Part 5

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Part 5

~I crouch in fear and wait...~

The first thing that Lance noticed when he woke up was that he was on his back. He never slept on his back. As if that wasn't odd enough, the bed seemed much less comfortable than usual. Tentatively he opened his eyes. Above his head he saw a blindingly bright white ceiling, with a sprinkler head right above him. 'If there's a fire I'm gonna get soaked,' was his first thought. His next was 'where the hell am I?'

He realized that he wasn't alone. He knew who else was in the room without even looking. "Hey Josh," he said turning towards his lover.

"Hey," Josh said softly, taking Lance's hand in one of his own. He gently caressed Lance's cheek with the other. "How do you feel?"

"Tired." Lance glanced around the room. "Hospital?"

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

JC looked away for a moment. Lance could tell that he was upset and worried, but was trying to hide it. "Josh?" he prodded.

JC turned towards him. Lance could plainly see the fear in his blue eyes. "You had a seizure, Lance."

"A seizure?" Lance looked surprised. "Wow," he said, simply.

"Yeah," JC agreed. Neither spoke for several minutes. They just sat there looking at each other. Both knew that there were so many important things that needed to be said but neither wanted to say them. Neither dared. And yet, what they communicated with their eyes seemed just as relevant.

Neither knew how long they had been sitting in silence when the doctor entered.

"Well it's good to see that you're awake, Mr. Bass," she said, looking at her chart. "I'm Dr. Becker. How are you feeling?"

"Please call me Lance," he said. "And I feel tired."

"Well, that's to be expected."

"So what's wrong with me? Why did I have a seizure?"

"Well, Lance, that's what we're going to find out. We're going to run some tests." She turned to JC. "This will take a while, so you may want to go get something to eat."

JC wanted to protest. He turned to Lance, who nodded. "Go ahead Josh. I'll be ok."

JC looked reluctant, but agreed. "Alright, I'll go call the guys. I'll be back in a little while." He leaned down and kissed Lance softly. "Love you," he whispered against his lips, before leaving the room. Lance was surprised. JC never kissed him in front of people they did not know, and hardly ever then. He wasn't sure if the display of affection pleased him or made him more worried.

Dr. Becker was smiling. "Don't worry," she said. "Your secret is safe with me."

Lance returned her smile. "Thank you," he said. "So, you said you were going to run some tests?"

"Yes we are, Lance. Sit up for me, and we'll get started."

***

After being told that he could not use his cell phone in the hospital, JC dug in his pockets, searching for change. Finding none, he sighed and walked outside. He saw that there were several people standing in that same general area. Some were talking on their cell phones. Most, however, were smoking. JC studied them briefly. The emotions on their faces ranged from fear to anger to sadness. All of them were dragging on their cigarettes, vainly hoping for the nicotine to calm them. If JC had thought that it would work, he would have joined them. He looked away. Pulling out his phone, he dialed Justin's number. He was answered after one ring.

"Yeah? JC?" Justin's voice was anxious.

"Yeah, it's me," JC answered.

"So, how is he? He's ok, right?"

"He, uh, he just woke up."

"Just now? JC, we left ages ago!" Justin was upset. When they had followed Lance to the hospital two hours before, they had been assured that he was in no danger. JC had convinced Justin, Chris and Joey to go home. He said that Lance would probably be awake soon, and he would be fine until then. "We would have stayed with you, man!"

"It really wasn't necessary, Just. There would have been more of a chance of us being noticed if all of us were here."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. So, how is he?"

"He says he's tired. The doc's doing some tests now."

"So they don't know anything?"

"No, not yet."

There was a long silence before Justin spoke again. "You ok, Josh?"

"I don't know, I...I'm fine, I'm just..."

"You're scared," Justin finished for him.

"Yeah," JC said, with a sigh. "Yeah, I am."


	Inner Reflection \| home back to But Faith Part 5 ~I crouch in fear and wait...~ The first thing that Lance noticed when he woke up was that he was on his back. He never slept on his back. As if that wasn't odd enough, the bed seemed much less comfortable than usual. Tentatively he opened his eyes. Above his head he saw a blindingly bright white ceiling, with a sprinkler head right above him. 'If there's a fire I'm gonna get soaked,' was his first thought. His next was 'where the hell am I?' He realized that he wasn't alone. He knew who else was in the room without even looking. "Hey Josh," he said turning towards his lover. "Hey," Josh said softly, taking Lance's hand in one of his own. He gently caressed Lance's cheek with the other. "How do you feel?" "Tired." Lance glanced around the room. "Hospital?" "Yeah." "What happened?" JC looked away for a moment. Lance could tell that he was upset and worried, but was trying to hide it. "Josh?" he prodded. JC turned towards him. Lance could plainly see the fear in his blue eyes. "You had a seizure, Lance." "A seizure?" Lance looked surprised. "Wow," he said, simply. "Yeah," JC agreed. Neither spoke for several minutes. They just sat there looking at each other. Both knew that there were so many important things that needed to be said but neither wanted to say them. Neither dared. And yet, what they communicated with their eyes seemed just as relevant. Neither knew how long they had been sitting in silence when the doctor entered. "Well it's good to see that you're awake, Mr. Bass," she said, looking at her chart. "I'm Dr. Becker. How are you feeling?" "Please call me Lance," he said. "And I feel tired." "Well, that's to be expected." "So what's wrong with me? Why did I have a seizure?" "Well, Lance, that's what we're going to find out. We're going to run some tests." She turned to JC. "This will take a while, so you may want to go get something to eat." JC wanted to protest. He turned to Lance, who nodded. "Go ahead Josh. I'll be ok." JC looked reluctant, but agreed. "Alright, I'll go call the guys. I'll be back in a little while." He leaned down and kissed Lance softly. "Love you," he whispered against his lips, before leaving the room. Lance was surprised. JC never kissed him in front of people they did not know, and hardly ever then. He wasn't sure if the display of affection pleased him or made him more worried. Dr. Becker was smiling. "Don't worry," she said. "Your secret is safe with me." Lance returned her smile. "Thank you," he said. "So, you said you were going to run some tests?" "Yes we are, Lance. Sit up for me, and we'll get started." *** After being told that he could not use his cell phone in the hospital, JC dug in his pockets, searching for change. Finding none, he sighed and walked outside. He saw that there were several people standing in that same general area. Some were talking on their cell phones. Most, however, were smoking. JC studied them briefly. The emotions on their faces ranged from fear to anger to sadness. All of them were dragging on their cigarettes, vainly hoping for the nicotine to calm them. If JC had thought that it would work, he would have joined them. He looked away. Pulling out his phone, he dialed Justin's number. He was answered after one ring. "Yeah? JC?" Justin's voice was anxious. "Yeah, it's me," JC answered. "So, how is he? He's ok, right?" "He, uh, he just woke up." "Just now? JC, we left ages ago!" Justin was upset. When they had followed Lance to the hospital two hours before, they had been assured that he was in no danger. JC had convinced Justin, Chris and Joey to go home. He said that Lance would probably be awake soon, and he would be fine until then. "We would have stayed with you, man!" "It really wasn't necessary, Just. There would have been more of a chance of us being noticed if all of us were here." "Yeah, I guess you're right. So, how is he?" "He says he's tired. The doc's doing some tests now." "So they don't know anything?" "No, not yet." There was a long silence before Justin spoke again. "You ok, Josh?" "I don't know, I...I'm fine, I'm just..." "You're scared," Justin finished for him. "Yeah," JC said, with a sigh. "Yeah, I am."