"Yeah?" JC asked, afraid that Justin had heard him.
"How is she?" Justin now stood by the bed, his hand resting on the bed by Jenny's arm, his thumb rubbing patterns on her arm.
"Fine," JC said.
"That's good," Justin said, bending and kissing Jenny's foreheard. "Real good."
"Yeah," JC said. He was so confused. What had Jenny meant when she smiled when he said he loved her? She was still gripping his hand tightly. That was a good sign, right?
"The doctors think she may wake up soon," Justin smiled.
"Maybe," JC didn't know why, but he didn't want anyone to know about the smile and the death-grip she had on his hand. It would be something for him to hold on to when Jenny woke up and went back to Justin.
Hours later, after Justin had left again, Jenny awoke fully. "JC?"
JC jumped up from the chair and ran to her. "I'm right here, baby."
"I love you, too," She whispered before slipping back into the coma.
JC ran to the nurses station. "She woke up, she woke up!"
The nurse jumped up, pushed a button, and followed JC back to the hospital room.
"How long?" She asked.
"Just long enough to ask for me," JC said. He didn't want to tell her she'd told him she loved him.
"She's doing a lot better," The nurse smiled and a doctor entered the room. "She woke up, asked for JC here, and went back out."
"Boyfriend?" The doctor asked just as Justin entered the room.
"No, that would be me," Justin snapped from the doorway.
"Sorry," The doctor shrugged. "But JC here was here all the time, so I just figured..."
"You just figured wrong," Justin snapped angrily.
"Well, she seems to do so much better when he's around," The doctor continued, oblivious to Justin's anger.
Stop! JC silently willed the doctor. Shut up! Just quit!
"That's wonderous," Justin said sarcastically. "But let's get this straight - I'm the boyfriend, he's the friend."
"Oh, of course," The doctor said, winking at JC.
JC knew, just from the way Justin looked, something very bad was about to happen.
"So, young man, I heard there was a little exchange with you and our patient?" The doctor turned to JC.
JC's heart constricted. "What do you mean?" JC asked fearfully.
"Well, seems our nurse here heard you singing to her and saying you loved her, and getting quite the response."
"Oh, God," JC fell back into a chair.
"'Oh, God' is right, you..." Justin trailed off into a long list of adjectives describing JC.
JC sat in the chair, frozen, Justin's voice sounding like it was coming through a tunnel to him, faint but clear. This can't be happening. That doctor could not have just said that. This isn't happening. Ohmigod, Justin will kill me. JC's thoughts whirled frantically through his head.
"Well, seems like we have some jealously," The doctor said cheerfully.
The nurse stood frozen, feeling JC's angry glare as he snapped back to reality. "I'm sorry," She said, knowing how Justin was. "Ohmigod, I'm so sorry!"
"Well, sorry isn't gonna help, now is it?" JC snapped.
"I'm gonna kill you, you stupid-" Justin continued.
"What's going on?"
A weak, decidedly feminine voice halted everything.
"Nothing," Justin said.
"Can I please talk to JC alone?" Jenny asked.
NO! JC's mind screamed. Don't ask now, don't ask that now!
"Oh, sure," The doctor said pleasantly, dragging the nurse out behind him.
"For awhile," Justin said, glaring at JC.
"JC, what is going on?" Jenny said.
"Justin...Justin found out that I love you and the nurse said you said you loved me," JC choked out.