Legal disclaimer: this is fiction, not intended to say anything about the persons used in this story. I do not know any members of NSYNC, don't know anything about them in real life. You gotta be of legal age to read this.
Author's note: last chapter, people. Only the epilogue left. Big thanks to Casey for giving me some pointers on this chapter. Some general info...I have moved my site. For back chapters and more angst, go to http://www.envy.nu/bluekat New email address too, feedback is most welcome at bluekath@eduoramail.com
BlueKat
- How Can You Love Me? part 22 -
Justin hesitated. "Lance, I..."
Lance sent him a quick look. "I know. I'll be careful. But now you have to hurry, sweetheart."
Sending the closed door a worried look, now everyhting was quiet inside, then he turned and ran towards the elevators again.
"You ready?" Chris asked, looking at Lance. "You know, if it is Jim, he's not gonna go easily. He's possibly armed too... We have to act quickly."
"I know," Lance nodded. "You distract him, and I'll hit him over the head with something. Preferably the Empire State Building."
Inspite of everything Chris snickered. "Preferably. But there's three of us, Josh has to be in there too.." He sobered up. "Come on, let's go."
Somehow Joey had managed to crawl back into the corner, not knowing how he got there himself. When the shelf started to fall everything happened in slow motion. Jim didn't have a chance to get away and was pinned by the massive furniture and the floor. The steadily growing puddle of blood leaking from somewhere under the shelf seemed to Joey to be able to fill the room. It kept creeping closer and closer to him. It was like it moved with a determination, to finish what Jim had started. Hardly daring to breath Joey curled up more, pressing his back into the wall.
Then a small sound broke through the growing fear. The sound of someone trying to get up.
"Joey?" he heard JC ask in a weak voice. "Joey, where are you...I can't see anything..."
The stream of blood kept moving closer. Slowly Joey pushed himself to his feet, still watching the blood. His ancle protested to the moving with sending stabs of pain through his leg. In the hazed state he was in, he hardly felt it. Forcing himself to look away from Jim and the blood he found JC still on the floor under the mirror.
"Josh?" Joey said carefully. "Josh, are you ok?" He could easily see the relieved look on his boyfriend's face.
"I'm fine, baby, I promise." He reached out his hand, then tried to wipe some of the blood out of his eyes. "Joey, I can't see you."
"I'm right here, honey," Joey replied, moving quickly around the shelf, keeping his eyes locked on JC. Falling to the floor next to the blueeyed man, he felt JC place his arms tightly around him.
"Are you allright, Joey? WHat happened? Did he hurt you?"
"No," Joey assured him, he didn't have the power to sit up straight anymore. His leg was starting to feel like it was on fire, the pain in his arm had subsided for a heavy numbness, and everything was spinning around. He could hear JC say his name, but his voice didn't work anymore. He felt so tired, all he wanted to do was just to close his eyes and rest just a little. The world seemed to be so far away, soon he couldn't hear Josh' voice anymore. Then everything was impenetrable black.
"The door's locked," Chris said. "Stand back." Lance did so, knowing that Chris had both the willpower and strentgh to kick down any door right then. His face was pale, and he had a look of utter determination. This would be the first time any of them saw Jim after Joey had told them what happened.
The door flew open and hit the wall with a solid thud. Chris was through it in an instant, Lance followed just behind.
The first thing they both saw was the shelf laying on the floor, a darkhaired man pinned down under it, only visible from the chest up. They both recognized him immedeately.
"Where's Joey?" Chris asked, his voice trembling.
Lance quickly looked around. "Over here," Chris. They're... Oh my God..." He sat down next to JC who was cradling Joey in his arms. His face was covered in blood coming from a large cut on his forehead.
Sitting down next to JC, Lance reached for Joey who seemed to be unconscious. "It's ok, Josh, let me just take him and..."
"No!" Josh cut him off, hugging Joey tighter to him. "Stay away from us, I'm not letting you take him!"
"Josh, it's ok," Lance tried , "it's me, Lance. Jim can't hurt you anymore. The police is on their way... But Joey's been hurt..."
"He's not answering me anymore," JC mumbled, hiding his face in Joey's hair. "I tried everything, but he stopped answering me..."
Chris had come to, kneeling on the other side of JC. "We need to take him to a hospital, Josh," he carefully explained. "And we need to get a doctor to look at you too, you got a nasty cut..."
"I just want my Joey back," JC whispered. "Why doesn't he answer me?" Closing his eyes, he tried to get world back in order. His head hurt and all he wanted to do was curl up next to his boyfriend and sleep.
"Justin should be back with the police soon," Lance said quietly. "We're going to need an ambulance. I think JC's in shock, and there is so much blood... I don't know where all of it comes from..."
"Damn it!" Chris cursed. "What's taking Justin so long? Might as well get them to the hospital ourselves..."
"And how do you plan to do that," Lance asked. "When we can't even get JC to let go of Joey?"
Chris was looking defeated. "I don't know, Lance. I wish Allie was here."
Justin came running back into the room. "Police's on their way up. I called for an ambulance just in case..."
Chris jumped up and hugged him. Justin looked confused, then he saw the couple on the floor.
Lance stayed where he was. "Josh?" he asked softly. "There is an ambulance coming, we need to get Joey and you to a hospital. You can stay with him all the time, but we can't stay here."
After a little while he could see Josh nod slowly. "They won't take him away from me?"
"No," Lance assured him. "I promise. Justin, Chris and I are going to be there too."
Sounds of running steps echoed through the hallway. Several uniformed police officers entered the room followed by three medics carrying a guerney.
At the sight of the strange people Josh hugged his boyfriend closer, still not sure what they were really there for. He couldn't see Jim anywhere. His head hurt and his eyes burned because of something in them. Everytime he wiped the liquid away it seems that it only caused more to come.
"Hey son," a voice he didn't know said. A hand was placed on his shoulder. "I need you to let go of your friend here, ok? We..."
Instinctiveley Josh shied away from the touch, pulling Joey with him. "No, get away from me! I am not letting you have him!"
"Don't worry," the voice came back. "I'm a doctor, son, and your buddy here is hurt. I'm just going to examine him to see where this blood is coming from. But I need to get him down to the ambulance, you think you can help me with that?"
Wiping at his eyes again, trying to see the man who was talking, Josh decided to trust the voice. "I'll try."
"They have been in there for an awful long time, haven't they?" Justin asked, biting on a fingernail. "I mean, that is bad, right? If they were ok, we would have heard something by now..."
Lance pulled him down into the couch with him. "I'm sure they're ok, Just."
Chris got to his feet. "I'm gonna go call Allie. You come get me if there's any news, ok?"
"We will," Lance promised. "I think it will be a while yet, with the state Josh was in and all..." He pulled Justin to him in a warm hug, resting his cheek against blond curls. "At least they won't have to be afraid of Jim anymore..."
Justin snuggled up to him, watching Chris go outside to make the call. "Hope not, at least now the police knows... Even if Joey doesn't want to press charges about what happened earlier, there's no way Jim's going to get away with this..."
The cut on his forehead was stitched up and dressed in snowy white gauze. Pushing the tip of a finger under the bandage Josh tried to reach the incessant itch. A nurse caught him and batted his hand away.
"Don't touch, young man. If you keep doing that, you'll get a big, ugly scar, and the ladies won't look at you twice anymore."
"Don't want any ladies," JC grumbled. "Want my boyfriend."
"Well, he won't appreciate you ruining that handsome face either..."
As she turned to leave, Josh followed her. "Why won't you tell me how he is doing? All you said is that he's been taken to surgery."
"That's all I know," she told him. "Tell you what, if you be a good boy and get back into the bed where you are supposed to be, I'll go see how things are going..."
"You will? And they are taking him here right after they're done, right? He's coming back here, isn't he?"
The nurse fixed a pair of grey eyes at him. "If you don't get back to your bed, young man, and stop following me around, I'll have the both of you transferred to another hospital. Off you go." The stern gaze softened a little. "If you're a good boy, I might just let your friends in to see you in a little while."
"Yes, ma'am," Josh mumbled, retreating to his bed.
One hour later, he was sure about the time after having followed every minute on the big clock on the wall, the door was opened again. A doctor still in operating gear entered.
JC sat up, disappointed to see that the doctor was alone. Then a sharp bolt of fear tightened his stomach.
"Is there something wrong? Is Joey ok? Why isn't he here yet?" He blinked furiously to get rid of the tears.
"Your friend is doing fine," the doctor assured him. "We're just keeping him upstairs for a little while so he can sleep off the anastesia. As soon as he wakes up, you'll get to see him. Why don't you get some rest yourself?" He paused. "Your friends are waiting outside. And there is a policeman there too, to take your statement when you feel up to it."
"What..." Josh had to start again. "What happened to Jim?"
After having watched the clock drag itself another hours ahead JC could at last hug his lover again. Neither of them spoke as they just held each other for a long time. Joey's left shoulder was heavily dressed in bandaged, but the physician had said that no muscles or nerves had been severed, so he should have a full recovery, the same with his broken ancle.
After JC had crawled into the bed with Joey, the two of them snuggled closely together. The room was half dark, Joey was resting his head on JC's shoulder, enjoying the feeling of his boyfriend's careful arms around him. But there was one thing that kept him from feeling safe again, one thing he had to ask.
"Josh," he began, not knowing exactly how to ask. "How about Jim, is he...?"
"He's not dead," JC told him, hugging him closer. "But he's never going to come after you again. He was hurt badly, his back was broken. Even if he survives the surgery, he'll never be able to walk again."
Joey didn't answer. He found Josh' hand with his own, holding it tightly. Hiding his face against JC's neck, he felt tears well up in his eyes. Giving in to the tears felt strangely unfitting now, as he was safe and back in Josh' arms. But he couldn't stop them, the emotions were too strong, even if he wasn't quite sure just what he was feeling.
"It's ok, baby," JC whispered, softly stroking his back. "It's ok, it's over now. Everything's going to be fine now, don't worry. Now everything is going to be allright."