He sighed as he took another glimpse at her peaceful form. Everytime he looked at her he thought those eyes would open. He just wanted to see her brown eyes looking at him again. He felt like he'd give up anything for that.

He looked around the room. On the table by her bed were a collection of 'Get Well Soon' cards she had never read, and some flowers Pacey had sent that she had never seen.

He picked up the video remote and pressed play. He had managed to convince the nursing staff to put a T.V. and video in Joey's room. He had then rung his mother and told her to bring in some of his films.

As the familiar images flashed across the screen, Dawson pulled up a chair next to the bed and turned to look at Joey.

"Hey there, Joey. It's me again. I thought a little movie magic might be just what we need right now. The doctor says familiar things are good so I brought in ET. I know, I know, you've seen it way to many times before, but maybe you'll just wake up and tell me to turn it off hey?" He paused, to give her a chance to speak. The silence was too hard to bear. "Will you do that, Joey? Will you speak to me? Blink twice, anything! Anything, Joey and I promise never to make you watch it again. What do you say?...... Please answer me, Joey."

" - Dawson?"

Bessie came quietly into her sister's room and found Dawson sitting by the bed, T.V remote in hand, with a tear running down his face.

"Hey, Bessie."

"You should go home, Dawson. No-" she held up her hand as he started to protest "I won't take no for an answer this time. I need some time alone with Joey, and you need to get a change of clothes and some rest. I'll phone you the minute anything happens. Now get out before I throw you out. Go ON."

Dawson hesitated. He hated that he was being forced to leave. On the other hand, it was getting harder for him to tell Joey everything was going to be fine. The longer he was there, the more depressed he got.

"Joey won't think any the less of you for going. In fact, I'm sure that when she does come round she'd much rather see a healthy, cheerful Dawson than one who is about to collapse with exhaustion. Go and phone your Mom." She gave him a gentle shove.

"Thanks, Bessie. I will."

With another glance at Joey, Dawson left the room and headed for the phone.



He was awoken from a restless sleep by the phone ringing. Dawson - still half asleep - waited for someone to answer it. When no-one did he sleepily got up and answered the phone himself.

"Hello?" Dawson said, yawning.

"Hello, Dawson? It's me, Bessie."

Dawson immediatly woke up as he realized what was going on.

"Bessie! Has something happened? Tell me!"

"Dawson, she's woken up! They're doing some tests on her now but I think she's going to be okay, - Dawson?......Are you there?"

Dawson had dropped the phone and was already on his way out of the house to the hospital, his heart singing all the way. The dark dread of fear that had been surrounding it for the past two days had gone. He felt fresh and alive and ecstatically happy.

When he reached the hospital he went straight to Joey's room.

"Dawson, hi!" Bessie said quietly, but excitedly. "She's asleep right now but she'll be awake soon."

"What do the doctors say?" Dawson asked softly so as not to wake Joey.

"They've finished their tests and they don't think there will be any lasting damage. She'll have to stay in here for a while though. She's not completely recovered. Why don't you sit with her? I'd like to get something to eat."

"No problem." Dawson smiled at her. Bessie smiled back.

"See you later" she said, and left quietly.

Dawson sat down by the now familiar bed and looked at Joey. He had been in this position many times over the last couple of days, but this felt different. Joey was not surrounded by all those tubes and machines she had been previously and Dawson himself felt very different to the way he had been feeling. But one thing had not changed. He knew now that he loved her and he was determind to let her know it.

Dawson picked up Joey's hand, lying limp by her side and held it in his own. She stirred slightly and turned towards him.

"Hey" he said softly as her eyes opened slowly.

"Dawson." She smiled

"I didn't mean to wake you."

"That's okay. Where's Bessie?" Her voice sounded dry and she looked tired, but Dawson thought her the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"She's just gone to get some food."

Joey felt more awake now. She pulled herself up slightly and Dawson reached for another pillow for her. She looked at him. He looked different - bright-eyed about something and he was looking at her strangely.

"I don't remember much about the accident" she said.

"It happened very quickly. It's felt like an eternity since then."

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting so long" said a little of the old Joey sarcasm.

"I'd have waited forever if I had to."

Joey felt wary. Dawson was not only looking at her differently but he seemed to be behaving differently too. She had been thinking a lot about Dawson, about the way she felt about him, about the way she had felt about him.

"I want to talk to you about something Joey." He sounded serious.

"You know you can tell me anything, Dawson."

"It's about you, about the way I feel about you."

"Dawson, I -"

" - No, Joey. Please don't interrupt. Just let me speak." He paused, and looked into her eyes. "Joey, we know each other so well and have been friends for so long I never thought we could be closer than we are. But I nearly lost you, and that made me realise how blind I've been towards you. What I felt for Jen is nothing to what I feel for you now. It seems so obvious to me now I don't know why I didn't see it before. What I'm saying, Joey is .....that I love you.

Joey didn't know what to say, what to think. She couldn't think. This was all she had wanted to hear for so long, now Dawson was actually saying it. Telling her he loved her. She could hardly believe it. She looked at the vase of flowers by her bed, trying to collect her thoughts. Finally she looked up at him.

"I've been in love with you for so long, Dawson" she said in a confused voice.

"And I've been in love with you, only I was too stupid to realize it. But there's nothing to hold us back now."

He lent forward and kissed her. Joey had imagined Dawson kissing her so many times. It didn't feel strange exactly, but it wasn't how she'd thought it would be.

"This is weird huh?" Dawson said smiling, when the kiss was over. "If someone had us when we were nine years old that we'd be like this one day what would you have thought?"

"I'd probably have believed them," Joey said.



Pacey walked down the hospital corridor with Jen at his side. As they turned the corner he saw Joey's sister and her baby standing by the drinks machine, talking to Mrs Leery. Pacey and Jen made their way towards them. They stopped by the window of Joey's room.

"Well hey guys!" Mrs Leery said cheerfully. "Have you come to visit Joey?"

"Yeah, if that's okay" Jen replied, "How's she doing?" she asked Bessie.

"Fine, she's much better now. The doctors say that she should be able to come home in a week or so."

"That's really great, so is she up to visitors and stuff, I mean does she get tired or...."

As Jen spoke with Bessie and Mrs Leery, Pacey's attention turned to the view through the window. Through the half-open blinds, Pacey could see Joey sitting up in bed, carefully brushing her hair. Dawson sat in the chair beside the bed watching her. His face was dreamy and he had a far-off look in his eyes. The same look he used to have when he was dating Jen - only more so. Joey put the brush down and turned to Dawson, she blushed when she saw Dawson looking at her. It made Pacey's heart feel glad to see her so well and he smiled softly at the dark haired girl. But his smile turned to a frown as Dawson responded to Joey's comment by taking her right hand in both of his and kissing her fingers lightly.

"Pacey....hello, Pacey?" Jen nudged him. "Are you ready to go in?"

"Yeah, but Dawson's in there already" he protested. If Joey and Dawson had got together like he suspected, he had no wish to see the two of them looking into each other's eyes all afternoon. Not just because it would hurt him, but because he didn't want to ruin it for them. He was still their friend after all.

"No, that's fine, Pacey" Mrs Leery answered him. "They've been expecting the two of you. Just go right in."

As the door opened, Joey looked up to see Pacey and Jen walk through.

"Hey, you guys!" Dawson said. "What took you so long?"

"Thanks for coming" Joey said to them "I'm so glad to see you."

"We're glad to see you too" Pacey answered. "You gave us kind of a scare there you know, kid."

"It wasn't intentional, you know" Joey replied, the old repartee coming back easily.

"I wasn't talking about you, Joe, I meant Dawson. Trying to bump off your best friend? Jen and I were wondering who was next, weren't we, Jen?"

"I think it's you, Pacey" Jen smiled, indicating Dawson's face.

"Don't worry about it, man, I mean I'm cool with it. At least I no longer hold the 'Joey Award' for worst boating partner ever."

"No, now you're in the running for worst hosital visitor ever," Joey pretended to glare at him.

"You just hold your horses there, little lady, you havn't seen my present yet." Pacey wriggled his eyebrows at her and waved a paper bag tantalisingly, making her laugh. He threw the bag on her lap. She opened it and pulled out a book, she looked at it then read aloud;

" '101 Greatest Sports Puzzles'." She gave Pacey a look. "Sport's Puzzles?"

"I thought they might kill a few hours in here" Pacey said with a devilish grin, "Hey! It took me ages to pick that out."

"Erm, yeah, thanks Pacey. Great present."

But the smile on her face showed that the present was not unappreciated.

"Sorry, Joey" Jen said as she handed Joey another paper bag "I went boring and predictable and got fruit."

"Thanks, Jen" Joey smiled at her former enemy. "It's really kind of you. Besides," she added with a cheeky glance at Dawson "it's still more than he got me."

"Well, Joey, I'm very sorry" said Dawson with extreme politeness "I promise I will bring you something next time."

"That's okay, Daw - you're enough" she said and reached for his hand.

Pacey coughed politely and said; "I'm sorry, would you like us to leave the room?"

Joey blushed again as Dawson said, "Sorry, we haven't told anyone yet but, well, Joey and I have kinda reached an understanding."

Pacey looked down at his feet. He thought he heard Jen say "It's about time", but he couldn't concentrate his thoughts on conversation. He was still reeling from the revelation of his feelings for Joey. To be faced with a new relationship between the woman he loved and his best friend was almost too much. He didn't know how to deal with it. He was going to have to put some distance between himself and the happy couple before he could put a brave face on in front of them.

"Hey, I think I'll get a soda," he announced abruptly. "Anyone else want one?"

"Yeah, thanks" said Jen

"Me too" added Dawson, slightly puzzled.

"Joey?" Pacey asked and was forced to look up into those deep brown eyes, but they didn't look back into his.

"No thanks, not allowed" she pointed to the water pitcher by the bed.

"Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes."

Pacey escaped down the corridor back towards the drinks machine. He lent his head against it's cold exterior. He had to work out how to handle this. He had been expecting it but he hadn't realized it would be so hard. He guessed deep down inside there was a part of him that had hoped the accident would cause Joey to realize hidden feelings she had for him. But it hadn't.

Pacey listened to the sounds of the hospital at work as he dropped onto the seat by the machine. Phones ringing, the sound of gurney coming out of the elevator, two doctors discussing their golf swing. He had to find a way to get over this. Both Dawson and Joey were too important to him to lose. He was beginning to understand why Dawson had been to hesitant so take things further with Joey. Had been.

"Hey, Pacey, need a hand?"

"Huh?" He looked up, Dawson was headed towards him.

"You seemed to be taking a while so I came to look for you. Anyway I wanted hear what you thought."

"About what?"

"Me and Joey. I mean you've been getting at me for so long about her, I figured you'd have a word or two to say."

"I think it's great, Dawson" Pacey said flatly as he put the money in the slot, "it took a near-death experiance but you got there in the end." This conversation was really the last thing he needed right now.

"Look, no jokes this time okay, Pacey. I really want to know what you think."

"Why now, Dawson?" said Pacey, turning round to face him for the first time. "I've been telling you what I think for months and it hasn't made any difference. Now you've got together with Joey and you suddenly want my opinion! Well I don't have one, Dawson!"

"Well maybe you'll tell me why you're so damm angry about something you say should have happened months ago!" Dawson voice was loud to match Pacey's rising volume.

"You wanna know why? I'll tell you why. You've been telling me for months now that you only feel friendship for Joey, then she nearly dies and suddenly you're in love with her! Well, Dawson, I think that you only said it 'cause you felt sorry for her, and now you're regretting it. You asking me what I think because you think I'll see it and help get you out of it."

"That's garbage!" Dawson couldn't believe his friend was acting this way. It hurt him that Pacey thought he could be like that, and if Pacey could think it, then maybe Joey could too. "The accident made me realize my true feelings for Joey. I told her I love her because I do, not because I pity her. You know you may not realize this, Pacey but some people's feelings run a little deeper than just surface level."

"Oh, yeah. You're right, Dawson. I wouldn't know anything about hidden feelings. I'm way too shallow. Here - " he shoved the drinks can's into Dawson's arms, "- tell Joey I had to go, I'll see her soon."

And Pacey walked away from Dawson towards the neon exit sign wishing he had never come in the first place, until he remembered those dark eyes smiling at him and he couldn't regret the decision as strongly.



Pacey rattled the locker door with increasing irritation, but it still wouldn't open. Damm. He'd had such a bad day and all he wanted to do was get home and veg out, but he couldn't even get his damm locker to open. He stepped away from the door and was stood staring at it in frustration when he gave a yell and karate-kicked it, making the group of girls standing nearby jump.

"He-ey!" he said Fonzi-like as the locker door swung open, "Not bad." He turned round to face the girls. "My apologies ladies."

They hurried on past without acknowledging him and his frustration returned. Just as he was slamming his books into his locker, Jen came along the corridor and leaned against the adjacent locker to his. She stood looking at him.

"What?" Pacey asked in annoyance. "What are you looking at?"

"I was just looking for the little black cloud over your head."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, something's been bothering you, Pacey. Come on, what is it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Something's put you in this foul mood. You and Dawson aren't speaking, you havn't been to see Joey since you disapeared from the hospital the other day, and you've been avoiding everyone else. What's up?"

Pacey looked at her and sighed. There was no point in denying that anything was wrong, his behavior had been too obvious for Jen to ever believe him. He considered confiding in her, but he didn't want to risk the chance of Joey finding out about his true feelings. If he told someone then the chances that she might find out increased. But he wasn't handling things very well on his own.

"I'm sorry, Jen, I can't tell you," he said at last.

"So there is something, look, Pacey I can keep a secret."

"I know, Jen and I'm sorry, but it's better if I keep it to myself."

"Better for who? Pacey, you can't keep on like this."

He didn't answer. His face was as dark as thunder. She'd better tread carefully.

"Is it something to do with Joey?"

He looked sharply at her.

"And why would you think that?" he said lightly, recovering himself.

"Because of the way you just looked at me. And the way you got angry with both me and Dawson about he and Joey getting together."

" - Dawson?"

"He told me about the argument. I didn't tell him what you said to me about the night of the accident. You were so worried about Joey then and you haven't been to see her since. I'm right aren't I? You like Joey."

"Yeah, I guess I do."

"What is it with this girl?" Jen asked in amazement. "Without doing anything at all she's got both you and Dawson fighting over her."

"Dawson doesn't know" said Pacey urgently "and I don't want him to, understand?"

"Okay, okay. I said I could keep a secret. Look, I realize it's probably painfull for you, Pacey but Joey would really like to see you. She's feeling pretty down being in the hospital so long, a visit from you sure would cheer her up."

"Yeah? You really think so?"

"Of course I do. You managed great the last time until - is Dawson the problem? 'Cause he can't go to the hospital this evening so I said I'd go instead, you could come with me. Please, Pacey - for Joey."

"Okay sure, why not."

He felt better now Jen knew his secret. If things got awkward at the hospital she could help diffuse the situation.



Pacey hopped about impatiently at the drinks machine. He had agreed to meet Jen at the hospital but she was already ten minutes late. I should just go in he thought to himself, looking towards Joey's room what am I so afraid of?

He took a deep breath and pushed the door open, breezing through with a smile on his face.

"Hey, Joey! How are you?"

"Pacey!" she exclaimed in delight. She was heartglad to see him. "You've come at last! I've been so bored in here I'd be glad to see anyone!"

"Thank you!"

"Oh no, I didn't mean it like that it's just - "

" - I know" Pacey cut in smoothly while pulling up a chair "you were just so overcome with emotion to see me you tried to use humour to disguise it. It's a defense mechanism, Joey. I know it well. But trust me, it's better to let your inhibitions out."

She looked at his deadpan face. Then she burst out laughing, and she was laughing when Jen arrived twenty minutes later. Her lateness had not been intentional and she hadn't been sure if it was a good idea to leave Pacey alone with Joey. But her fears proved to be unneccessary. Pacey hadn't said anything untoward and he had succeeded in seriously cheering Joey up.

Later, as Jen and Pacey were about to leave, Joey asked Jen if she could speak to her privately for a few minutes. Pacey had been about to make a comment, but when he saw Joey's troubled face he changed his mind.

"I'll wait by the truck, Jen" Pacey announced before quietly leaving.

"What's up, Joey?" Jen asked when Pacey had gone.

"Umm....well....it's about Dawson and I figured as you used to go out with him and everything..."

"Yeah, I get it. Go on." Jen said, wondering what on earth Joey was going to ask her.

"It's just that we've been having a few problems. Well not 'we' actually. Just me."

"What kind of problems?"

"Well, how do I explain this? Dawson and I have been best friends for years. We have always told each other everything, shared everything, the perfect friendship in fact. As I got older I began to think that if we fell in love then things would be even more perfect."

"But the perfect friend doesn't neccessarily make the perfect boyfriend."

"Yeah. I guess it's partly my fault, I mean I conjured up this ideal impression of what it would be like to be Dawson's girlfriend. I should have known that reality would be different."

"Did this ideal of yours involve having a relationship in a hospital? Maybe your problems stem from being stuck in here, Joey," Jen reasoned. "Give it some time. Once your out of this place and you go on a few normal dates, maybe things won't seem so bad."

"Maybe you're right," Joey said unconvincingly. "You know Dawson asked me what I would have thought as a kid, if someone had told me that we'd end up a couple? You know I thought then that I'd marry Dawson one day? But I also used to think that I'd live in Capeside forever, have a little house, garden, picket fence - the whole deal. I don't want that stuff anymore."

Jen studied Joey. She couldn't be sure what Joey was referring to. The corner of her eye caught the clock on the wall and she suddenly sprang to life.

"Look, I'd better get going. My Grandmother will think something's happened if I'm late."

"Oh, sorry ,Jen. And thanks. It helped to talk to someone"

"No problem, Joey. It seems like I'm a good listener at the moment." She rose from her chair and made to leave.

"Oh, and tell Pacey thanks for coming - eventually" said Joey, her smile returning.

"I'm sure he'll be pleased to hear that, Joey. See you soon."

"Yeah, Jen. See ya"

And Jen departed, leaving Joey alone to worry over Dawson. Her feelings towards him seemed as confused as ever. Thinking about him kept her awake a long time. To try to keep her mind off Dawson, she started to think about the jokes Pacey had been entertaining her with. Smiling to herself, she gradually fell asleep.......