~~Chapter 11~~
~~Virtual Insanity Index~~
Jeff and a few other guys had came to his aid admediately. The whole 150+ people that were there were all completely quiet.
Jeff didn't panic.
�� "Guys, I got Michael, just make sure the police down there with the fans get their asses up here. Make sure they've called the ambulance already."
They began to rush to go do what they were told when Jeff stopped them.
�� "Bring Crystal with you please. Make sure she is all right. Jesus Christ. Do I have to tell you guys every goddamn thing?" Jeff said, rolling his eyes. He turned his attention to Michael.
�� "Hey Mike, come on, open your eyes...come on..." he said in a softer tone.
One of the men took Crystal by the arm and led her away. She kept looking back at Jeff trying to revive Michael, not knowing what to think. She assumed he was dead. And something even deeper seemed to hit her besides Michael, her very idol, her "friend" now, getting shot.
What was worse is that she thought she knew who did it.
When they reached the lobby Crystal stopped walking.
�� "I don't wanna go out there." She told the man leading her. "Can i just...uhh...sit in the lobby?"
The man nodded, let her go, and rushed out of the building. She sat down on the small couch and buried her face in her hands.
No. She couldn't tell anyone what she knew.
She couldn't.
Tears popped into her eyes. She had just met Michael. She prayed that he would be okay. That her little spark of happiness had not died...just yet. The sirens were heard. She watched the paramedics rush in the building to get Michael. In a matter of minutes, Michael's body, taken on a stretcher, was rushed out. She saw Jeff follow them until they were out the door. He stopped, turned around and sat next to Crystal on the couch.
�� "You okay, princess?" Jeff asked.
Crystal nodded.
Jeff handed her a tissue. She hadn't realized she was actually crying.
�� "Don't worry. Mikey boy will be alright." He gave a weak smile. Crystal sniffled and stared in space.
�� "Why don't you head home? Michael will contact you when he's recovered." Jeff suggested
Crystal shook her head. "No, I don't want to go home. Are you going to the hospital?"
Jeff nodded. "But no, I can't take you with me. I'm sorry."
Crystal looked straight at him. "Come on, please? Just please take me with you. Please. I really don't want to go home."
Jeff sighed. "ohh okay.Fine."
"Michael's still on the medication. He'll be just fine. The bullet was just inches from the heart, he was very lucky." the doctor told the Jackson family.
The family sighed with relief.
Crystal stood and walked over to Jeff who was down the hall outside Michael's room door. Digging his hands in his pockets, he turned around. �� "Did you hear the good news?" Jeff asked.
Crystal nodded. "I want to see him."
Jeff shook his head. "The doc already told me we can't. He's on the medication so he's probably not even thinking right. Just wait a few hours."
Crystal turned around and saw that the Jacksons were beginning to leave the hospital and was going to come back another time.
She turned back to Jeff.
�� "I don't care what medicine he's on. I wanna see him."
Jeff stared at her for a second. He started to smile. Then he started to laugh.
�� "What???" Crystal asked, anger surfacing.
�� "You know what? I can't believe this. Michael had told me about his chitchats on the net. About how he loooved this one particular person. I wouldn't think he would have the same connection to you if you two had met in person. But you both seem to be more attached to each other. It's amazing. You..." he put a poked a finger at her chest. "...might be the very thing that'll drive him out of the hell hole that is depression."
�� "Depression?" Crystal said.
�� "Depression."
Crystal snorted. "I think I'll be the last person to talk to about helping depression. But, is there anyway I can see him?"
Jeff smiled. "I'll see what we can do."
He went up to the desk and asked if there was any possible way that they could be able to see Michael. At that moment, Michael's doctor came up to them.
�� "No." he said.
Crystal turned around. "Please. I have to see him. Please." She begged.
�� "Five minutes. Just let her see him for five minutes." Jeff insisted.
The doctor paused. "Five minutes." he said. "That's it."
The doctor began to walk to Michael's room and opened it for them. He came in with us. Crystal was hesitant to go over to Michael's bedside cuz she was never in this kind of atmosphere before. Michael lay motionless in the bed with a tube going down his throat. His eyes were closed, in a sort of peaceful looking way. The room smelled super clean. There were all sorts of machines around the bed. The cardiac monitor made a steady beeping sound, like a metronome.
Crystal took a deep breath and pulled up a chair and sat next to Michael's bedside. Crystal didn't say anything. Didn't touch anything. She just looked at Michael's closed eyelids.
�� "I don't want to die..." Michael mumbled in a low, raspy voice. His eyes still closed.
Crystal, still hesitant, took Michael's hand.
�� "You won't die." she said softly.
�� "I'm so scared. I don't want to die. I don't want to die a freak."
Crystal said nothing. She didn't know what to say. Jeff put a hand on her shoulder.
�� "It's the drugs. Don't worry about it."
But Crystal was so sure about that.
�� "Wacko Jacko...." Michael continued. His eyes� fluttered open for a second, then closed again. "The weird one. The freak. My career dies with me..."
�� "Michael," Crystal said. Tears came to her eyes. It wasn't the drugs. There was a deep inner pain inside of Michael Jackson that no one ever has seen before. Something that Michael Jackson never has revealed before.
�� "I'm so scared. I wish someone could help me..." His eyes closed tighter. "Someone please help me...I'm dying...so scared."
�� "Guys." the doctor said. He opened up the door inviting us to leave.
Crystal stayed 5 hours waiting in the lobby of the hospital.. She fell asleep on the couch. Jeff shook her awake.
�� "Wake up sleepy head" Jeff said.
Crystal yawned as she sat up. "Is Michael out of it?" she asked weakly.
�� "He is completely awake." Jeff said smiling.
Crystal got up and rubbed her eyes trying to keep awake. It wasn't very comfortable sleeping on a small couch. When she saw MJ this time, Michael was sitting up against the bedpost and wide awake. Even smiling.
�� "Crystal!" he said, happy to see her. His voice was still a little weak.
�� "Hi! How do you feel? A little better?"
Michael sighed. "I have never in such pain in my life. But for some reason..." he smiled and looked at Crystal. "I'm alright."
Jeff left the room to inform the Jackson family about Michael's condition. Crystal sat at his bedside again.
�� "You look super tired." Michael said, taking her hand.
�� "I slept here." she said.
�� "You did? Really? You stayed here? You could've went home...I mean..."
�� "Michael, no I couldn't." Crystal said. "I couldn't."
Michael just gazed at her. "You're afraid to go home?"
Crystal kissed his hand. "Michael stop worrying about me. You have your own--"
Michael smiled. "I'm taking you home. Jeff take her to neverland okay?"
Crystal smiled.
�� "See, now I'm officially in your problems." He smiled.
Crystal sighed. But she did realize this could be a good thing.
�� "Then now...I'm officially in yours."