ftch8

Chapter 8

JC woke up to see Mandi twirling around slowly in a circle in front of him, and he reached out a hand to stop her chair from swiveling anymore.
"You�re making me dizzy."
He looked her over and she looked so small and weak that his arm started aching all over again. She had changed out of her dress and was wearing a simple pair of jeans and one of his old sweatshirts. Her hair was still done, but her makeup ran in tear streaks down her face, and he could see fresh tears appearing when he looked into her eyes.
"How are you feeling?"
He tried to ignore the dull pain in his right arm as he reached out to touch her hand. The last thing he wanted to do right now was upset her more.
"I�m... I�m feeling okay."
She nodded a little bit.
"The doctor said you have to stay here tonight, just in case."
His hand traveled up to touch her face.
"I guess we�ll have to postpone our wedding night until tomorrow, then."
"Guess so."
The miserable look on her face was too much for him. No one should ever have to look as sad as she did.
"Hey... smile for me. It�s okay. I�m fine. Really, I�m fine, sweetie."
Her head fell forward, causing part of her hair to fall across her face like a curtain.
"You�re not fine. He... he hurt you and-"
"He hurt me, but I�m okay. I survived. I�ll be as good as new. Like nothing ever happened. I�m not worried, and you shouldn�t be either."
A silent tear fell onto his blanket.
"But I am anyways. I�m worried, and I... God, I hate him. I hate him so much. I hate him!"
He pushed away her hair gently and watched as more tears threatened to spill over onto her cheeks.
"I know. I�m not too fond of him either. But listen, it�s okay. Because Justin called the police, and soon, they�ll have him arrested. And he�ll never hurt us again because he�ll be locked up for a long, long time."
She ran a hand over her eyes to wipe away the tears and tried to look hopeful.
"Okay."
There was a soft knock on the door, and they both looked up to see a young nurse standing there.
"Sorry to interrupt. Okay Josh, I just need to take your temperature and stuff. Standard procedure."
Mandi�s eyes darkened slightly as she looked at the nurse. No one was allowed to call him Josh. The doctor had just taken his temperature fifteen minutes ago, and from the way the nurse was smiling, Mandi could tell that all she cared about was that she was in the presence of JC Chasez. She had seen enough like her to recognize that. She bit her tongue to keep from lashing out at the woman, but it wasn�t easy. She wasn�t in the mood to be provoked.
"Um, Josh? I was wondering if you could sign this for me?"
Mandi�s eyes narrowed and her hands tightened on the arms of her chair. Who did this chick think she was? How dare she ask him for an autograph at a time like this?
"Uh, well, I�m kind of unable to use my right hand. You know, getting shot and all. And it�s JC. Or preferably, Mr. Chasez."
Mandi had to suppress a giggle when he said that. She couldn�t picture anyone calling him Mr. Chasez.
"Oh... okay. Mr. Chasez. I think I�m done here. Have a nice night."
She turned around quickly and almost slammed into Justin who had just walked in.
"Oh, I�m sorry, Mr. Timberlake."
Justin watched her run off and then looked back over to JC and Mandi, who both had amused smiles on their faces.
"Okay, what did you do to her?"
"Oh, nothing. Just taught her some manners."
Justin shook his head and took a seat on the opposite side of JC�s bed.
"How you feeling, man?"
"Pretty good, actually. I mean, I�ve been better, but... good, under the circumstances."
Justin nodded.
"I called the police... they�re looking for him as we speak."
Mandi�s eyes widened when she heard that.
"What do you mean they�re looking for him? Where did he go? Are you telling me that he�s still out there?"
JC�s hand went back to rest of Mandi�s.
"Shh. Calm down. You�re shaking."
"They said they�re doing the best they can. Don�t worry, they�ll fine him, Mands," Justin tried his best to comfort her.
Mandi closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down. It was all going to be fine. He wouldn�t dare try to hurt them again.
"I hope so."
Justin stood up and wiped his palms on his jeans.
"Alright, well, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I got to get going, Jon�s staying with me tonight."
JC nodded.
"Thanks, man, for everything."
Justin smiled slightly and walked out of the room, while Mandi started to twirl in her chair again.
"You should go with him. How else are you going to get home?"
"I�m not going home. No way in hell am I leaving you here by yourself."
He smiled to himself when he saw her stubborn and determined expression.
"Sweetie, I�m fine. Really, I�ll be okay by-"
There was another knock on the door, followed by the screech of Karen Chasez as she ran over to her son�s bedside.
"Oh, my baby! My poor, poor baby."
"I�m fine, Mom. I�m really fine."
Mandi watched as Mrs. Chasez doted on JC, and almost laughed when she went from fussing over him to yelling at him for being so stupid. She smiled the best she could when Karen turned to look at her, not wanting her to see how upset she really was. Her smile slowly faded, though, when she saw the look of disgust and contempt on the woman�s face.
"And you. You should be ashamed of yourself."
Mandi�s eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
"What?"
"Look what you�ve done to my son! You know, I knew you were bad news from the moment I laid eyes on you. You were a pathetic little child. It�s no wonder your mother killed herself. It�s children like you who create parents like your father."
JC�s hand tightened on Mandi�s arm and he looked at his mother in shock.
"Mom!"
"You know, Mandi, my son has made many mistakes in his lifetime. But he has never done anything as stupid as he did when he married you."
Mandi�s mouth dropped open and tears filled her eyes as she looked up at the angry woman who was now her mother-in-law.
"Mom, please leave."
Mrs. Chasez looked from her son to his wife and back again before spitting out one final thought and walking out the door.
"I�m ashamed to call you my daughter-in-law."
Mandi�s eyes were lost and distant, and she reached up a hand to angrily brush more tears away.
"Mandi, baby, are you okay?"
She nodded slowly.
"You know nothing she said was true. I don�t know what her problem is. None of this is your fault."
Another absent nod.
JC sighed in frustration. He couldn�t believe what his mother had said. He knew that she was just upset and looking for someone to blame, but that didn�t give her the right to yell at his wife like that. He knew Mandi well enough to know that what other people thought meant everything to her, and the fact that her own mother-in-law was upset with her was going to drive her crazy.
"Mandi. Look at me. Don�t listen to her. Okay? Promise me you won�t let her get to you. She doesn�t know what she�s talking about. She�s just upset, she doesn�t know what she�s saying. She doesn�t really feel that way."
Another nod, but JC could tell that she didn�t believe him. He took a deep breath in and raised her hand up to his mouth, kissing it softly.
"You should really go home for awhile. You need to get some sleep and you won�t if you stay here."
She shook her head firmly.
"I�m not going home. I�m not leaving you here by yourself."
"I�m not by myself. The doctors and nurses and stuff are here."
She managed a slight smile and shook her head.
"I don�t think so."
His mouth opened in protest but was interrupted by yet another knock on the door and Lance�s head peeking around the frame.
"Oh, good. You�re awake."
He walked in, followed by Whitney, and they both took a seat at the foot of his bed, Whitney giving Mandi a sympathetic look.
"How are you feeling? Both of you."
Mandi looked up like she hadn�t realized that they were there.
"Oh... I�m fine."
Lance shifted uncomfortably in his seat and rested a hand on Whitney�s knee.
"I talked to the police. They... they said they haven�t found him yet."
Mandi�s eyes closed and she put a hand to her forehead like she was in pain.
"I really can�t believe that one person could be so screwed up. I mean, seriously. He�s a nutcase," Whitney spoke up.
JC looked over at Mandi and pulled her hand away from her face.
"He just has problems, just like everyone else. Only he doesn�t know how to deal with his. I�m not... I�m not that angry with him for doing this to me, just for what he�s done to my wife."
Mandi pulled her hand away from him.
"Well, I�m angry with him."
He smiled and pulled her hand back.
"The police will find him. Nobody worry about this. I�m not worried."
Lance�s eyes went from Whitney to JC to Mandi and back again.
"Well... we just wanted to make sure you were okay... but we should probably go now."
Whitney stood up and gave Mandi a hug.
"I�m glad you�re okay, JC. Try to get some sleep tonight."
JC nodded.
"Thanks, for everything guys. I appreciate it."
Lance gave him a pat on the shoulder.
"No problem, man. Mands, if you need anything, just call, okay?"
Mandi covered her face with her hands after they were gone.
"God. Why can�t I stop thinking about him? He doesn�t deserve this much space in my head."
JC wrapped his good arm around her shoulder, pulling her chair closer to his bed.
"We�ve both been through a lot tonight, sweetie. I really wish you�d go home and get some rest."
She stood up and started pacing.
"If there�s anything you need at home, I could go back quick and get it."
There was nothing he really wanted except for her to go home and sleep. It wasn�t that he didn�t want her with him, in fact, just the opposite, but he just wanted her to get some rest and hopefully feel better about the situation.
"Uh... I could really use some sweatpants. And some underwear, too."
Mandi giggled.
"I get to go through JC Chasez�s underwear drawer? Every girl in America�s dream."
"Yep... you�re one special lady."
"I know. I�m one lucky lady."
She leaned over his bed and kissed him gently.
"I�ll be back in like a half-hour."
"I�ll be waiting."
She called a cab from the lobby and sat quietly in the backseat on the drive back home. She felt like kicking herself for being so selfish. Here was JC, her husband, with a bullet wound in his arm, and she couldn�t even put on a brave face for him. He needed her now more than ever, and she wasn�t being very supportive.
She paid the driver and got out on shaking legs, grabbing her purse and slowly walking up their front steps. When she got inside, she sank down onto the couch, covering her face with her hands and crying tears that she didn�t think she had left.
This wasn�t how tonight was supposed to be. This was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. She was supposed to be in one of the finest hotels in the city right now, and instead she was going back and forth from the hospital where her husband lay with a gunshot wound.
Robert. She hated him. She hated him more than anything in the world. She hated him more than she loved JC, which was a whole hell of a lot. He had ruined this for them. He was the cause of it; it was his entire fault. The happiest day of her life, and this was how she would always remember it. If she ever got just five minutes alone in a room with him... there wasn�t much she could do. He was almost twice as big as her, probably three times as strong, and, of course, he had the gun.
She took a minute to compose herself, wiping away the tears and standing up on her still weak and shaky legs. It was amazing that they could even hold her. She began to slowly walk up the stairs, the tiredness beginning to hit her all at once, and she had to fight to keep her eyes open. She paused when she reached the top and ran a tired and weary hand through her now limp hair. Shuffling into the bathroom, she turned to the mirror and almost burst into tears again when she saw her reflection.
She was supposed to look like a queen tonight, just like Whitney had said. Now her hair was coming loose and her makeup ran in black streaks down her face. She looked either like a raccoon, or like she had fought a black magic marker and lost. She picked up a washcloth and dampened it with warm water before running it over her face and scrubbing all the makeup off.
She pulled down her hair and brushed through it, wincing when the brush snagged on a knot. She straightened it out as best she could and pulled it back into a loose ponytail before walking into their bedroom and searching for some clothes for JC. She pulled out a few pairs of sweatpants, folded them nicely, and placed them in a duffel bag that JC used when he was on tour. After going through all the drawers and packing the necessary items, she stood up and turned around to face the full-length mirror leaning and the wall, and took in a sharp breath.
There was a white envelope taped to the mirror. A white envelope with her name written across the front. Her hands began to shake as she walked across the room. She knew she probably shouldn�t be so afraid. It was probably just a note from JC that she hadn�t seen this morning. But as she reached out to pull the envelope off of the mirror, she knew without a doubt that this scraggly handwriting was definitely not JC�s.
Her hands seemed to have a mind of their own as they reached inside and pulled out the piece of paper, silently unfolding it and holding it up to eye level. Eyes that were wide and getting wider by the moment as she read what was written on the paper.
"Hello, Daughter Dearest,
By now, you�ve probably already seen the destruction that I�m capable of. I�m so sorry I had to do that to your husband, but if I can�t be happy, then why should you be? I know you�ll miss him, but don�t worry, he�s in heaven now. Or maybe hell. I don�t know. Let me just give you this warning. Be careful. Be very careful, Mandi, or you shall reach the same fate as he did. You�ve seen what I can do. Now be prepared for what�s coming next."
Mandi dropped the letter and took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself down. It didn�t work. This was so stupid; it was like it was right out of a horror movie. JC was in heaven? Or hell? Her hand went to her forehead and all she could think about was getting back to the hospital and making sure he was okay. She started pacing back and forth and screamed when the phone rang. She ran across the room quickly, grabbing it off the hook and practically yelling into the receiver.
"Hello!"
"Hey, it�s me. What�s going on?"
"Oh, God. You�re not... you�re not dead! You�re not dead. Okay. I�m okay. Everything�s okay."
JC�s eyes narrowed as he listened to his obviously upset wife�s voice.
"Mandi? What�s wrong? What happened?"
"Noth... nothing. I�m just a little jumpy, that�s all. Just a little jumpy. I�m fine. Everything�s fine."
He knew as well as she did that everything was most definitely not fine, but he figured that over the phone probably wasn�t the best way to find out what was going on.
"Okay... I know I probably shouldn�t, but I�ll take your word for it. I was just making sure you were still coming. It�s been like an hour, I was worried you fell asleep on me or something."
"Oh, no. Not asleep. I�m on... on my way now. I�ll be there in like... like... no time at all."
"How are you getting here?"
"Uh... I was planning on driving."
JC shook his head, not realizing that she couldn�t see him.
"No way. I don�t want you driving by yourself in your condition."
"Jace, I�m fine. I�ll be fine. I can drive fine. Fine. Just fine."
"Okay, I get it. You�re fine. I�ll see you in a bit, baby. I love you."
"Okay, I love you too. I�m fine. Bye!"
She hung up and started pacing again.
"What do I do? What do I do?"
The phone rang again and again she screamed.
"Okay. It�s okay. Just let it ring. Just let it ring, it�s okay."
She picked up the duffel bag, rushed downstairs, and walked outside, shutting and locking the door behind her and completely missing Justin�s concerned voice as it filled the room.
"Spicy? It�s J. Where are you? Look, we�re all worried about you. I just had to tell you to be careful, okay? Please be careful, Mands. I don�t have a very good feeling. Call me when you get in so I know you�re alright. Bye."
Mandi had her radio on loud, trying to drown out the thoughts filling her head. It was starting to rain now, the roads were slippery, but none of that entered her mind at all. They only thing that seemed to be on her mind was the sickening scene at the reception. She could still hear the angry words. Still smell the alcohol when he grabbed her to him. Worst of all, she could still hear the deafening crack as the bullet cut through JC�s arm like a knife.
A car honked loudly at her, jolting her back to her senses as she realized she was going to get herself killed if she didn�t keep her focus on the road. But how could her focus possibly stay on the road when all she could think about was JC laying there in that hospital bed, bandaged arm aching, all alone, and most likely worrying about her.
His pain was her pain, and now all she wanted to do was get back there and comfort him. He needed her. He needed her now and she wasn�t there. She had to be there. Her foot pressed down on the gas pedal and she sped faster, turning the radio up and leaning her head back against her seat. She didn�t know how much more of this she could take.
Just get to JC, and everything will be fine.
The radio went up louder, the foot pressed down harder, and Mandi lost herself completely to her thoughts, fears, and worries. Her brain didn�t even register that the maroon colored car behind her looked awfully familiar. Or that it had been behind her since she left the house. Or that it was getting closer to the back of her car every minute.
She didn�t notice until the car pulled up beside her and started swerving crazily, forcing her to swerve sharply to the right. Was he trying to force her off the road? She peered out her window and tried to get a good look at the driver, but there seemed to be something hanging over it that prevented her from seeing. She sped up in an attempt to get away from the threatening vehicle, but it only sped up too, giving her no leeway at all.
She tried to cut him off and get him behind her again, but he only swerved sharply to the right, almost crashing into her side. It was then that the dark car cut around in front of her, causing her to gasp in horror and her hand to leave the steering wheel and fly up to her mouth. She slammed her foot down on the brake, but it was too late by then.
All she could do was close her eyes and wait for the screech of crashing metal and indescribable pain that she knew was coming.