He listened to heavy footsteps come up the stairs, through the hall, and Justin and Jenny's bedroom. Then he heard a scream. Still angry that Jenny and Justin had been all over each other earlier, he rolled over. He'd go in another scream.
But he didn't hear another scream. He heard more thumps, Justin's feet stomping back down the hall, down the stairs, and out the front door. No screaming. No crying. No nothing.
"Jenny?" JC crept down the hall.
Silence.
"Jen-babe?" JC pushed the door to her room open. "Baby, you in there?"
Jenny was in there, all right. Unconscious on the floor. "Ohmigod!" JC dropped to his knees beside her and shook her gently. No response. He felt for a pulse and it was very weak.
"Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God," JC chanted as he lifted Jenny off the floor, carried her through the house, and set her gently in the back of his car.
JC rushed into the emergency room screaming about how he needed a doctor. Of course, as usual, none were on hand, so he had to settle with a nurse.
As soon as they took Jenny out of his sight, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed her parents number. He let them know that Jenny had been hurt and was in Orlando General Hospital. They were busy, as usual.
Next. The other three guys were away on their respective vacations, so that left Justin.
"What?" Justin barked into the cell phone.
"Jenny's in the hospital," JC said calmly. "Orlando General."
"Why?" Justin asked, thoroughly confused.
"I think you know that one," JC replied. "Where are you?"
"Down the road from the hospital," Justin muttered. "Not drunk no more, just a headache."
Meaning Justin had, in shock of beating Jenny, left and downed about a pot of coffee, and had sobered up quite nicely.
"Get over here then, you're the boyfriend," JC spit the last word with contempt.
"I know that," Justin snapped irritably.
"So start acting like it," JC snapped back, hanging up.
Moments later a very worn-out looking Justin stumbled in and the doctor followed soon after.
"How is she?" JC asked, jumping up.
Justin, still in a daze, slowly stood up, too.
"Well," The doctor said slowly. "She is stable..."
"But...?" JC prompted. "I sense a 'but' in there."
"She's in a coma," The doctor said.
Justin promptly fell back onto his chair.
"Is she going to come out of it?" JC asked, point-blank.
The doctor fidgeted a bit, and looked around the room.
"Will she come out of it?" JC asked, desperate for a yes.
"We can't be sure just yet," The doctor hedged.
"When can we see her?" JC asked.
"Any time," The doctor grinned. "Just remember, she can hear, and feel everything you say and do."
And you had to tell that to Justin, of all people, didn't you? JC thought to himself.
"Go on in, room 413," The doctor took off in a hurry.
Justin and JC went in together, and Justin nearly fainted when he saw what he did. "Ohmigod!" He said. "I did that?"
"And more," JC snapped. "Now be pleasant, she'll be able to hear us."
Justin turned angrily on JC and JC pointed at Jenny.
"Jenny?" Justin asked. "It's Justin."
The heart-rate monitor slowly began dropping.
JC, noticing this, dove to Jenny's side. "Jenny? Baby, don't leave, ok? You need to get better. I need you to get better for me. Can you do that? Please, baby, can you do that for me?"
The heart-rate went steadily back up.
"Justin, talk nice. Tell her you need her," JC whispered frantically.
"Baby? Come on, get better. Please!" Justin pleaded. "Please, baby, I need you."
"Come on, Jenny, neither of us can live without you," JC pleaded, grabbing her hand.
Jenny's heart slowly got back to normal, and before the boys left, each dropped a kiss on her lips, neither knowing if it was the last time they'd be able to do that.