Test of Your Sanity 25

JC stared at the phone as if he saw a ghost. His hand shook so violently, the phone dropped from his hand, landing on the floor with a smash.
�What happened?� Chris cried, running into the room. He stopped abruptly, seeing his friend�s pale face. �What happened?!�
�She�she�s hurt,� he choked out, his heart throbbing.
�Who? You mean Jessie?�
JC�s lower lip trembled as tears threatened to fall. He bit his lip.
Chris� eyes widened. �What�re you waiting for?! C�mon!�
JC didn�t move, his legs feeling like jelly. Chris pulled his friend hard, and since JC was almost the lightest, he moved. Chris ran fast, only being slowed down by JC�s stumbling.
�Hurry JC!�
�God�god let her be ok,� JC whispered, gaining control of his legs. �Don�t take her away from me again.� He ran fast, reaching the curb. Then he waved his arms for a cab.
Chris and JC jumped into the cab, and told him to rush to the nearest hospital.
JC�s leg wouldn�t stop bouncing, and he wouldn�t stop praying. �God please�please don�t take her. Don�t take my Angel� There�s so much more life she needs to live, please��
Chris squeezed JC�s shoulder hoping to comfort him.
When the cab stopped, JC jumped out of the car, maybe even before it stopped. That left Chris to give the cab driver the money.
�Is Jessica Chang and Heather Gustafson checked in here?� he asked breathlessly.
The secretary looked up, then froze. Was JC Chasez really standing in front of her?
�Answer me!� he cried.
�Oh yeah um�� she typed away on her computer.
�Hurry please!�
�They�re in critical condition sir. I�m afraid you�ll have to wait until they�re out of surgery, maybe even a little longer,� she apologized. �But if there�s any more news I�ll be sure to report it to you.�
He nodded lifelessly, feeling his world tumble and fall.
�JC?�
He shook his head, signaling that he didn�t get any information.
�I�m sorry JC,� Chris said softly.
�Don�t say sorry yet,� JC growled faintly. �She�s not dead Chris. She�s gonna live.�
Chris looked down. �Sorry.�
�All I want is for her to live�is that so much to ask?� he whispered, sitting down on a bench. �I don�t want her to die� I love her too much.�
�JC?�
He looked up and saw his other friends coming toward him.
�No news,� Chris answered for him.
�Oh man we�re so sorry,� Lance said.
�Just pray for her ok? I don�t want to think she�s gonna die.�
They nodded.
�Don�t take her away god�don�t take my Baby away�� he prayed, closing his eyes tight. �We have a future to live together� let her live��
All they could hope for was the best, and none of them were so sure if that existed.
�Do you think we should call Nick?� Lance asked.
�Why?�
�Heather�s his girlfriend remember?�
�Oh yeah,� Joey recalled.
�You know his number?� Justin asked.
He nodded. �Johnny gave it to me.�
�Then call already,� JC snapped.
Without hesitation, Lance obliged. �Yeah Nick this is Lance�yeah that one�I just called to tell you about Heather�um�I don�t know how to say this�.but�she�s in the hospital�� Lance held the phone away from his ear. �I know! But it�s not my fault! We just found out! Oh just get your ass over here�she�s not gonna be waiting you know�she�s in surgery you b*stard! You can take that Backstreet jet, can�t you? Yes I am aware that it�s not real, but don�t you have a jet of some kind? Yeah well just take it to the hospital in Des Moines, Iowa�the ONLY one in Des Moines�yeah whatever. Just get your dirty ass over here.�
Lance shook his head as he hung up. He stared at the astonished faces staring at him. �What?�
�You�you SWORE,� Joey breathed, surprised. �My god Lance swore.�
Lance rolled his eyes. �Whatever.�
JC sat back and wiped his eyes. �Oh god��
The doctors passed by, their white overcoats swishing as they passed. None of them had news about Jessie or Heather. That just made things worse.
�That is it,� JC growled. �If one more doctor passes us, I�ll scream.�
Coincidentally, a doctor passed.
�AAH!� he cried out, holding his head.
Many heads turned, but he didn�t notice, for his head was ducked down.
�ALL I WANT TO KNOW IS HOW MY GIRLFRIEND IS. IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK?!� he cried.
�JC, calm down,� Justin said softly.
�Calm down Justin? I don�t think so. Not if she�s still in there,� he shot back. �It was hell when she broke up with me, but when she�s DEAD? No way Justin. That is NOT gonna happen.�
People stared at the crazy man.
�Man, tone it down,� Lance said calmly.
That�s when he broke down. �I�m sorry guys�it�s just�if she dies�what happens then? I�d feel so dead. God�I feel like a dork��
�Don�t feel that way man,� Joey said reassuringly. �If I loved someone like you did, I�d be worried too.�
JC put his hands over his face to hide his tears. �How is this supposed to work?�
�Just pray JC. Don�t think so much about her condition, just think about when she lives and comes back to you.� Justin squeezed his shoulder.
�Yeah man. You�re almost as tight as me and Dani,� Chris smiled.
�No, tighter,� Lance smiled.
�Guys�� Chris trailed off.
�What?� they chorused.
�Look��
They followed the direction of his pointer, and it fell on a TV. JC�s face drained of color as he watched on.
��terrible accident on the highway to Des Moines. Apparently a car drove off one lane and crashed into a car in the other lane trying to evade another car coming towards them. The women in the car and the truck driver are in the hospital as we speak, getting surgery performed. The driver of the Lexus was severely hurt, being that the truck crashed on that side of the car. The car coming at them in the first place had swerved and went harmlessly into the field of corn. More news on this story later.�
They watched in horror as the camera zoomed in on the wreckage. The front of the women�s Lexus was bent to the left, as the middle of the car was completely smashed in. Now it looked like a huge, smoking boomerang in a ditch. White words flashed on the bottom. Before� then the picture changed. Now it was just after it crashed. There were policemen everywhere, and nurses were pulling the women out of the wreckage.
JC bit his lip to keep it from trembling. �She was driving�� He sobbed. �My baby was driving��
�It�ll be ok,� Chris said, feeling tears come to his eyes. Heather and Jessie had been good friends of his, and he knew just about how bad he was hurting. Heather had known him all her life, being that he was 10 when she was born. Jessie had known him for only 5 years, but they knew each other well. �Don�t worry JC. They�ll be alright.�
They looked at the TV, watching the mutilated bodies be lifted into the ambulance. They were all covered in blood, gashes and cuts all over. Jessie�s legs swung limply as Heather�s arm was being reset from its former inhuman position.
JC covered his eyes, not daring to watch anymore.
�Where is she?� demanded a voice.
They turned around and met face to face with the Backstreet Boys.
�Hey,� they said softly.
�WHAT HAPPENED?� Nick demanded.
They looked down, JC shuddering. Then Lance looked up solemnly. �They were in a car accident.�
�What?� they cried, sitting down on the benches hard.
�A car was coming at them and she swerved�then the car in the other lane hit them.�
Nick swallowed hard. �But�but�oh my god�my god let her live�please��
AJ�s eyes itched with tears. His �little sister� dead? No way� �Thank god I have these sunglasses� he thought to himself.
Nick choked back his tears. �Oh my god�oh my god��
�It�ll be ok,� AJ tried to say, but his voice broke in a million places and tears fell from his eyes. �She�s gonna be alright�� Wasn�t she?