Chapter 10.

            “Jayce?” Justin’s face was a mixture of sock and confusion as he opened the door. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in...?”

            “Yeah, but they allowed e out for one night, they felt I was ready to take on the world!” He yelled throwing his arms up in the air and swirling around like a crazy person. Justin sighed and shook his head at his friend’s antics.

            “Okay, um, you wanna come inside?” Justin asked and gestured behind him, he shook his head at Justin.

            “Nope, we’re going out. Get your shit and let’s go,” he replied standing there waiting for Justin to do something. Justin sighed with a nod.

            “Okay, let me get my jacket and shit then we can go,” Justin answered moving back inside, “Come in and wait for me.” He didn’t move off the step and Justin shook his head.

            Justin stepped back grabbing his jacket, keys, wallet and cell phone before stepping out into the cold air next to his friend and slamming his front door shut.

            “So where to?” Justin asked, his friend shrugged and ran a hand through his hair.

            “Anywhere but here,” he replied, and headed for Justin’s car, with Justin close behind.

            He sat up and rubbed his eyes, looking around him as he did so. Where was he? It took him a few minutes to register where he was before the panic set in. His breathing became heavier and his eyes darted around as he tried to think straight. He HAD been there the night of the accident, or else why would he…?

            He swung his legs off the bed and hurriedly pulled on a pair of jeans. He had no clue what or where he was going, he just needed to be away from that room. He opened the door and looked around; Davie was no where in sight. He heaved a thankful sigh and headed for Doctor Halley’s office.

            At every corner he seemed to look over his shoulder, panicked as if someone was following him. Finally he reached the door that he knew led into the doctor’s office, and with a sigh of relief he pushed it open, not even bothering to knock.

            “JC?” the doctor was startled and jumped from her seat, where she had her legs propped up on the table and was looking very relaxed reading a gossip magazine which she skilfully hid under her desk. “What can I do for you?” She seemed to pick herself up and re-tie her hair before grabbing his file from somewhere on her desk and opening it.

            “I remembered something from the night of the accident,” he said getting straight to the point and sitting down in front of her. She nodded and grabbed a pen to write with before looking at him again.

            “You did? That’s interesting,” she nodded getting straight to work, “What did you remember?”

            “I was with Justin that night,” he answered now breaking his gaze from her and looking away.

            “What? Are you sure?” she asked as she scribbled what he was saying down. He nodded and she shook her head, “And it wasn’t just a crazy dream? You have been having some doubts lately about your innocence...”

            “No, it wasn’t a crazy dream,” he shook his head profusely, “It was real, I FELT it was real.”

            “JC, you could just be…” the doctor began and put her pen down to look at him through her glasses. She opened her mouth to finish when the door to her office burst open again.

            “There you are? Where the hell have you been? I thought you’d run off again! Doc, I don’t think he fully gets the concept...”

            “Davie,” the doctor looked at him with a small smile, “We’re in the middle of a session right now.”

            “Sorry doc,” Davie nodded and gave an apologetic smile, “But I went to the bathroom and when I came back he wasn’t in his room, he should have at least waited for me to escort him here.”

            “I’m sure he would have,” the doctor nodded, “But this is an important session we’re having. I’ll talk to him about it don’t worry.”

            “I won’t,” Davie smiled and glared at him. “I’ll be waiting outside then, call me when you’re done.” The doctor nodded as Davie made his way out and closed the door behind him.

            “People seem to like entering my office without knocking,” the doctor said with a small amused smile after Davie had left. “It seems to be a new hobby around here.” She chuckled to herself before continuing. “Sorry, where were we? Ah yes, you just told me that you remember being with Justin on the night of the accident?”

            “Yeah,” he nodded, noticing her go back into doctor mode, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I was on his porch steps and it was cold.”

            “But how do you know it was not just a dream?” the doctor asked as she resumed writing. He smiled at her and shook his head.

            “Because, I was drunk and he seemed confused as to why I was there and not here,” he replied slowly and looked down at his hands.

            “Okay,” the doctor nodded wondering how to continue. “Let’s say this did happen, what happened after that?” He looked at her and sighed, before closing his eyes.

            “I don’t remember,” he responded with another sigh. “I can’t fucking remember.”

            “JC, language,” the doctor warned and he blushed.

            “Sorry,” he said and opened his eyes.

            “That’s okay,” she smiled at him and continued writing, “So what did Justin tell you?”

            “He asked what I was doing at his place,” he mumbled, as he felt tears forming in his throat, “And in response I acted like a drunken idiot and insisted he come out with me.”

            “And did he?” the doctor asked with a raised eyebrow, he nodded sadly.

            “Yeah, he agreed to come with me,” he replied, “And I’m sure I wouldn’t have left until he did.”

            He wasn’t quite sure of what he was supposed to say, but he guessed it was something along the lines of ‘okay I admit it I was there’. But he couldn’t say it, because he wasn’t really sure where he was, all he knew was that he’d been with Justin sometime before the accident.

            “Mr Chasez, please cooperate with us,” the female officer, Jaclyn, said crossing her arms over her chest. He sighed and rubbed his eyes.

            “I am,” he told her and shook his head, “I’m telling you the truth.”

            “Are you sure Mr Chasez?” she asked leaned forward and glaring at him. He looked at her and scowled.

            “Of course I’m sure,” he snapped and leaned back on his chair. “I told you everything I know, so back off.”

            “Then how does that explain you being at the scene of the crime?” The officer countered and he shrugged.

            “I don’t know,” he hissed, “Like I said before I can’t remember shit from that night.”

            “Well Mr Chasez,” Officer Jaclyn said standing up and collecting her things. “I’m afraid you’ll have to come up with a better reason than that. Unfortunately I can not arrest you seeing as we have no concrete proof of your where a bout on the night of the accident and that you are in a health care facility, but be warned you are on the top of our list of suspects.”

            “Like I didn’t already know,” he snorted and rolled his eyes at her. She nodded meekly and gave him a firm smile.

            “Good day Mr Chasez,” she snapped and exited the room, with the door closing gently behind her. As soon as she left he felt himself release the breath he’d been holding for a while now and closed his eyes.

            “That was not good JC.” He pried his eyes open and slowly turned around as he saw the doctor entering the small room. He sighed and nodded, placing his head in his hands.

            “I know,” he agreed, “But what could I say? If I told her what I remembered then she’d definitely arrest me.”

            “I know,” the doctor said walking up to him and resting a hand on his shoulder, “But lying? JC that’s not the way to go about it. You could have at least told her that you were working on it, or asked her to speak to me.” He looked up at the doctor and shook his head, this wasn’t working.

            “That wouldn’t help any,” he stated and stood up, “She already told me I’m one of their main suspects the only reason they’re not arresting me is because I’m here and they don’t have enough solid evidence.”

            “And your attitude JC? You need to work on that, I’m not surprised she was as cold as she was,” the doctor acknowledged with a sigh.

            “I know, but she was just agitating me with all those questions!” he responded and began pacing up and down the room before stopping a few minutes later.

            “Well you can’t let her get to you like that JC,” the doctor frowned and watched him from where she was standing. “Because it could get out of hand.”

            “Yeah I know,” he nodded and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes. “I just got annoyed that’s all.”

            “That’s understandable JC,” she said and sat down on the nearest chair, “But please try and be polite next time they come?” He snapped his eyes open and looked at the doctor.

            “Even if they want to arrest me?” he asked in shock and she nodded.

            “Yes JC,” she answered with a nod. “Even if they want to arrest you.”

            “What happened Johnny?” he asked as he sat opposite his boss, who sighed and shook his head. “You look as if something is bothering you.”

            “It’s Justin,” Johnny began and he sat up straight in his chair and he leant forward.

            “J? What happened is he okay?” he asked with heightened tension in his neck. Johnny shook his head and looked away.

            “No Jayce he’s not,” Johnny replied and he could see the tears glistening Johnny’s eyes. “He entered critical condition last night. The doctors thought he was doing better but apparently they were wrong.”

            “Wrong? How can they be wrong? They’re the best out there,” he pointed out and Johnny nodded.

            “Yeah but even the best can be wrong Jayce,” he whispered and began again. “Justin’s body has entered what they call an induced sleep. They don’t know when he’ll wake up, he had a seizure early this morning due to all the meds they had him on.”

            “So what? He’ll never wake up?” he asked, his heart beat racing at the thought of his friend and that he could have caused that.

            “He could,” Johnny stated slowly, “But even if he does he’ll probably be a vegetable for the rest of his life.”

            “Oh God,” he said and held his hand over his heart to stop the pain that was forming there. He closed his eyes and took in deep breaths.

            “Jayce? Are you okay?” Johnny’s voice came from far away. He nodded slowly and took a few more breaths.

            “I could have caused that Johnny,” he whispered and finally opened his eyes, “Me. I could have made him like that.” Johnny shook his head.

            “No Jayce, it was the meds he was on,” Johnny explained again, “Besides you weren’t there remember?”

            “Yeah but Johnny,” he paused and hoped Johnny would understand the next words that came out of his mouth. “I remember being with J the night of the accident.”

            “You what?” Johnny asked him in shock. He looked down at his shoes and nodded softly.

            “I had a dream about it a few nights back...” he muttered, refusing to look at Johnny who inhaled deeply.

            “Okay Jayce, we’ll figure out how to deal with this. Did you tell the cops?” Johnny asked, he shook his head in silence. What could he have said to the cops without being arrested?

            “No,” he answered and finally grew the courage to look at his boss. “Johnny, if I had told them then it would definitely send me to jail.”

            “But Jayce,” Johnny began looking at him, “If they found out you were lying…”

            “I know what will happen,” he assured Johnny, “And I’ll tell them, but only when the time is right.” But he wasn’t too sure of when that was.