Good Medicine

By:  Lara

 

                "And then I thought maybe blue…because blue could look good no matter what," Lara said. She looked at Lance. "What do you think?"

                "Blue…right…fine…" Lance said absentmindedly. He was engrossed in his laptop. Lara looked up from the wedding magazine in her lap and smacked his head.

                "Are you even paying attention?"

                "I'm beginning to regret putting that ring on your finger," Lance teased. "It's caused some sort of hormonal rush or something."

                "I just want you to be involved," Lara sighed. "I don't want to plan this wedding around you…I want to plan it WITH you."

                "Honey, I want you to be happy. I want you to have the wedding of your dreams," Lance told her. He kissed her nose. "Spend as much as you want, do whatever you want. It's all yours."

                "Can I wear a southern belle dress with big hoop skirts?"

                "Of course. Maybe I can sneak under it during the reception and do all kinds of lewd and dirty things," Lance said, wiggling his eyebrows.

                "And people think YOU'RE so sweet and innocent," Lara said, shaking her head. They heard a car door and she got up. "Cool. There's Chris and Tammi, and JC and Joey."

                "Oh…Justin called this morning. He'll be late," Lance suddenly remembered.

                "Figures," Lara muttered, used to Justin's tardiness. She opened the door.

                "I am ready to cook meat," Joey said solemnly, waving a pair of tongs in the air. He wore an apron with the Superman symbol on the front. Lara burst into laughter.

                "Hey, Tammi." She hugged her friend. "C'mon in, guys. You can all get started in the kitchen, cutting things and making salads."

                "I don't cut or make salads. I cook meat," Joey said, puffing his chest out. Lara poked him.

                "Okay, Testosterone Man." Lara led the way into Lance's kitchen.

                "Ooh, is that the new Bride?" Tammi asked, picking up the magazine and following the others.

                "Don't get ANY ideas," Chris told her, and she pouted. "Okay, maybe SOME ideas. Just make them cheap ideas."

                "Has Lance told YOU to make them cheap ideas?" Tammi asked Lara. Lara shook her head.

                "Not five minutes ago he told me to spend whatever I wanted."

                Chris grabbed the magazine and slapped Lance with it. "Are you mad, boy?"

                "Joey, the steaks are in the fridge…Chris, why don't you and Tammi cut up fruit for the fruit salad. JC, how are you with onions?"

                "Fine," JC said, washing his hands. Lara handed him a cutting board and two onions.

                "I can't wait to see you cry, Jayce," Joey said, laughing.

                "Quiet, Fatone, or you'll take out the garbage," Lara ordered, and Joey obediently sat still.

                They chatted as they all worked. Lance loved entertaining, and it was best when he had just small group over. He watched Lara bustle about the kitchen, giving orders and smacking hands when they wandered into things they shouldn't, and he smiled to himself. He had made the mistake of getting engaged to Danielle before, and it hadn't lasted long. Thank God they had kept it a secret. They were both too young, and they would have NEVER been this happy.

                "Sorry, I'm late," Justin said, breezing into the kitchen. "I was busy with something."

                "You're ALWAYS busy with something," Lara replied, but she allowed him to kiss her cheek.

                "I was busy getting something for you." He waved tickets in her face and she grabbed them. Her face lit up.

                "Box seats for the Marlins/Phillies game! How'd you get these?"

                "I kissed some ass," Justin said. She squealed and hugged him.

                "I hope YOU'RE taking her," Lance said. "I don't like baseball."

                "I definitely will," Justin said, and she squealed again, sticking her tongue out at Lance.

                "FUCK!" JC yelled, quickly turning on the faucet. Tammi and Lara hurried over. "I fucking cut my finger." JC moaned as the cold water ran over the cut.

                "Lemme see," Tammi said. She carefully held JC's hand and inspected it. "It doesn't look TOO bad, but you might want to have it checked, anyway."

                "I'll take you to the hospital," Chris volunteered.

                "You are NOT leaving this house like that!" Tammi told him. "You have fruit syrup and juice all over your shirt!"

                "I don't need a hospital," JC retorted. "I'll be fine.

                "You are NOT going to bleed all over my kitchen," Lance told him. "Hospital. NOW."

                "God," JC said, annoyed, but he followed Justin out of the house.

 

                "This place is a madhouse," Justin said, looking at the busy emergency room. "We might have to pull rank."

                "Or I could just go home," JC griped. He hated hospitals.

                "No." Justin pushed his way to the front desk and gave the nurse his most charming smile. "Hi," he said quietly. "I'm Justin Timberlake, and this is JC Chasez…from NSYNC?"

                "And?" The nurse said. Justin's smile faltered.

                "I know y'all are really busy…my friend just cut his finger and needs to know if he needs stitches. If he does, we'll totally sit and wait. If not, then we can be out of your hair."

                The nurse looked at him, then jumped at a sharp sound behind her. She turned around and saw one of the younger nurses standing with her mouth open. She had dropped her clipboard when she recognized Justin and JC. The first nurse realized that these two young men might cause a problem if seated with the others in the waiting room. "Go back, second door on the right," she ordered. "Fill this out," she said to JC, giving him a folder.

                "You'll have to write for me," JC said as they went down the hall.

                "Whatever," Justin said. They entered the second door and JC sat on the gurney while Justin sat on a chair. Justin read the form and JC told him what to write.

                About a half-hour later, someone poked her head in the door. "Hi…I'm Stephanie," she said. "I hear we have a little slice?"

                "A big slice," Justin said, suddenly not feeling well at the thought of her possibly having to sew up JC's hand. "I, uh, gotta go." He darted out the door.

                "And they think I'M the squeamish one," JC said, rolling his eyes.

                Stephanie smiled at him. "Okay, I need to look at this. It may hurt, so try to distract yourself, okay?"

                JC nodded and decided to sing something. His mind suddenly went blank, however, and only one song came to mind. "Ain't nothing but a heartache…ain't nothing but a mistake…I never wanna hear you say…" JC's mouth slapped shut in horror and Stephanie laughed.

                "This looks okay, believe it or not," Stephanie said. "It's not that deep, and I honestly think we don't even need to fuss with

stitches." She gently poked and prodded, then carefully wrapped JC's hand in gauze. "You just need to keep it clean."

                "Thank you," he said, smiling at her.

                "I need to be honest," Stephanie said, stepping back. "I'm not a nurse."

                "You're NOT?"

                "I work in records, and was just down here helping out with paperwork and stuff, since they're so crowded right now. I saw your folder out by the door and had to come in," she admitted, blushing. "If you would have needed serious medical attention, though, I swear I would have called someone," she promised.

                JC smiled at her. "That was pretty sneaky."

                "Yeah," she said, and he laughed.

                "What time do you get off work?"

                "Uh, five," she said, and tried to remain calm.

                "Lance is having a cookout…would you like to stop by?"

                "I…"

                "Consider it payment for services rendered, since you probably won't get any of the insurance money," JC said, and Stephanie giggled.

                "Okay," she said, amazed.

                JC gave her directions, and she slipped them in her pocket. "I'll look forward to seeing you," he said, and she blushed.

                "Me, too," she said, then went out of the room. Justin soon returned.

                "Did you get stitches?" Justin asked.

                "No…but I did get a date. C'mon. Let's go." JC left the room and Justin ran after him.

                "You got a date in a hospital? No WAY!"

                "Let's just say that she knows how to practice really good medicine," JC said over his shoulder, heading for the car.

 

The End

 

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