Only in Your Dreams Chapter 4
Justin had just resettled into his bed when he heard Lance shout his name and Joey�s terrified screams. Hopping out of bed, he crossed the room to another bed and hurriedly shook Chris awake.
�Chris! Get up! Something�s wrong with Lance and Joey!� Justin shouted in an effort to wake his slumbering friend.
�What�s going on?� asked Chris in a confused manner as he slowly sat up in his bed. In the background he could hear screams from Joey�s bedroom.
�Is that Joey?� Chris asked.
�I think so.� Justin moved from Chris� side toward the door.
�Come on,� he urged as he looked over his shoulder at the still half-awake man sitting on the bed.
�Lance went into Joey�s room a little while ago. Joey�s was having a nightmare and he must have had some trouble waking him up.�
�Why did he have to wake up Joey?� Chris asked as he barely managed to get out of his bed without falling down.
�He had a bad dream.� Justin�s answer and even louder screams from Joey caused Chris to come fully awake. Both men hurried into the hallway, almost bumping into JC in the process.
�What is that noise?� JC asked them as he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. �It�s only 2:30 in the morning.�
�It�s Lance and Joey. Come on,� replied Chris as he followed Justin into Joey�s room. By now Joey�s screams no longer existed. Upon entering the bedroom, the sight that met them seemed to be almost as one from the movie that they had watched earlier that evening.
Lance was sprawled out on the floor, seemingly barely conscious and quietly groaning ass he moved his head slightly. Joey was standing in the corner by his bed with a terrified expression on his face, breathing rapidly, his eyes darting quickly, back and forth, from the three men rushing into his room back to the still figure on his bedroom floor.
�Oh no. What did you do to Lance?� shouted Justin as he knelt on the floor near Lance�s still form.
�I don�t�I mean, I didn�t�. I�No�it can�t be true�my dream can�t be true,� stammered Joey breathlessly as he looked at the now still and quiet body of Lance lying on the floor in front of him.
�It�s okay. Don�t worry. It�s okay man,� Chris replied calmly, trying to defuse the situation as he crawled over Joey�s bed and reached for the trembling man.
�Why don�t you just sit down on your bed, Joey? You don�t look too good, okay?� Chris pulled Joey down to sit on the bed and wrapped an arm around his trembling shoulders.
In the mean time, Justin and JC lifted Lance�s now fully unconscious, limp body and placed him on the other side of Joey�s bed.
�I�m going to go get a wet washrag and some ice,� Justin called out as he raced from the room and downstairs to the kitchen.
�Is he alright?� asked Chris as he turned to look at Lance lying behind him.
�Well, it looks like Joey clocked him pretty good,� JC answered quietly. He didn�t want to cause Joey any more distress.
�I don�t think we need to call 911 or anything like that yet.�
He carefully felt around Lance�s head searching for bumps.
�It looks like he just has this one bruise on his chin and man, it�s going to be a beauty,� JC said as he carefully ran his thumb over Lance�s face, before carefully picking the younger man�s head up from the floor to feel for lumps. Seconds later, he found what he was looking for on the back of Lance�s head. Looking up from Lance, JC spoke.
�I found a pretty good goose egg on the back of his noggin too. I guess he must have hit the bed frame or something. There doesn�t seem to be any broken skin or blood though,� he said as he continued to gently probe Lance�s head and neck.
�That�s good,� Chris answered knowing that at least Lance wouldn�t need stitches. He turned his attention toward Joey.
�How are you doing Joey?�
Joey didn�t readily answer Chris�s question and he suddenly felt his stomach drop slightly.
�Joey?� Chris slowly reached for Joey�s face, turning it toward him and was alarmed to see that his face had turned a pasty white.
�I really didn�t mean to hurt him, honest,� Joey whispered to the older man as he began to blink his eyes heavily.
�I didn�t mean to�.� Without warning, Joey�s eyes rolled back into his head and his body slumped over onto Chris�s lap.
�Hey, hey, hey. Joey! JC, help me out here,� Chris said urgently as he struggled to keep Joey�s body from falling to the floor.
�What happened?� JC asked as he quickly stood up from Lance�s side and fairly gaped at the sight before him.
�Geez, Joey just passed out on me,� exclaimed Chris as he continued to struggle with the larger man�s limp form.
�I mean, one minute he�s talking and the next he�s out cold. Here, help me lay him down next to Lance.�
JC scrambled around the bed and helped Chris lower Joey�s limp body to the bed.
�Hey! I got the ice and wet cloth,� said Justin as he re entered the bedroom.
�Better go make it two JuJu.�
�What?� Justin asked in alarm as he took in not one unconscious form on the bed, but two.
�Joey just passed out on us. Go get another cloth and more ice, okay?� JC said quickly without looking up.
�Do you want me to call 911?� Justin asked as he reached toward the phone sitting on the nearby desk.
�I don�t know. Let�s just wait a minute okay and not panic,� said JC as he reached for the ice and washrag as Justin quickly passed them over to him and then, once again hurriedly left the room.
�If Lance doesn�t wake up in the next 10 minutes or so, we might want to reconsider that 911 call, don�t you think?� asked Chris as he covered the unconscious pair with the bedspread that had been discarded by Joey sometime during the night.
�Yeah, you might be right on that. Let�s just see what happens.�
JC placed the ice pack under Lance�s neck and the wet cloth on his forehead. �Let�s put Joey�s feet up on the footboard. That might help bring him around faster,� JC suggested as he watched Lance for any sign of awakening.
The two made a quick job of pulling Joey�s body down closer to the foot of the bed, placing his feet on a pillow on top of the footboard.
�Here�s Joey�s ice and cloth,� said Justin as he entered the room and handed them to Chris. �What happened?�
�I asked Joey how he was doing,� said Chris, as he put the wet cloth on Joey�s forehead and placed the ice pack behind his neck. �The next thing I know, his eyes roll up and boom, he�s out cold.�
�Do you think they�re gonna wake up soon?� Justin asked still not sure if it was wiser to just go ahead and call 911 for help
As an answer to his question, the trio heard a low moan and the rustling of covers. They each watched as Lance slowly moved his head and groaned again. Justin knelt beside the stirring figure and placed his hand on the side of Lance�s face, turning it in his direction.
�Come on. You can do it,� he quietly spoke in encouragement. �Wake up. Come on now. It�s time to wake up.�
The three young men uttered sighs of relief as they watched Lance�s eyes begin to flutter and then finally open.
As Lance struggled to focus his vision, he moaned, �What happened?� Then suddenly, Lance remembered what had happened and he attempted to sit up.
�Joey. Where�s Joey?� he asked as he held his head with pain written across his face. Three pairs of hands gently pushed him down again.
�Take it easy,� urged Chris in a reassuring tone. �He�s right beside you.�
�Huh?� Lance glance around at the figures looking down at him before he realized that someone was lying on the bed beside him.
�What happened to him?� Lance asked as he slightly raised his head and saw Joey�s still figure lying further down the bed with his feet propped up on the footboard of the bed.
�He went into some sort of shock and passed out,� replied JC, as he went around the bed to kneel down beside Joey.
�What happened to you?� Justin asked with a small smile. �You were supposed to get me before he decided to hit you,� he added jokingly.
�I don�t know,� Lance answered, shaking his head slightly. �One minute I�m reaching over to wake him up and the next thing I know, I�m the one waking up. Lance gingerly felt his chin, working his jaw back and forth as he continued to lay on the bed.
�How�s the head?� asked Chris as he gently probed the back of Lance�s head.
�Ouch! Watch it man,� Lance replied as he winced and tried to jerk from Chris�s touch.
�Sorry. Didn�t mean to hurt you. Just trying to make sure you okay.�
�I know. Sorry Chris, I�m just really hurting right now.� Lance allowed Chris to continue.
�I guess you�ll live man.�
�Thank you Dr. Sloan,� groaned Lance and he tried to find a more comfortable position for his head.
�Hey guys, Joey�s waking up,� whispered JC from across the bed.
�Don�t get too close. You don�t want to be next do you?� warned Chris as he circled the bed to JC�s side.
Without warning, Joey�s eyes suddenly snapped open.
�What happened?� he said breathlessly as he glanced at those looking down at him.
�What are you guys doing in my room? What�s going on?� he asked bewilderedly as his eyes darted first to JC and then to Justin and Chris frantically trying to read their faces for any signs of what may have happened.
�Just take it easy Joey,� said Chris said reaching out to pat the younger man�s shoulder, worried that Joey might faint for a third time.
�Take some deep breaths,� urged JC not wanting a repeat of the same episode. �We�ll tell you what happened once you�ve calmed down some.�
Joey decided to cooperate in order to know what was going on and why everyone was suddenly in his room, looking at him as if he had grown a second head. After a minute, Lance answered Joey�s questions.
�You had a nightmare and I tried to help,� he quietly sighed from his still reclined position on the bed beside Joey.
�What?� Joey slowly turned his head and looked at the man lying beside him. He slowly sat up with the help of JC and began to swing his legs over the side of the bed.
�No Joey�you don�t need to do that again. Why don�t you just take it easy and lie back down a few more minutes.� JC and Chris attempted to lower Joey back down to the bed as he struggled to shrug off their hands.
�What did I do to Lance? Tell me. What. Did. I. Do?� the distraught man yelled as he continued to struggle causing the bed to shake and Lance to moan in pain.
�We�ll tell you if you�ll just calm down,� Chris pleaded.
�Please�don�t shake the bed, Joey� Lance moaned as the bed shook and quaked beneath him.
�And man, keep it down. My head is killing me,� he added in a near whisper.
Joey heard Lance�s plea, stopped his struggles and allowed his friends to help resettle him onto the bed. Lance closed his eyes and put his hands on his forehead in an effort to control his growing headache before speaking again.
�I heard you scream, so I came in your room to find out what was going on. When I came into the room, I found you on the floor by the wall. I tried to wake you up and you cold cocked me, Joey. Were you a prize fighter in another life?� Lance weakly chuckled in an attempt to make light of the situation, then opened his eyes.
�I didn�t know it was you. It was someone in my dream...something scared me in my dream,� Joey stammered.
�Did you remember anything about the dream?� asked Justin. Joey seemed to pause, deep in thought before answering Justin.
�Yeah, I think so. It�s kinda fuzzy, but I think I can remember parts of it.�
�It might help you feel better if you tell us about the dream,� said Chris. They watched, as Joey seemed to consider what Chris said.
�Okay. I�ll try to tell you what I remember.� Joey looked at his friends who nodded encouragingly at his decision. The group remained quiet as Joey attempted to recall his dream. Finally, with a slight tremor in his voice, Joey began speaking as he turned his gaze toward the ceiling.
�It starts out like that movie we watched, but with me standing at the edge of these real thick woods, and I�m lost and all alone.� Joey pointed to his chest as he emphasized the change in characters from the movie and his nightmare.
�I�m really scared of being alone in the dream, but there�s something else�I don�t know what. All I really know that someone or something is there, watching me from behind the trees.�
Joey paused and closed his eyes for a moment as he searched his memory for more of the nightmare. When he finally did speak again, it was with a whisper.
�It�s kinda dark�the only light there is the full moon.� Joey paused to take a deep breath. He slowly began wringing his hands as the dream unfolded itself in his mind. No one said anything. They only watched Joey�s hands as they rubbed against each other very slowly as he continued to gaze at the ceiling. The others had never seen Joey upset enough about anything to begin wringing his hands. Justin finally couldn�t stand it any longer and he knelt down by Joey�s side and enveloped his hands tightly into his own. Joey didn�t seem to notice at first that his hands had stopped moving. Finally, it dawned on him what Justin had done and he looked from his hands up to Justin�s face.
�Thanks man�I�m just nervous,� he said shakily.
�That�s okay Joey. Why don�t you tell us more about you dream now,� Justin said as his grip on Joey�s hands loosened allowing Joey to pull away from his grasp before continuing with the dream, but he made no move to stand up or move away from the bed. He wanted Joey to know that he was there for him and, as a result, Joey kept his gaze on Justin as he continued with the dream.
�In my dream, I saw a path that began at my feet and seemed to wind into the trees. I started to walk down the path and I looked at my hands and saw that I was holding a candle.� As Joey spoke, he held his left hand in such a way that a candle could fit right into his grasp.
�I reached into my pocket and found a book of matches to light the candle and I tried striking one match and a sudden wind snuffed it out.�
�So, I try another and another and another,� he gestures as if actually striking matches, one right after another. � �and each time I get one lit, they get snuffed out. So I give up on the candle and tossed it down.� He mimics throwing the candle away as he continued.
� When I threw the candle down I saw a flashlight on the ground in front of me. I picked it up and tried to turn it on, but each time I turned it on, it cut off. I shook it and knocked it around, trying to get it to work, but it never would.� He emphasized this by loudly pounding his closed fist into his open palm multiple times.
Lance winced at the sound but continued to focus on the sound of Joey�s quiet voice.
�Then, I�m suddenly in my apartment. There are all sorts of candles lighting up the place and the shadows are spooky.�
Joey waved his hands in the air as he continued.
�The walls are dripping with something like blood�really creepy.� As Joey continued, his pace began to slow down as his voice again dropped to an even lower whisper.
�I started walking down the hall from the living room to my bedroom real slow because I heard something�maybe a voice or�I don�t know.� Joey hesitated, and the three men standing noticed a single tear roll down Joey�s face. Chris placed a reassuring hand on Joey�s leg as JC knelt beside the trembling man�s head and began to slowly stroke his sweat soaked hair.
�It�s okay dude, if you don�t want to keep going, you don�t have to,� said Justin.
�No, he needs to do this so he can be done with it,� said Lance in a quiet, but firm voice. Without turning his head, he reached down, groping for Joey�s left shoulder and grasped it tightly in support.
Joey wiped at the tears falling down the sides of his face with his free hand.
�Lance is right,� Joey said quietly. �I do need to do this. I mean�it was just a little dream. I�ll be okay�really,� he said shakily almost sounding like he was trying to convince himself more than the others.
�Yeah, some little dream,� whispered Lance as he winced and rubbed the back of his head.
�Okay, but if you start feeling funny or anything, just stop,� warned Chris. He didn�t like how Joey was beginning to look and he certainly didn�t want to have to go through another fainting episode.
Joey nodded and returned his gaze to the ceiling as he quietly continued with his dream.
�So, I�m walking down my hallway�trying to find out what�s making the noise. Then suddenly, at the end of the hallway, I see this man. He�s dragging Lance down the hallway with his arm around his neck and he�s holding a gun to Lance�s head.� Joey�s voice began to become panicked as he looked from JC to Justin to Chris before glancing behind him at Lance.
�He�s saying something to me�I don�t know what though. He starts walking towards me, dragging you. I�m looking at your face. You were so scared, Lance.� Joey�s voice began to tremble slightly as he continued to stare into Lance�s face.
�You were trying to pull that guy�s arm away from your neck, but you weren�t strong enough or something.� Joey began to clinch his fists repeatedly at the memory of Lance�s terrified face.
�Then the guy started pointing that gun in the air, shooting it over and over again. I started crying and I wanted to run to help you and at the same time I want to run away but it�s like I�m stuck with crazy glue or something to the floor. The guy is dragging you closer and closer towards me. Then the man starts to�he starts�I��
Lance noticed that Joey�s eyes began to lessen their focus and he appeared to be growing pale as his breathing changed.
Joey�s breathing became ragged as it quickened and grew more shallow as the dream developed into an even more vivid memory. His face also began to take on that sick, pasty pallor again.
�Uh, oh. Not again,� said JC as he noticed the changing in colors of Joey�s face and in his breathing.
�Um�is it getting kinda hot� and, um�dark in here, or� is it just me?� Joey asked shakily as his eyes slowly began their backward roll again with his body slackening against the bed and his head lolling to the side.
Chris quickly returned Joey�s feet to the top of the footboard as Justin raced out of the room to rewet the cloth they had earlier placed on his head.
�What happened?� asked Lance as he attempted to sit up and quickly gave up as the room began to tilt crazily before his eyes.
�Stay down,� warned Chris. � We can only handle one of you being out at a time.�
Lance nodded slightly. �Me too,� he said as he slowly lowered himself back down.
�I can�t believe this,� said Justin as he again raced back into the room. �That dream really sounds like something else�I mean�what do you think it means anyway? It�s kinda like the movie.�
�Do you think there�s more to it than that?� asked JC as he once again began stroking Joey�s hair.
Chris just shook his head and took the cloth from Justin and placed it on Joey�s forehead.
�You know JC, bad dream or not�that�s two times in less than 20 minutes that he�s passed out on us. Maybe we need to get him to the hospital or something.�
�Are you kidding?� JC exclaimed. �Johnny would stroke out on us! And, besides that, he�d probably want to send him to some shrink or put him in the hospital for a week and we can�t do that...not now�
�Yeah, I can read the headlines now,� Justin raised a hand and moved it across the air. ��Crazed Nsyncer attacks fellow group member in his sleep when frightened by scary dream!�
�You�re right, the tabloids, teen magazines, and Entertainment Tonight would have a field day with this one,� sighed Lance.
�What are we gonna do then?� asked Chris.
�Well, first, Chris, you and Justin get Lance back to his bed so he can rest. There�s some Tylenol in the bathroom on the counter that he can take and you might want to refill that ice pack too and wrap it in a towel so he can sleep with it.� JC sat up off the bed to help Chris and Justin get Lance ready to leave the room. �In the morning,� he continued, �we can get an appointment for you at the doctor�s office to make sure you�re okay if we need to.�
Lance barely nodded his head in agreement in order to prevent the room from spinning any quicker than it already was.
�Okay, I�ll stay with him,� replied Chris. �Mind if I use your bed JC?
�No. Go ahead. I�ll stay here with Joey.�
At the mention of his name, Joey moaned and slowly opened his eyes.
�Bout time, Sleeping Beauty,� chuckled Justin in an attempt to put Joey at ease as he bent over Joey and patted him on the shoulder.
�Did it again, didn�t I?� he asked sheepishly as he struggled to focus his vision on the figure standing above him.
�Yep. You�re getting to be an expert,� was Lance�s tired reply. �You�re already one up on me.�
�Listen Joey, Justin and Chris are going to take Lance to his room to rest,� JC quietly explained to him in an effort to focus Joey�s attention on something other than the fact that he had once again fainted.
As JC was speaking, Lance struggled to sit up and swing his legs over the side of the bed. With the help of Chris and Justin, he managed to stay on his feet as he slowly stood up and stumbled a bit, trying to get his balance.
�Sorry guys,� he quietly apologized. �I guess I�m a still a little dizzy.� Justin and Chris stood on either side of Lance, holding him up by his elbows and began to slowly guide him toward the doorway.
�I�m so sorry Lance. I didn�t mean to�I mean, I�d never hurt you on purpose�I.� Joey stammered as tears threatened to fall.
Chris and Justin stopped long enough for Lance to turn around. �It�s okay,� he said with a wan smile. �I know you�d never hurt anyone of us on purpose. My face just got in the way of your fist. That�s all.�
�Thanks bro.�
�Goodnight Joe.� The three headed out the door and made their way down the hall.
�Hey, JC,� called Justin, from the hallway. �We forgot the ice pack and cloth. Can you take care of them?�
�Sure. I�ll be there in a minute.� JC turned his attention back to Joey. Before picking up the ice pack and cloth that were still lying on the bed, he quickly readjusted the spread that covered Joey and then removed the cloth and ice pack from the man�s head. As he did this, Joey watched him closely. JC could see that Joey�s eyes seemed to be seeking reassurance from him.
�You know I didn�t mean to do it, don�t you JC?� Joey quietly asked as a single tear made its way down his cheek.
The single tear broke JC�s heart. He quickly put down the ice pack and cloth then bent over, gathering Joey in his arms and against his chest, giving him a hug. JC could feel Joey trembling as he was tightly held by the now weeping man. JC�s own eyes filled with tears that slowly began tracking their way down his face as he listened to his friend quietly sob. After several minutes, Joey began to slowly release his strong hold on JC. Only then did JC pull away and look Joey straight in the eye as he spoke.
�We all know that you would never, ever intentionally hurt any one of us,� he said with raw emotion and conviction. Joey searched JC�s eyes for any kind of deceit and found nothing but understanding and compassion.
�We all love you Joey and we want to help you. You have to know that, okay?�
Joey only nodded in response.
�Please let us help you man,� JC pleaded.
�Okay,� Joey whispered as JC gave him one more short hug before releasing him to stand up.
�I�ll be right back after I take care of these,� as he picked up the cloths and ice packs that he had discarded in his hurry to comfort Joey.
�Stay down and keep your feet up, okay?� JC directed him before leaving the room.
Joey nodded and wearily closed his eyes. His only thoughts, as he listened to JC leave the room were that he had completely failed to help Lance in the dream�not only that, he had hit Lance, who was only trying to help him, hard enough to knock him out. Joey clinched his hands into tight fists and pounded them into the bed as he realized that he had failed in protecting both Lance and Justin in his nightmares and that he couldn�t bear the thought of failing them now in his waking hours too.
�Please God�help me get through this,� Joey whispered as he allowed one stray tear to glide a path down his cheek, before giving into the weariness he felt, allowing sleep to overcome him.