"Chris! Chris! Has this incident sent you into any kind of depression?"
"Is it true that JC is the person responsible for attacking Justin?"
"Joey, what do you think was going through JC's mind for him to do something like this?"
A room full of microphones were thrust into the faces of the shocked popstars. The two were silent, not knowing what they were or were not to say.
"Move back to either side of the hall and exit as you came. This is for family only. You all need to leave." Hearing Lonnie's deep voice, the crowd of reporters stared at the huge bodyguard, clearly in awe of his presence. Lonnie quickly ushered the two men down the hall to another room, this one more private.
"Lance?" Chris said upon entering the room.
"Thank God you guys made it past all those people." Lance said, hugging first Chris, then Joey.
"How is he?" Chris asked, clearly shaken.
"He woke up, but other than that, the same, I guess. Johnny and Lynn are with the doctor right now." Almost on cue, Lynn Harless entered the room with Johnny in tow.
"Chris, Joey, I;m so glad you're here." She hugged each of them tightly.
"How's he doing, Lynn?" Joey asked.
"Not good. His chances are slim, according to Dr. Patterson." She barely uttered the words before she broke down into choking sobs. Lance stepped forward and cradled her silently. After a few minutes, Johnny spoke up. "One or two people can be with him at a time. We've already been in there. Do you want to see him, Chris?" Chris glanced down at the long, purple scar that now permanently adorned his wrist. He rubbed it gently with his right hand.
"Yeah. I wanna see him."
~*~
The officer cuffed JC and asked his partner to read the popstar his rights. As he spoke, JC's mind clicked through all of his possible options.
"Sir?" the officer said.
"What?"
"I said, do you understand that you're being charged with the attempted murder of Justin Randall Timberlake?"
"That's what I'm being charged with?"
"Yes, sir."
"Ok." He was too stunned to say anything else as the two officers pushed him into the car, shut the door behind him, and drove away from the grimy hotel.
~*~
The heart monitor beeped steadily, and an air pump forced air into the 23-year-old's lungs via two tubes in his nose. Chris stepped into the room, taking it in slowly. Joey and Lance had warned him that Justin didn't look like Justin, especially with all the equipment he was hooked up to. He stepped forward causiously, finally glancing at his bandmate. Seeing that his eyes were closed, he approached the Justin further. There were several small scratches on his face, and a large bruise that spanned his neck almost in its entirety.
The younger man's eyes slowly fluttered open and focused on Chris.
"Hey Psycho," Justin said, forcing a smile. Chris winced. That nickname stung now, considering his current circumstances. "there's something I have to tell you."
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