It had
been several weeks since JC and Justin had been admitted to and released from
Mercy General Hospital. They both had slowly begun to find themselves falling
somewhat back into their old routines with the rest of the group and with their
families.
Jan had
returned to Texas, but knew that she would be back soon due to the fact that
Lynn would again be leaving to take her turn helping their aunt in California.
The
group, as a whole had not shown any lasting affects from the accident on the surface,
but down deep, they all had their own fears concerning the incident that almost
claimed one of their own. Each young man had their own way of dealing with
their anxieties and it would only be a matter of time before the walls that
they had built around those fears would begin to crumble at their feet.
Justin
spent the entire several weeks away from the rest of the group with his mother.
He had not made a real effort to contact any of the rest of the group because
they would be coming in and out of the house soon enough
His
mother, Lynn was busy getting ready for another trip, but this time it was not
for pleasure. She and Jan had been taking turns traveling to and from San Diego
to be with their aunt, Dora Hendry, during her chemo treatments. Jan was going
to be coming in later that evening to stay with Justin and she was sure that
the rest of the boys would probably end up staying there soon. They always made
it a point to spend time with Jan when ever she happened to be in town.
“Justin!”
Lynn called out form her bedroom.
“Ma’am?”
he replied from an adjoining room.
Lynn was
busy packing her bags, trying to make sure that she would not forget anything.
“Justin…come
in here…I don’t want to keep yelling!” she shouted over her shoulder as she
continued with the task at hand.
“Ma’am?”
Justin said as he tapped his mother on the shoulder to gain her attention.
Lynn
screeched s she whirled around to look at her son’s amused face. It was good to
see him smiling like that.
“Honey,
you really shouldn’t sneak up on me like that,” she gently chastised, almost
breathless after jumping about two feet, as Justin finished tapping her on the
shoulder.
“Justin…I’m
not a tree,” she began.
“I
know…and I’m not a woodpecker,” he finished. “I’m sorry for tapping you, mom and
sorry for scaring you.”
Lynn
hated more than anything for someone to tape her on the shoulder and this
statement had been used on many occasions in order to get that thought across
to the “spastic-tappers” as she called them.
“That’s
okay, honey. I need you to help me out with those bags.”
She
pointed at the two small bags lying on the floor.
“You
want me to put them in the trunk of the car?” he asked as he made his way
across the room to pick them up.
“Yes…”
Lynn let her statement kind of hang…waiting for her son to complain about her
once again packing way too much, but the joke wasn’t there. She sighed as she
watched her son leave the room carrying the bags. Somehow, Justin needed to let
go of his feelings…his fears. All of the boys for that matter, needed to do the
same thing. Maybe Jan would be able to help out in that department. Justin just
wasn’t opening up to Lynn at this point. He hadn’t really talked about the
accident, but he hadn’t avoided her questions either. He had even been swimming
in the pool on occasion, much to his mother’s surprise, but then again, he only
did that when she was outside in the pool with him or puttering around the
yard. Just as soon as she would go inside for any reason, he would immediately
head for the shallow end of the pool to sit on the steps and wait for her to
return.
Lynn
quietly heaved another sigh as she closed up the largest suitcase and carried
it out her bedroom door all the while wondering how the other boys were holding
up.
Lance
immersed himself into his work with his management company while spending a
good two weeks with his family I Mississippi. His parents had noticed this his
demeanor had changed somewhat. Their son was more serious…more quiet and
reserved than normal, but that could have been due to the pressures he was
feeling with his company.
The
Bass’ knew about the accident, but only what Lance had chosen to share with
them. If they had known the entire story, they would have been able to put the
pieces together and helped their son work things out.
“Lance,
now I thought you were coming home to get some of my home cooking,” Diane Bass
said as she watched him absent-mindedly pushing the food around his plate with
his fork on his last night with his family.
“Ma’am?”
Did you say anything something Mama?” he asked when he heard his mother clear
her throat in order to get his attention. He put his fork down and took a drink
of iced tea from his glass.
Diane
smiled at her son.
“I said,
I thought you came home because you missed my cooking.”
Lance
blushed as he looked down to see that he had barely touched anything on his
plate.
“I’m
sorry, Mama. Just a little lost in my thoughts, I guess. I guess I’m still full
from that lunch that you and Stacy put together.”
Stacy,
Lance’s sister, and her husband and child had been over earlier in the day for
a family bar-b-que. Lance had enjoyed the company, but he had been just as lost
in his thoughts then as he was now.
His
parents looked at each other knowing what the other was thinking. Lance had not
eaten that well at lunch either. As a matter of fact, his eating habits had
been pretty disappointing the entire visit.
“When
does your flight leave tomorrow, son?” Jim asked as he stood up and crossed the
kitchen for another helping of chicken and dumplings sitting in a pot on the
stove.
“Um…I
think it leaves at 2:00 tomorrow. I’m not really sure, Daddy. I can look at the
tickets if you want me to.”
Both Jim
and Diane raised their eyebrows at each other then Jim shrugged his shoulders,
all the while seeing that Lance was really paying them no mind at all.
“Sure…why
don’t you go look,” Jim replied as he sat back down at the kitchen table.
“Then, I
can be excused, please?” he asked, out of habit, not even realizing that the
words had come out of his mouth because he had said them for so many years.
“Yes,
you may,” Diane said quietly.
Lance’s
parents watched as he stood up and gathered up his plate and glass after
pushing in his chair.
“It was
real good, Mama.”
“Thank
you, Lance. Why don’t you go check your tickets now, dear…okay?”
“Okay.”
With
that said, Lance put his dirty dishes in the sink and left the kitchen to head
for his bedroom upstairs.
“Scoop
is losing his touch,” Jim said in between bites of food, referring to the
nickname given to Lance by Joey’s brother, Steve since Lance could always be
counted upon to know the group’s schedule backwards and forwards.
“Yes…he
sure has. But, I’m sure that it’s just because he’s been working so hard with
his company and all, Jim.”
“I’m
sure you’re right.”
Neither
of them wanted to think about the accident that had almost claimed one of the
boys and how that may have affect Lance. Since he had not wanted them to worry
to much about him, Lance hadn’t told his parents everything about that
afternoon at Justin’s house nor had he told them about his own fears and
worries. If the truth were to be known, he was beginning to feel the pressure
in knowing that he would soon be back with the guys. He had been able to keep
his fears and concerns pushed to the side while being far away, but for how
much longer he would be able to once back in Florida he had no idea. Going back
to Orlando was only going to make it that much harder not to recall that
terrifying afternoon.
Back in
Orlando, Joey had spent much of the last few weeks far removed from the
clubbing scene. Instead, he had chosen to spend as much time as possible on his
computer and on the phone communicating with his friend, Marty Kimble, who
lived in LA. They were busy working out the remaining details of a movie deal
that had finally proven to be successful.
Joey had
wanted to go to Los Angeles, but the schedule that management had worked out
for the group was going to prevent that from happening. So, for now, Joey was
just thankful that he had something to turn to that would help keep his mind
occupied and off of the accident.
“Humph…the
accident,” he whispered, shaking his head at a brief flash of memory before
dialing Marty’s phone number. After five rings, Marty answered.
“Hello?”
“Hey…Marty…how’s
it going?” Joey asked completely unaware that his friend was entertaining a
guest at that moment.
“Uh…Joey…didn’t
I just get off the phone with you about an hour or two ago? His friend asked
distractedly as his female companion began nibbling at his neck.
“Well…yeah,
but I got some new ideas that you will not believe, man!”
“I
already can’t believe this,” Marty murmured, speaking of something else
entirely that had absolutely nothing to do with the phone conversation.
“What
was that?” Joey asked in confusion. “Hey…am I interrupting something?” he
asked, but before he could continue, Marty interrupted.
“Why
don’t I just call you later, Joey. Bye.” Marty hung up the phone and continued
with his late night activities while Joey sat, looking at the phone in his
hand, not believing that his friend had just hung up on him. Normally, he would
have been cheering his friend on, but he had not felt normal in weeks. In
continued to sit in bewilderment for a few more moments until a new idea came
to mind.
“I know
what I’ll do. I’ll just go email him. That way I won’t forget anything.”
With
that in mind, Joey jumped up and trotted back to his bedroom where he began
pounding at the keyboard of his laptop.
Chris,
just as the others, had jumped into his work, feet first. He worked at an
almost frenetic pace while approving the new clothing line coming out in the
fall for his company, FuManSkeeto. He felt that if he worked almost non-stop
for the next week or two, the memory of the accident would eventually fade into
nothing.
“I
swear…I’m going to kill him!” Kim Mason yelled in total frustration to the
figure that had just walked into one of the warehouse offices in New York as
she slammed down her phone.
“What
did Chris do this time?” Jared Taylor asked as he watched with amusement as the
young red head manager of that particular office paced back and forth before
him in the tiny room, waving her arms in the air in total frustration.
In the
last two weeks Jared, a close friend of Kim and Chris’ had watched Chris turn
into a person that no one dared to be around. He was keeping up a pace that the
rest of the group couldn’t even begin to attempt to follow or understand, for
that matter. No one in the company knew about the accident and if they had, it
would have made working conditions more tolerable, but Chris had kept matters
to himself, as did the others, giving the media no opportunity to pick up on
any information at all.
“First…first,
he wants me to delay shipment to Los Angeles. That’s fine…not a problem. But
then…oh, but then, two days later, the little dictator is in my face wanting to
know why the shipment is still here and not in LA!” she practically screamed.
“I
swear…he’s a dead man!. He can be replaced…I’ll find a way,” she muttered to
herself as she continued to pace back and forth within the confines of the
room.
Jared
had to work hard to stifle his laughter. He knew that he didn’t want the fiery
red head mad at him as well, but he knew exactly where she was coming from. He
had not been immune to attacks from Chris either, as of late. He, as were many
others, was growing very tired of this “new and improved” Chris Kirkpatrick.
Jared
shook his head then cleared his throat before trying to calm the storm known as
Kim Mason.
“Listen…don’t
worry Kim. Don’t work yourself up over this. Kim…man…stop pacing, sweetie.
You’re making me dizzy,” Jared said with a smile on his face as he grabbed the
young woman by the shoulders, stopping her movement. Looking her straight in
the eye, he continued.
“Listen,
Chris is going back to Orlando in the morning. Do you think you can hold out on
putting an ad in the local mercenary paper for a cheap hit man until then?”
“Okay…but
if he stays any loner…I’ll be putting you on my list too,” she growled,
pointing a finger into the young man’s chest before storming out of the room.
Jared
shuddered. “Ooh, Chris…better be leaving on time, tomorrow,” he whispered
before moving to his desk.
“Go
home, JC,” group manager, Johnny Wright said as he attempted to check is watch
for the time with weary eyes.
“Good
grief,” he commented under his breath when he finally focused in on the time.
“JC…it’s
3:15 in the morning. You need to go home.”
Johnny
had received a phone call about an hour or more, earlier from security, telling
him that JC had not yet left the studio and that it looked like he wouldn’t be
leaving any time soon. The security guard had tried his best to get JC to go
home, but to no avail. He finally decided to leave it up to the group’s
manager.
“It’s
really after 3:00…times flies…doesn’t it?” he said quietly, without a hint of
sarcasm in his voice. He was concentrating deeply as he bent over the controls
in one of the recording booths, carefully trying to find the right sound that
he was looking for with one of the recordings that the group had made earlier
in the summer.
Johnny
moved in behind the young man to watch what he was doing.
“JC…JC…would
you just turn around for a minute and look at me…” Johnny’s frustration evident
in what he was saying.
“Yes…hand
on a minute. Almost what I want…” the young man mumbled as he waved a hand at
the manager as he continued to busily turn more dials and push controls with
the other hand.
“That’s
it,” Johnny said in frustration as he backed out of the room and motioned for
one of the group’s bodyguards to come into the room.
“Mike…get
in here, now.” Johnny moved out of the way when the burly bodyguard, Mike
Headnot moved into the small room, his frame so large that it swallowed what
little room there was to maneuver about in the small confines of the enclosure.
Johnny indicated to the man that it was time for JC to leave, as the young man
continued to work, not even appearing to notice the extra person in the room.
At least, not until he felt a pair of meaty hands grip him under the arms and
lift him right off of his chair.
“Hey!
What’s the big idea!” he yelled as Johnny lifted the headset he had been
wearing off his head. Without much dignity, Mike pulled the now kicking young
man over his shoulder and gave his backside a wallop.
“Hey!
That hurt!” JC yelled, trying to look up from his position as he reached to rub
his stinging rear end.
“Cut
that kicking out before I have to hurt you, Joshua,” Mike growled.
“I can
walk out of her by myself, you know, so put me down…now!”
JC
looked up to see Johnny cross his arms over his chest.
“Johnny…tell
Mike to put me down, now!” Johnny simply shook his head in response to the
demands being made. JC was not acting like the 24 year old that he was. He was
now acting more like his own 10-year-old son.
“Shut up
and enjoy the ride you skinny, white boy,” Mike growled again as he made it a
point to walk close enough to the doorframe as he left the room, causing JC to
hit his head as he entered the hallway.
“Ouch!!
Okay…okay…that really hurt…I would have been quiet…I would have left on my own
two feet, but nooo…you just had to do that, didn’t you, Mike!” JC yelled as he
rubbed his head where it had bounced off the doorway.
“JC,
shut up now. I see another door coming up and it won’t just be a little love
tap you’ll be feeling this time, you freak of nature,” Mike threatened.
“Alright,”
JC muttered as he threw his arms up around his head in an effort to prevent a
repeat of the wallop that he had just received.
“What
did you say?” Mike asked as he bounced the young man roughly on his shoulder.
“Ouch…yes,
sir,” JC groaned.
“That’s
better, Joshua. You better say yes sir to me…management waking me up at 2:30 in
the morning to haul your skinny butt outta here. My wife is really mad at me
right now…I should just take you home for her to heal with…humph,” Mike
muttered loud enough for both JC and Johnny to hear. It would have been an
amusing scene to behold under more normal circumstances, but lately, nothing
had been entirely normal about the young man.
Johnny
watched as JC seemed to decide to just go along for the ride and hang limply
over the bodyguard’s shoulder all the while listening to the threats coming out
of the large black man’s mouth. Johnny knew that he and JC would be very afraid
to meet Mike alone in a dark alley and the bodyguard’s presence was just what had
been needed to get the job done.
Johnny
laughed to himself as he realized that he’d be afraid to meet Mike’s wife, Nita
right about now and so should JC at that moment too.
The
manager watched with slight amusement as he thought about the young man having
to deal with Nita and her rolling pin as he followed behind Mike down the
hallway toward the back entrance to the recording studio.
Jan was
looking forward to seeing her boys again. She knew that it would be a tough
trip to make and had decided to make the long drive from Houston to Orlando in
order to give herself time to think. She had been hearing periodically
throughout the last few weeks from her sister Lynn about the behavior of the
boys and how worried the other parents were beginning to feel. She wanted to
help, but was so unsure of how to go about it for the time being. She had
finally decided to just give the boys some space and let them come to her. She
always seemed to be a “troubles magnet” to anyone who needed a shoulder to lean
or cry upon. Maybe she would be able to help out, but she certainly wasn’t
going to lay bets on it…at least not for now.
Little
did Jan or the others know that at that very moment, Dr. Shannon was developing
a plan of his own.
Dr.
Shannon welcomed a young family into his office. The six year old child
immediately went over to the beanbag lying on the floor and plopped down on it.
“Would
you like a book to look at Emilianne?” Dr. Shannon asked as he brought a small
crate of storybooks over to the little girl and placed it on the floor beside
the beanbag.
“Thank
you,” she whispered as she carefully leaned over the side of the chair to reach
for one of her favorite books while the doctor made his way back to his desk
then sat on its edge in front of the little girl’s parents, David and Sharon
Lewis.
After
making small talk for a few moments, Dr. Shannon got down to business.
“Emilianne’s
check up yesterday was great. There are no residual physical affects of her
near drowning, but I am concerned about her change in personality.”
“She’s
so quiet now…takes things so seriously,” confided the young girl’s mother in
shushed tones.
“Her
nightmares haven’t grown any worse, but they haven’t lessened any in intensity
or frequency,” added her father.
“Do you
think she needs to speak with someone about what happened? Does she need
professional help?
Dr. Shannon shifted a little on the edge of his desk before speaking.
“What
I’m about to suggest is unconventional, to say the least,” he began before
momentarily hesitating, trying to focus his thoughts in order to say the right
thing.
“A few
weeks ago, a young friend of mine had a similar experience as Emilianne. Joshua
was involved in a near drowning at the home of one of his friends. Fortunately
for him, his friends reacted quickly and performed CPR just as the two of you
did for your daughter and they were able to revive him within minutes. Joshua
has really struggled with what happened and I understand that his friends are
facing similar struggles also.”
Dr.
Shannon watched the expressions on the couples’ faces as they took in all that
he was saying.
“Bless
his heart…how old is Joshua?” Sharon asked, not expecting the answer she
received.
“He’s 24
and his friends are anywhere from 19 to 29 years old.”
”What
does this have to do with us and Emilianne?” David asked as he leaned closer to
the edge of his chair all the while reaching for Sharon’s hand.
Dr.
Shannon cleared his throat and leaned forward.
“It’s my
feelings that Joshua and Emilianne could benefit from talking with each other.”
“But Dr.
Shannon, we don’t know this stranger and I don’t feel too comfortable with the
idea…” Sharon began but the doctor quickly interrupted her by holding up his
hands.
“Sharon…David…I
would never put your daughter in a situation that I wouldn’t feel comfortable
putting my own daughter, Rachel in. Besides that, I’m sure you have heard of
Joshua and his friends. This information must stay in this office for my plan
to work and in order to protect the privacy of Joshua and his friends.”
David
and Sharon looked at each other uncertainly before David nodded his head at his
wife before looking back at the doctor.
“Okay…”
he said quietly as he and Sharon sat nervously waiting for the physician to
speak.
“Have
you ever heard of the music group, Nsync?”