Part 4

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Part 4

~I wish I'd stayed asleep today~

JC smiled as he watched Lance dance. He was doing extra work with Tony on some steps that he still couldn't quite catch. He was actually doing quite well. He would never be the dancer that Justin was, but he seemed to be back to the old Lance. Trying hard and making minor mistakes. Lance had been so much better when he woke up that morning, only three hours after being sick. He told JC that his stomach and his head both felt fine. JC was relieved. It was probably just a twenty-four hour virus. But if that was true, why had Lance been acting so strangely for the past few weeks. Why had he been so moody and forgetful? No, that was nothing, JC rationalized. Lance was just stressed out about the tour. He had said as much last night.

"JC, you listening to me?"

"Huh?" JC said, pulling his thoughts away from Lance.

"Man, stop staring at Lance and listen to me," Justin said, sounding annoyed.

"Yeah, sorry, what were you saying?" JC forced himself to look at Justin. Justin, however, was now watching Lance.

"He looks better, " Justin said.

"Yeah," JC agreed.

"Still bad," Justin clarified. "But, ya know, better than yesterday."

"He's fine."

"Yeah, whatever." Justin made a dismissive noise.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come on, JC. He's bein' stupid, don't you be too."

"Stupid? How am I stupid?"

"JC, you know somethin's wrong. He knows somethin's wrong. And neither of you's gonna admit it."

"It's just a cold," JC protested.

Justin made the noise again.

***

"OK, Lance. You got it. That was much better," Tony said.

"Thanks," Lance replied wiping the sweat from his brow. He looked over to where JC was sitting with Justin. They looked like they were having a serious discussion. That was something that you rarely saw. Lance was well aware that they were talking about him. Even though their voices were low, and they were trying to hide it, he had seen them sneaking glances at him. Those two thought that they were so sneaky, but they were so obvious. They were not cut out for duplicity. He thought back to the "surprise" twenty-second birthday party that the guys had thrown for him. Watching JC and Justin try to keep the secret was hilarious. Especially since Lance already knew. They didn't call him Scoop for nothing.

Lance felt a bit of guilt for the way that he had been acting lately. He didn't understand why he had gotten so upset the night before. Honestly, he didn't understand why he had done a lot of things lately. But he knew he shouldn't take it out on JC. He was confused and irritable, and JC was just always there. He was a convenient target. The fact that he knew what he was doing, and knew he was wrong, but did it anyway was what upset Lance the most. He was going to have to apologize to JC. The other guys as well. He had lost his temper and snapped at them more than once during the last few weeks. He knew that he could make it up to JC later in the night. But, he decided that he should go over to the guys and apologize now. Sighing, he headed over to where the guys were sitting. He never quite made it.

***

JC wasn't quite sure how it had happened. One second Lance was walking towards them. The next he was on the ground with his limbs shaking. JC did not remember racing to Lance's side or shouting his name. He could hear voices around him, but he couldn't quite distinguish who was speaking.

"Oh shit! Lance!"

"He's having a seizure. Somebody call 911!"

"Oh my God, what do we do?"

"Hold him down!"

"No!" JC said, finally snapping out of his trance. "Don't hold him down; turn him on his side." One of his cousins had epilepsy. He had witnessed her having a seizure once. He didn't particularly like her. He thought she was weird. One of his older cousins had said it was because every time she had a seizure she killed a bunch of brain cells. JC didn't know if that was true or not. He also didn't know why he was thinking about it at that particular moment. "Where's the damn ambulance?" he shouted.

"It's on it's way, Josh," Justin answered. "Calm down." He sounded

anything but calm, himself.

The seizure only lasted for about a minute, but it seemed so much longer than that. Finally, Lance's spastic movements stopped. Sirens could already be heard in the distance, as Lance lay unconscious on the floor.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to But Faith Part 4 ~I wish I'd stayed asleep today~ JC smiled as he watched Lance dance. He was doing extra work with Tony on some steps that he still couldn't quite catch. He was actually doing quite well. He would never be the dancer that Justin was, but he seemed to be back to the old Lance. Trying hard and making minor mistakes. Lance had been so much better when he woke up that morning, only three hours after being sick. He told JC that his stomach and his head both felt fine. JC was relieved. It was probably just a twenty-four hour virus. But if that was true, why had Lance been acting so strangely for the past few weeks. Why had he been so moody and forgetful? No, that was nothing, JC rationalized. Lance was just stressed out about the tour. He had said as much last night. "JC, you listening to me?" "Huh?" JC said, pulling his thoughts away from Lance. "Man, stop staring at Lance and listen to me," Justin said, sounding annoyed. "Yeah, sorry, what were you saying?" JC forced himself to look at Justin. Justin, however, was now watching Lance. "He looks better, " Justin said. "Yeah," JC agreed. "Still bad," Justin clarified. "But, ya know, better than yesterday." "He's fine." "Yeah, whatever." Justin made a dismissive noise. "What's that supposed to mean?" "Come on, JC. He's bein' stupid, don't you be too." "Stupid? How am I stupid?" "JC, you know somethin's wrong. He knows somethin's wrong. And neither of you's gonna admit it." "It's just a cold," JC protested. Justin made the noise again. * "OK, Lance. You got it. That was much better," Tony said. "Thanks," Lance replied wiping the sweat from his brow. He looked over to where JC was sitting with Justin. They looked like they were having a serious discussion. That was something that you rarely saw. Lance was well aware that they were talking about him. Even though their voices were low, and they were trying to hide it, he had seen them sneaking glances at him. Those two thought that they were so sneaky, but they were so obvious. They were not cut out for duplicity. He thought back to the "surprise" twenty-second birthday party that the guys had thrown for him. Watching JC and Justin try to keep the secret was hilarious. Especially since Lance already knew. They didn't call him Scoop for nothing. Lance felt a bit of guilt for the way that he had been acting lately. He didn't understand why he had gotten so upset the night before. Honestly, he didn't understand why he had done a lot of things lately. But he knew he shouldn't take it out on JC. He was confused and irritable, and JC was just always there. He was a convenient target. The fact that he knew what he was doing, and knew he was wrong, but did it anyway was what upset Lance the most. He was going to have to apologize to JC. The other guys as well. He had lost his temper and snapped at them more than once during the last few weeks. He knew that he could make it up to JC later in the night. But, he decided that he should go over to the guys and apologize now. Sighing, he headed over to where the guys were sitting. He never quite made it. * JC wasn't quite sure how it had happened. One second Lance was walking towards them. The next he was on the ground with his limbs shaking. JC did not remember racing to Lance's side or shouting his name. He could hear voices around him, but he couldn't quite distinguish who was speaking. "Oh shit! Lance!" "He's having a seizure. Somebody call 911!" "Oh my God, what do we do?" "Hold him down!" "No!" JC said, finally snapping out of his trance. "Don't hold him down; turn him on his side." One of his cousins had epilepsy. He had witnessed her having a seizure once. He didn't particularly like her. He thought she was weird. One of his older cousins had said it was because every time she had a seizure she killed a bunch of brain cells. JC didn't know if that was true or not. He also didn't know why he was thinking about it at that particular moment. "Where's the damn ambulance?" he shouted. "It's on it's way, Josh," Justin answered. "Calm down." He sounded anything but calm, himself. The seizure only lasted for about a minute, but it seemed so much longer than that. Finally, Lance's spastic movements stopped. Sirens could already be heard in the distance, as Lance lay unconscious on the floor.