Again, I have to say hi to my friend and tell him that I love him so that I do not have him asking me where his acknowledgment is.
Also, I would like to thank everyone who is writing with comments and suggestions I have really enjoyed all the email that I have gotten.
All of the standard disclaimers apply. This is only a fantasy and does not imply anything about the actual sexual preference of that fine looking boy Jeff Timmons or any of the rest of 98 Degrees or Kevin Richardson of the Backstreet Boys.
So enough of that and down to what you want. I'm afraid this section is a bit short, but it does get to the point.
Love At 98 Degrees-4
I opened my eyes and saw Jeff standing over me covered in blood. I panicked thinking that something must have happened to him. I tried to get up, but something was holding me down. I looked around me and realized that I was in a hospital. I tried to speak but nothing came out. I felt like something was in my mouth but my hands were strapped down and I couldn't feel it.
"Shh, don't try to talk Josh. You are on a ventilator. They have a tube down your throat because you are not breathing on your own. You can't talk with it in." Jeff told me. "They are trying to find out who to contact for you, Josh. I wish you could tell me who to call."
I reached out for Jeff's hand but the restraint held mine back. I looked at Jeff and then down at his hand. He reached out and grabbed my hand. I squeezed his hand and then let go. He went to take his hand away but I shook my head no. I reached for his hand as much as I could and then flattened it out. I took my finger and began to spell out a name on his hand.
"What Josh? What are you trying to tell me. Spell it again. Ok, J O R D A N. Jordan, you want me to call Jordan?"
I shook my head yes at him. I knew that Jordan knew everyone and my parents and would know whom to call. I watched as he went to the phone and called Jordan. Jeff began to cry as he explained what happened and as he told Jordan that he needed to make all the phone calls to the necessary people. When he came back to me and took my hand he told me that Jordan would call my parents. Just then, a nurse came up to us.
"Mr. Timmons, we have to get Mr. Palmer up to the surgery floor now you have to go and wait in the waiting room."
"Surgery, what do you mean surgery? Look, he is awake and communicating with me. Doesn't that mean he is all right?"
"We suspect that he is bleeding internally with some type of liver or spleen damage. We also suspect some type of head injury, which would account for him not being able to breathe on his own. Now you will have to go out there and wait in the waiting room. Follow us and we will show you where to wait." He explained to Jeff and then turning to me he said, "Mr. Palmer, we need to get you to sign this paper giving us permission to treat you."
I tried to raise my hand to sign it, but the restraint held it down.
"Oh, I think we can get rid of these now, you fought us trying to intupate you so we had to strap you down. If you promise not to pull the tube out of your mouth, we can get rid of the restraints."
I shook my head yes and they released the restraints. Immediately my hands went to my mouth to feel what was in it. It felt like a huge plastic tube. Jeff reached to pull my hand down thinking that I was trying to pull the tube out. I squeezed his hand letting him know that I was just trying to get oriented. The nurse gave me a paper to sign, which I did, but then I turned the paper over to the blank side and wrote "I don't care what your rules are, I want Jeff with me at all times. I have other friends coming and I want them to be close by, but I want Jeff with me."
"All right Mr. Palmer, we can do that. Mr. Timmons please follow us up to the surgical waiting room and we will keep you informed of his progress."
With that, they wheeled me away with Jeff following right behind. We got into an elevator and were taken up to the fourth floor. As they wheeled me past a waiting room, they told Jeff to wait there and I continued on into the surgical room. I was lifted off the gurney I was on and placed onto the table. There seemed to be a lot of commotion in the room as they set up for my surgery. A doctor appeared in front of me telling me there were going to make me sleep now so they could operate. I shook my head yes and then I heard the voices in the room fade away as I closed my eyes.
I opened my eyes wondering when the medicine would take effect, but I was in a whole new room with Jeff sitting beside me.
"There you are" Jeff said with a smile, "The doctors said everything is going to be all right now."
I smiled and closed my eyes again and drifted off to sleep. I woke to the sound of voices, but couldn't seem to open my eyes. I could hear Jeff whispering to someone there.
"The doctor said that there was a lot of internal bleeding and massive damage to his internal organs. He is also not initiating breathing yet so they still suspect a head injury. They are afraid he might be on that breathing machine for life. He is far from out of the woods yet. The doctors said to remain very upbeat around him."
With that, I heard a cry. I knew that Jeff had been talking to Jordan. I forced my eyes open to see Jordan being held by Kevin as he cried. I turned my head a bit and saw Mark standing there with tears in his eyes. He smiled though when he saw me and came to sit down beside me.
"Josh, I came as soon as I heard. You took me out of a meeting with Spielberg, I hope you know." Mark said smiling at me and giving me a hug.
Kevin came up, took my hand, and told me to get better very soon. He and Jordan wanted to double up with Jeff and I and they couldn't very well do that in here. He said with a smile. Then Jordan was there. I could tell he was trying to smile but he just broke down in tears and hugged me.
"Josh you have to get better. We are going to do a movie together and we have all of these other plans. Oh, I called your parents and they are on their way. You know your mom won't stand for this, so you better be up by then." He said with a laugh.
I smiled at him and then turned back to the other side where Jeff was sitting. I reached and took his hand and smiled. In the background I could hear the steady beep beep beep of the heart monitor as it kept track of my heart beat. I took Jeff's hand and spelled out on it "What happened?" and he proceeded to tell me what happened and filled me in on every detail up to now. He told me that everyone was right outside and pointed at the window in front of me.
I could see Nick, Drew, Justin, and Scott standing there. Mark, Kevin, and Jordan had also gone out there and only Jeff was allowed to stay with me. Jeff asked me if I was ready for two more people to come back and I shook my head yes. He motioned and both Nick and Drew came into the room.
"Hey slugger" Nick said with tears in his eyes. He bent down and gave me a kiss saying, "You need to get out of here, so I can show you a really good time."
I smiled up at him as he winked at me. Next Drew came over, held my hand, and talked with me for a bit before both he and Nick left the room. Justin and Scott were the last people to come and see me. They didn't spend very long in the room before going back to the waiting room.
I felt a coldness begin to come over me as I lay in the bed. My heartbeat became erratic and a nurse came running into the room. I heard her saying that I was going into cardiac arrest as she yelled to another nurse to get a crash cart. I looked at Jeff and reached for his hand, which I took. The cold feeling I had became overwhelming. I struggled to keep a hold of Jeff's hand but felt it slipping away. The voices in the room became very distant and everyone seemed to be fading away. It became clear to me that I was dying. I closed my eyes as I heard the dull constant tone of the heart monitor flat line.
Well, that is it. I didn't really want to see it end so soon, but that is the way it worked out. I hope that everyone has enjoyed the story as I had a lot of fun writing it. Special thanks to my inspirations Allen, Chuck, Dennis, Jason, and Shawn I love all of you.