“Cardiac in sector seven, all available units to ICU, stat,” a tinny voice crackled over the intercom.

Almost immediately Dawson’s room was filled with bustling hospital staff. Joey found herself pushed aside as the medics set to work. She watched helplessly as they tried to resuscitate him.

“Clear!” the doctor cried as he touched the fribrulator to Dawson’s chest. He jolted as the current passed through his body, but the green line on the monitor remained horizontal.

“Clear!” the doctor attempted re-starting Dawson’s heart again, but there was still no response.

“We’re losing him,” a nurse exclaimed, voicing Joey’s fears. The doctor was shaking his head sadly as he tried once more to bring Dawson back to life. There was a pause as everyone waited with baited breath and then there came the unremitting beep beep beep of Dawson’s heart. All around the room people were smiling and laughing. The doctor wiped the perspiration from his brow and gave his colleagues a relieved grin.

“Good work team. You just gave this guy a second chance,”

“He’s gonna be fine, just fine. The doctors are expecting a full recovery. Apparently his arrest was some kind of turning point. They’ve even let him be moved into a regular ward,” Joey couldn’t stop smiling, the excitement was barely contained in her voice as she recounted the nurse’s words to Pacey.

“That’s great, Jo. I’m really glad,” he said warmly.

“I just feel like this huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders,” Joey threw her arms around Pacey impulsively. She caught his hands in hers and led him in a giddy, joyful spin, as though they were suddenly five years old again. She laughed -- a sound she’d never thought would come from her lips again “I just feel so . . .” she trailed off, searching for the word, but looking up at Pacey’s dancing blue eyes she found it. “happy, I feel happy,”

Pacey hugged her and they continued their leisurely walk down the seemingly endless corridor to Dawson’s room. It was a long time before Pacey spoke and when he did his voice was hesitant.

“I’m really glad you feel that way, Joey, but , well, this doesn’t change anything,” he stopped and then amended his words “Of course it changes things, but when it comes down to it, you didn’t marry Dawson and you need to decide exactly what that means,” When Joey didn’t respond he continued “Look, I know you’ve been to hell and back these past couple of days and I don’t want to push you . . .”

“No, you’re right, I need to make a decision. Just give me a little more time,” Joey’s tone was subdued and Pacey felt a stab of guilt at bringing her down.

“I need to go talk to Dawson, wait for me?”

He nodded and watched her go, marvelling at how radiant she looked, even after the ordeal she’d been through. He sighed, he didn’t want to even contemplate what he’d do without her.

“Hey stranger,” Joey smiled at the sight of Dawson propped up in bed against a mound of pillows.

“Joey!” his eyes lit up in delight.

“So, how are you feeling?” she asked, taking a seat at the hard, plastic chair situated next to his bed.

“Like someone just dropped a ten ton weight on me,” he smiled to show he was kidding “No, seriously, considering what my body’s been through, I feel great,”

“That’s fantastic,” Joey leaned over and hugged him. There was a pause for a moment as they were both silent, before Joey picked up the TV remote.

“So, umm, do you feel like watching something on the tube?” she asked brightly “We could watch bad movies and throw sarcastic remarks at the TV, like we did when we were kids,” she turned the set on and began flipping at speed through the channels, before Dawson stopped her.

“Jo, I think we should talk,” he suggested gently.

“Talk? About what?” she asked in a slightly shrill, unnatural voice.

“Joey, two days ago we were supposed to get married and yet there’s a wedding ring on neither one of our fingers,”

“Oh Dawson, I - I don’t know what to say, I just - I just couldn’t,”

“Because of Pacey,”

Joey stared at him in astonishment.

“How did you . . . ?”

“I’m not blind, Jo. You’re constantly telling me I’m far too perceptive. I could tell from the way you looked at each other. Of course, I didn’t get it immediately, but now I do,” his voice wasn’t bitter, more . . . resigned. “That night a few years ago, after we had that huge fight, you were with him, weren’t you?”

Joey nodded miserably.

“Dawson, I really am so sorry,”

“It’s not your fault. Things were never perfect between us, as much as we wanted them to be. We were the Barbie and Ken of Capeside, everyone expected us to get married, move to suburban Connecticut, refurbish an old farmhouse and raise three neurotically perfect children. So we did -- or nearly did,”

“But, you know I’ll always love you, you’ll always hold a special place in my heart, Dawson,” Joey said softly, reaching for his hand. Then she made a self-deprecating face “God, when did I start sounding like a Hallmark card?”

Dawson smiled a small, sad smile.

“When you fell in love,” he said simply.

“Excuse me, but did you see a guy out here? About my age? 6ft?” she asked, accosting a rather harried-looking nurse.

“Umm, sure,” she answered distractedly “Dark hair? Real good-looking?” Joey nodded and the nurse continued “He just left. If you hurry you should be able to catch him,”

“Thanks,” Joey called over her shoulder, already on her way to the southern exit. Bursting through the double doors into the bright, afternoon sunshine, Joey felt a rush of pure happiness. She spotted Pacey immediately, he was standing a short distance away, with his back to her, getting ready to cross the busy, main road which lay before him.

“Pacey!” she yelled, waving her arms wildly to attract his attention. She knew she looked like a lunatic, but she didn’t care. “Pacey!” He stepped off the curb, still unaware of her presence. “Pacey, I love you!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. Several passers-by stopped to give her amused looks and Pacey, finally hearing her, paused in his tracks, turning to look at her. He grinned, an expression which sent wonderful chills chasing down her spine.

Suddenly however, Joey caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. The world slipped seamlessly into slow-motion and she watched in horror as the white truck inched nearer to Pacey. She tried to warn him, but her movements were restricted. Her arms and legs felt like dead-weights, rendering them useless and her throat was dry and soundless.

Unable to tear herself away, she watched as, with a sickening thud, the truck hit him. Pacey landed hard on the black asphalt a few feet away. His body was motionless, utterly still. Joey waited, still glued to the spot, for him to move, for him to wake up and tell her he loved her too. He did not move though, as she’d known in her heart of hearts he wouldn’t. A solitary tear ran down her cheek as she realised she would never again see his infuriatingly cocky smile, she’d never again feel his strong arms around her and that she would never again experience love in the way that she had loved him.