Two weeks later…..
 
            JC and Anna’s honeymoon was cut short when she collapsed in their hotel room in Cancun. JC had frantically picked her up and carried her downstairs and got the hotel manager to call an ambulance right away.
            “Why is this happening?” JC said angrily, running his hands through his hair. He slapped his hand hard against the table that he was sitting at, with his other four bandmates. For the last half hour, Justin was on his cell trying to get a hold of Elizabeth, who was out of town for a business conference. But he was having no luck.
            “Shit, where are you?” Justin said.
            JC wasn’t paying any attention to anything but the door in front of him, waiting for a doctor to come through and tell him that his wife was going to be okay, and that she wanted to see him.
            He started to smile at that thought, but before the thought could go any farther, a doctor walked through the door. JC leaped up from his chair, as did the other four.
            “How is she?” JC’s weak voice could barely be heard, but the doctor heard him.
            “She’s resting comfortably,” the doctor replied. He took a step forward towards JC. “Mr Chasez, we need to sit you down and discuss your wife’s condition.”
            “Her condition?” JC choaked. “Are you telling me that the disease has come back?” He couldn’t bear the thought of reliving those nightmares again.
            “We’ve done a few tests the last few days, and what we’ve learned is that this disease isn’t going to go away.” The doctor led JC back over to table and made him sit down. “This is very serious. We thought that this disease, this mysterious disease, which just fade away, but it hasn’t, and we’re afraid there’s nothing we can but wait.”
            “Wait for what?!” JC yelled. He tried to keep his voice down cause they were in a hospital, but he couldn’t control his emotions. “Wait for her to get worse? What the hell am I supposed to do?”
            “Just be there for her,” the doctor said. “She’s going to need all the support of her loved ones. This is tough considering this disease is unknown, and we have no idea what could happen. But we assure you, Mr. Chasez, we’re doing everything we can to save your wife.”
            “We know. Thank you, doctor,” Justin said, shaking his hand. He had to take charge before JC said something he would regret later.
            “You can go in and see her now. She’s been calling for you,” the doctor told JC.
            JC just nodded, knowing it was probably better if he kept his mouth shut. He walked slowly to the room that the doctor said was Anna’s. He took a deep breath before stepping inside the door. The moment he saw her there, lying still and looking like a ghost, he fell apart.
            Oh my God, he thought.
            Sitting down carefully on the chair beside the bed, he took her weak hand in his.
            Why is this happening to us again, babe?
            Because, he told himself, it just happened. Who knows? Maybe everything will turn out okay, and you’ll only be closer because of it.
            Thoughts continually ran through his head as he watched her face, which was now white as a ghost, lay perfectly still, like she wasn’t even breathing. But he knew she was because of the light pressure she put on his hand.
            "I love you so much,” he said. He didn’t care what people said. Talking to her had always made him feel good, and now was a time when he really needed her to listen. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. Please don’t leave me.”
            By the time he spoke those last words, he layed his head down on the bed and let himself cry.

***In the waiting room***
 
            “What happened?”
            Elizabeth was shifting uncomfortably in the waiting room chair, while Justin told her what had happened. He knew she was upset just by the way her eyes moved.
            He took her hand and rubbed it gently, knowing it would help soothe her a little. “She collapsed,” he said, continuing on where he left on before she interrupted with the question of ‘what happened.’ “The doctor says that condition is back, and they’re not sure what else they can do.”
            “Whose her doctor? Maybe I can go talk to him, and think of a way to save her,” Elizabeth said, wanting desperately to help. She couldn’t let another person that she loved die.
            This isn’t fair, she thought. I should be the one lying in a hospital room, not her.
            “Don’t even think like that,” Justin said.
            “Don’t think like what?” She looked over at Justin, who still had his hand clasped in hers.
            “Like you should be the one in there, and not Anna,” he said.
            “I just want her to be okay. I can’t lose my best friend.”
            “I know, baby. I know. We all are going to pray that she’s going to pull through this.” He pulled her close, then she buried her head in his neck.
            “Anna would like to see you.”
            Both Justin and Elizabeth looked up when they heard JC’s voice.  “Thanks,” Elizabeth said. She got up slowly, walked over to JC, and gave him a hug. “How is she doing?”
            JC sighed. “The same. I tried to talk to her, and I got a little pressure on my hand, so I’m hoping that’s a good sign. But I don’t know. I’m not a doctor.”
            Since she was a doctor, Elizabeth knew very well why patient’s often gave signs out that they were okay. But right now it just seemed too much to hope for that Anna would be alright.
            She gave Justin a quick kiss, then left the waiting room to Anna’s room.
            JC slumped down onto a chair, and knew Justin was watching him. “Where are the other guys?” he asked.
            “They went to grab you a change of clothes from your house. And they’re gonna bring you by something to eat,” Justin said, sitting down beside his friend. Placing his hand on JC’s shoulder, he sighed. “Man, I’m really sorry this is happening again.”
            “Thanks. I just hope we can get through this.”
            “Of course you will. You guys are going to have many, many years together before one of you….you know,” Justin said, trying to be cautious with his words.
            JC smiled a little. “I hope you’re right.”