“Huh?” Now Joey was wide-awake. “Who’s there? Who are you?”

He turned his head in time to see a young woman come through the door. She was on crutches, which explained the tap-tap from before. 

She was easily shorter than Chris, and about as wide as a pencil. With a jolt like an electric shock, Joey saw she only had one leg; her right leg ended at the knee in a bandaged stub. But her jade-green eyes held a lively spark, and the smile on her face was sincere and inviting. Aside from her hospital getup, she wore a pale pink roller hat with a purple flower pin in it, and a blue and silver butterfly on a delicate chain dangled from her neck.

“Oh, my gosh!” she cried again when she had stationed herself properly by Joey’s bed. “I don’t believe it! I’ve heard talk about you, but I had no idea you’d be here, of all places!”

Joey furrowed his brow, unsure of whether to be more flattered or more disturbed. “Excuse me?” 

“You’re Joey Fatone, right? From the world-famous pop group, ‘N Sync?”

“Yes,” Joey said slowly after an awkward pause. “And may I ask who you are?” 

“Sorry,” she said, giving herself a light jab in the forehead. “Where are my manners? I’m Sheri. Sheryl Ann Cooper, to be exact, but everybody calls me Sheri.”

“Nice to meet you…Sheri.” 

“Is it all right if I sit with you for a while?” She added quickly, “Not to creep you out; I just feel the desperate need to sit. I can’t stay on these suckers for too long.” She hefted one of the crutches for emphasis.

“Sure,” was all Joey could find to say. 

With some effort, the one-legged girl named Sheri settled into one of the spare chairs. “Ahh, that's much better!”

Again, Joey couldn’t take his eyes away from her stump, and before he could stop himself, he asked, “What happened to you?”

He expected her to get flustered or defensive, to tell him to mind his own business. Instead, she replied without hesitation, preamble, or the least hint of embarrassment, “Amputation. My leg was pretty much done for, so they lopped it off.”

Joey recoiled. “That’s awful! Are you going to be all right?” 

“Depends on your definition of ‘all right.’” Sheri ran her fingers gently over the gauze wrap, and though she was trying not to show it, Joey could tell she must hurt a great deal. His heart twisted for her. “How about you?” she asked at length. “What are you in for?”

“Cancer.” Even after giving utterance to that word several times, it still made a foul taste in Joey’s mouth. 

The girl’s eyes widened and her mouth formed a perfect O. “Oh, my…what kind?”

“Leukemia. Or AML, as they call it.” 

“Oh, wow,” she said softly, her face emanating heartfelt compassion. “I’m so sorry. Will you make it? I mean, are the odds in your favor?”

“From what my doctors tell me, it’s an impasse right now. I stand a pure fifty-fifty chance.” 

Sheri smiled again. “That’s good to hear. At least you’ve got that hope, and I hope it ultimately works out in your favor.”

“Thanks,” said Joey, also smiling in spite of himself. “That makes two of us, six counting the other guys.” 

Sheri’s eyes grew large again for a different reason. “Oooh, the other guys are here, too?”

“Yeah. I sort of kicked them out for the afternoon.” Joey paused, then said, “I take it you’re a huge ‘N Sync fan.” 

“Like, I only have five shrines built to you at my house,” Sheri said, and he cracked up with her. “Naw, I’m kidding. I listen to plenty of other stuff, too, but you guys definitely rank among my top five favorites. Maybe even my top three.”

“How long have you trailed us?”

“Oh, practically since the dawn of time. Late ninety-seven, I would guess; maybe early ninety-eight.”

He gave a low whistle. “Impressive!”

“I may not have an actual shrine,” Sheri said as she adjusted her crutches, “but I do own a copy of all your music, and I also keep an album with your pictures. It’s gotten quite thick over the years.”

“Dare I ask which of us is your favorite?”

She stuck out her lower lip. “Must you make me choose? To be honest, I love and appreciate each of you in your own way, though I always felt you and Lance and Chris deserved more of the limelight. I sure would have liked to hear your voice a lot more often.”

Joey’s heart lifted. Though he was used to being in the background in his band, it was always nice to have someone acknowledge him as an individual.

“You guys were cute enough—not that you still aren’t, of course.” Sheri winked, and Joey felt his face grow unexpectedly warm. “But it was your music that truly stood out to me. Believe it or not, it got me through some pretty rough times.”

“Really?” 

“Oh yeah. I won’t bore you with the details, but let’s just say there was more than one occasion when you were literally all that kept me from falling apart.” 

“Wow,” said Joey softly, now feeling humble. “I…I’m glad to hear that. I’m glad we could help you in some small way. And…I’m sorry for what you had to go through.” He looked to her missing leg one more time and she nodded solemnly.

“I’m sorry for what you’re going through, too. I’ve always dreamed of meeting at least one of you in person, but I never would have imagined it’d be under these circumstances.” She sighed. “Cancer is a mean and devious beast, I can tell you. Nothing I would ever wish upon even the worst people in world history.” 

“How would you know?” Joey didn’t mean it the way it sounded, and he hoped Sheri wouldn’t take offense.

Far from offended, the girl simply reached for her hat and pulled it away, saying, “I know all too well…because I’m a cancer victim, too.”