In Need
Chris hated grocery shopping.
It was the world’s most hateful task to him, next to scrubbing Joey’s toilet after losing a bet. With every frozen entrée he tossed into his shopping cart, the more he was reminded of his eternal life as a bachelor.
A life that he hated.
He let out a sigh and shoved the cart down the aisle, catching it before it slid out into the lines of people. He turned the corner, heading down the cereal aisle, intent on finding the special package of Lucky Charms containing the remaining trading cards he had yet to collect.
Spotting a box, he tossed it into his cart and moved on, stopping abruptly when he recognized the woman a few feet ahead of him, reading the back of a box of Triscits intently.
“Melanie?” he said.
The woman looked up, her eyes widening in surprise as she recognized Chris. “Well hey there Chris!” she smiled. “What a surprise!”
“Tell me about it!” grinned Chris. “How long have you been here? Are you here alone?”
“Actually…” she began.
“Hey, Mel, do we need toilet paper?” came a gruff voice. Chris slowly turned around, finding himself face to chest with a man three times the size of Chris. “Who’s this?” scoffed the man, pointing at Chris.
“Jason, honey, this is Chris, a friend of a patient of mine,” she said, looking down at the ground. “Chris, this is my boyfriend, Jason.”
Jason looked down at Chris skeptically. After deciding that Chris wasn’t a threat, he chuckled gruffly and shook Chris’s hand.
“Pleasure,” said Chris.
“Wha-?” said Jason. “A pleasure?” he laughed. Chris inwardly rolled his eyes and smiled politely.
“Jason, honey, we need some toothpaste. Can you go get some?” asked Melanie.
Jason reluctantly turned to go down the aisle, pausing briefly to give Chris a threatening look. He finally looked away, slapping Melanie hard in the rear as he walked away. Melanie winced.
“Well…” said Chris slowly.
“He’s not normally like that, you know,” said Melanie.
Chris was skeptical, but nodded just the same. “What about that fight you two had yesterday? Did he return your car?”
“He dropped it off this morning,” said Melanie softly.
“Did he apologize?” asked Chris.
“Well, not exactly,” said Melanie, looking down at the ground. “But he looked really apologetic.”
“Mel…” said Chris softly.
“Listen, Chris, I better go,” said Melanie, pushing her cart away. “I’ll see you on Monday at Joey’s appointment.” With that, she left the aisle, leaving Chris behind.
“Ok, you’re all set,” said Jen, spinning the chair around. “Now you better get going before you miss your cue.”
“Thank you,” grinned the toothless six-year-old as he hopped off the chair, dressed in a lion costume. He scampered out the dressing room door, leaving the door open behind him. She sat down in the chair, smiling to herself. She loved her job. Currently, Jen was working hair and makeup in a children’s playhouse theater. She loved children as it was, and a job where she can work with children and do hair and makeup… it was wonderful.
The shrill ringing of her cell phone in her pocket interrupted her thoughts. Jen reached into her khaki pants pocket and pulled out the small silver phone. “Caller ID Blocked” read the display. Jen smiled. Only one person called her with a blocked number.
“Justin, baby, I miss you so much it hurts,” said Jen as she answered the phone. She was surprised to hear nothing, minus the sound of deep, labored breathing. “Hello?” she asked. Still nothing. “Who is this?” she questioned as her heart rate nervously picked up.
“Stay away,” rasped the voice gruffly.
“Excuse me?” snapped Jen, growing angry. The only response she received was a click as the phone hung up. Jen pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it in offense. This was the second time that had happened, but on two separate phone lines… her home phone and her cell phone. It was beginning to get a little freaky.
Her thoughts were interrupted when a little girl came running into the dressing room, sobbing. Jen jumped out of the chair and kneeled down, facing the small five-year-old dressed in a rabbit costume. “What’s wrong Shellie?” she asked, grabbing a tissue off the vanity and dabbing away at the tears spilling over onto her cheeks, smearing her painted whiskers.
“B-Billy pushed me,” she sobbed. “I-I f-fell and… and… I ripped my bunny!” she sobbed, pointing down at her knee. The gray fuzzy material was, indeed, ripped.
“Ok, Shellie,” said Jen, placing her hands on the child’s shoulders. “This is no big deal, I promise.” With that, Jen reached into the drawer of her vanity, pulling out a small sewing kit. She quickly threaded the needle and began sewing at the patch of torn material. “One time, when I worked with some other people, there was a man who ripped his pants on the butt,” said Jen. “I had to hurry and sew the pants for him because there wasn’t anyone else around. Then he went back out on stage and the pants ripped again.”
Shellie managed a small giggle amidst her tears. “So see? It could be worse, but it’s not,” she said, tying the thread and tearing it. “All done.” Shellie sniffled, although she’d stopped crying. “Now, see? It’s all better. Now come here,” said Jen, picking the child up and putting her on the chair. “We can’t have you going out there without your whiskers, now can we?” Shellie giggled softly and shook her head. Jen quickly painted on the whiskers again, touching up the paint on her nose. “Now, no more tears, Shellie, ok? It’s all better,” said Jen.
“Thank you,” said Shellie softly, hugging Jen tightly.
Jen smiled at the young girl. “You’re welcome. Don’t let Billy bother you… boys are really dumb sometimes.” Shellie nodded in agreement. “Ok, you better go! You don’t want the audience to be missing their bunny, now do you?” Shellie shook her head and scampered off, out the dressing room door. Jen giggled and shook her head, turning back to the vanity, rearranging everything on the counter.
“Boys are dumb, huh?” came a voice behind her. Jen spun around to see Justin leaning against the doorframe. Jen’s jaw dropped. She rushed to him, jumping into his arms.
“Justin!” she cried. “What are you doing here?”
“I could leave if you want,” chuckled Justin.
“Don’t you dare,” said Jen, tightening her grip on him. “How long were you standing there?”
“Long enough to hear you tell Shellie about the time my pants didn’t want to stay in one piece,” he chuckled.
“Oh,” giggled Jen. She paused, looking up in Justin’s crystal blue eyes. “God I’ve missed you,” she sighed, reaching up and hugging him again. Justin leaned down and kissed her, moaning softly.
“I’ve missed you more than you know,” he sighed.
“Well, try to show me,” giggled Jen, reaching up to kiss him again. When they finally pulled apart, Jen looked up at him. “How long are you here for?”
“Just tonight, unfortunately,” said Justin. Jen’s face fell. “I’m sorry, babe,” he said, kissing her forehead. “It’s just that Brian McKnight called me up and asked me to record a song with him.” “Brian McKnight?” said Jen, looking up at him. “As in your idol, Brian McKnight?” Justin nodded gleefully. Jen squealed and hugged him again. “I’m so happy for you!”
“I’m happy for me!” chuckled Justin. “There’s one catch though… his studio’s in New York. I’ll be gone for at least two weeks.”
Jen sighed, leaning her head against his chest. “But you only just got here…” she whimpered.
“I know baby,” he whispered. “But after this, I’m planning on taking a break from all the appearances and interviews,” he said, kissing her forehead. “Hey… how about you come with me?”
Jen looked up at him in surprise. “What?”
“Come on Jen…” said Justin, taking her hand. “It’d be great. We never did go back to New York together… you can show me where you grew up after you left Memphis…”
“Justin…”
“And you could hang out with me in the studio, and you can see what it is I do all day,” he continued. “And we would be together and-“
Jen placed a finger over Justin’s lips to silence him. “I can’t.”
“Why not?” asked Justin.
“Justin, look around you,” said Jen. “I have a job. These kids depend on me. I can’t just leave.”
“It’s just for a few weeks,” pleaded Justin.
“In a few weeks, this play will be over,” said Jen. Justin’s face fell. He looked down at the ground.
“Please?” he asked softly.
Jen smiled, despite feeling tears building behind her eyes. She kissed Justin’s lips softly. “I would if I could. I would drop everything and go if I could. But I can’t. I can’t just leave these kids.”
“I know,” sighed Justin, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning her against him. “But hey, we’re going to have a fabulous time tonight, while I am home, right?”
Jen smiled, nodding. “We better.”
JC sat in the waiting room, nervously flipping through a magazine. He wasn’t actually aware of what he was reading as he turned the pages. He bounced his leg nervously as he waited. Alex was in with the doctor, and he was left waiting for any news.
“Mr. Chasez?”
JC jumped out of his seat. He quickly recognized Dr. Hawthorne, Alex’s obstetrician. “How is she?” he asked.
“Could you come with me please, Mr. Chasez?” Dr. Hawthorne motioning for JC to follow him. JC did just that, following Dr. Hawthorne into a small office. “Take a seat,” he said, motioning to a chair. JC slowly lowered himself into the seat, his heart pounding with anxiousness.
“What’s wrong?” asked JC cautiously.
“I checked your wife and ran several tests,” said Dr. Hawthorne. “Her headaches and nausea aren’t something we OB/GYN’s like to see when dealing with a woman in her third trimester.”
“What’s wrong? What does it mean?” asked JC.
“Of the tests we ran, we also tested your wife for preeclampsia, of which she tested positive,” said Dr. Hawthorne.
“Preeclampsia… what’s that again?” asked JC, his nerve-ridden mind too preoccupied to remember what he had read about it.
“In layman’s terms, it’s high blood pressure,” said Dr. Hawthorne. “Preeclampsia is the beginning stage of eclampsia, a very serious and life threatening disorder.”
“Life threatening?” whispered JC.
“Preeclampsia can affect vital body functions, such as in the liver, kidneys, and brain, of both the mother and child,” explained Dr. Hawthorne, folding his hands on the desk. “In eclampsia, these parts can be damaged.”
“Oh God,” whispered JC.
“If not taken cared of, preeclampsia can turn into eclampsia,” said Dr. Hawthorne.
JC ran a hand through his dark curls. He stood up and began to pace the room, his breathing becoming labored. “What can we do? Is there anything you can give her?”
Dr. Hawthorne shook his head solemnly. “The only cure for either preeclampsia or eclampsia is delivery.”
JC chewed on his bottom lip anxiously. “What’s the worst case scenario?”
“Mr. Chasez, I don’t believe this is what you need to hear,” said Dr. Hawthorne.
“I need to know how serious this is,” said JC. “What’s the worst case scenario?”
Dr. Hawthorne let out a sigh. “Eclampsia can lead to maternal coma or fetal and maternal death.”
JC gasped. He slowly sat down in the chair, not caring about the tears that were building in his eyes.
“Mr. Chasez,” said Dr. Hawthorne. “Your wife is still in the preliminary stages. We can still prevent it from reaching eclampsia.” “How?” asked JC, his voice cracking, his eyes watery.
“Bed rest,” said Dr. Hawthorne. “Keep her from any and all kinds of stress. That’s the most we can do.”
“That’s not much,” said JC. “Come on… with all these advances in science, can’t they think up something for this?”
“Mr. Chasez, any medication that has been tested in the past for blood pressure has proven harmful to the child. This is all we can do.”
JC let out a sigh and held his head in his hands, his fingers haphazardly rustling his dark curls. “Mr. Chasez… I explained the seriousness of this disorder. Of course, I didn’t tell her to which degree it can advance, and I suspect it hasn’t occurred to her. Perhaps keeping to yourself what I told you is best, both for her and your child’s sake.”
“Of course,” murmured JC, standing up again and pacing the room, running his hands through his hair.
“I’d like to see her once every week until delivery,” said Dr. Hawthorne.
“Yeah,” nodded JC. “I’ll make sure of it. Where is she now?”
“She’s in with the technician. They’re about to do the ultrasound. She asked me to tell you to hurry up and join her,” said Dr. Hawthorne, smiling weakly.
“That’s Alex,” said JC, chuckling softly. “Always telling me to hurry up.”
“The bathroom’s down the hall on your right, if you want to take a moment to compose yourself,” said Dr. Hawthorne. “Mrs. Chasez is the third door on the left.”
“Thank you doctor,” said JC, shaking his hand.
“Just take care of her, Mr. Chasez,” said Dr. Hawthorne. “You’re the one who can really make a difference.”
JC smiled weakly and left the room, going straight to the ultrasound room where Alex was. He stood out in the hall for a moment, collecting his thoughts and composure. He roughly wiped away the lone tear sliding down his cheek. He took a deep breath and knocked.
“Come in!” came Alex’s voice. JC smiled and entered. Alex lay on the examination table, the technician standing over her, the attachment to the ultrasound monitor already pressed against Alex’s swollen stomach.
She was so beautiful to him… she was his heart and soul. There was no way he could lose her. If he did, it’d be like losing himself.
She smiled at him, motioning frantically for him to join her. “Don’t just stand there. Get over here and see our child!” JC smiled and walked over, taking her hand in his. He kissed the back of it and looked at the screen.
“What’s wrong Josh?” asked Alex, furrowing her brow, regarding JC curiously.
“Nothing, baby,” he said, kissing her forehead. “I’m just a little anxious to see this kid of ours.”
Alex smiled. The technician reached over and adjusted a few knobs on the machine. “Would you like to hear its heartbeat?”
Alex nodded eagerly. The technician pressed a button and suddenly the soft dub-dub sound filled their ears. Alex smiled. JC felt the tears burning his eyes. Alex squeezed his hand.
“Take a look,” said the technician, pointing at the screen. Sure enough, in blurry black and white, was the form of a baby. Suddenly the baby stretched their arms out. Their mouth opened in what appeared to be a yawn. “Sorry, baby, did we wake you?” teased the technician.
“Just like their father,” teased Alex, squeezing JC’s hand. “Always sleeping.” He stared at the screen, completely dumbfounded, lost in so many emotions that he didn’t know what to feel. One emotion stood out amongst them all… love. He looked down at Alex’s smiling face. She was glowing. He looked back at the screen, glowing with the image of his unborn child.
He loved them both, more than he ever knew was possible. And there was no way he could ever lose either one of them.
Jessie ran her finger along the edge of her glass, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. She shot a side-glance to Jack, who stared dumbly at their mother, who had been ranting and raving for the last hour about the necessities of a “true” wedding. She suddenly felt a hand on her leg. She looked down, recognizing Lance’s hand on her knee. She reached down and patted his hand lovingly.
“Haven’t I Jessica?” asked Mrs. Landers.
“Huh? What?” asked Jessie, jolting out of her inattention. Mrs. Landers sighed, clearly annoyed.
“I was saying that I still haven’t seen your dress,” said Mrs. Landers pointedly. She turned to Mrs. Bass. “Of course, I’m sure whatever’s wrong with it can easily be fixed,” she shrugged.
“How do you know there’s something wrong with it?” asked Jessie.
“No need to get defensive, Jessica,” shrugged Mrs. Landers. “I simply said that because I know how you dress. You have no idea what a wedding dress should be.”
“What if I chose a dress I love?” asked Jessie.
“Well, we’ll see about that dear,” said Mrs. Landers dismissively.
Jessie groaned and leaned forward, her head in her hands. “Is there something wrong Jessica?” asked Mrs. Landers.
“Yes!” cried Jessie. “All you’ve done since you got here is arrange my wedding… my wedding!”
“That’s what mothers do, sweetheart,” said Mrs. Landers. She turned back to Mrs. Bass. “I know just the priest that can do the ceremony.” “Uh oh,” whispered Lance, leaning forward on his hand.
“Priest?” asked Mrs. Bass. “I was planning on having a pastor do the ceremony. We have a good family friend who practically raised Lance. I want a good Baptist wedding.”
“Well I want a good Catholic wedding,” said Mrs. Landers, growing defensive.
“Lance! Why didn’t you tell me you were marrying a Catholic?” cried Mrs. Bass.
“’A Catholic’, mom?” said Lance. “What does it matter?”
“The future life of my grandchild is at stake here!” cried Mrs. Bass. “I will not have my grandchild be a different religion than his own family!”
“It’s my grandchild too!” cried Mrs. Landers.
“Is Jessie pregnant?” asked Jack. The two mothers froze and stared at Jack questioningly.
“Jackson, what kind of question is that?” cried Mrs. Landers. “Of course she isn’t… you aren’t, are you?”
“No, Mom,” sighed Jessie.
“Then why are you talking about a non-existent grandchild?” asked Jack. “Right now, the only thing Jess and Lance have to worry about is their wedding and their life together,” said Jack. “They’ll have plenty of time to worry about that later on.”
Jessie smiled gratefully at her brother. Lance grinned at Jack. Mrs. Landers and Mrs. Bass sat in silence. For a moment, Jessie, Lance, and Jack thought that they had beaten them.
“Anyway, I was thinking that carnations would be wonderful for the decorations in the church…”
“You owe me,” said Joey.
“Why?” giggled Madison, snuggling closer to his chest.
“I’m sitting here, on my couch, in my place, watching a chick flick on my DVD player,” he said. “I have to be in love to do something this crazy.”
“This is not just a chick flick, Joey,” she said. “Roman Holiday is a classic!”
“Yeah… a classic chick flick,” muttered Joey.
Madison rolled her eyes and swatted his arm gently, giggling. Joey tightened his hold around her shoulders, pulling her close to his chest. Together, they sat on the couch, watching the movie in comfortable silence. Joey’s eyelids slowly slid closed, but not for long.
“Hello?” said Madison, answering her cell phone.
“Hey Mads,” came David’s voice.
“Um, hi David,” said Madison uncertainly, glancing over at Joey, who regarded her curiously.
“What are you doing?”
“Watching a movie with Joey, actually,” she said, looking at Joey apologetically. “Why? What’d you need?”
“Well, I was just checking if you were ready for Prince’s exam tomorrow.”
Madison’s jaw dropped. “I thought that wasn’t until next week!”
“Well, I have it written down that its tomorrow,” said David.
“Oh crap,” she groaned.
“Need help studying?” he offered.
“Thanks David, but it’s already late and I’m up in the city as it is,” said Madison.
“It’s no problem Madison, really,” said David. “I never sleep at night anyway.”
“I don’t know…”
“Come on Mads,” urged David. “I need the review anyway.”
Madison let out a sigh, running her hand through her hair. She did need help reviewing, and David did have a pretty good grasp on everything discussed in class.
“Well,” said Madison. “If you’re sure…”
“Great,” said David. “I’ll see you in half an hour.”
Madison looked to Joey, who regarded her questioningly. “It was David,” said Madison.
“I caught that,” muttered Joey.
“I forgot that I have an exam tomorrow. David offered to help me study.”
“Figures,” said Joey.
“Listen Joey,” said Madison. “I don’t want to leave, but I have to for the sake of passing Dr. Prince’s lecture!”
Joey paused. “I know, Mads. I’m sorry,” he said, kissing the back of her hand. “I just can’t help but think that David’s after a bit more than just a study partner.” “Don’t be ridiculous Joey,” said Madison, moving herself to sit in his lap. “I’m in love with you. David couldn’t steal me from you even if he tried,” she said, kissing Joey as deeply as she could.
Joey moaned softly and reached for her, pulling her closer to him. However, Madison pulled herself away, peeling herself off of Joey’s lap. “I have to go,” she whispered, kissing him one last time before standing up.
“Don’t go,” he pleaded.
“I have to,” said Madison, stealing one last kiss.
“Call me when you get home. I don’t care what time it is,” said Joey. “I just want to make sure you got home safely.”
“I will,” smiled Madison. “I love you.”
“Love you more,” said Joey, waving.
The door closing echoed through the apartment. He let out a sigh and leaned back on the couch, placing his phone right beside him, ready and waiting for her phone call.