, we sucked big donkey balls.'
'F-U Timberlake.'
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
JC tried to relax, but it was hard. It was no secret he hated hospitals. He disliked the smell of them and automatically his mind went to the worst thing that could happen. The girls could really be hurt worse than they'd said, something could go wrong and them not be there in time...for what Josh didn't know. He rubbed his palms on his jeans and looked over at Lance. “This is a non-stop flight, right?” he asked, knowing it was, but wanting confirmation.
“Yeah, we'll be there in a couple hours. Take a deep breath. It's not as bad as what you're making it out to be. Quit over thinking it in that head of yours.” Lance sat there a few minutes. “Thanks for coming with me, man. You didn't have to ya know.”
Josh studied the people around him, watching the other first class passengers read or watch the in flight movie. Others were sleeping and he was about to jump out of his skin from nerves. “Yeah I did. Call it crazy, but I have to go see those two with my own eyes...If I don't I'll be waking up screaming with nightmares from some movie.” He tried to smile at his own joke, but couldn't, running a hand over his face.
Lance nodded, letting the comment go. He leaned back in his seat and sighed, trying to think of something other than the wreck and about all the drama surrounding them. As a group, they were under a microscope for everything. If Joey's hair changed color or Justin made an off color comment, the world knew about it the next day. They'd all dealt with Joey's recent nuptuals as best as they could. He wanted to say that he was happy for Joey, but it was difficult to stomach. And Rachel was trying to be the best friend to Melissa that she was and not treat Joey any differently than before. Lance looked at his phone. “How do you think the other three will do at the radio interview?” he asked, hoping it would go well.
“We left the three stooges...How do you think it will go?” JC asked, looking at Lance. “Although with Joey's state of mind, it might turn out okay.”
“Or a disaster,” Lance interjected. Both men talked for a little while about various subjects, getting quiet for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. They had both had a consensus of calling the hospital as soon as they landed so that they could be taken straight to the private room where Melissa and Rachel were.
The passengers on the plane slowly came to life as the captain came on and announced that they would be landing in fifteen minutes. JC looked over at Lance and raised an eyebrow. “You think the nurses have given the girls some good meds yet?”
“I'd have knocked them out as soon as they got in the room,” Lance chuckled. “I'm sure they've had something for pain. My sister ought to be good and pissed off if she can't have anything until after surgery tomorrow.”
“Have I mentioned I hate hospitals?” JC reiterated, putting his seatbelt on. The knot in his stomach came back, anxious to see Rachel. That feeling scared him as well, not sure what was going on with the two of them. Not someone to get involved with someone who was already in a relationship, Josh knew he was playing with fire wearing his feelings so close to the surface. At the same time, he couldn't help it. Since New Year's, JC had been fighting his feelings. Before then, if he admitted it, but kissing Rachel had sealed the deal. It had brought him to where he was now, breathing a sigh of relief when the plane landed and taxied down the tarmac.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Rachel laid in the hospital bed, her eyes closed. The beeping noises and hallway sounds kept her awake. Also the thought of Lance and JC being on their way. It wasn't that JC was coming that was a problem, it was why. She reasoned it could be because he didn't want Lance to come by himself. In the back of her mind, Rachel wanted to think it was because of her. It sounded selfish, but it made her feel better that she was attractive to a man again. That she felt something for someone who she thought liked her. Something that wasn't an act. She'd smiled big when she'd gotten the text from JC when he said he was coming with Lance.
There was no pretending to like Josh. Rachel had told herself that a couple of weeks ago. She liked him. Loved him even. That train of thought was broken by a sniffle. Melissa was laying in the bed next to hers, her head not facing where she could see. "What's wrong?" It sounded like a stupid question, considering everything her friend had been through, but Rachel wasn't a mind reader.
Melissa had tried to be quiet. Tears coursing down her cheeks had wet the pillow and her hair. Nothing had gone right since the year started. She heard Rachel's voice and wanted to laugh at the question, but instead swallowed and turned her head. "I want Joey," her voice was soft and sounded slightly hoarse. "I want him here, Rachel. I shouldn't want that, but I want to see him smile and hold my hand... Tell me everything's okay."
Rachel twisted around and got to where she could sit up and not knock around her arm that was in a sling. "I thought you were doing alright with all of this," she told Melissa, getting up and wincing when she put weight on her legs. Her whole body felt like it had been beaten and shook, hurting when she moved towards her friend's bed.
"I don't know if I'll ever be truly alright with this," Melissa whispered, using the back of her hand to wipe tears. "I've loved Joey for so long. And we had just started the next part of our relationship. After all this time being just friends we were able to move on. I got to see how it felt to really be with him. To be his. And then it was just all snatched away and I'm not even left with a friend. I feel empty; like there is this big void that's missing."
Rachel took up the side of the bed Melissa had vacated when she'd rolled to her side and she felt awful for her friend. For a moment she thought of what it would be like if she and Melissa weren't friends. It wasn't the relationship like she had with Joey, but Rachel knew as friends, she'd be devastated. A part of her would be missing, someone who was her sister. "I'm sorry, Mel," she replied, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I have no doubt Joey's worried about you..it will drive him crazy that Josh will be here and not him."
Melissa didn't smile at the thought. "I doubt JC's coming to just see me," her eyes met Rachel's. “He hates hospitals and it bothers him if someone he cares about is in one. He'll be imagining a scene from a horror movie by the time him and my brother get here."
Rachel smiled slightly at the thought of him braving the hospital for them. "Josh will come and then wish he'd have stayed on the bus."
"Whatever," Melissa gave Rachel the 'talk to the hand sign' after wiping her tears. She rolled over and stared at the wall. She wasn't mad at Rachel, or even upset at JC for coming. It would be nice to see Josh. However, it wasn't the same. No one was coming just to see her. She was happy for her friend. A pang of jealousy went through her. JC could tell all sorts of lies, but she knew he was coming to see Rachel. And even though Lance was coming for both of them, he'd be worrying about Rachel. Melissa rolled back over on her back. “I guess this will teach me to move. Welcome to California,” she snorted, trying to make the hurt go away.
“At least it wasn't your fault,” Rachel pointed out, grabbing the remote that was attached to her bed, flipping on the television. “Look what's on.” A smile crossed her face when Carson Daly's face appeared on the MTV screen, a re-run of TRL on.
“Lovely. Have fun. I'm going to try and sleep,” Melissa told her, knowing it would probably be impossible. “Love you Rach.”
“I love you too,” her friend replied, a small smile coming to her face as Pop started. She figured Melissa was over there listening, hearing the bed shift once more when Joey's part came up. “I knew you were awake.”
“You can so tell that is Wade's body. Unless Joey went on a diet. Kristen's probably stuffing healthy food down him every chance she gets,” Melissa sat up a little. “Send him to the store for bok chow or some shit.” Tears streamed down her face at the thought, not sure if she thought it was sad or funny. “He'd be lost for hours...”
“He'd hit up the McDonald's and buy fries just to piss her off. You know that.”
“You came home smelling like fries. Fries aren't healthy,” Melissa laughed a little, wiping tears. “Hi, my name is Joey Fatone and I'm addicted to McDonald's fries because my pregnant wife refuses to let me eat real food.”
Rachel let her friend get quiet and then looked over at her some minutes later, passed out. “Damn you, Joey,” she muttered. She toyed with the idea, but left it alone. She wasn't about to get involved in business that wasn't hers. She had enough on her plate. TRL came back on and Rachel smiled wide as the Backstreet Boys played. She turned the volume down and closed her eyes, hoping to get some rest before Lance and JC showed up in a little bit.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Lance paused a moment at the door, looking at the paper that was inside the clear holder next to the room number. 'Private Room' it said. 'Weatherly/Bass' underneath that. He and Josh stepped into the darkened room, the television on, casting a glow on the beds.
“Hi,” Rachel said softly turning her head when the door opened, tears pricking her eyes as both men came up to her, one on either side of the bed. She was expecting the nurse, but was glad it was them. “I told you I was alright,” she told JC, but had wound her fingers into Lance's. “You got here fast.”
“Non stop flight,” Lance said, leaning down to kiss Rachel softly, wiping her tears. “Shhh..It's okay, Rach,” he leaned down and gingerly gave her a hug. It made him feel better to see Rachel, listening to JC talk to her as he turned his head to see his sister laying there, staring at him. “Mel.”
Melissa swallowed hard, pushing down the momentary jealousy at her brother and JC. She'd woken up to see them in the room, figuring Rachel had been awake. “Hey, Lance,” she turned and grabbed the bed clicker, moving the top part up some so she could sit up. “Welcome to Cedar Sinai,” she joked, hugging him, wincing when he touched her face gingerly. “That airbag hits like a bitch.”
Lance chuckled and shrugged. “Mom and Dad were coming, but their flight got turned around because of storms. So it looks like it's just me and Josh.” He watched Melissa bite her lip and nod.
“You and JC are wonderful to come. I told you not to come though,” Rachel admonished both men.
“What kind of guys would we be if we left you two here by yourselves?” JC told Rachel, sitting down beside her in a chair. He looked her over carefully for any other bruises that he could see, anything that might need attention. All Josh knew was that he'd have come no matter what the situation would have been. That thought alone struck him silent as he listened to the conversations around him, content to just sit and hear what was said, stealing glances at Rachel when he hoped no one was looking.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here is the rest of the chapter. My muses are long winded. :) Enjoy, leave feedback and let me know what you think.
Story Tags: joey
