A/N: thanks to anyone who read or replied to the first part :) I don't have a 3rd part written though even if i planned to write one, sorry.
CPR II: Still Breathing
Justin sat in the waiting room of the colorless hospital, trying to not think about JC while sitting there impatiently. His knees shook up and down from nerves. His hands trembled as he dialed the familiar numbers of JC’s family and the rest of the Nsync members. JC’s family was all the way in Chicago. JC came down to New York to visit him, so his family was on the first plane out to New York.
He figured JC was fine from the way he was breathing so steadily, but now as he waited, he couldn’t help but think the worst. He honestly tried to be uplifting, I mean, that was all he could do for JC. He just was so afraid that his best friend, his brother, was hurt or even dying. He couldn’t face that if that was the case. He was glad he got there in time to save his best friend, but what if that wasn’t enough.
Justin stuttered out the news into his cell phone, trying not to cry his heart out. After he hung up with his friends and JC’s family, he thought of all the consequences. What if JC was okay and breathing fine, what if he went back into cardio arrest, what if he was dead?
“No, Justin, stop!” he commanded him self under his breath. Just then, the doctor came into the room. He had blood and vomit, JC's blood and vomit, on his scrubs. It almost made Justin want to throw up himself. He gagged a little, while he waited to be addressed by the doctor. He so badly wanted to scream at him to make his friend better, but he knew that would only make everything worse than it already was.
“Is there anyone in here for Mr. Joshua Chasez?” He asked. Justin looked around the waiting room; he was the only one in the room for God’s sake. No one, but him could possibly be for JC and that almost made him angry. He wished his friends were there. He knew they were coming soon, but it still worried him some. It didn’t worry him as much as JC was worrying him at the moment.
Justin stood up to address the doctor and stuck out his hand to him, “Hi, Doctor, I’m Justin…I’m, uh, here for Josh,” he said in a soft voice, hoping this doctor bared good news. He couldn’t even tell. The man had an apathetic look on his face; there was no way to tell. Justin bet he was trained to be this way.
“So, how is he doing?” Justin said immediately right after when the doctor didn’t say anything about his brother.
“Well…” That wasn’t the greatest way to start this discussion off. Justin almost wanted to puke again just because of the well and the great big 5 second pause. “Josh is doing fine now; he can breathe on his own. In the ER he stopped breathing again, but we got his breathing back to normal. We’ve detected, uh, small heart problem.” He continued.
Justin stayed quiet, heart problem? “Is it anything serious? Can it be fixed?” Justin rambled out. He put his hands under his legs to stop the constant shaking, but instead his legs just jerked up and down nervously. He wouldn’t feel any better about this until he saw JC, alive and breathing well.
“With time it can, but it’s something you would have to grow out of. I don’t think Mr. Chasez, a 27 year old, could grow out of it. It’s been ignored, since no one knew of it. Josh might have had some symptoms and disregarded them as nothing, as most victims do…”
Justin let out a sigh; he truly didn’t want to hear about that now, “C-Can I see him?”
The doctor finally smiled, “Sure you can. He’s sleeping right now, so try not to wake him. He’s under heavy meds anyway.”
Justin tried to smile back and followed the doctor to JC’s hospital room. He tried not to notice how sterile this place was. Just the smell and look of it made him sick to his stomach. Especially if he looked into other patient’s rooms, they looked like they were dying. He didn’t want to think JC was like one of those. He immediately looked down at the clean floor, watching the doctor’s footsteps ahead of him.
The doctor stopped, which made Justin look up towards him almost curiously. He knew he was at JC’s room, but it was as if he was afraid to see JC this way. Isn’t finding him lifeless on the cold concrete ground enough? But at the same time, he couldn’t be selfish and let JC go through this alone.
The doctor motioned for Justin to go into the room. Justin nodded his head and took a deep breath before walking in. He bit his bottom lip when he saw JC. His skin was pale and he looked like a little kid, wrapped in all those blankets, making him seem smaller than he really was. He had a breathing tube in his nose, connecting to one of the machines off to the side. Those stupid machines were making all this noise, reminding him why he was here in the first place. Justin walked closer and took a seat next to the bed. He scooted his chair closer to JC, and took one of his cold hands in both of his, squeezing it gently.
“Hey,” he said so softly as if not to wake JC. He was almost expecting some kind of response from him, but the doctor said he was under heavy meds, so he wouldn’t be up for a long while now.
“You scared me,” his voice trembled as he spoke those words, looking at JC’s white face. He couldn’t help it, he had to cry. He didn’t even care if JC saw him like this. He let out a sob, as he brought JC’s hands up to his face, letting the tears drip onto JC’s cool hand.
“I-I just, I wanted to save you know? A-and now, I’m just so worried. T-they say something’s wrong with your heart, b-but you’re gonna be okay…” his lips quivered as he placed a kiss on JC’s hands, leaving them near his trembling lips.
“You’re gonna be okay,” Justin repeated more strongly, sitting up in his seat, as if to he was trying to convince himself. He moved JC’s hand away from his lips, and brought it back to the bed. The IV was in his vein. He hates needles, good thing he’s not awake to see it in him, he’d freak. Justin laughed lightly to himself at them, for a second it almost made him feel better. Only one look at JC, though, made it all worse again.
Just then, Joey stumbled through the door, with wide eyes. Justin heard the clumsy footsteps and looked up at Joey with his red bloodshot eyes.
Joey immediately came closer to Justin and wrapped him in a hug. Justin let his hand slip out of JC’s and started to sob into Joey’s chest.
“It was the most frightening thing ever, to s-see him like that,” Justin mumbled, trying to wipe away his tears, as Joey rubbed his back to calm him down.
“Hey, he’s gonna be okay though,” Joey started, but when Justin didn’t say anything but let out a small defeated sigh, so Joey added, “Right?”
Justin nodded his head against Joey’s chest, “They say he’s gonna be,” he pulled away from the embrace and sat back in his chair next to JC. He dried at his wet, red eyes. He wiped his now wet from tear hands on his jeans before he took JC’s hand again.
Joey looked at the two of them before moving to the other side of JC. He stood next to the bed, gently stroking JC’s unruly curls that were now slightly matted down.
After a minute of silence, “Do you want to tell me about it?” Joey suggested. Justin shrugged before shaking his head no. He couldn’t relive that yet again.
Joey let out another sigh, as he twirled his fingers around JC’s curls. He just hoped his best friend was okay. He was so healthy; you probably wouldn’t have thought that if you looked at him now.
Chris came next with Lance trailing behind him, it had been 2 hours and JC still hasn’t awoken yet. Justin was bent over the bed, sleeping with his head resting on JC’s chest, and his fingers interlocked with JC’s fingers. Joey was lost in his own world, thinking about everything that was going on.
Lance and Chris tiptoed into the private hospital room, seeing the display in front of them. Joey looked up at them and tried to give them a smile, but it wouldn’t form on his lips. Chris looked at him sadly and took the last seat that was off to the side. Lance stood, leaning against the wall, watching everything happen in front of him.
“The kid isn’t takin it so well,” Joey commented, putting his hand on Justin’s bent over back, and rubbing slow soothing circles.
Chris gave him a sad smile, “Do you know what happened?”
Joey looked up at them and shook his head no, “Justin didn’t wanna talk about it… All I know is he stopped breathing.”
Lance let out a breath and walked over to the other side of JC’s bed. He sat on the bed and just looked at JC’s unmoving form.
They all sat in silence, listening to the sounds of JC’s heart monitor and Justin’s breathy snores.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Early the next morning, Joey, Chris and Lance were drinking coffee, chatting quietly. They all were still waiting for JC to wake up. Justin was still bent over JC, sleeping; he was probably going to have to pay for that later.
Within an hour, JC began to stir. His hand lightly squeezed Justin’s hand as he weakly opened his eyes. He started to sit up with a small groan. The sound of JC’s groan caught the attention of the guys. Chris got up to get him a glass of water that was purposely put to the side in case he woke. JC just looked down at the sleeping Justin, thinking about how he saved his life. He remembered waking up to see Justin hovering over him and now to see his best friend staying here and sleeping next to him all cramped almost comforted him.
As if a delayed reaction, the small squeeze awoke Justin. He practically shot up in his chair, ignoring the pain in his back and neck, and just stared at JC.
JC blinked at Justin as a huge smile formed on Justin’s face. Justin’s fingers slipped out of JC’s, wrapped his arms around JC, and hugged him tight. JC slowly brought his arms around Justin’s back and whispered a quiet hi.
“How are you feeling?” Justin said as he released from the hug. Justin took the cup out of Chris’ hands and put the straw up to JC’s lip with shaky hands, letting him take a small sip. Justin put the cup off to the side, not taking his eyes off his best friend. JC swallowed slowly and looked up at him with tears in his eyes, reaching his hand towards Justin’s face. He gently cupped it and whispered, “Thank you.”
Justin bit his lip to stop his trembling lips, so he just looked up at JC with teary eyes, “Y-you know I would do anything for you, you’re my best friend in the whole world.” Justin put his hand over JC’s hand that was resting on his cheek.
JC nodded feebly as he let his hand dropped from Justin’s cheek, and let out a tiny, “I know,” as a tear fell from his face at the same time one fell from Justin’s face. JC’s hand stopped the single tear that was ready to trail down his face. The tear that fell from JC’s eyes trailed down his cheek and down his neck, soaking into his hospital gown.
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