When Morgan awoke next, it was two o�clock. She had lain in bed for hours after David and Randy left, trying to sort everything out in her mind. She had heard Phyllis talking with the boys downstairs but had no desire to join them and explain things. She seriously contemplated simply disappearing for a while. Things were getting too complicated for her to handle. The indifference that all the boys except Justin seemed to have for her had been shattered and replaced with concern in a matter of moments that morning, and that scared Morgan almost more than facing David. At least when she was with David she knew what to expect. He would yell and he would hit, then if she were lucky he would let her get cleaned up and go home...if she were lucky. She shuddered, remembering how her luck had run out on her a few times. With Joey and his friends though, Morgan was on unfamiliar ground. She didn�t know how to take their concern. Should she feel happy that someone other than Phyllis was showing caring towards her, or should she do what she�d always done: run and hide until the guys left and things settled down again?
It seemed that the moment Morgan made up her mind to leave, her body began to betray her. She slowly sat up in bed and then made her way to the dresser. Looking into the mirror, she saw her complexion was pale, with two rosy pink spots on her cheeks a tell-tale sign of the fever that was growing. Trembling, she knew that her medication mix-up was beginning to hit her. She tried to ignore it, and walked to the door. Just before she reached it, her knees turned to Jell-o and she collapsed.
Downstairs, Lance stood in front of the refrigerator, hurriedly grabbing bottles of water for the others, who were in the middle of an intense game of two-on-two basketball. Shutting the door, he turned to join his friends outside when a strange noise from above stopped him. Glancing up for a moment, Lance deposited the bottles on the counter and rushed up the stairs. He hesitated outside Morgan�s door, torn between wanting to help her and knowing that she didn�t want help. His need to help her finally won out.
�Morgan?� he called. �I heard a noise. Are you all right?� Lance listened for a moment, then decided that Morgan wanted to be alone. He slowly turned to go back downstairs.
�Lance?� a small voice called.
He stopped and returned to the door. �I�m here. Are you okay?�
�No.� he heard her cry. �Lance, I don�t feel too well. Please get Phyllis for me, please.�
His heart broke hearing the pain in her voice. �She went into town for a few hours.� Lance explained quietly. �Is there anything I can do?�
�I... I need help, Lance. Please help me.� Morgan tried to stop the tears, but couldn�t do it. She hated asking for help from anyone, but especially from people she was trying her best to avoid. She saw Lance open the door and poke his head in. His eyes widened when he saw her lying still on the floor, and he rushed to her side.
�Morgan! What�s wrong?�
�The medicine.� she said quietly.
Frightened, Lance ran to the window. Looking out, he could see his friends sprawled out on the basketball court, waiting for their water. He hurriedly threw open the window and yelled down to them. �Joey! Guys, up here! Get up here quick. Morgan�s sick!�
The four men bolted upright and dashed into the house. Within seconds, they were in Morgan�s room and Chris�s big brother instincts began to kick in. �Okay. Joey, help Morgan to the bed. JC go downstairs and page Phyllis 911. Lance, go to the medicine cabinet and get the thermometer.�
Everyone scattered to obey Chris, helping Morgan foremost in their minds. Joey gently picked Morgan up and laid her in bed, Justin folding back the covers for them. Lance raced back into the room, thermometer in hand. At Justin�s insistence, he passed over the thermometer, and Justin gently sat down next to Morgan.
�Morgan, sweetheart, we need to take your temperature, okay?� Weakly, she nodded, then allowed Justin to hold the thermometer in her mouth. Three minutes stretched into an eternity. While they waited, JC returned to the room, his cell phone in hand.
�I paged her to my cell, so I could take the call up here.� he explained quietly.
�Okay, time�s up Justin.� Joey said. Justin withdrew the thermometer from Morgan�s mouth and looked at it. Justin�s frown deepened as he handed it to Chris.
�102.7.� he announced. Morgan�s tired eyes drifted shut as the guys looked on worriedly.
The shrill ring of JC�s cell phone sliced through the silent room. Quickly, he raised it to his ear. �Hello? Yes, Phyllis. It�s Morgan, she�s really sick... Yes, 102.7... Okay. Okay, we will. All right, see you in a little bit. Bye.� JC turned off the phone and looked at the others. �She said to keep Morgan in bed and giver her as much juice and water as she can handle. She�s on her way, but there was a car accident on the Interstate. It�ll be a while.� A collective sigh arose from the group, and all eyes turned to the girl in the bed.
�Well, I�ll go get her some juice.� Lance offered.
�Thanks, Scoop.� Chris answered. �The rest of us should probably go downstairs and let her rest.�
They all headed for the doorway, with Justin pausing long enough to place a gentle kiss on Morgan�s forehead. Only Joey remained behind, taking over Justin�s spot next to Morgan.
�Joey?� JC questioned. �You coming?�
�Someone needs to stay with her to make sure she�s okay.� he answered dully. �I�ll take the first shift.� The others looked at each other, confused, but said nothing to their friend.
�Okay, Joe. One of us will come up in a while to relieve you.� JC answered calmly, gently shutting the door behind him.
Morgan was vaguely aware of a person sitting next to her on the bed, but wasn�t able to make her mind focus on who it was. The person shifted their weight gently and took her hand. Morgan tensed, still unsure of who was with her and what was going on. She was so incredibly tired, her mind clouded with a thick fog that she struggled to brush away. Her visitor squeezed her hand tenderly and she relaxed. Morgan knew it wasn�t David or Randy, so she allowed the sleepiness she�d been fighting to take over. The last thing Morgan remembered before sleep fully overtook her was a soft tenor voice rising and falling to an unidentifiable melody.
She slept for a long time. When she finally awoke it was five o�clock the next afternoon, a full twenty-seven hours after her last conscious memory. She glanced around and saw Phyllis edging quietly into the room with a tray in hand.
�Morgan? Sweetie, are you awake?�
�Yeah.� she whispered hoarsely. �What�s up?�
The older woman smiled at her. �It�s good to see you awake and talking. You gave us quite a scare, honey. Dr. McGraw has been by twice.�
�Dr. McGraw?� Morgan echoed, a note of confusion tingeing her voice. �What happened?�
Phyllis looked at her, concerned. �You don�t remember?�
Morgan closed her eyes in an effort to concentrate. The fog that had enveloped her mind steadfastly refused to clear. Phyllis saw her trying to remember and felt a wave of sympathy for the young woman. �What�s the last thing you remember, Morgan?�
�I... It seems like Justin was taking my temperature.� she answered slowly. �And...and it seems like someone was singing to me.�
Phyllis nodded and took her hand. �Yes, that�s right. The boys said your fever was over 102. I don�t know about the singing part, though that sounds like something they�d do for a sick friend.�
�Friend?�
�Of course �friend� Morgan! Don�t you know that every one of those boys loves you like a sister?�
Morgan was too stunned to speak. �But, how? Why?�
�Sweetie, you�re like a daughter to me. They know just by that what a fine person you are. They seem to have a sixth sense about people, Justin especially. If there had been anything bad in you, that boy would have known it immediately.�
Morgan sat silently, attempting to comprehend this new information. �Justin always was the one that wouldn�t give up.� she mused.
The older woman stood up and headed for the door. �Get some more rest, Morgan. There�s chicken soup on the tray if you get hungry.�
�Thanks Phyllis. I appreciate it.�
�Anytime, sweetie. Anytime.�
When Morgan woke next, the sun was rising. She thought about the decision she�d made after her talk with Phyllis the night before. It had taken a long time, but she�d decided to stick it out at the Fatones and not run away. Phyllis�s revelations about the boys� feelings for her had softened her heart in some small way, and she�d decided that it was time she allowed someone to become her friend. Morgan smiled softly, thinking of the guys, and how Phyllis had described them all to her over the years. She knew in her heart that she was making the right choice, and for once she was at peace with a decision that she�d made.
Numerous voices outside drew Morgan�s attention to the window, and she carefully made her way over to try to see what was happening. She steadied herself on the windowsill and looked out. She saw Phyllis and Joe Sr. standing outside by the curb, next to a huge van. The members of *N Sync were loading luggage into the back of the van, then one by one going up to the elder Fatones, giving them hugs, and getting into the van. Startled, Morgan realized that the boys were leaving. She struggled to lift the heavy window, so she could call out to them and say goodbye before they left, but she was still too weak. She cried out, distressed that they were leaving and she wouldn�t have the chance to tell them goodbye. As she watched the van pull away from the curb, a single tear slid down her cheek. Miserably, Morgan made her way back to bed and pulled the covers up over her head, attempting to block out the pain. Somehow, she managed to drift off to sleep.