"Pat," she cried rushing into the machine filled room. Pat's mother was sitting next to the bed squeezing his hand.
"Thank god you're here," she whispered hugging Candice.
"I came as quick as I could," Candice choked out holding back tears. "What happened?"
"You don't know?"
"No," tears ran down her cheeks.
"He was almost home, around 15 miles away, so I'm told and a drunk driver ran a red light," his mother sobbed. "The drunk driver hit him head on, the drunk driver died instantly. Pat's on life support, he's in a coma, he's dying!" Candice wrapped her arms around the sobbing women and cried along with her. She helped his mother out of the room and into a near by waiting room for the ICU patients. She helped his mother into his father's arms and then returned back to her boyfriend's room. She pulled a chair next to his bed and squeezed his hand tightly, letting go of his hand she stood and examined her boyfriend; she traced the outline of his face with her index finger as hot tears ran down her cheeks.

"Hey Pat how ya doing? I'm so sorry for all this--I shouldn't have fought with you--then you wouldn't have came down to Florida," she cried sitting back down in the chair. "I just wish I could take your pain away and make it mine..you don't belong here Pat. Come on Pat wake up! Ok, fine I'm just gonna sit here and talk until you wake up." Candice sat there and talked about everything from the weather, her site, to the Millennium tour then at 6 AM his father came into the room.

"You don't have to stay here, he's doing better," his father patted her back.
"I feel so horrible," she cried into his shirt. "Why-why couldn't I be the one in that car," she hugged his father tighter.
"Don't say that sweetheart," he tired to comfort her.
"I just want him to get better," she shook uncontrollably. "This is all my fault."
"No," he started.
"I got it!" She ran out the room and to her car and grabbed her boom box hoping her new plan would work...
When you feel like there's no where to run
I'll be the one
To hold you
And make sure that you'll be all right
You need me like I need you
We can share our dreams comin' true
I can show you what true love means
Just take my hand, baby please

She watched him closely as his father held her hand tight. He began to stir "Pat!" Candice turned off the stereo.
"You need me, like I need you," he mumbled squeezing her hand. Nurses and doctors rushed into the room causing Candice to be shoved out of the room. "Pat!" She called as some nurse slammed the door in her face.

She sat nervously playing with the ring on her middle finger. Please be all right, she pleaded as tears welled up in her eyes once again. As the door opened everyone looked up in hopes of it being a doctor to inform then on Pat's condition, no such luck. "Sorry guys," one of his friends sat down with a cup of coffee. The door opened again and everyone sighed as the doctor walked in.
"Ok," the doctor looked down at his clip board then back up to the staring eyes of his family and friends. "Well, I come to report some good news, Patrick is in fair condition. Since he is out of his coma we are able to watch him a lot closer and his left arm is fractured in five places and he has a little internal bleeding--which I don't know if we can stop it as of yet." The doctor started toward the door then turned back to his now sobbing family and some friends. "He wants to see Candice." Candice stood up and hugged his mother and father then exited the room. When she entered his room he was sitting up in his bed watching TV.

"Hey," she whispered taking his hand.
"I can't believe all this fuss is over me," he grinned wincing in pain.
"Pat," she turned her head away from him, a wave of guilt flooded over her.
"I'm doin' fine babe, don't worry about me ok?"
"How can I not worry about you," she asked squeezing his hand tighter.
"C'mere and give me a kiss girly," he squeezed her hand back.

She paced around her room holding back tears. "Candice honey it's Father's Day and you're coming with us!" Her mother yelled up the stairs.
"Momma," Candice moaned shutting her door and continued to pace as a familiar song blared on her stereo..
I'll be the one
I'll be the light
Where you can run
To make it all right
I'll be the one
I'll be the light
Where you can run
I'll be the one, I'll be the one
Who will make all your sorrows undone
I'll be the light, I'll be the light
When you feel like there's nowhere to run
She turned the stereo off and collapsed on her bed as soft sobs escaped her mouth and fresh tears ran down her already tearstained cheeks.

"This is supposed to be fun Candi," he smiled over at her. "What's wrong?"
"Nothin'," she moved with the line.
"You can tell me anything," he kissed her lips softly as they boarded the ride.

Candice's eye flew open. "Why was I such a bitch," she asked herself out loud. She glanced over at the clock. Five in the morning damn, she thought sadly. Only four more hours until I get to see Pat, she turned on her stereo. She listened to the music and then noticed the lyrics, it was *NSYNC's new song. "Why do they bother," she muttered only growing crabbier. "It's gonna be a long morning," she sighed climbing out of her bed.

"Green jello, what the fuck? I hate green jello!" Pat whined shoving the tray away from him.
"Sorry," his mother grabbed the tray and headed for the door smiling at Candice as she whispered, "good luck."
"Well, someone's back to normal," she laughed closing his door.
"You scared me, god, don't you knock anymore?"
"Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed or what?" Candice talked to him as if he were a baby.
"There is no wrong side to this fucking--so called--bed! It's so small, the whole thing is just wrong!"
"Aww," Candice chuckled kissing his cheek.
"Getting better," he grinned.
"You're so cute," she kissed his lips lightly.
"Man, all better to go home," he tired to get out of his bed.
"Oh, no, no! You have to stay at least another few days."
"Damn," she rolled her eyes.

She sat on her bed and pulled out her purple journal she had gotten when she was 15, from her best friend Amanda...
I'm leaving for College in Florida, I start in five weeks talk to you soon,  love Candi
She read through her last entry and frowned. "Always finish what you've started," she muttered grabbing a pen.