“Go fish.”

Joey reached out into the middle of the bed and picked a card to add to his hand. He eyed his cards carefully for a second before he asked, “Hey, how are we doing this? Two of a kind?”

Lance shook his head. “That’s too easy.”

“OK. So three of a kind then,” Joey said.

“But then we’ll have one card floating around,” Lance pointed out.

Joey sighed. “Four of a kind it is.” He had three kings in his hand and could’ve laid them down, but now he needed to pick up one more.

“Do you have any kings?” Lance asked.

“You cheater,” Joey accused as he handed his cards over. Lance laid all four kings down in front of himself.

“I didn’t know you had it. Honest, Joe,” Lance replied.

“I think you’re taking a page out of Chris’ book,” Joey said. Lance just smiled and said nothing.

The game continued. Joey glanced out the window and noticed it was still relatively dark despite the fact that it was almost four o’clock in the afternoon. He had suggested to Lance that they go swimming, but that idea had been quickly dismissed. It had been gloomy all day and looked like it was going to get worse. In the end, they settled on playing Go Fish in Lance’s room.

“Do you have any…sixes?” Joey asked. Lance pulled three cards out of his hand and offered them to Joey. “Dude, I asked for sixes. Not nines.”

“Oh, sorry,” Lance said. He put the three nines back in his hand and offered Joey the one six that he had.

“Only one?” Joey moaned with disappointment. “I change my mind. I want the nines.”

Lance shook his head. “That’s not how the game works.”

“Fine,” Joey said sulkily. Lance laughed.

A minute later there was light knocking on the open door. “Knock, knock, knock.”

Lance and Joey turned their attention to the doorway where Chris was standing. Lance invited him in. “Hey.”

“What are you guys playing?” Chris asked as he sat on the edge of Lance’s bed.

“Go Fish,” Joey said as he watched Lance lay down the rest of his cards. “You cheater.”

“I am not,” Lance replied.

“We’ll see about that. Deal another game,” Joey demanded.

“Did you come in here for a particular reason?” Lance asked Chris, glancing at him briefly as he shuffled the deck.

“No, not really,” Chris said. ”Deal me in.”

Lance passed out seven cards to each of them. He looked to his left at Chris. “We’re doing four of a kind.” Chris nodded and the game was underway.

“I made an appointment for JC,” Chris said a minute later. Joey could tell that this must have been on his mind because he didn’t say much when he first came in, which wasn’t like him.

“I thought you were making one for Justin,” Joey replied.

“I was—I did. But I made one for JC too,” Chris said.

“Why?” Joey asked.

“I called my friend back a little bit ago and told him what’s been going on with Justin and JC. He suggested seeing JC because he says that it sounds like he needs it more being that he hasn’t dealt with happened yet,” Chris explained.

“Well did he say anything about Justin?” Lance asked.

Chris nodded. “He told me that he thinks Justin’s having nightmares now because he never got to deal with what happened. I gave him the overview on everything that happened last month with JC being hospitalized and everything else, and he thinks Justin was so concerned on making sure we were all right that he didn’t allow himself to think about it…until after JC talked to him.” He paused and looked down at his cards. “Got any twos?”

“So what time is the appointment?” Lance handed two cards to Chris.

“Two o’clock,” Chris answered. “And the best part is he’s coming to us, so we don’t have to try to force JC out of the house.”

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Joey asked after a few seconds.

Chris looked over at him. “I thought you were OK with this?”

“I was for Justin, but I’m not sure about JC,” Joey said. Sure he had told JC that he needed therapy, but he hadn’t been completely serious. While it could really help JC deal with what had happened and get him back to normal, it could also make him regress and put his health in danger again. Joey wasn’t sure what would be the best decision. “What do you think, Lance?”

Lance sighed. “I think it would do JC good.”

“What would do JC good?” The three of them turned to see Justin leaning against the doorway.

“Do you know where he is?” Chris asked. Joey could tell that Chris wanted to make sure that JC wouldn’t be coming upstairs anytime soon and overhear them talking like Justin had.

“He’s outside,” Justin said. “So what were you guys saying? What would do him good?”

They quickly exchanged glances before Lance nodded and said, “We were talking about JC going to therapy.”

Justin pushed himself off the doorway, walked over to Lance’s bed, and sat across from Chris. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”

“Me either,” Joey agreed.

“Of course it’s necessary! You should’ve heard the way he was talking earlier,” Chris replied.

“Why? What was he saying?” Lance asked.

“He was talking crazy.” Chris shook his head. “He said the demons are coming back to finish what they started.”

“What?” Justin and Lance said in surprise.

Joey raised an eyebrow. “You mean JC didn’t tell you guys?”

“No,” Justin said and Lance shook his head. Joey couldn’t believe that. He thought for sure that JC had talked to them because they were the ones he normally talked to.

“So he thinks the demons are after us again?” Lance asked.

“Yeah, and he thinks…” Chris looked over at Justin. “He thinks you’re their first target.”

Justin looked curious. “Why?”

“He says your nightmares and you passing out were caused by the demons,” Chris explained. “The whole idea is just crazy.”

“Is it really?” Justin asked. “I mean, considering how bad his nightmares were and how frequent they were. You guys can’t even imagine how terrifying they are.”

“All the more reason for him to go. He needs to talk to someone who’s not involved,” Lance said.

“What makes you think that’s going to help?” Joey asked.

“It’s something we haven’t tried yet,” Lance answered. “I think this could really help him.”

Justin shook his head. “I don’t know. I think we just need to give him some time to realize that his nightmares were just…nightmares and that nothing like that’s going to happen.”

“It’s not just his nightmares though,” Lance said.

“What else?” Chris asked.

“He’s not sleeping. At least not as much as he should be.” Lance paused. “He checks on us every night while we’re sleeping. He says he can’t sleep until he does, but he still doesn’t fall asleep until it starts to get light out.”

Joey gave Lance a curious look. “How do you know this?”

“He told me,” Lance said simply. “I said he should talk to someone, and he wasn’t having any of it. He’s going to flip when he finds out that we’re bringing a therapist to talk to him.”

“That’s why we’re not going to tell him,” Chris said.

“This isn’t going to work. Therapy isn’t the way to solve his problems,” Justin replied.

Chris shot him a look. “What do you propose we do?” Justin opened his mouth to reply and Chris added, “Besides leaving him alone to deal with it. It’s obvious he needs help.”

“I know, but I’m telling you, this isn’t the way to do it,” Justin insisted.

Lance reached out and put a hand on Justin’s shoulder. “I know you’re trying to look out for JC, but we are too. I’m afraid that if we don’t get him some help that we’ll have a repeat of last time.”

Just then thunder could be heard crashing outside. Joey set down his cards, got up from the foot of Lance’s bed, and walked over to the window. He looked out into the backyard and saw that it was pouring down rain. His eyes wandered over to the pool and saw JC sitting on the edge with his legs in the water, seeming to not care that he was getting rained on.

“What is he thinking?” Joey muttered, but the other three had heard him. They threw their cards in the middle of the bed with the rest of the deck.

“What?” Justin asked. He walked over to the window and peered over Joey’s shoulder.

Chris joined the two of them and shook his head when he saw JC. “I told you he’s nuts.”

By this time Lance had joined the rest of them in looking out the window. Joey, who had been standing next to Lance, saw him fall out of the corner of his eye. He quickly turned around to see Lance lying on the floor.

“Lance!” Joey knelt down next Lance. His eyes were still open, but seemed to be fixated on a spot on the ceiling. Joey snapped his fingers in front of Lance’s face and frowned when his eyes didn’t connect with his own.

“What the hell happened?” Chris asked.

Joey shook his head. “I don’t know. He was standing next to me one minute and the next he’s on the floor.”

“What can I do?” Justin looked back and forth between Joey and Chris.

“Get JC out of the rain. We don’t need another sick person to deal with,” Chris ordered. Justin nodded and ran out of the room.

“Help me get him into bed,” Joey said as he lifted Lance’s upper half. Chris grabbed his lower half and together they carried him back over to his bed.

Lance’s eyes were still fixed on the ceiling and didn’t seem to notice that he was being carried. Joey and Chris exchanged worried glances as they lifted his comforter, causing all of the cards to float to the floor. They gently placed Lance on his bed.

“Lance.” Joey tried to get his attention. “Lance!” Finally Lance’s half lidded eyes slowly rolled in Joey’s direction, but weren’t focused on him. “Are you all right, buddy?”

“Joey,” Lance said softly. “What time is it?”

“It’s five thirty,” Chris answered.

“We need to go get ready for sound check,” Lance whispered. Joey and Chris glanced at each other before focusing their attention back on Lance who had sat up and was trying to get out of bed. Chris gently pushed him back down.

Joey placed a hand on Lance’s forehead like he had with Brianna many times before. “He doesn’t feel hot. You should get the thermometer just to be safe though.”

Chris nodded and quickly made the few steps it took to get to Lance’s bathroom. He came back less than a minute later with a thermometer in hand. “Open your mouth, Lance.”

Lance complied and Chris stuck the thermometer under his tongue before telling him to close his mouth. About a minute later the device beeped and he pulled it out of Lance’s mouth. “He’s got a fever, but it’s not too high. 100.”

“That’s not high enough to make him so out of it,” Joey said.

“Well, there’s not really much we can do, but make sure he gets some rest I guess,” Chris replied and Joey nodded, but knew that Chris didn’t believe that Lance was OK and was denying it because he probably didn’t want to believe that something else was happening to one of his friends. Joey couldn’t believe how fast this had been brought on. Lance had been fine a few minutes ago and now all of the sudden he’s delirious with a fever. But then again Lance had been sick for the past couple days. He had really thought Lance had been getting better and now this happened. Hopefully this was the worst and he would be better in a day or two.

Justin opened the sliding glass door and stepped out into the storm. It was significantly darker out than it had been before. Just then a bolt of lightning lit up the entire backyard and his eyes immediately focused on JC. He jogged over to him.

“JC!” Justin yelled, but the thunder drowned out his voice. He might as well have been whispering for what good it did.

He made it to JC and stood next to him waiting for some acknowledgement on his part. But a few seconds passed with no signs that JC even knew he was there. Justin reached out his hand and placed it on JC’s shoulder. The contact got his attention, and he turned his eyes to look up at Justin.

“Let’s go inside!” Justin shouted and motioned to the sliding glass door twenty feet away. He started to walk back towards the house, but stopped when he realized that JC hadn’t been following him. Sighing softly he walked back to JC. “C’mon!”

Justin grabbed hold of JC’s arm and pulled him to his feet before wrapping an arm around his shoulders. He steered both of them back into the house only stopping for a second to close the back door.

“God, you’re soaked,” Justin said more to himself than to JC as he took in his appearance. There wasn’t a dry spot on him. His jean shorts and t-shirt were drenched and heavily clung to his body. JC’s curly hair, that had been made even curlier from being in the rain, dripped water onto the floor.

Justin knew he wouldn’t receive an answer because JC still had that distant look he got when he was in deep thought. His arm shook as JC began to shiver. He sighed as he tightened his hold on JC. “C’mon, let’s get you out of those wet clothes.”

He led JC upstairs and into his room. Justin let go of JC to find some dry clothes for him to change into. After finding a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, he turned to hand them to JC only to find that he hadn’t moved. In fact, the only movement coming from him was his shivering.

Justin frowned. He had never seen JC act like this before and it scared him. JC had always been the one who they would go to if there was a problem because they knew he was there for them and would do anything he could to help. They thought of him as the rock of the group, the one who held them together, and to see him like this was scary.

Justin dropped JC’s clothes on the edge of his bed and stood in front of him before he lifted the shirt from the hem and pulled it over his head. As soon as the shirt was off of him, JC gently pushed Justin’s hands away.

“I can do it,” JC said.

“OK.” Justin nodded and stepped back. It was a relief that JC had finally said something and acknowledged him. JC grabbed the clothes off his bed before heading into the bathroom to change. He patiently waited for JC to come out of the bathroom because he wanted to talk to him about why he was sitting out in the rain. A minute later the bathroom door opened and JC walked out. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah,” JC said as he rubbed his arms.

“Here.” Justin picked up the blanket that was at the foot of JC’s bed and handed it to him. JC accepted it and draped it over his shoulders before closing his arms to keep the warmth in the blanket. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“About what?” JC asked. He sat down on his bed.

“About whatever it was you were thinking,” Justin said.

JC shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

Justin crossed his arms. “You were sitting outside in the middle of a thunder storm. You were thinking about something.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” JC said.

“Please don’t do this again,” Justin pleaded. “I’m worried about you, C. I want you to get better.” Justin paused to wipe away the tears that he could feel forming in the corner of his eyes. “I need you to get better. I want things to go back to normal.”

“I don’t know if that’s possible,” JC replied.

“Sure it is. They already are,” Justin said. At JC’s questioning look he continued, “I’m not having nightmares anymore.”

“You’re not?” JC asked, looking surprised.

“No. At least I didn’t have any last night,” Justin said. He was very happy about that fact because that would mean that he was finally getting better. It was weird that he passed out earlier, but he reasoned that was the worst of it and things could only get better from here on out.

“That’s great, J.” JC smiled weakly.

“What’s wrong?” Justin asked. He could see right through JC and his feeble attempts at pulling himself together again. There was something that was bothering him.

JC sighed. “It’s not that easy.”

“I didn’t say it was going to be easy. We’ll help each other out,” Justin replied.

“You’re right,” JC said. Justin looked surprised. He hadn’t expected JC to agree with him. At least not that easily. “Just give me some time to get my thoughts together.”

“OK.” Justin nodded. He looked down at his clothes just realizing that he was still wet. “I think I’m going to take a shower. Get warm.”

JC nodded and Justin sighed before shaking his head. He walked out of JC’s bedroom and closed the door behind him. Just at that moment Chris was coming out of Lance’s bedroom. “How is he?”

Chris looked up at Justin. “He’s got a fever. I think he’s got the flu or something.”

“So it’s nothing serious?” Justin asked.

“I don’t think so. It seemed like it just hit him kind of suddenly.” Chris’ eyes glanced over Justin’s shoulder to the closed door behind him. “How’s he doing?”

Justin sighed. “All right I guess. Something’s really bugging him.”

“We’ll get him through this,” Chris said. Justin knew that he didn’t want to mention therapy in case JC could hear them even though that was pretty unlikely. He couldn’t help but hope that therapy wouldn’t go as bad as he thought it would. Only time would tell.