“You made it just in time, Joey,” Dr. Delaney said. “It’s always important to keep an eye out for signs of infection and to get help right away. For people undergoing cancer treatment, when their white blood cell count is low and their immune system isn’t one hundred percent, it becomes even more crucial.” To Joey’s mates, he added, “That was smart thinking on your part, boys. Real smart.” 

Chris said hoarsely, “It wasn’t hard to tell that something was wrong. When I touched Joey’s face and felt how hot he was, I knew we had to bring him here.”

Dr. Delaney nodded in approval. “All the more reason to act promptly, because a fever is often the first red flag.” 

“Will he be okay?” asked Lance in a voice even huskier than Chris’s.

“How long will he have to stay here?” added Justin.

Raking his fingers through his dark, disheveled hair, Dr. Delaney replied softly, “We’d better keep him here for at least one more day, to play it safe, and he should most definitely take it easy for the next week or so. I’ll prescribe a special antibiotic, too. Other than that, I don’t expect any surprises. Bringing him in here as quickly as you did also comes in his favor; like I said, the sooner you seek help for these things, the better.”

All this time, Joey stayed quiet. He lay in his new hospital bed with the stance and liveliness of a sodden rag, gazing at the wall on his right side without seeing it. He felt the most unpleasant sense of déjà vu sweep over him like a tidal wave.

As if this weren’t demoralizing enough, JC’s sharp voice kept ringing in his ears: “What would you do if something happened to you? What if you caught something or did something that put you in the ER in two seconds? What then?”

Joey closed his eyes. When JC found out about this—it was only a matter of time, beyond a doubt—he would never let Joey live it down.

Though Joey was well aware of the risks he’d been taking lately, he still dreaded being cooped up in this place, still loathed with a passion the constant reminders of his own poor health. How long ago it seemed when he could go wherever or do whatever without feeling like a china doll amid a horde of elephants. Now here he was, just as JC predicted, and his carelessness would surely be rubbed further in his face.

Joey buried his face in his hands, unable to repress a small groan. He heard Dr. Delaney’s footsteps leave the room, and he waited for the other guys to say something. When no one said anything for a good while, he slowly dared to take his hands away and open his eyes.

Lance stood at the big window, leaning against the thick glass with one arm just above his head. He had his other hand shoved in the rear pocket of his black jeans, and of course it was impossible to read his expression with his back turned.

Justin stood at the wall on Joey’s left. His eyes were closed and his head tilted backward against the wall; he looked dead on his feet.

As for Chris, he half-sat in one of the overstuffed chairs near the base of the bed. His legs were spread out at odd angles, and the hand that didn’t hide his face dangled listlessly over the armrest.

It seemed like hours before anyone broke the unsettling silence. It was Lance who broke it first. Without turning his head, he said, “Boy, talk about a close shave.”

“Too close for my liking,” Chris muttered with his hand still covering his eyes. “We should never have done this, guys. We should never have gone to that concert.”

“Too late for that now,” Justin countered.

Joey said dully, “Concert or no concert, it was probably just a matter of time, anyway. We all know how open I am to pretty much anything these days. Even a common cold poses a greater threat than it used to.”

Now Chris looked up and straightened his posture a little. With a subtle but definite edge to his voice, he said, “You should have said something earlier, Joey.”

“And miss out on that special night with Sheri?” Joey shook his head. “I don’t think so, man. You know that was Elton John’s only night in this city, and we would never have gotten this opportunity again.”

Chris shook his head. “You can’t keep playing this game, dude. You might not be so lucky next time.”

“We all knew the risk we were taking, Chris,” said Lance, now turning his head just enough to face the older man properly. “Joey wasn’t any more vulnerable at the concert than he would have been anywhere else.”

“There were a lot more people at that concert, Lance, and so the risk was much greater,” Chris said tersely. “You know that as well as anyone.”

Lance had no response to this other than a deep, disconsolate sigh, and he turned away again.

At length, Justin opened his eyes and said, “With luck, this will only be a fluke.”

“I hope so, too,” said Joey, “because there are still several things I need to do for Sheri while she’s still here.” 

“Oh, no, you don’t, mister,” Chris interjected, rising taller in his seat. “You’ve done plenty on Sheri Cooper’s behalf already. More than plenty.”

“Half her bucket list is already checked off,” Justin said. “That’s good enough, don’t you think?” 

Joey shook his head harder and insisted, “Not to me, it isn’t.”

Chris’s eyes narrowed and his lips pressed into a pencil-thin line. “You must be crazy.”

Joey shot back, “You know what? Maybe I am crazy, Chris. What I’m doing may not be the smart thing to do—but it is the right thing to do.”

“You really mean to go through with this,” said Lance, looking over his shoulder once more.

“Until the very end. Don’t bother trying to change my mind, because it’s already made up.” Joey braced himself for Chris’s comeback.

For a moment, Chris looked ready to deliver some very choice words. But then he just sighed, a long, weary sigh that seemed to stem from his rubber soles, and he flopped back against the chair. This time, he put his face in both hands, and he ran his hands up and down a fair number of times before raking them through his brown spikes and dropping them in his lap. When he spoke, he said more calmly, though an edge still lingered, “Okay, Joey. If that’s how it’s gonna be, that’s how it’s gonna be. But for the record, I do not approve.”

“I don’t expect you to,” Joey replied quietly. 

Chris nibbled his lip, then added in a softer, more pleading tone, “Just…just watch out for yourself, will you? I don’t want you going anywhere anytime soon.”

“I’ll second that,” said Justin as he pushed himself off the wall.

“And I’ll third that,” Lance chimed in.

“I will,” Joey answered, even as he wondered just how well he would be able to keep such a promise.