The past thirty-six hours had gone by in a blur.  Cassandra had nearly forgotten she was in a hospital.  JC had done so much for her.  He even sent her flowers.  They were beautiful.  It was a gorgeous arrangement of multi-colored carnations, ferns and baby’s breath.  He had been sitting with her, watching cartoons and laughing out loud when the nurse brought the flowers into the room.

            Her eyes widened as she looked from the flowers to the nurse.

            “These can’t be mine.”  She said incredulously.  JC simply smiled.

            “Oh, but they are.”  The nurse said.

            “Who are they from?”

            “Now how would I know that?”  The nurse almost sounded sarcastic.  “I guess you’ll have to read the card.”

            The nurse set the flowers on the night table, handed the gift card to Cassandra and left the room.

            “Well,” JC said.  “Who are they from?”  He bit his bottom lip to keep from smiling.  “Come on, read the card out loud.  It must be from a secret admirer or the boyfriend you didn’t tell me about!”

            As she pulled the card out of its small envelope, she looked at JC and noticed how hard he was fighting the smile that played at the corners of his mouth.

            Cassandra glanced down at the card for a moment, and then looked up into two of the happiest, bluest eyes she had ever seen.  She read the inscription on the card.

            ‘Cassandra, beautiful flowers for my beautiful new friend.  Glad we were held captive together.  JC’

            She looked at him again as her eyes filled with tears.  JC was so glad he had called his manager, Johnny, a second time to tell him what he wanted the card to say.

            “Hey, honey!  Don’t cry!  They’re meant to make you happy, not sad.”

            A single tear slid down her cheek.  JC reached up to gently brush it away.

            “I am happy JC.  It’s just, “ she looked down at her lap trying to avoid making eye contact.

            He crooked his finger under her chin and raised her face until she had no choice but to look him in the eye.

            “It’s just what?”  JC asked with a raised eyebrow and gentle voice.

            “I’ve never had flowers from anyone before.”  She almost looked embarrassed to admit it.

            He couldn’t believe what he had heard.  “You have got to be kidding me!”

            All she could do was shake her head.

            “Then I’m glad I got to be the first to give you flowers.”  With his finger still under her chin, he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.  It was sweet and quick, but as he started to pull back, Cassandra placed her hand on his arm and moved toward him, trying to lengthen the kiss.  JC accommodated her by leaning back in and wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against the wall of his chest.  Feeling her part her lips slightly, he took advantage of the moment and allowed his tongue to slip inside the warm recess of her mouth.  Their tongues touched tentatively as if both participants were unsure how far this kiss should go.

            The ringing of the telephone pulled the couple apart.

            ‘My God!  I think I hear bells!”  JC smiled brightly, even though his breathing needed to slow down.

            Cassandra smacked his shoulder.  “You silly goose!  It’s the telephone.”  She drew a deep breath to recover.

            He laughed and reached over to pick it up for her.  He handed her the receiver and his fingers brushed hers.  She swore she felt a charge of electricity run through her.

            “Hello?”  Cassandra answered as she smiled at what had to be the most handsome man she had ever met.

            “Hey, sis.  What’s going on?”

            “Hi, Marissa!  Not much, really.  I’m just hanging out waiting to see the doctor.  I’m gonna try to get him to send me home today.”

            “Cool.  Did they take out the I.V.?”

            “Not yet, but the nurse said she thought they might after lunch.  I’ll call you if I need a way home this afternoon.”

            JC’s ears perked up.  Home?  This afternoon?  He had to make plans – and he only had a short time to do it.

            “Alright, Cassandra.  I’ll wait to hear from you.”

            “Thanks, Sis.  I’ll talk to you later.”

            The girls hung up and Cassandra was lost in thought.

            “Hey, a penny for your thoughts.”

            Cassandra blinked herself back to reality.  “Oh, it’s nothing really.”

            He looked skeptical.  “Come on.  You can tell me.”

            She drew a deep breath.  “You know, it’s kind of funny, but after all of my moaning and groaning, the thought of going home doesn’t seem so great.”

            “What?  Why not?”  He seemed genuinely surprised.

            She looked into his blue eyes.  “Because of you.”  She said honestly.

            His eyes grew wide.  “Me?”

            Cassandra nodded.  “You’ve made this whole ordeal so much easier to handle.  Two or three days ago I was just a royal bitch on wheels.  Now,” she hesitated, searching for words.  “I don’t know.  I just really am not concerned about going home.  I could stay here just as long as the doctor wants, as long as you’re still here.”

            “Oh, man!  Now you’re condemning both of us to an indefinite stay in hell!  I think I’d prefer something a little more conducive to rest and relaxation.”

            Solemnly she met his gaze.

            “Guess that won’t be happening any time too soon, will it?”

            “Why not?”

            First, Cassandra looked down at her hands.  Then she looked back at JC.

            “JC,” she swallowed hard.  “I know who JC Chasez is.  I have an idea what your life is like.  I know that once you and I leave here, we’ll be going in our own separate directions.”

            “Why?  Is that what you want?”  His stare never wavered from making eye contact with her.

            “What do you mean?”  She asked JC a bit dumbfounded by his question.

            “I mean, don’t you want to see me after we leave here?  Does who I am have to change what we seem to be finding since we met here?”

            “That’s not what I meant.”  She said.

            “Then, maybe you should explain just what is it you meant!”

            “I don’t know if I can.”

            “Then let me see if I have the right picture.”  He took her hand into his.  “I like you.  You seem to like me.  We enjoy spending time together doing inane things like watching South Park and other cartoons.  But, because I’m some kind of celebrity, we can’t be together.  So, when we get discharged, I go back to my ivory tower somewhere and you’ll take your flowers, and memories, and go home to your little sister and just forget about everything we shared for these few brief days.  Does that about sum it up?”  He almost sounded angry.

            Cassandra didn’t respond.  She wasn’t sure what she should say.  He had pretty much said everything she had been thinking.

            Releasing her hands, he jumped to his feet and stood facing her.  “Damn it, Cassandra.”  He practically shouted at her.  “What kind of shallow, insensitive S.O.B. do you take me for?  Have I ever come across that I didn’t want to see you after we leave here?  Have I?”  He was demanding an answer.

            “No.”  She whispered to him.

            “Then don’t presume something about me that you know nothing about.  Man, that really pisses me off when people think they know things about you when they really don’t have a clue!”  He turned and started walking toward the door.

            “JC?”  She softly called after him.

            He stopped short, but didn’t turn around.  The last thing he needed right now was to see her dark eyes misted over with tears of sorrow.

            “Please don’t leave.”  Her voice broke with emotion.  “I’m really sorry.”

            He hesitated for a moment, drawing a deep breath.

            “I need time to cool down, Cassandra.  I’m gonna cool my heels for a while.  Maybe I’ll see you after lunch.”  He walked out of her room silently.

            Hesitantly she looked over at the flowers sitting on the night table.  A single tear slipped down her cheek.

            Why did she cry?  Why did she care if JC left her room?  Why did it matter?  Cassandra couldn’t answer those questions.  She only knew she cared about him leaving her and it mattered a lot.

            Time seemed to drag on the rest of the morning.  The phone was silent in her room.  No doctors stopped in to check on her.  No visitors came by to visit.  The nurses were even too busy to stop by due to new floor admissions.  The TV was silent, as Cassandra had turned it off right after JC had stormed out.  Sleep was elusive as well.  All she could do was sit and stare out the window.  Her mind replayed the events of the past few days.  JC had made her feel so much better about herself.  He was kind, considerate, and thoughtful and, she thought as a smile played at the corners of her lips, he was extremely handsome.

            “Miss Hamilton?”  Her thoughts were intruded on by Nurse Sandy.  “I have some wonderful news for you.”

            Blinking quickly Cassandra tried to tune in on what the nurse was trying to tell her.

            “Good news?”

            “Yes.  I have orders to remove your I.V.  Then, we’ll complete a little paperwork, and you should be out of here by 3:00 o’clock.  Now, let’s get that thing out before your lunch tray arrives.”

            Sitting on the edge of the bed, Cassandra was dumbfounded.  She reached for her robe for the first time since she’d been admitted.  She slid her feet into her slippers and headed out of her room.  Instinctively she moved herself to the room across the hall from hers.  As she reached the door of JC’s room, she could hear his rich voice.

            “No, I tell you.  Not just yet!  I’ve got to make her understand!”  His voice wasn’t angry any longer; it sounded excited maybe, but not angry.

            “I’ll let you know when I’m ready Johnny.  Just have things in place for me.  I want to walk out of here without any problems when the time is right!  Alright?  Thanks, Johnny.  You’re a pal.”  Just then he turned and saw Cassandra standing in the doorway.  “Hey, I’ll talk to you later, Johnny.  Thanks again.”

            JC hung up the phone and stood there, silently looking at her.

            First Cassandra bit her bottom lip, and then swallowed hard.

            “I, um, came to show you that, um, I’ve been set free too.”  She said quietly holding up her left hand, her head hung like a shy schoolgirl with eyes looking up at him from across the room.

            “That’s great.”  He said equally as quiet.  He held fast to his position next to the bed.

            “Um, Sandy said that I should be leaving by three o’clock.”

            “Three o’clock, huh?  Only a few more hours for you then.”

            Cassandra didn’t like his indifference.  “Well, um, just thought I’d tell you.”  She turned to walk away but stopped and looked back over her shoulder.  “Oh, thanks again for the flowers, Mr. Chasez.  They really are lovely.”  She started walking away.

            The use of his formal name snapped him out of his solemn mood.

            “Cassandra, wait!”  He raced to the door.  She was already at the threshold of her room.  She froze on the spot but did not turn around to look at him.

            He walked up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.  She shivered involuntarily at his touch and he felt it.

            “Cassandra,” he whispered.  With a gentle pressure he turned her to look at him.  There was sadness in her eyes he hadn’t seen since the first time he’d met her.  His blue eyes met her brown eyes.

            “Look, this ‘S.O.B.’” he used his own words of earlier, “owes you a major apology.  I’m really sorry for going off on you like I did.”

            “That’s alright.  You don’t owe me anything, Mr…”

            Quickly he pressed a finger to her lips in an effort to silence her.  “Don’t you dare!  If you won’t call me JC or one of my nicknames, then don’t call me anything.  I will not answer to ‘Mr. Chasez’!”  He arched an eyebrow.  “Do you understand?”

            She could only nod.  He smiled.

            “Now,” he turned her around to face her room and gently pushed her inside.  He guided her towards the edge of the bed.  “Sit down, babe.  We’ve got some plans to make.”

            She looked at him puzzled.  “Plans?”  She questioned.  What was this, him calling her ‘babe’?

            He nodded.  “Definitely.  We are going to walk out of here together and we’ll have plans of things we’re going to do.”

            “My sister will pick me up.” Came her absent response.

            Drawing a deep breath, JC steadied his gaze on her.

            “No, Cassandra.  I want to take you home.  I want to spend more time with you getting to know you.  I want to leave with you.”

            “But, why?”

            “Because,” he leaned in and gently touched his lips to hers.  “I want to.”  He finished as he drew back.

            “JC,” she began.

            He smiled when she said his name.

            “I’d like that.”  She finished with a smile.

            “Good.  No more presumptions about each other, either.  Okay?”

            She nodded.

            “Alright.  Now listen,” he sat down next to her and held her hand.  “We’ll have some lunch.  Then we’ll get our things packed and wait for that damned doctor to let us out of here.  Then, we’ll get you home and start making plans.  The first thing is, we’ll rent a movie for tonight and get some kind of take-out for dinner.  Then,” 

            Raising her hand, she tried to slow down his enthusiasm.

            “What?”  He asked.

            “Aren’t we moving a bit fast here?”

            “Am I?”

            “Maybe just a bit!”

            “Oops, I’m sorry.  Let me try it again.  Could we get a movie for us tonight?”

            Smiling, Cassandra answered him.  “That would be nice.”

            A chuckle escaped his lips.  “Cool!  How about dinner?  Maybe a carry-out order or something.”

            “That sounds good to me, too!”

            Now he laughed out loud.

            “Girl, you are too much!”

            “Thanks, I think.”

            Shortly thereafter the lunch trays arrived and JC and Cassandra ate together in her room.  They chatted excitedly, working on plans for that evening.  They chose a movie to view, decided on Chinese food and decided they would do everything at her place.

            When lunch was finished, JC suggested they get themselves packed so they could leave as soon as the release papers were signed.  He left Cassandra’s room for his own.  His first action was to pick up the telephone and call his manager.

            “Hey, Johnny, it’s JC.  Do you have everything ready?”

            “You’re all set, Jace.  When she walks, so do you.  She must be someone pretty special, huh?”

            “No questions, Johnny.  Just trust me, okay?”

            “Okay.  There is one thing I have to ask you, though.”

            “Not about her.”

            “No.  It’s about Suzie.”

            JC’s whole demeanor changed.  His back stiffened, his grip tightened on the telephone and the sparkle left his eyes.

            “Damn it, Johnny!  Why did you have to bring her up?”

            “Because, Jace, she’s been calling.  She doesn’t like not knowing what’s going on with you and not knowing where you are.”

            “Well, isn’t that just too damn bad?  I do not want her to know where I am or why I’m here.  You can put her off any way you want to, but keep her away from me!”

            “JC, if you don’t mind my asking, what the hell happened between you two?”

            Drawing a deep breath, JC closed his eyes momentarily.  “That’s none of your business, Johnny.  She knows very well why I moved out on her.  I told her I needed some space.  She doesn’t need any other information than that.”

            “That doesn’t seem to be enough for her, Jace.  Give me something else I can tell her.”

            “No!”  JC stated emphatically.  “Johnny, you’re my manager.  Manage my career, not my life.”

            “But…”

            “I’m serious, Johnny.”  His body started to relax.  “Look, I’ll take care of Suzie, you take care of me and my career.  Now, is everything ready for me?  The car will be here at three o’clock, right?”

            “Right.”  Johnny confirmed all the final details and assured JC that everything would go according to plan.

            The two men finished their conversation and hung up.  JC went about his business, packing all of his belongings and rounding up any last minute items.

            “Mr. Chasez?”  Sandy, the nurse, came in.

            He turned to face her and smiled.

            “Yes?”

            “Dr. Simpson has released you and I’ve been told your car is downstairs waiting for you."

            His eyes brightened.

            “Great!  I’m ready.  Is Cassandra ready across the hall?”

            “Not quite yet.”

            “What?  Why not?”  Anger flashed in his eyes.

            She seemed surprised.  “Excuse me?”

            JC stopped and made direct eye contact with the nurse.  “I asked you why she isn’t ready to leave?”

            The nurse was undaunted.  “She isn’t ready because her paperwork isn’t completed.  Now, let’s go over your after care discharge papers.”

            “Screw it!  Get her paperwork finished!  I know what I have to do.  I’m taking her home and I’d like her to be ready when I am.”

            The nurse looked at him skeptically.  “You know, Mr. Chasez, I hate to argue with you all of the time, but I believe there’s someone here to pick her up.”

            He looked at her incredulous to her words.  “What?” was all he could say.

            “There’s someone there now helping her finish packing.”

            JC relaxed.  “Oh, I’m sure that’s her sister.”

            “Excuse me.  It isn’t her sister.  It’s a man.”

            JC’s eyes grew wide with disbelief.  He pushed past the nurse, heading to Cassandra’s room.  He stopped abruptly as he saw a dark-haired man closing and locking Cassandra’s suitcase.  The man looked up and saw JC standing dumbfounded in the doorway.

            “Can I help you?”   The stranger asked.

            Cassandra turned her head to see JC standing there, a million questions shown in his blue eyes.

            “JC!  Come on in.  I want you to meet someone.”  Cassandra said stiffly.  She was tense, JC noticed, but she needed to tell JC who this man was.

            “JC, this is Thomas.  Thomas Wood.  Thomas, this is JC.” Cassandra said flatly.

            Thomas walked over to JC and extended a hand.

            “Nice to meet you, JC.  Cassandra was telling me how helpful you’ve been to her while she’s been here.”  He drew his hand back.

            Cassandra noticed the confused look on JC’s face.

            “Yeah, I’ve tried to be as ‘helpful’ as I possibly could be.”  JC’s eyes darted between the two, stopping at Cassandra.

            “What’s going on here?”  He finally asked.

            “Excuse me?”  Thomas asked in response.

            “JC, he just came to visit me.  He didn’t know I’d be going home.”

            JC arched a dark eyebrow.  “Oh.  Well, that’s why I came over.  The car is here, we need to be ready to go.”

            At last Cassandra smiled.  “Great.  I’m just about ready.  I’ll hurry.”

            Seeing her enthusiasm, JC visibly relaxed.  He smiled a genuine smile at her.  “Anything I can do to help?”

            “No.  I’ll finish and…”

            “Well, wait.  Since I’m here, there’s no need to put JC to any trouble.  I’ll just take you home.”  Thomas offered.

            JC’s back straightened instantaneously.  “It’s no trouble, actually.  Cassandra and I already have plans.”

            That information took Thomas by surprise.

            “Whoa, I’m sorry, man!”  Thomas stepped back a step and held up a hand.  “I hadn’t realized.  Look, Cassandra, I just came by to check on you.  Obviously,” he walked over and kissed her on the cheek.  “You’re doing fine.  I’ll get going.  I’ll be in touch.”

            “Nice to have met you, JC.”  Thomas said as he walked out of the room. 

            JC just looked at Cassandra.  Silence hung in the room as neither JC nor Cassandra knew exactly what to say to each other.

            Clearing his throat, JC broke the silence.  “Why don’t you finish up?  The car is waiting downstairs.  I’ll meet you in the hallway.”

            He turned on his heel and walked away.