Later that afternoon, Ashley was laying in her bed relaxing. Her mother had called to say that they would be on their way shortly. She was going to feed Lorraine lunch first and then come up. They were going to bring Ashley's attorney with them. He had to talk to her anyway about something very important.
"Ashley? Are you awake? Can we talk? I'm scared." Justin sighed from his bed. Ashley stirred in her bed. She smiled.
"Justin, of course I am awake. My mother is coming up here soon with my attorney and my daughter. I can't wait to see her again. I feel like it's been ages when It hasn't even been a whole day. What do you want to talk about?" She looked over at Justin, who was fidgiting. She bit back a laugh. Justin sat up in his bed and took a deep breath.
"The guys want me to see a shrink. I don't want to. I don't think I need to. And I don't see what good it will do. What do you think?"He waited expectantly for her answer. he didn't want to lie to him. So she decided to give it to him straight.
"Justin, They made me talk to a shrink. I didn't have a choice. It turned out to be a good thing. A lot of things were going in my life at the time and I really benefited from having someone to talk to. Maybe you should give it a try. But its only as beneficial as you let it be.
She stretched and yawned."Forgive me but I need a nap. My mother is about to show up with my daughter and I need to have energy to listen to her.Ok? I don't want to sound as though I am bailing out on you."
Justin snorted. He rolled over on his side and yawned as well."That's ok, the guys are coming over in a little while. I need to get some sleep. My eyes are hurting, and itching badly." After he said that, Ashley sat up quickly.
"Justin don't touch your eyes and call your nurse now!"After she said that, Justin reached for the call button and pushed it a couple times and waited.
A older nurse bustled into the room and looked at Justin expectantly. "Well, young man?What is the trouble?"
Justin coughed into his hand." My eyes are hurting and itching pretty badly. It almost feels as though they are burning under these bandages. What's happening?" The nurse smiled and patted his hand.
"Nothing dear, but if you like I will have your doctor paged." She hurried off and they heard an speaker paging Justin's doctor. Ashley turned to Justin and spoke reassuringly.
"Maybe Your sight has come back and is eager to be used again."
Justin sat back and whispered,"Maybe, I hope so but I doubt it."
They sat there quietly for a couple more minutes taking comfort in each others presence. Ashley saw the doctor walk into the room and smiled at him. He smiled back at her and pulled the curtain shut. He turned to Justin.
"Open the curtain please, Ashley is my friend. And I have nothing to hide from her. She has brought me farther than anyone or anything that anybody has done since I have been here. She has the right to know."
Justin sat up in the bed and scooted to the edge of the bed. The Doctor sighed and opened the curtain once more. Ashley smiled at the doctor who frowned back at her. He turned away and focused his attention on Justin.
"So what is the trouble Justin? Nurse Jackson said that you called her in a panic. She said you were worried about your eyes?"
Justin sat up and sighed."My eyes are itching badly. They feel like they are burning under these bandages. I have this overwhelming desire to scratch. What's happening to my eyes?" He tried hard to keep the tremor from his voice, but couldn't. The Doctor sighed softly.
"Justin, I want to be optimistic, however the longer that your eyes are recovering makes it hard to determine how much of your sight is going to come back. those bandages are going to come off tomorrow next week sometime. And we will see from there. Right now its hard to say. I want to perform a miracle for you, I really do but right now, I can't. I'm sorry." After he said that, he turned and left the room after telling him that if he needed anything else not to hesitate to have him paged.
Justin just sat there and tried not to cry. He missed his mom, his family, his brothers, The guys, hell, He even missed security. He didn't want to be wrong, but he even missed the fans. These past two weeks were like bliss, NO screaming. He hung his head and coughed softly. He looked up when someone sat down on the edge of his matress.
"Ashley, what am I going to do? That doctor isn't even sure that my sight will come back. God this is begining to be too much. I want my momma, I want my family, I want my brothers, I even want my fans. I wanna go home!"
He wrenched himself from her arms and started pounding his pillow in frustration. He sobbed and kicked his feet, having a good old fashioned temper tantrum. Ashley looked at him in shock. Just then the guys walked in with an older woman who was undeniably Justin's mother. She looked at each of them and held a finger to her lips.
"Justin, I know you are hurting. But really having a temper tantrum is a good thing. But I want you to do me a favor. Get out of that bed and walk with me to the doorway. That way I can ward off my daughter should she choose to come barreling down the hallway. Ok? Will You do that for me please?"
Justin got up and hopped off the bed. He searched for his shoes and put them on. He then waited for Ashley to come up next to him. He felt her presence next to him and smiled in spite of the hiccupy sighs that escaped every now and then. He smiled at her when she took his hand. He heard he snicker at something and just played it off like it was nothing. He stopped when he felt her let go of his hand.
"Ashley, Where are ya?? I know you didn't leave because I didn't hear you step away. See I am getting better."
He came forward a couple more steps and stopped suddenly. There was a familiar smell that was finding its' way to his nose. He sniffed again, and sneezed.
"Ashley, what's going on?? Who's there? I smell perfume. Familiar perfume. Only my momma smells like that. It's from when she used to hold me in her lap and comfort me when I fell."
Justin reached out and whimpered softly. He started to turn around to go back to his bed and cry some more when Ashley's anxious voice stopped him.
"Justin, You know by now I have reasons for getting you out of that damned bed each time. This time is no different. I just wanted to help you to your visitor. But if you are going to be a little child about it, I can ask the guys to leave."
Justin snorted." Ashley I was already going to see them today. Tell them to come in. I can visit with them just as well from my bed as I can standing up and blindly groping my way around."Just then the older woman with the guys stepped forward and spoke.
"Justin Randall Timberlake, since when did I raise you to speak that way to a lady. Say you are sorry and apologize this very minute!"
Justin froze. No, it couldn't be. his momma was at home in Tennessee. She wasn't able to come until next week. He was supposed to be hurting for her until then. He bit his lip.
"Momma?"
Lynn stepped forward quickly. She envoloped her son in her arms and hugged him tightly." Yes baby, it's me. The guys chartered a plane for me to get here. I couldn't stay gone longer."
Justin broke down. He fell to his knees sobbing. Lynn followed him down and pulled him into her lap. Mother and son sat there for several minutes hugging and crying. Ashley sniffed softly and smiled through her own tears. She made her way out of the room to be confronted with the faces of Justin's four bandmates/brothers. She smiled politely and excused herself. She still didn't appreciate what they said about her and she wasn't about to just let it blow over.
"Ashley? I am sorry we treated you like a leper, and like a gold digger. I should have known that you wouldn't do anything to hurt Justin in any way. It's just he's the baby of the group.You have brought him further than anyone else has. including us. I only hope that you accept my apology." The shorter, older looking one of the group spoke to her.
Ashley smiled," That's nice, now if you will excuse me, I have to go see if my mother has made it here yet with my daughter."
The nurse's station said that they hadn't seen them at all but promised to send them to her room as soon as they got here. Ashley made her way back to the room to find everyone crowded into it She passed by them all and went straight to her bed. After climbing in, she put her reading glasses on and opened her book, blocking everyone's voices out.
Suddenly there was the sound of quickly moving feet running down the hallway. Ashley groaned softly. Lorraine sounded like she was wound up. She heard her down the hall talking to grandma.
"But Grandma! I wanna see mommy, and Tiny. PLEASE can I go ahead. I promise to behave myself." Ashley could just see that little angelic expression she wears at times like those.
"I don't think so young lady, now you will walk with me. I don't want to tell mommy you were misbehaving."
Ashley sat up in bed and smiled. A few more minutes and she would be holding Lorraine. Just then Lorraine shreiked loudly.
"Tiny! Hi! Grandma, it's Tiny." She took off for the heavyset black man, Who stood and caught her and lifted her high above his head.
"Well, well, look here hey sweetheart! How are you today? This must be your Grandma. Pleased to meet you. My name is Tiny. I am security for the young man in this room with your daughter."
The other guys watched this exchange between Tiny and the little girl. They watched him put her down and her run right past them without another glance and giggle. Then they heard Ashley cooing at her.
"Hi baby! How are you doing? Grandma taking good care of you?"They sat together for a few minutes until her mother came around the curtain with James, her attorney.
"James, it's so good to see you again. How are Kelly and the girls?"
After a few minutes, James pulled up a chair and sat down. He looked right at Ashley.
"Ashley, I have to talk to you about something very serious and important. Ashley, honey, James' mother Darlene has filed for emergency custody of Lorraine and wants her turned over to her immediately."
Number of reviews: 1
Print:
Chapter or Story