So�This Is Montana� Ch. 22
The soft glow of the morning sun shining through the window of his hospital room awakened Joey. Squinting against the glare, he casually rolled over in his bed to face the sunlight that was streaming in through the window�s opened blinds and for a few moments he was at a total loss as to where exactly he was.
With a yawn, Joey slowly sat up and winced as his sore muscles screamed at him while he took in his surroundings. As his eyes roamed about the small hospital room his memory of the previous day and evening came back to him in a rush and he quickly looked at the beds beside his and saw that his friends occupied them all. With a small groan, the young man lowered himself back down to the surface of his bed then turned toward the door when it slowly opened to reveal Dr. Granger.
�Well�it�s good to see at least one of you up,� the doctor said as he glanced about to see that the other occupants were still fast asleep, much to his relief. The night before had proved to be quite eventful for the members of Nsync and they all needed the extra rest.
�Yeah,� Joey answered quietly, not wanting to disturb his friends. �When can we get out of here, doc?�
�It�ll be at least another four to five hours,� the doctor replied as he glanced at his watch then stepped closer to Joey�s bed. Very quickly he checked to see if the bandages wrapped around Joey�s forearms were still clean.
�How�s the pain, Joey?� he asked as he pulled his stethoscope out of his coat pocket.
�Not too bad right now,� Joey answered quietly as he leaned back into his pillows while Dr. Granger made quick work of his examination of his heartbeat and pulse.
�It�s still there?� Joey asked, looking up at the doctor with a grin on his face when he stepped back from the bed.
�Yep�still there,� the doctor replied with a smile on his face. �Let�s take a look at your chest and arms.�
For the next several minutes Joey endured the poking and prodding that was necessary to the exam. Dr. Granger tried to be a quick and gentle as possible during the exam but the very nature of Joey�s injuries meant that no matter how easy the doctor�s touch was, there was going to be a certain level of pain that would be experienced. Needless to say, Joey was extremely grateful to see the end of the exam come.
�Umm�doc�I�d give the pain a good 6.5 or maybe even a 7 right now,� Joey said through slightly gritted teeth as his arms were rewrapped with new bandages and his chest was covered with a light layer of gauze.
�Sorry about that, Joey,� Dr. Granger apologized as he finished wrapping Joey�s left arm. �After I finish up in here, I�ll get you something for the pain.�
Joey simply nodded his head then closed his eyes while the doctor made his way over to Lance�s bedside.
�It looks like the swelling in Lance�s hand is starting to go down,� he said quietly as he bent over the young man�s hand which was resting propped up on several pillows at his side.
�That�s good to hear,� a new voice commented from the far corner of the room before yawning.
Joey turned his head and saw that Chris was sitting up on his cot lazily running his fingers through his hair, causing it to go in a myriad of directions.
�Doing okay, Joe?� Chris asked as he stretched then slightly lifted his shirt to absent-mindedly rub his hand over his stomach.
�Yeah�kinda hurting, but I�ll live,� Joey answered through still gritted teeth. Chris snorted at the answer and its tone knowing that Joey wasn�t telling the truth, but he dropped the issue.
He then stood up and followed the doctor to JC�s bedside and sat down on the edge of his friend�s cot knowing that a freight train could move through the room without waking him, especially after the night that he had had last night.
With a shake of his head, Chris watched Dr. Granger unwrap the bandages encircling JC�s wrists and upon seeing the raw markings, Chris reflected on what happened when JC had first arrived at the clinic in the wee hours of the morning.
�What do we have here?� Dr. Parrish asked while watching off duty paramedic Grady Simpson assisting paramedics Terry Edwards and Louis Branson in pushing a gurney, with what could be described as a blanket covered lump, into the emergency treatment center of the county clinic. As the gurney reached the center of the room, Dr. Parrish happened to take one more, quick glance toward the entrance and saw Sheriffs Hal Owens and Buddy Richards leading a very distraught looking Justin into the room along with a weary Chris. Grady�s voice pulled the doctor�s attention back to the still covered form now lying on the examination table before him.
�It�s Joshua Chasez, doc,� Grady quickly answered before stepping back to allow Terry and Louis to rattle off JC�s vitals and information concerning his condition.
�Humph�the game,� Dr. Parrish muttered as he pealed back the layers of blankets covering JC to reveal his unresponsive form.
�Had he regained consciousness at all?� the doctor asked as his skilled hands searched JC�s head for lumps, being mindful of the raw scrapes that marred the left side of the young man�s face.
�For brief amounts of time,� Terry answered. �Every five to ten minutes or so, he would awaken, ask about his friends then go under again.�
That bit of news caused both Justin and Chris to flinch. At one time, the paramedics were ready to allow both of them to ride with them to the clinic, but once JC had been settled into the ambulance, they were not allowed to ride in the ambulance due to the limited amount of space since Grady was needed to ride in with Terry and Louis in case the extra help was needed.
�He woke up with strangers,� Justin hissed into Chris�s ear in a choked voice.
Chris nodded numbly then replied in a strained tone, �that�ll be the last time that�ll happen.�
�How was he when he was found, Grady? What had been done to him?� the doctor asked trying to gain information so that he would no how to best treat JC for his injuries.
�Troy and Mitch said that he seemed aware of what was going on around him when they found him. His hands were tied behind him and his ankles were also tied. He was gagged and blindfolded. Apparently, he was missing for almost four to five hours when he was found on his knees trying to make himself visible in the tall grass in the southern pasture.�
�Did he ever lose consciousness during the attack?�
�He wasn�t real sure about that, doc,� Grady answered. �He mentioned a stranger coming to help him but we attributed that to being some sort of dream�like he may have fallen asleep at some point, but he couldn�t recall passing out until after he had been found. Mitch did say that they had a lot of trouble getting him to respond to them about half way into their ride back to the house. They had to slap him several times and he finally responded but his answers were pretty disjointed. They also said that he complained of pain in his chest, being�cold, tired, and hungry.�
�No headache or dizziness then?�
�Umm�no, sir�not that I know of.�
�Okay�I�ll still want to take some x-rays of his skull and with his complaints about his chest bothering him, we�ll take some of his ribs too. The IV should rehydrate him and we�ll give him a tetanus shot for these,� the doctor said as he gestured toward JC�s raw wrists before moving down to uncover JC�s ankles then his knees to reveal that they were just as raw and bloodied as his wrists.
As the doctor finished speaking, JC stirred on the examination table and immediately, Chris and Justin attempted to move to his side, jostling the sheriffs and paramedics out of their way in the process.
�He will not wake up without us being there,� Chris said when Grady gave him a strange look that quickly softened into one of understanding as he and the others made way for the two distraught young men.
With the others moving aside, Chris and Justin were able to move to either side of the examination table and gently grasped both of JC�s hands in theirs. They quietly coaxed JC into wakefulness while Dr. Parrish was joined by Dr. Granger and an assistant in looking over their shoulders as blue eyes tentatively glanced about the room in confusion then rested upon the two faces standing directly above him.
�Hey, Jace,� Chris said quietly as he firmly grasped JC�s left hand in one of his own and stroked the young man�s head with the other.
�You�re at the clinic now, Josh,� he continued. �Dr. Parrish seems to think you�re going to be up chasing the girls around this time tomorrow,� Chris said quietly with a wide grin on his face.
JC cleared his throat with a slight grimace. � No girls at the ranch,� he whispered in reply and the remark earned him several chuckles from those standing about the room.
JC heard the noise, having not seen that there were many others standing nearby and he slightly startled. A small whimper escaped from his lips as his eyes traveled wildly about the room in search of the men behind the light laughter.
�They�re here? They�re here?� JC asked, referring to the men that had attacked him and his friends knew immediately what he was speaking of.
�It�s okay, JC,� Justin said, forcing down the anger that he was feeling toward those who had hurt his friend as he gently turned JC�s head so that he was looking in his direction.
�No, Jace�they�re not here�really,� Chris added when he noticed that Justin�s eyes were quickly beginning to fill with tears.
� It�s just the paramedics and sheriffs who are still in the room along with Dr. Granger and Dr. Parrish.�
JC closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief while Chris and Justin looked each other with slightly alarmed expressions before stepping back to make room for the doctors. JC had not acted in this manner at the ranch when he had periodically awakened and they were at a loss as to why he was suddenly so frightened and confused.
�Joey? Lance?� JC asked in a voice that was slightly elevated at the lack of their names being mentioned and the fact that Chris and Justin were no longer within his limited line of sight.
Chris quickly made his way to the back of JC�s head and lightly grasped the right side of his face in order to gain his attention.
JC glanced up at Chris�s upside down face in confusion. �How did he do that?� JC wondered. �How had Chris moved so fast?� Before JC had a chance to ask Chris those questions, Chris once again spoke to him in a quiet, reassuring tone of voice.
�They�re already here at the clinic in a room waiting for the three of us, Jace,� Chris said in calm tones realizing that that was all that JC needed to know for the time being.
�You need to relax so the doctors can help you�okay?� Chris added quietly. � When the doctors are finished working on you, we�ll go see Lance and Joey�okay?�
JC nodded his head and closed his eyes while the doctors continued to examine him while Chris did not move from his position over JC�s head with Justin at his side.
�He�s doing very well,� Dr. Granger said, speaking of JC and pulling Chris from his thoughts.
�He�ll need to rest for at least the next 24 to 48 hours and other than that, there shouldn�t be anything that will prevent JC from further enjoying your visit.�
�Thanks, doc,� Chris murmured as he watched the doctor move to the room�s door. Before he stepped out of the room, he glanced over his shoulder and spoke.
�Maye Parrish will be bringing breakfast to you in about 20 minutes so if you want to clean up before then, we have plenty of towels for you to use. Just let me know if you need to have me remove your bandages for you, Joey or if anyone else needs some help. If you do take the bandages off yourself, we�ll let your arms air out for a while before replacing them. I�ll be back in a few minutes with your pain medications that you can take when you eat your breakfast.�
�Yes, sir,� Joey replied with a smile as he swung his legs over the side of his bed then slowly stood up and gave the doctor a small wave as he left the room.
�Okay, Joe?� Chris asked as he got up from JC�s bedside to stand at Joey�s side.
�Yeah�just a little stiff and sore,� he answered as he moved toward the bathroom.
For the next several minutes, both young men took turns showering then moved about the room waking first Justin so that he could shower, then JC and Lance who would have to wait for their IV�s to be removed before they would be able to shower.
The group quietly visited through breakfast then throughout the morning until both Dr. Granger and Dr. Parrish okayed Lance and JC�s release from the clinic with strict orders that both young men needed to rest for the next 24 hours and for Lance to keep his right arm elevated at all times.
With those instructions in mind, and another supply of medications in hand, the group was met at the clinic by Mitch and Troy and was taken back to the ranch to begin their recovery.
Later, as the group relaxed at the ranch, John Williams and Steve Cartwright were feeling anything but calm as they attempted to post bail on the five ranch hands that had been arrested in connection with JC�s attack.
�What do you mean Judge Harvey set bail at $10,000 a piece?� John nearly yelled in response to Sheriff Hal Owens information.
�Now, John,� Hal stated with his hands raised in an effort to calm the irate ranch hand. �Your boys just happened to mess around with the wrong young man who has a lot of support behind him in Orlando,� he stated in a tone of voice that was beginning to show how thin his patience was growing.
�Listen, Hal!� Steven spat out in anger as he gestured at the doors behind the sheriff leading into the area where prisoners were held.
�There is no money like that in the pockets of any of those hands!�
�They should have thought about that before they kidnapped and assaulted Mr. Chasez,� Hal said as he shook his head and attempted to continue speaking, but was interrupted once again.
�I suggest��
�It was just a game!� John practically roared in anger. �A game that�s been played over and over without it ever coming to this!�
�Need I remind you, John, that the game never involved a world famous, multi-millionaire singer?� Hal answered in a tone that suggested that his patience had now run out. He was angered by the fact that no one seemed willing to accept responsibility for the actions that had taken place the previous day. With a disgusted shake of his head, the sheriff spoke again.
�I recommend you two get a good lawyer�a real good lawyer for those boys in there,� he said gesturing behind him.
�Believe me when I say they�re going to need it.�
He had been just as surprised at the amount of money that the judge had set for bail, but when the judge had disclosed what little information he was legally able to both Sheriff Owens and Sheriff Richards, they had to agree with the decision that had been made. Joshua Scott Chasez was a man with powerful people behind him�people powerful enough to take care of all of them if anything happened to be mishandled in this situation. As far as Hal was concerned he was not going to be the first one to test the proverbial waters surrounding those protecting the best interests of Josh or the rest of the group of young men, for that matter.
Knowing that the end of the discussion had been reached, John stormed out of the room with a growl, followed by an equally as angered Steven while the sheriff sat down in a nearby chair, picked up the phone and dialed the ranch house.
�They�re on their way back?� Mitch asked after answering the phone. �And they weren�t too happy�okay�yeah�no�we�ll be okay.�
Mitch sat down on a nearby chair then quickly stood up and began to pace as he continued to listen to Hal.
�Who�s out patrolling?� Mitch asked as he began to begin to prepare for the possibility that things could get rough when the senior ranch hands would finally arrive back at the ranch house.
�I�ll be out in your area just as soon as I hang up and I�m also going to have another car out near that area, Mitch,� Hal answered.
�Okay�I better get off the phone then and let the guys know what�s going on.�
�Choose your words carefully, Mitch,� the sheriff warned. �You don�t want to alarm them too much.�
�I know, Hal, but I want them to be ready for any thing.�
�I understand, but just be careful and let me know if you need me out there.�
�Will do, Hal�will do.�
Seconds later, the pair hung up their phones.
�Is there some sort of problem, Mitch?� a voice asked causing the ranch hand to spin about in alarm.
�Geez, Chris�don�t do that,� Mitch breathed out as he clutched at his chest.
Chris raised his eyebrows at the unexpected reaction he was seeing so he repeated his question as he approached the ranch hand.
�Is there a problem going on that we need to know about?�
Mitch nodded his head and pointed at the couch behind Chris.
�Why don�t you sit down, Chris,� Mitch stated as he sat down in a nearby chair.
�Okay�what�s going on?� Chris asked, not liking the fact that he had been asked to sit down. That generally led to conversations that were more serious than he preferred being involved in.
�I just got off the phone with Sheriff Hal Owens. He called to let me know that John Williams and Steven Cartwright were pretty upset when they found out how much the bail was for the five hands involved with yesterday�s attack,� Mitch said as he stared down at his hands.
�And why am I getting the feeling that this might be a problem for us?� Chris asked as he gestured with his hands for the ranch hand to continue with his explanation. He had had a taste of Steven Cartwright�s temper last night when he had been followed back to the bedroom that he had shared with JC. The ranch hand had nearly threatened him and his friends, but Chris�s own anger had spurred him on to make some threats of his own. All in all, the conversation had not been pleasant, but Chris had not felt in danger at any time during its course either.
�They were both angry about the fact that the game was being taken so seriously, according to Hal and he called to warn us about that,� Mitch said as he looked up and met Chris�s gaze.
At the mention of the game Chris slapped his hands loudly against his thighs and stood up.
�The game�that�s all it was to them�just a game among friends,� he said in a voice full of frustration. �Geez�I�d hate to see what they would do to someone who was their enemy.�
�Listen�I�m really sorry about what happened,� Mitch said quietly. �Troy and I feel partially responsible for what happened.�
�Why�s that?� Chris asked Mitch in slight confusion as he looked down at him.
�We had decided to try to keep an eye on you and the others but we didn�t do a very good job of it I�m afraid.�
Chris looked at the ranch hand in disbelief.
�Hey�you guys did a great job in getting Lance help and finding JC,� Chris said. �We�re all grateful for that�thanks, man.�
Mitch slightly blushed and looked down at his hands and for several moments the room was filled with uncomfortable silence until Chris spoke again.
�So�what do you think we need to do when John and Steven get back?� Chris asked looking up to see that Troy was now standing in the background.
�Why don�t you head to the back of the house and lock the bedroom doors,� Troy suggested from his position in the doorway.
�Your bedrooms are connected through a bathroom so, you won�t be all that uncomfortable.�
�You think it might get that bad?� Chris asked nervously, not wanting to believe that the two hands would purposely cause harm to anyone member of the group.
�Well�why take a chance?� Troy asked. �John and Steven have tempers and I don�t think they�d ever come to blows with any of you, but�� he said, letting his words die out.
�Yeah�I guess you�re right,� Chris admitted having been through similar experiences with Nsync�s bodyguards. He knew that he and the others were going to have to rely on the sound judgment of the men who knew John and Steven best.
�Let�s go make up some sandwiches real quick and you and the others will at least have something to eat while you�re waiting,� Troy said as he gestured toward the general direction of the kitchen.
�Selma went into town earlier this morning so I hope you know your way around a kitchen, Chris,� Troy said with a smile on his face, trying to lighten up the situation.
�Yeah�just head me in the general direction and I�ll get right on it,� Chris answered with his own smile as he followed the two into the kitchen.
�We�re going to need to hire on some help while we wait to see what happens next with the others,� John quietly commented as Steven drove them back to the ranch.
�It was all just a joke,� Steven muttered as he hit his fist against the steering wheel then briefly glanced over at John who was staring out the passenger window.
�How were we to know that Mr. Chasez was such a wuss and couldn�t take a joke?�
�We need to move on and forget about it,� John said in a mildly irritated tone as he took a deep breath and wiped his hands over his face.
�We have cows to move tonight�tomorrow morning at the very latest and we need to get us some help so let�s head on over to Jason�s and hire us a couple of men,� John stated with very little emotion in his voice. He couldn�t afford to lose the cattle deals that he had with various ranchers in the area. For several years, he and Steven had been able to steal low numbers of cattle right out from under the nose of their employer, Harvey Benson who had never been aware of that fact and the pair had managed to make a tidy amount of money in the process and they were unwilling to let go of their side business.
�Listen,� John said wearily. �If we can last until the end of next week when that weasel, Lance Bass and his little rat pack return to the rock that they crawled out from under back in Florida, we�ll take him for all the money he has wrapped up at the ranch.�
�Yeah�if he doesn�t decide to replace us,� Steven said in a mixture of fear and disgust.
There was a sudden intensity to the tension in the truck as the realization of that possibility hit both men until John spoke again.
�Then�I guess we need to make sure that Mr. Bass and company doesn�t have the chance to do that,� he said in a tone that spoke of what could possibly described as having a certain foreboding of danger for Lance and the rest of the visiting young men.
�So�we�re locked up in here because two of Lance�s employees might beat us up?� Joey asked Chris incredulously before taking a bite of one of the sandwiches the older man had brought back into the bedrooms with him.
Chris nodded his head in reply since his mouth was full. After swallowing and drinking some soda he spoke.
�I didn�t have a chance to tell anyone, but Steven Cartwright followed me back here last night when I had to find my phone.�
�And?� Joey asked as he put his sandwich down and took a drink of his soda.
�He sort of threatened us�� Chris admitted and was rewarded with a choking Joey, who sputtered and coughed as the drink went down the wrong pipe.
�Okay, Joe?� Chris asked in slight amusement as he clapped Joey�s back a few times in an effort to help him.
�Yeah�so�this is serious?�
�Well�Mitch and Troy seemed to think that things could get serious if John and Steven were as angry as Sheriff Owens made them out to be, so this is just a precaution. I mean�come on, Joey�how many times have Mike, Dre, or Lonnie put us in a lock down because of a certain �threat?�� Chris said, forming rabbit ears with his fingers at the word, threat as he spoke of the group�s chief bodyguards.
�We just need to trust Mitch, Troy and Pete�s judgment on this, Joey.�
�I know�but when is all of this going to stop?� Joey asked in disbelief. �Lance doesn�t deserve this�none of us do.�
Chris simply nodded his head in agreement and the pair continued to quietly eat while JC, Justin, and Lance continued to sleep in the bedroom on the other side of the bathroom.