Somehow, Joey convinced a nurse to tell him the location of Sheryl Cooper’s room. He had to be taken there in a wheelchair, since he couldn’t walk or stand, but he was willing to forego his pride for the time being. Once they reached their destination, the nurse left Joey with the reminder to keep the visit short and simple.

Inside the room, which wasn’t much different from his own, Joey found Sheri lying on her bed with her face turned to the wall. Giving her a light tap on the shoulder, he called her name softly. Gentle as he was, she gave quite a start before turning to him. Even then, she was understandably taken aback at the sight of him. “Surprise,” Joey told her with a smile. “Looks like I’m now the one to drop in on you, for a change.”

“Joey!” Sheri blinked several times. She started to reach toward him, then withdrew her hand before she could touch him. “What—what are you doing here?”

“For the same reasons you came to see me. I wanted to see you, make sure you were okay.” Joey paused. “And I also wanted to apologize for what happened today…you know, with the other guys, especially JC.”

The hot pink of Sheri’s face rivaled that of her bandanna. Slowly, she pulled herself a little more upright, grunting at the effort and discomfort. When she spoke, she said softly, “Their reactions were logical enough. I know I shouldn’t have surprised you the way I did.”

“You did take us by surprise,” Joey had to admit, “especially me. Still, JC didn’t have to go so over the top. You did an awesome job at keeping it together, but I could tell how embarrassed you were when you went out. I’m sorry, Sheri.”

“I’m sorry, too.” She shook her head and sighed. “And you’re right. That’s about the most humiliating moment of my entire life. You see five of your idols in the same room, five people whom you’re about as likely to meet in the flesh as you are to win the lottery, and when they do see you…” She trailed off and didn’t finish, but Joey got the message.

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m glad you came, and I love your hat.”

“I can see that,” she said, a little smile gracing her lips as she regarded the woolen cap, still pulled snugly over Joey’s head.

He smiled again and adjusted the rim a bit. “It’s wonderful, and knowing you made it with your own hands makes it even more special. You really made my day, Sheri.” He saw the girl’s eyes brighten, and the sight warmed his heart.

“Well,” she said at length, “I’m glad to hear that. I’m glad I could make you happy, for once.” After another minute, she went on, “You know, I thought it might be my imagination, but I would have sworn you’d been crying earlier.”

Bowing his head, Joey said quietly, “It wasn’t your imagination. I did have a bit of a breakdown today.”

“Ohh.”

Joey’s face was all but burning, and not just from fever, but he kept talking. “I don’t know what happened. I guess everything that’s been going on these last few weeks just…caught up with me. It was like I’d been holding too much inside and I couldn’t hold it in any longer.”

“I know what that’s like.”

His gaze tangled with hers. “You do, don’t you?”

Toying absently with her butterfly pendant, she said, “I’d lost it so many times, I can’t even begin to count them. Sometimes I screamed and threw anything I could get my hands on; other times, I curled up in my mother’s arms like a little girl with a boo-boo. Even to this day, I allow myself a good cry on occasion.”

Joey couldn’t say he blamed her. Lifting a hand to the back of his neck, he confessed, “Now that I think about it, I’m pretty ashamed of the way I acted.”

She looked at him curiously. “Why?”

“Because my case is nothing like yours.” He looked to her legs, which lay hidden beneath the sheets. “I feel like an idiot for making such a big deal out of this when I’ve never had to deal with what you have.”

“So?”

Startled at her comeback, he stared into her eyes once more and asked, “So, what? What right do I have to complain and carry on the way I do? If anyone’s been hurting around here, it’s you.”

“And you hurt, too,” Sheri countered. “Regardless of our situations, you still have your share of pain. What’s happening to you also sucks big-time, and there’s no shame in letting it show. In fact, I dare anyone to tell me they can make it through something like this unscathed. I would love to see them try.”

“And yet you still take other people into consideration.” Joey placed his hand gently over hers. “I don’t care what JC or any of the guys say or think. From what I’ve seen of you, you’ve got a heart of solid gold, Sheri.”

She blushed for the second time in less than a half-hour. “Actually, Joey,” she said when she found her voice, “could I make a small confession?”

“Of what?”

“The real reason I came to see you today wasn’t because of my present. I got lonely and wanted to try to catch you again, if only for a few minutes.”

Surprised at this disclosure, he asked her, “Don’t you get any visitors?”

“Aside from my mom, my sister, and you, not really.”

“What about your friends?”

She shook her head. “I haven’t seen or spoken to most of them for some time. They live too far away and have too many other things going on in their lives, anyhow.”

“And your dad?” Joey hadn’t meant to let that last question slip, and he gave himself a mental kick in the rear.

Sheri didn’t hesitate to answer, though her voice was quiet and laced with tangible pain. “My dad became history when I was nine. Where he is today, what he’s up to, or whether he’s even aware of my existence, is anybody’s guess.”

“Wow,” Joey whispered while a white-hot rod ran through his heart and his stomach iced over. “I…I’m sorry.”

“Besides,” Sheri continued, lowering her gaze and gathering part of the top sheet into her fist, “I won’t be here for much longer, anyway, and I’d hoped to see you at least one more time before I go.”

“Go? As in, you’re going home?”

“Yes, I’m going home…and I’m going there to stay.”