“They should be back by now,” Lance said, somewhat worried. “Amaryllis wouldn’t worry me like this. She’s had time to prove her point.” It had been two hours since the two girls had left.
Joey didn’t say anything to comfort Lance. He couldn’t get over the feeling that something bad was going to happen.
“Maybe they went back to the hotel,” Lance said.
Joey didn’t think so, but he figured it couldn’t hurt to call. So he picked up the phone and waited while he was connected to Circe and Calypso’s room.
“’Lo?” Calypso murmured sleepily.
“Calypso?” Joey asked. “Were you asleep?”
“Yeah,” Calypso told him, yawning.
“Sorry to wake you up, but we were wondering if Circe and Amaryllis were there.”
“Wait, let me look out in the living room and Circe’s room.” Joey could hear Calypso moving around.
She walked into the living room of the suite, then to Circe’s room. “Sorry Joey, they’re not here.”
“Ok, thanks.”
“Is everything ok?”
“They disappeared on us. Probably them trying to get us worried.”
“I’m sure they’ll turn up soon,” Calypso told him, as a shiver ran down her spine.
Lance paced the living room after Joey hung up with Calypso. “I’m gonna kill Ary once I get my hands on her,” Lance muttered. “Putting me through this worry like this.”
Joey was still holding the cordless phone when it rang again. He answered it.
“Yes... no... Joey Fatone... yes... ok... we’ll be right there.” Joey’s face went pale halfway through the conversation and when he looked at Lance after hanging up, there were tears in his eyes. “Come on, Lance, we gotta get to the hospital.”
“What’s wrong?” Lance demande, as he followed Joey out the door.
“They didn’t tell me, only said that we need to be there.” Joey glanced at Lance. “Do you have your cell phone?”
“Yeah.”
“Let me see it. Calypso needs to be there, too.”
Lance handed Joey his cell phone so he could call Calypso.
“Oh my god,” Calypso moaned, listening to Joey tell her that Circe was in the hospital, along with Amaryllis. “I’ll be right there.”
“Before Joey could respond, Calypso hung up and had grabbed her car keys, heading for the door.
She rushed out of the hotel, not caring that she had no shoes on and was wearing her pajamas. She rushed to the hospital, arriving there 15 minutes later. Joey and Lance were already there.
“How are they?” Calypso asked, sitting down next to Joey. Lance was sitting across from them, his arms on his knees and his head in his hands.
“Circe was shot in the arm; it fractured the bone. Amaryllis...” Joey’s voice broke then. “She was shot in the head. She’s in a coma.”
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry Lance.” Calypso moved over to sit next to Lance. She wrapped her arms around him.
Lance stared at the wall in front of him. “God, she can’t die. She just can’t die. I love her. We were going to get married, have kids. Three of them. Two boys and a girl. And we were going to live until we were old and die together. This can’t be happening.” Lance looked at Calypso. “She can’t die. She just can’t.” He broke down then, sobbing into his hands.
Joey looked at Calypso. “I called the guys, except JC and Lorelie. And I called Amaryllis’ parents in Mississippi, along with Lance’s. I figured I’d leave Circe’s to you.”
Calypso nodded her head. “I’ll go call them now.” She stood up just as a doctor walked into the waiting room.
“Mr. Bass, you’re needed. Ms. Trenton is awake and asking for you.”
Lance quickly stood up and followed the doctor to Amaryllis’ room. He kneeled by her bed.
“Hello, sweetheart,” he said, in a choked up voice. He rubbed his cheek against her hand, resting on the bed.
“Lance.” Her voice was faint and he had to strain to hear her. “I just want to tell you that I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Lance managed to choke out. He knew where this was leading. “I love you and you can’t leave me.”
Amaryllis’ eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry, Lance, oh so sorry. Just remember I love you.” She turned her hand over and rubbed Lance’s cheek. “You can survive, and live, without me. Don’t try to kill to yourself. And don’t stop loving people. I want you to be happy.”
“I’ll be happy, if only because you want me to.” Lance lifted his head and smiled bravely at her. He wrapped his hand in hers. “I’ll never forget you, Amaryllis... Ary.”
Lance looked into her eyes one last time before she closed them and all the monitors she was hooked up to flatlined.