Tears blinded me. I set her gently back on the ground.
Then I shot up to my feet and lunged at Keith.
�YOU DIRTY BASTARD!! LOOK AT WHAT YOU�VE DONE!� I shouted furiously.
I tried to punch him, but was immediately pulled up. I struggled, trying to beat the living daylights out of him.
�JC, stop,� Justin commanded, setting me down.
I dropped to my knees next to her body. The hot tears in my eyes were falling like rain.
�I love you too Jessie,� I whispered.
The medic carried her into the ambulance.
I buried my face in my hands. I shuddered uncontrollably with tears. She took the blow for me again. And this time it was fatal. I stood up and turned to Keith, who was being handcuffed.
�I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!!!� I shouted, struggling against the grip of my friends. �YOU SHOT her.� My throat closed up.
I surrendered to my tears and collapsed on the ground in sobs. My mind whirled with hate and misery. She was gone�
I looked up at my friends. �No. She�s not. I won�t let it,� I said slowly. My eyes burned with determination and hope. I ran as fast as I could to my awaiting car.
Pressing the gas pedal as far as I was allowed to go, I sped to the hospital.
<<>>::::<<>>
I sat silently in the waiting room, letting my tears fall onto my shirt, creating a stain the size of a baseball. I prayed for her survival every 10 minutes, hoping for that little chance of her being alive and ok.
�It was just her leg, not anything vital�maybe she just fainted�like she did at the park�yeah�that�s it��
�Are you ok C?�
Lance sat down next to me.
�I don�t know Lance. My girlfriend is in there, and you�re wondering if I�m ok?� I asked bitterly.
�I�m sorry man. I know how much she meant to you.�
�No. You had no idea how much she meant to me. She was my life Lance. She was my world. If she�s gone, she takes me with her,� I whispered.
�Ok. Maybe I don�t know. But I�m sorry all the same. But have a little faith in her. I know she�ll pull through,� he encouraged.
�How do you know?�
�She loves you C. That�s all the I need to know.�
In those words, my hope grew stronger.
<<>>::::<<>>
It had been an hour already. They didn�t come out yet.
�I swear if I have to wait any longer, I�ll pull all my hair out,� I grumbled to myself.
Swish.
My head snapped up. It was a doctor.
�I have some news about a Jessica Chung?�
We all rushed to him, eager for any news.
�Yes?�
�It appears she is in a coma right now. We took out the bullet from her thigh and stitched up the skin, so that will be healed. Other than that, all I have to say is wait.�
�We still have the tour you guys,� Chris whispered.
I hung my head. A coma�tour�Jessie�
�Can�t we push the dates back?� I asked them.
�I don�t know JC,� Lance said doubtfully.
�How long should this coma last?� Heather asked, tears still falling from her crimson eyes.
�No one ever really knows.�
My face twisted into misery and frustration.
�It�s your call man,� Justin offered.
�Why should I go on tour if I won�t be enjoying it?�
�I guess you�ve made your decision,� Joey said quietly.
�It�s an easy decision guys. Stay with her, or live without her for who knows how long?�
�I�ll stay,� Heather agreed. �I want to stay with my friend.�
One by one, they all agreed to stay and push the dates back.
�But where are we gonna stay? None of our relatives live here,� Lance pointed out.
�We could rent apartments or something,� Justin suggested.
�No.�
�JC, what are you talking about?� he asked.
�I�m staying here,� I said.
�No. You are not.�
�I can�t and won�t leave without her,� I said sternly.
�Yes you can. Just stay in the apartment and come here in the morning, sleep at night,� Joey reasoned.
�No. What if something happens? I want to be here.�
�I agree with JC,� Heather agreed.
�Thanks. At least someone cares.�
�JC, just because we aren�t gonna stay here overnight, doesn�t mean we aren�t worried,� Chris argued.
�Whatever.�
He sighed.
<<>>::::<<>>
I sat back and watched her. I looked for any signs of life, any signal that she�d be awake.
Mindlessly, I rubbed my thumb on the back of her hand.
Tears came to my eyes when I heard a familiar song come to play softly on the hospital radio�
When I try to describe
How I feel when you hold me
I get butterflies
I hear lullabies
It�s hard to explain
Like the scent of a rose
Or the sound of the rain
It�s too precious
And too wonderful
To give it a name
Too beautiful for words
A symphony inside me
Too beautiful for words
I cannot take it lightly
Can you hear my silent heart?
Tears fell from my already swollen and red eyes when I remembered our first night together. When we danced, to when we looked at the moon�I remembered her words�
�And when we went to look at the moon, do you know what I saw?� she asked softly.
I shook my head.
�I saw you��
I couldn�t understand until now. I can�t say that I love her, for that would be an understatement.How I wished she would awaken.
�Any sign?�
�No.�
Heather sat on the other side of her, looking desperately at Jessie�s face.
�C�mon,� she pleaded.
Ring!
I picked up my phone.
�Hello?�JC, is that you?
�Oh, hey mom.�
What�s wrong?
�Nothing.� My voice broke, giving me away.
I know you too well Josh. What�s wrong?
�Mom��
What is it?
�She�s in a coma mom��
You mean-
�Yeah.�
Oh I am so sorry Josh. I know how much she meant to you.
I stayed silent.
How did it happen?
I took a deep breath and spilled everything that had happened for the past few weeks.
<<>>::::<<>>
�Then we saw him today. While we were shopping. He had a gun mom. He wanted to shoot me�but she got in the way-again. He got her in the leg. Then�� I stopped talking, sobbing into the receiver.
Oh my gosh. What happened to Keith?
�The police took him away.�
She didn�t say anything.
�Mom?�
Yeah?
�How would you feel about me getting married?�
I would be so happy. But of course, I wouldn�t be surprised.
�What?�
You talk about her all the time Josh, have you noticed? I can tell you love her.
�But why does this have to happen to her? She�s the most caring, most deserving, perfect woman in the world. How could this happen to her?� I asked, feeling more tears fall.
She cared that�s why.
�What?�
She cared too much about you to let you get hurt Josh. Don�t you understand? She doesn�t want you to get hurt. She cares. Maybe a little too much to care about herself.
�I could�ve taken it.�
But she didn�t want you to. She probably felt bad for letting all this happen in the first place and took it as her punishment.
I wiped the tears away. �Punishment? For her? Or for me?�
