Mike turned and smiled at Chris, who looked about as friendly as a hungry, sleep deprived tiger. "Hey. What are you doing here?"

"I slept for maybe twenty minutes before my eyes popped open again. I thought I'd come over and see how Justin and JC were doing." he shrugged flopping down on the chair Mike had just vacated.

"Justin wants some real food, and well, JC still hasn't opened those eyes of his." she sighed, rubbing the back of her neck with a hand.

"Don't worry, he will. If I know JC, he's waiting for the most crucial and dramatic moment to make his appearance." Chris laughed ruefully.

"He did always have a flare for dramatics." Mike agreed with a laugh.

"Yeah, like the time he got so angry with all of us cause we all kept calling him dad." he laughed bringing them back to old times.

"Or the time he talked us out of putting stupid glue in Justin's hair dye." she giggled.

"I remember that. He was the only one who saved Justin from that little escapade. What about the time when all of us acted so serious that even he went crazy." Chris suggested.

"Oh, wow. I haven't thought about that in a long time. Or the time when Justin refused to get on that horse and JC had to talk him into it. I swear I was laughing so hard I thought I'd disgrace myself." Mike shook her head as she sat down on the edge of JC's bed.

"But you can't forget his serious side. Like the time he drove all the way to Orlando because you had just found out your father had a heart attack and you could go home because of classes." he sighed, the mood becoming serious again.

"Or the time he sat up all night playing mediator to you and Devon when the two of you had that knock down, drag out fight." Mike sighed shaking her head. She reached out and touched JC's cheek gently, silently urging him to wake up.

"Like everyone keeps saying, he'll be all right." Chris stated softly.

"I know. It's beginning to get tiring." Mike smiled with a shake of her head.

"Then just tell them to shut up, you know." Joe stated from the doorway, Ashley in tow. Mike smiled over at them. "You mind if we join you?"

"No, come on in." Mike shook her head. Joe and Ashley walked inside and made them selves comfortable on chairs.

"What's going on?" Ashley inquired.

"We're taking a trip down amnesia lane." Mike replied with a sad smile.

"Ah, sounds like fun." Ashley grinned. "I have one. Remember the water fight we had in the middle of winter up in nowheresville Wisconsin?"

"Hey, Justin got so sick with the flu after that. I swear he hated all of us." Chris laughed.

"Yeah, and JC called us all crazy, suicidal maniacs for even having the water fight." Joe sighed gazing out the window.

"What about the Rock and Jock Three on Three thing. He kept grabbing the ball from the sidelines. I'm surprised he didn't get caught and put in the penalty box." Lance contributed from the doorway with Rachel and Devon standing behind him. They all walked in, bringing chairs with them.

"God, that was one hell of a game. I didn't think we were gonna win that first round." Joe shook his head.

"But you guys did really well, even though you lost the championship game." Mike shrugged as Justin hobbled into the room.

"What's this? A party and I wasn't invited?" Justin inquired raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah." Chris stated nodding. "You're underage. What did you expect?"

"You know Chris, Reader's Digest pays for funny stuff like that." Justin snorted as he took a seat on the chair Lance vacated for him. "The only person missing now is Carli."

"Did I just hear someone take my name in vain?" a female voice inquired from the doorway, causing everyone to laugh.

"Hail, hail, the gang's all here." Mike smiled, her hand still holding JC's.

"This is so strange. Who's have thought this had to happen to bring everyone together in the same room at the same time." Ashley sighed moving to sit on Joe's lap so Carli could have a chair to sit on.

"I heard about it on the news, so I dropped everything and came up to see how everyone was doing. Even called in for a week off work." Carli shrugged as she sat down. Justin rested his head back on the wall and heaved a sigh.

"I wish this was all over and that everything was back to normal." he stated to no one in particular.

"For once, I think we all agree with you, J." Lance grinned over at his younger friend. Another nurse walked in and her jaw nearly hit the floor.

"All of you can't be here all at once." she shook her head.

"Listen, all of us being here will help more than it will hurt at this point. We're his family." Mike sighed, giving the woman a pleading look. "Besides, with all the reporters, where else can we gather without being disturbed with a thousand questions being shot at us?"

"Let me check with his doctor and see what he says." the nurse stated as she left the room. Minutes later, a young doctor walked in.

"Miss Costeo, what's going on here?" Dr. Carter inquired glancing down at JC's chart.

"Well, doctor, it looks as if all of JC's friends wanted to be here and give him what support they could. Taking turns is too stressful, besides, he's so used to having everyone around him all the time and I don't want to be in here without them for support." Mike replied with a shrug, hoping that he would let it go.

"As long as his condition doesn't worsen, I don't see a problem with this. But, if his condition does worsen, I'll have to ask you all to leave. Is it a deal?" Dr. Carter smiled.

"Most definitely." Chris nodded, taking Devon's hand in his own.

"All right." Dr. Carter nodded then left the room to speak with the on duty nurses. Mike sighed closing her eyes. This was more difficult than she had anticipated. Lance climbed to his feet and left the room in search of some coffee. Everyone fell silent as they all thought about the things JC had done for them.

Everyone was still camped out in JC's room, though Justin had to take frequent trips back to his room to get the sleep his medication demanded of him. Mike's usual perch had become the edge of JC's bed, and the others had their regular places spread throughout the room. In the past three days, JC hadn't opened his eyes once, which was starting to worry everyone. Mike had become more withdrawn and though the others tried to keep her talking, she would fall into long silences.

The woman who had done this to him had yet to be found. She had disappeared off the face of the planet the night she shot Justin and JC, and no one could find her. No one had called the police to tell them of her whereabouts. The police were becoming frustrated with the unsolvable case and started asking questions of Justin and Mike again, trying to find information they hadn't heard before.

The day before, Lance had decided to inquire about a television and vcr to put in JC's room so they could watch videos to help kill the silences. After a small fight, they had won and one had been moved in that morning. Most everyone was watching Full Metal Jacket in the darkened room, the volume low enough so it wouldn't bother anyone in the other rooms.

Mike climbed to her feet and walked out into the hallway, deciding to go down to the cafeteria to get something to eat. Slowly her appetite had come back, and now she could eat a whole sandwich without failing. She punched the elevator button and stepped inside. Soon she stood in front of the vending machines trying to decode what to eat.

"Excuse me? Michaela?" someone questioned her from behind. Mike sighed silently and turned to see a reporter. "Can you tell me how JC Chasez is doing?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed to comment on that." Mike shook her head as she dropped quarters into the slot and pushed the button for a turkey and cheese sandwich. Without another word, she walked back to the elevator and took it to the fifth floor. When she got back to the room, the television had been shut off and everyone had disappeared. Mike made a face, suddenly losing her appetite. Now, why the hell did everyone just disappear like that? She shrugged mentally as she sat down in the chair closest to the bed and rested her forehead on the cool sheets. Mike closed her eyes, just listening to JC's deep breathing.

Mike sighed climbing to her feet. She walked over to the window and gazed unseeingly at the meager view it afforded.

"Do you still feel butterflies, Josh?" Mike questioned softly, resting her forehead on the cool glass. She suddenly felt like she was enveloped in a warm blanket or much like a warm embrace and started feeling oddly soothed. She glanced around the room, though no one was there. You're losing it, girl. There's no one here but JC and he's still…..

The heart monitor that had been hooked up to JC for days started beeping wildly causing Mike to jump and turn to see what had happened. A nurse rushed in and shooed Mike out she checked the monitors surrounding JC's bed.

Mike shook her head, backing from the room, afraid to even guess what had gone wrong. Dr. Carter rushed in and closed the door behind him, shutting Mike out into the silent hallway. Chris stepped off the elevator and noticed Mike leaning against the wall, head hanging.

"What happened?" he questioned.

"I don't know. His monitor started beeping like crazy." Mike shook her head looking over at him, panic filling her eyes.

"You should go back to the motel." Chris suggested. "I can call you when I get some information out of these top secret doctors."

Mike nodded silently and headed for the elevator. She knew she didn't want to be here if the most dreaded news should come. Gus loaded her into the van and she made a quick stop at the store on the way there, picking up some needed items. Once in her room, she pulled the drapes together, casting the room into darkness, and sat on the floor. She opened the bag and pulled out a fifth of Jack Daniels. She reached over and grabbed a plastic cup from the bedside table.

Mike poured some of the amber liquid into the plastic cup and downed it in one swift motion, burning her insides on the way down. She winced at the bitter taste as she poured herself another glass. She downed that one as quickly as she downed the first. Mike normally wasn't a drinker and didn't really like the taste of the stuff, but she needed something that would give her the bliss of mindless sleep. She didn't know how long she had been sitting with her booze, but she had just cracked into her second bottle when the door opened and Chris walked inside.

"God, it reeks in here." he commented as he shut the door quickly behind him. He walked over to where Mike was sitting and sighed. "Are you drunk?"

"You know Chris, that could be a good possibility." Mike nodded glancing up at him before pouring another glass.

"Pour me one of those would you?" Chris sighed grabbing his own plastic glass. Mike obliged him and poured his glass almost full.

"Did you get anything out of the docs?" she inquired, her head lolling back on the foot of the bed.

"They say he's going to be all right. It wasn't anything that serious." Chris replied with a shrug as he downed half the glass.

"Thank God." Mike whispered, thankfully looking up toward the heavens.

Mike sat in JC's room, her head pounding with the hangover she and Chris had acquired the night before. The room was quiet, something she was thankful for. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about the pain JC must be in.

"Do you still feel butterflies?" a hoarse voice whispered. Mike's head snapped up, eyes filled with pain, thinking she had just heard the voice in her imagination. JC's eyes were open and he smiled weakly at her.

"Oh my God, Josh." she whispered, tears of shock, joy, and elation filling her eyes.

"I'll take that as a yes." he commented reaching an hand out to brush a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I've been waiting to say this to you for nearly a week. You're a damn fool. Why did you do that?" she demanded as she leaned over and gave him a gentle hug. JC didn't answer, he just wrapped his arms around her and held her to him for a long moment.

"Do you still feel butterflies?" he questioned again.

"I still feel butterflies." she confirmed the words muffled by his shoulder, tears slipping down her cheeks. JC kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes in pain. This was more painful than anything he had ever experienced before. Mike shifted to look at him, and rested a hand on his cheek.

"I love you, JC, but so help me God, if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I will personally do you some bodily harm." Mike stated with a matter-of-fact tone. JC laughed and winced in pain as Dr. Carter walked into the room, a smile on his face.

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