Title:  Green Apples - Part 5
Author:  Angie
E-mail address:  [email protected]
Category:  Pacey/Joey
Rating:  PG13
Warning:  Touches on the very touchy subjects of death and religion.
Disclaimer:  These characters are not mine.  They belong to Kevin Williamson, Paul Stupin, and the WB.
Summary:  The gang is finally graduating!  Everyone is planning on attending college together...except Pacey.  Joey is upset, but love can withstand anything, including separation, right?  But when the unthinkable happens in the lives of these six friends, will it cause Pacey to rethink his situation?  Find out the answers in this new fan fiction series.
Author's Note: This is dedicated to my sis, Holly, and to all of you who have written me about this fic.  Thanks so much!

�Pacey!  Pacey!�  Joey continued to scream, getting louder and louder.

�Jo!�  he exclaimed, running to her.  She was pulling at the wires that were attached to her heart monitor and trying to sit up.  �Joey, please lie still.  Nurse?  Doctor?  Somebody please help me here!�  he yelled toward the door that was just barely cracked open. 

In seconds the door flew open and Joey�s doctor ran through the door, followed by a number of nurses.

�What is it?  What happened?  Is something wrong?� the questions flowed one right after the other.  Then the room fell silent as they stared toward a very awake and disoriented Joey Potter.

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Pacey ran from Joey�s room and into the waiting area.  He threw his arms around Bessie.  She noticed that tears were streaming down his face. She would have been more alarmed but he was sporting the biggest smile she had ever seen. 

�Pacey?  Pacey, what happened.  Tell me.�

He pulled back and kissed her cheek then smiled into her eyes.  �She�s awake!�  he exclaimed.  �How could we have ever doubted the Potter girl?�

Bessie was stunned.  �She�s awake? What...what happened?  When did she wake up?  Is she ok???� She flooded Pacey with questions.

�I...I...I dunno.  I dunno what happened.  I was just about to leave her room, and she just started screaming my name and asking me not to leave.  Her doctor must have been making his rounds because he was running through the door in, like, less than a second, and they asked me to leave while they examined her.�

By this time Pacey had the full attention of Bodie, Alexander, Dawson, Jen, Grams, Mr. and Mrs. Leery, Andie, Jack, Doug, Joey�s dad...and Pacey�s dad...as well as every other family in the room.  Some of the families they knew from their stay at the hospital and some they didn�t.  Pacey still couldn�t quite believe the support everyone had shown, especially his dad, who had for once hung in there with him through all of this. 

�Potter family?�  the young doctor asked, coming into the waiting area. 

Joey�s dad, who had been in a state of shock, and listening intently to Pacey, stood.  �Yes?�

The doctor broke into a very wide and reassuring smile.  �Are you Mr. Potter?�

�Yes I am.  Tell me...is my daughter going to be ok?�

�Mr. Potter, I have got to tell you that young lady is as tough as nails.  She sure surprised us all.  And...she should be fine.�

The room broke into sounds of sighs of relief, relieved laughter, talking, smiling, and hugging.  The doctor remained silent for a moment, and let them take in the good news.

�Thank you so much doc.�  Pacey, who now had his arm around a teary-eyed Jen, said gratefully.

�So, what should we expect now?�  Bessie asked him.

�Well, Joey went through a lot of trauma.  Her leg and wrist were badly broken.  And we still do not know the extent of her head injury.  She seems to remember everyone and that is a very good sign.  We will just have to keep a watch on her.  She will probably be in here for at least another week or two...maybe longer, depending on her progress.  We will be getting her out of bed soon, and starting her on some physical therapy.�

�Is there any chance she could slip back into a coma?�  Mr. Potter asked, confronting his worst fear.

�Well, I have to tell you that there is a chance that anything could happen.  But that would be extremely unlikely.  Of course, like everyone else who has experienced this type of situation, I am sure she will be very apprehensive.  Many patients don�t want to sleep for fear of slipping away again.  But we will keep her monitored, and probably give her something mild to help her rest for the next couple of days.  And in my professional opinion, after examining your daughter, I believe she will make a complete recovery...it is just going to take her a while.�

Mr. Potter smiled.  �Thank you for everything you�ve done for her.  We really appreciate it,� he said shaking the doctor�s hand.

�Can we see her?�  Pacey asked.

�Yes, you may.  And if she does well through the night, we will move her upstairs to a room tomorrow afternoon.  Then you all can visit whenever you like.�

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Pacey stood on the deck of �True Love� and looked out over the water.  To Pacey, this boat was like his his shelter, his security blanket.  This is where he would come to think, and he sure had a lot to think about lately.  Well, actually the only thing he could possibly think about lately, was Joey.  Although, now he no longer had to sit there and wonder how he would continue to live without her.  Now, he just sat and wondered what would happen next.

Pacey had given Joey that ring only moments before she woke screaming his name.  He had no clue what had possessed him to buy the ring.  Or even what the purpose was.  He and Joey had never even hinted at marriage before.  Not once.  They were only eighteen years old!  But at the first thought of loosing her, he had bought it.  Somehow, in the back of his mind, he had thought that buying her the ring would somehow link them together.  But the question was, what would Joey say now that she was awake?  He was pretty sure she would begin by telling him how stupid that had been.

He kept telling himself that their relationship was not the important thing now.  The only thing that mattered was getting Joey down the road of recovery as fast as possible.  But he was still horrified of what she would say when she realized that she was wearing the diamond ring.  After all, the last thing he had told Joey after graduation was that he was joining the marines.  And now she wakes up to find out that he has proposed to her while she was in a coma? 

�Smooth move, Witter.� He thought.  �Maybe I can just go in while she is sleeping, and get it back.  She will be on medication anyway.  Joey probably won�t be at herself enough to notice anything for the next few days.�

�Yep, that�s what I�ll do,� he said to himself.  �And then,� he thought, �I can go back in a few years and do this the right way.�

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Joey�s condition continued to improve and as promised, she was moved from ICU and into a room the next day.  That evening Pacey got up the courage to pay her a visit.

He walked into her room.  �Hey Potter.�

�Pacey,� she said smiling.  �I thought you had forgotten about me.�

�Not a chance in hell,� he said softly, smiling at her. 

Joey tried to shift in the bed and winced at the pain.  Pacey saw this and it tore at his gut.  He would have gladly switched places with her if he could.  From what the doctor said, she would be undergoing a lot of physical therapy soon.  Pacey didn�t know much about this stuff, but he knew that that sounded very painful.

�You know.  They tell me that more than month has passed,� Joey whispered, tears coming to her eyes.

�Yeah...�

�I um...well, you know, it�s hard to comprehend sleeping through a month of your life.  I mean, just sleeping an entire month away.  And they have been giving me all of this medication to help me rest.  I�ve rested enough.  I just want to get out of this place!�

Pacey just sat holding her hand.  He didn�t know what to say.  He could not imagine what she was feeling right now.

�I just don�t know what I�m supposed to do now.�

�You are gonna get well.  And we are all here to help you Joey.  We are all going to get through this together.�

Joey sniffed.  �Bessie told me how everyone has been here day in and day out, waiting for me to wake up.  And I can�t stand to think that I was such a burden.�

�Joey, look at me.�

She looked into his eyes and saw tears there.

�You have never been and never will be a burden to us.  You are talking about your family and friends.  And me?  Well, your are my life, Josephine Potter.  You are what keeps me going.  Sometimes I just want to give up, you know.  Give in to the fact that I have failed as a human being.  But then I look into your beautiful face and I have a reason to keep on striving toward my goals you know?  And thanks to you, I actually have those these days.�

Joey turned her face away from his.  �I heard you, ya know,�  she whispered.

�Huh?�

She looked back at him and held up her hand.  �When you put this ring on my finger.  I couldn�t figure out where you were or why I couldn�t see you.  But I still heard every word you said to me.�

�Well, there goes sneaking it away before she realized what an idiot I�ve been.�  Pacey thought.  �Now here comes the lecture.�

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End of Part Five. 
Feedback is appreciated guys!  =) 
You can e-mail me at [email protected].