<\/p>\n
AJ looked up from the bar, where he was shoving heaps of empty beer cans into a garbage bag. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d he asked in alarm, upon hearing Jack\u2019s shrill cry of \u201cSomebody call 911!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJustin\u2019s got alcohol poisoning!\u201d Jack exclaimed. \u201cCall an ambulance, quick!\u201d<\/p>\n
AJ dropped the bag of cans and grabbed his cordless phone, while Jack and Josh heaved Justin\u2019s body off of the couch and laid him flat on the carpet. Suddenly, a gurgling sound was heard from Justin\u2019s throat, and he began to gag and choke unconsciously.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s vomiting,\u201d Jack cried. \u201cRoll him over, quick, or he\u2019ll choke.\u201d The two men rolled Justin over onto his side, and he threw up all over AJ\u2019s carpet. Doug jumped back, watching in disgust.<\/p>\n
When Justin\u2019s vomiting had ceased, Jack knelt down beside him and checked his pulse. It was abnormally slow. \u201cCome on, ambulance, get here,\u201d he muttered, feeling a wave of panic rush over him.<\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t sure exactly how much alcohol Justin had consumed, but it was obviously a dangerously large amount. Alcohol was a depressant, and at this rate, it would continue to slow Justin\u2019s heart until it just stopped beating. Jack was determined not to let that happen. He knew he couldn\u2019t blame himself for Justin\u2019s decisions that night \u2013 after all, Justin was an adult and was responsible for his own actions. But he still felt guilty. After all, he had invited Justin to the party that night, knowing he was depressed and upset over Kristine\u2019s death that day. He should have expected something like this; it was one of the number one reasons why people drank – to loosen up and forget their problems. Justin, wanting to fit in with the older, more experienced guys and put his horrible day behind him, had done just that.<\/p>\n
I should have watched him more closely<\/em>, Jack thought. I knew how drunk he was getting, and I should have cut him off from the bar hours ago<\/em>. He wasn\u2019t Justin\u2019s father or his babysitter, and he wasn\u2019t responsible for Justin\u2019s actions outside of the workplace, but he was one of the only ones Justin knew well at the party, the only \u201cfriend\u201d he had to make sure he didn\u2019t get himself into trouble. And as a friend, Jack had failed.<\/p>\n The other men still there had come up to observe Justin. They all just stood there in silence, looking guiltily around at each other, remembering how they had egged a plastered Justin on during his Dr. Dre imitation. But Justin was not rapping now \u2013 he was laying on the floor, clammy and ghost-white, his breathing ragged, his heartbeat slowing as the massive quantities of alcohol took their toll.<\/p>\n Kylie McCartney yawned loudly, as Harry Littrell drove the ambulance down the highway. The two, along with their fellow paramedic Allison Brooks, were working the night shift that night. Nights were usually much calmer and less hectic than days, but they were also boring and exhausting most of the time. Kylie was already tired, after a long day of shopping with Addie, and she wished she could just go to bed.<\/p>\n Harry was nearing the station when a call came over their radio.<\/p>\n \u201cSquad 209, come in, over\u201d said the woman from dispatch, her voice muffled over the static of the radio.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is squad 209, over,\u201d Kylie replied.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got a call at 1004 Dayton Avenue, male in twenties suffering from alcohol poisoning, over\u201d said the dispatch woman.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re on it, over\u201d replied Kylie automatically. \u201cDid you get that address?\u201d she asked Harry. \u201cDayton Avenue \u2013 that\u2019s AJ\u2019s street.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right\u2026 I was thinking that address sounded familiar,\u201d Harry replied thoughtfully. \u201cDo you happen to know what AJ\u2019s house number is? Alcohol poisoning\u2026 God, I hope it wasn\u2019t somebody at the party.\u201d<\/p>\n The color drained from Kylie\u2019s face. \u201cOh my God!\u201d she exclaimed. \u201cThe party, that\u2019s right! God, I hope it\u2019s not Josh!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hope it\u2019s not AJ!\u201d Harry cried. \u201cYou know how he used to struggle with alcoholism\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Kylie said, remembering AJ\u2019s stint in rehab just the year before. \u201cBut AJ\u2019s responsible now; he\u2019s been sober for over a year. He wouldn\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBrian was at that party, too,\u201d Harry said, thinking of his younger brother. \u201cBut I know it couldn\u2019t be him. He\u2019s never been a heavy drinker.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hope it\u2019s not Jack,\u201d Kylie said. \u201cHe\u2019s never gone out of control before, but I do know he likes to party.\u201d<\/p>\n The whole ride to the house, they kept tossing names back and forth, worrying about their friends. When they reached Dayton Avenue, Kylie and Allison watched the house numbers flash by on the mailboxes. 1001\u2026 1002\u2026 1003\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cIt is AJ\u2019s house,\u201d Kylie said with a sinking sensation as they read the number on the mailbox in front of AJ\u2019s familiar home, which was lit up like a torch, even though it was after midnight.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right, guys, let\u2019s go,\u201d Harry said with a sigh, parking the ambulance on the street, for AJ\u2019s driveway was full with cars of the men still there.<\/p>\n Harry, Kylie, and Allison got out their supplies and their stretcher and hurriedly went up the driveway and to the front door. It flung open immediately, and a grim-faced AJ stood waiting to greet them.<\/p>\n \u201cWho is it?\u201d Kylie demanded, relieved that it was not AJ, but worrying even more about her husband. Like Jack, Josh usually knew when to quit, but also liked to party, and she was worried he had gone overboard.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Justin Timberlake, Bianca\u2019s med student,\u201d AJ replied.<\/p>\n Kylie tried not to sigh aloud, although she was extremely relieved. She pictured the awkward, curly-haired blonde med student that worked in the ER and felt bad for him, but glad that it was not her Josh.<\/p>\n AJ led the three paramedics down to his basement, where they found an unconscious Justin laying on the floor, a trail of vomit running from the corner of his mouth to a puddle at his side. He was pale and clammy, and his breathing was very ragged and slow.<\/p>\n Kylie caught sight of Josh sitting at his side, but she said nothing to him, just focused her attention on Justin.<\/p>\n \u201cDoes anyone know how much he drank?\u201d Allison asked. The men, who were in various states of intoxication themselves, looked around at each other and shrugged guiltily.<\/p>\n The three paramedics immediately set to work, hooking Justin up to IV\u2019s and oxygen and checking his vitals. As quickly as possible, they got him ready for transport and loaded him onto the stretcher. A few of the doctors followed them up the stairs and out into the cool night.<\/p>\n As the paramedics loaded Justin into the ambulance, Jack hopped into the back as well, muttering, \u201cI\u2019m coming with.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll call and check up on him later,\u201d said AJ. The others grunted in agreement.<\/p>\n Harry climbed into the driver\u2019s seat and started the ambulance, while the two female paramedics got into the back with Jack. Then, the lights whirling and sirens wailing, they sped down Dayton Avenue and headed straight for Atlantic City Memorial.<\/p>\n Nick Carter wandered down one of the hallways of the oncology floor while taking a short break from his duties. He was working the night shift in the ER, and though it was unpredictable, he needed a break so he decided to pay someone a little visit.<\/p>\n Most of the patients Nick caught glimpses of were sound asleep, for it was well after midnight. But when he came to Bailey Cole\u2019s room, he found the eleven-year-old still up, reading by the light of her dim bedside lamp.<\/p>\n Standing in the doorway of her room, he cleared his throat casually. Bailey\u2019s head jerked up, her concentration ruined.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a little late to be up, ya know,\u201d Nick said with a smile.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t sleep,\u201d Bailey mumbled. \u201cReading helps.\u201d<\/p>\n Nick shrugged. \u201cI\u2019m not much of a reader myself. So, what are you reading?\u201d He cautiously approached her bed.<\/p>\n Bailey Cole was well-known around the ER and now the oncology floor for her quick temper and sarcastic sense of humor. She had been diagnosed with leukemia three weeks ago and had been on the floor ever since. It had saddened Nick to watch her body deteriorate from the chemo treatments she had to undergo; her brown hair, which had once hung down to her shoulders, was rapidly falling out, and her already-thin body was gaunt and bony from the amount of weight she had lost. Still, despite how ill and weak she was most of the time, Bailey was strong on the inside. She kept her wit, her sarcasm, her temper. And as much as she could be a pain in the ass, Nick admired her for it.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat Expectations<\/em>,\u201d the eleven-year-old replied, smugly holding out the thick book for him to see.<\/p>\n Nick raised his eyebrows in surprise. \u201cDickens, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHave you read it?\u201d<\/p>\n Nick had \u2013 it had been a requirement for one of his high school English courses \u2013 but the only thing he really remembered about it was the parody they had done of it on an episode of South Park<\/em>. \u201cYeah,\u201d he replied, hoping Bailey wouldn\u2019t quiz him over its plot. She most certainly would understand it better than he, even if she was only eleven. It was already obvious to Nick that she was highly intelligent.<\/p>\n Bailey nodded. \u201cDid you like it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2026\u201d Nick blushed.<\/p>\n Bailey shrugged. \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s all that great either,\u201d she replied. \u201cA Tale of Two Cities<\/em> was better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah,\u201d Nick agreed quickly. \u201cDefinitely.\u201d<\/p>\n Bailey studied him with a smirk, until Nick, feeling her eyes boring into him, glanced quickly at his watch and announced, \u201cWell, I better get going. I\u2019ve gotta get back to work. Goodnight, Bailey.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNight,\u201d Bailey replied shortly and went back to her book. Nick turned around, rolling his eyes once his back was to her, and left the room.<\/p>\n When the ambulance pulled up outside the ER, Kylie flung the back doors open, and she, Allison, and Jack lifted Justin\u2019s stretcher out and set it on the ground. Harry came around back to join them, and the four quickly wheeled Justin into the ER.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do we got?\u201d Siara Reily asked automatically, joining the paramedics. She did a double-take as she saw Jack among them. \u201cJack, what are you doing here? Weren\u2019t you going to that party at AJ\u2019s tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s where we came from,\u201d he replied, glancing grimly down at Justin.<\/p>\n Siara, getting a good look at the patient on the gurney, did another double-take. \u201cOh my God!\u201d she gasped. \u201cJustin! What happened??\u201d<\/p>\n Ignoring the fact that this was a med-student that worked there in that very ER, Allison rattled off Justin\u2019s information as she did with all her other patients. \u201cTwenty-four-year-old male suffering from alcohol poisoning, unconscious when we arrived on the scene\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Siara, still stunned, said, \u201cLet\u2019s take him to Trauma 2.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJustin?!\u201d cried a shocked voice.<\/p>\n Jack looked up to see that Meghan had come to join them. Allison again gave her Justin\u2019s symptoms and vital signs. Meghan just shook her head. \u201cShit, Jack, how much did you guys give him to drink?\u201d<\/p>\n She hadn\u2019t been seriously accusing him, but that\u2019s the way Jack took it. He felt even more horrible than before. Still, knowing he couldn\u2019t let his emotions take over, he ignored his guilt and focused on his patient, trying to push the fact that it was Justin out of his mind.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s order a chem pan and BAL,\u201d Jack said, as the others transferred Justin\u2019s lifeless body from the stretcher to the gurney in the room. Lifting Justin\u2019s eyelids, he moved a penlight back and forth in front of his eyes. \u201cPupils are sluggish.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh, Jack, what do you think you\u2019re doing?\u201d Siara asked suddenly.<\/p>\n Jack looked up. \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re intoxicated, Jack. I can smell the alcohol on your breath. You can\u2019t be working on patients.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? But, Siara, I-\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut what? You\u2019ve been drinking, Jack, and it\u2019s illegal for you to treat patients under the influence,\u201d Siara replied matter-of-factly.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t have that much to drink!\u201d Jack protested. \u201cPlease, I want to help him!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe can take care of that, Jack,\u201d Siara said. \u201cIf you want to wait for an update, you can go sit in chairs.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack\u2019s mouth opened in surprise, unable to believe that Siara had just kicked him out. But, despite his state of intoxication, he still had some reasoning left, and he knew she was right.<\/p>\n \u201cAll right,\u201d he said with a sigh. \u201cSomeone come get me when you\u2019ve got him stabilized. I\u2019ll be in the lounge, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, Jack,\u201d Siara said and went back to her work.<\/p>\n Feeling cut off from the activity around him, Jack slowly left the room and walked down the hall to the lounge.<\/p>\n Half an hour later, the door to the lounge opened, and in walked Siara. Jack, who was sitting at the table, sipping black coffee, immediately looked up and asked, \u201cHow is he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt looks like he\u2019s going to be all right, Jack,\u201d she replied, pulling up a chair next to him. \u201cHe\u2019s stabilized anyway. We won\u2019t know any long-term effects until we run some tests in the morning though.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack nodded, thinking of all the internal organs high quantities of alcohol affected, mainly the liver. He hoped Justin would come out of this lucky and learn something from it.<\/p>\n \u201cJack, I\u2019m sorry for snapping at you like that in the trauma room,\u201d Siara apologized suddenly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Oh, it\u2019s okay, Siara,\u201d Jack replied. \u201cI understand. I would have done the same thing if it was you. You did the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Siara smiled. \u201cGood. I\u2019m glad you\u2019re not pissed at me about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack returned her smile. \u201cYou can\u2019t let friendship get in the way of your work. I already learned that lesson a few weeks ago.\u201d He shook his head guiltily, remembering Bianca.<\/p>\n Siara smiled knowingly and nodded. \u201cWell, I need to get back to work,\u201d she said, standing up. \u201cAnd you, you should go home. You\u2019re working tomorrow, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Not till noon though. I\u2019ve got a half-shift, thank God,\u201d Jack replied.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, good. Well, go home anyway. You look like you could use some sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack smiled wearily. \u201cI agree,\u201d he said, both emotionally and physically exhausted after his long day. \u201cGoodnight, Siara.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Night, Jack.\u201d<\/p>\n Josh McCartney was awakened the next morning by a horrible retching sound coming from the bathroom. Disoriented, he pulled herself up and squinted at the clock, unable to read the numbers without her contacts in. Leaning closer, he saw that it was only 5:30. He had hours to sleep before he had to get up for his noon shift.<\/p>\n The retching sounds continued, and concerned, Josh climbed out of bed and left the bedroom, padding down the short hallway of the apartment to the bathroom. The door was closed, and a small strip of light shined through the crack beneath the door, illuminating the dim hallway. Josh knocked lightly. \u201cKy?\u201d he called softly.<\/p>\n His wife did not answer, and so Josh slowly opened the door and peered in. He found Kylie kneeling on the floor in front of the toilet, holding back her dark hair with one hand as she vomited into the toilet bowl.<\/p>\n Josh hurried into the bathroom and rubbed Kylie\u2019s back as she continued to throw up. When she finally finished, Josh wet a washcloth and handed it to Kylie to wipe off her mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cYou okay now, Ky?\u201d Josh asked, looking at Kylie in sympathy.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope so,\u201d Kylie moaned, still looking slightly green. \u201cGod, this better not be the flu or something. That\u2019s the last thing I need.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you running a fever?\u201d Josh asked.<\/p>\n Kylie pressed her palm to her forehead for a moment, then shook her head. \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think so. It\u2019s just my stomach. I\u2019m so nauseous. I woke up like this the other morning too; you were still at the hospital finishing up the night shift.\u201d<\/p>\n Josh frowned. \u201cHow did you feel yesterday?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n Kylie shrugged. \u201cFine. I don\u2019t know what it is. It\u2019s weird.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCould it be morning sickness?\u201d Josh asked, raising an eyebrow.<\/p>\n Kylie rolled her eyes with a grin. \u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019s not,\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n \u201cHave you had your period lately?\u201d he pressed.<\/p>\n Kylie thought for a moment, counting the weeks in her head. \u201cI had it towards the end of August,\u201d she said slowly. \u201cSo I guess it\u2019s a little late, but only by a few days.\u201d She gave him a look. \u201cI know what you\u2019re thinking, Josh. Don\u2019t get all worked up about that yet; I\u2019m sure I\u2019m not.\u201d<\/p>\n He cocked his head at her. \u201cYou sound like you don\u2019t want to be. I thought you wanted children.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I do, but not now!\u201d Kylie exclaimed in exasperation. Seeing the look he was giving her, she sighed and added, \u201cI didn\u2019t mean it like that\u2026 it\u2019s just, we\u2019ve only been married a few months, and I think it\u2019s a little soon. But I\u2019m sure I\u2019m not pregnant anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n Josh nodded. \u201cYeah, probably not,\u201d he said. Still, he couldn\u2019t help but think maybe it wouldn\u2019t be so bad if she was. The thought of having a baby was definitely a little intimidating, but he was sure they could handle it. Fatherhood would be more than rewarding enough to balance out the extra expenses and stress of having a child, he was sure. At least that\u2019s what Darrin had told him after MacKayla had been born. And with Brandy\u2019s recent death, Josh needed a little joy in his life.<\/p>\n \u201cDamn, Joey, you look like shit,\u201d remarked Melissa Ruffino to her boyfriend, Joey Fatone, as he staggered into the staff lounge.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy, thank you, Melly,\u201d he replied with a sarcastic smile, raking a hand exhaustedly through his thick brown hair as he spun the dial on his locker. \u201cI only got about three or four hours of sleep last night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJeez, how long were you at that party?\u201d she asked in surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cTill about one. But then I couldn\u2019t get to sleep when I got home. You know what happened, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean to that Timberlake kid?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Okay, so you do know. You have any idea how he\u2019s doing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s been admitted for observation and taken upstairs, I think, but it looks like he was lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a relief,\u201d said Joey. \u201cI was worried; the poor kid looked pretty bad off last night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho looked bad?\u201d<\/p>\n The couple looked up to see Mariah Johnson, one of the other ER receptionists, saunter into the room. Hearing the word \u201cbad\u201d and seeing Mariah at the same time, Joey suddenly got a visual of the shapely blonde woman dressed in a tight leather top and booty shorts, singing Willa Ford\u2019s \u201cI Wanna Be Bad\u201d.<\/p>\n Melissa glanced over at Joey and saw him staring directly at Mariah\u2019s surgically-enhanced breasts. She elbowed him hard in the ribs and said quickly to Mariah, \u201cWe were just talking about one of the med students who got alcohol poisoning at AJ McLean\u2019s party last night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh\u2026 which med student? Is it that blonde one?\u201d Mariah asked, arching one of her thin, perfectly-plucked eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, the one with the \u2018fro, right Joey?\u201d<\/p>\n Joey chuckled. \u201cYeah, the one with the \u2018fro,\u201d he echoed, trying not to laugh as he pictured the curly-haired blonde trying to be Dr. Dre. If Justin wasn\u2019t in such a serious situation, Joey knew that story would be spreading like wildfire by now.<\/p>\n \u201cOh no, poor baby!\u201d Mariah gasped, her lower lip sticking out in sympathy. \u201cIs he here in the hospital?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, he was here in the ER, but Mel said they\u2019ve moved him to a different room,\u201d Joey replied.<\/p>\n \u201cHmm\u2026 well, maybe a visit from Mariah would make him feel better.\u201d Smiling superiorly, she turned and left the lounge, her hips wagging as she walked.<\/p>\n Melissa rolled her eyes and started to make a snide comment about her to Joey, but when she turned to her boyfriend, she found him gazing hungrily at Mariah\u2019s ass as she walked away. Glaring, Melissa gave him another hard jab in the side.<\/p>\n Justin Timberlake weakly raised his head off his pillow at the sound of a knock coming from the closed door of his hospital room.<\/p>\n \u201cCome in,\u201d he called hoarsely, his head throbbing with the sound of his own voice. He didn\u2019t know it was possible to have a hangover so bad. Of course, with the amount of alcohol he had drunk the night before, he should have realized what misery he was going to be in the next morning. He hadn\u2019t expected any of this though; waking up to find himself in the Memorial ER as a patient<\/em> rather than student was quite a shock to his system.<\/p>\n The door to his room opened and a beautiful blonde woman came in.<\/p>\n Am I hallucinating?<\/em> Justin thought, wondering how many drugs he had been given.<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Justin,\u201d the blonde said softly, smiling, her eyelashes batting furiously over her gray eyes. \u201cRemember me?\u201d<\/p>\n Justin blinked, confused. He wasn\u2019t sure who she was or if she even really existed, for that matter. How many brain cells had all that alcohol killed off anyway?<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Mariah,\u201d the woman said, lingering over her own name. \u201cMariah Johnson. I\u2019m one of the ER receptionists, but I usually work the night shift. We met a few weeks ago, I believe.\u201d<\/p>\n Justin thought for a moment. He knew some of his memories were fuzzy; he had no idea what had gone on the night before. But as he thought some more and tried to remember, he did recall seeing her before, on one of his first few days at the hospital, when a pregnant woman from a car accident had been brought in, and he\u2019d had to have someone call up to OB. He also remembered she\u2019d had a big streak of bright red lipstick smeared across her cheek, and he chuckled. That was a big mistake, for it sent waves of pain radiating through his head.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s so funny?\u201d Mariah demanded, frowning.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing,\u201d Justin grunted, groaning in pain. \u201cBut yeah, I remember you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d Mariah smiled, pleased. \u201cGood.\u201d She paused, as if waiting for Justin to say something, but he didn\u2019t, so she went on, \u201cWell, I heard you were here in the hospital, so I knew I just had to come visit you right away!\u201d<\/p>\n I wish you hadn\u2019t<\/em>, Justin thought, wanting to be left alone, but as his eyes wandered from her face to her chest, which her scrub shirt was pulled tightly over, he decided having her there wasn\u2019t too bad. Her breasts were as big as Britney\u2019s, and Justin liked breasts.<\/p>\n Grinning, despite his pain, Justin replied, \u201cI\u2019m glad you did.\u201d<\/p>\n Kylie\u2019s shift did not start until noon that day, but she left for the hospital at ten. Josh\u2019s suspicions had made her curious\u2026 could her nausea and vomiting be something other than the stomach flu? Maybe it was just her being her usual worrywart self, but she decided to go to the hospital early anyway, in hopes she could get in for a quick appointment with her gynecologist before she had to be at the rescue squad station.<\/p>\n Kylie parked in the large visitor lot of the hospital and entered through the main entrance, not the ER entrance, as she was so accustomed to doing. She took the elevator to the fifth floor, the maternity floor, where her OB\/Gyn, Dr. Melanie Reyes, had her office.<\/p>\n She stopped at the receptionist\u2019s desk after she got off the elevator.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I help you?\u201d the receptionist asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, is Dr. Reyes working today?\u201d Kylie asked. She suddenly felt stupid, realizing she had taken a chance coming there. She didn\u2019t even know if Melanie was there, let alone if she could find time to examine Kylie without an appointment.<\/p>\n To her relief, Kylie was in luck. \u201cYes, she\u2019s here,\u201d replied the receptionist. \u201cDo you have an appointment with her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2026 no. I\u2026 uh\u2026 I just need to talk to her about something, if she has a chance,\u201d Kylie replied.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I believe she\u2019s with a patient now, but if you\u2019d like to wait in chairs, I\u2019ll let her know you\u2019re here,\u201d the receptionist said. \u201cCan I get your name?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKylie McCartney,\u201d Kylie replied, thanked her, and went over to the waiting area. She sat down, picked up the Sunday paper, and skimmed through the headlines.<\/p>\n Before long, Dr. Reyes finished whatever she was doing and arrived in the waiting room. \u201cHi, Kylie,\u201d she said with a smile. Kylie looked up and smiled in return, standing up to greet the doctor. \u201cSo, what\u2019s up?\u201d asked Dr. Reyes.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I was just wondering if \u2013 if you have time, of course \u2013 you could see me real quick. I, uh\u2026\u201d Kylie glanced quickly around the room, not wanting to reveal everything to the whole waiting room.<\/p>\n Dr. Reyes seemed to understand. \u201cSure, Kylie, I think I could fit you in,\u201d she said with a nod and a smile. \u201cWait here for a few more minutes, and I\u2019ll have a nurse come get you.\u201d<\/p>\n Kylie smiled in relief. \u201cThanks, Dr. Reyes,\u201d she said gratefully.<\/p>\n \u201cNo problem,\u201d replied the doctor, returning Kylie\u2019s smile and leaving the waiting room to get back to work.<\/p>\n Kylie waited for a while longer, watching as a few of the women in the room were called back for their appointments. Finally, a nurse came into the waiting room.<\/p>\n \u201cKylie McCartney?\u201d she called, and Kylie stood, offering the young nurse a slight smile. \u201cCome on back,\u201d the nurse said and led Kylie down one of the halls to an examining room. She tossed her a gown and said, \u201cDr. Reyes will be in in a bit.\u201d With that, she left the room.<\/p>\n Kylie changed into the gown and sat on the examining table, anxiously waiting for the gynecologist to come in. She glanced at the clock on the wall, hoping the examination would be done in time for her to make it to the station by noon.<\/p>\n Luckily, Dr. Reyes didn\u2019t seem to be too busy and arrived in Kylie\u2019s room within ten minutes. She sat down on the wheeling stool in the room and said, \u201cSo, Kylie, what\u2019s the problem?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, this may sound stupid, but I\u2019ve been feeling really nauseated lately, usually early in the morning, and I was thinking maybe it could be morning sickness, instead of a stomach bug,\u201d said Kylie.<\/p>\n Melanie nodded. Repeating Josh\u2019s earlier question, she asked, \u201cAnd when was your last period?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cToward the end of August,\u201d Kylie replied. \u201cNow that I think about it, it should have started last week, but it didn\u2019t. It didn\u2019t even cross my mind until this morning, but it is a few days late. Still, it\u2019s probably nothing. I just wasn\u2019t sure, and I-\u201c<\/p>\n Dr. Reyes smiled and said, \u201cI\u2019ll order a pregnancy test.\u201d<\/p>\n Kylie smiled, a rush of nervousness speeding through her. She tried not to think too much about it, but she couldn\u2019t help but wonder\u2026 was it true? Could she and Josh really be having a baby?<\/p>\n Jaela Miller pulled into the parking lot of George Washington Carver Elementary School at approximately four p.m., half an hour after she received the call from the twins\u2019 teacher that their father had not picked them up. Jaela, at this point and time, had given up on depending on her husband, Paul. This had been the third time in two weeks Jaela had had to leave her job at the hospital as an RN to go pick up Alexandra and Joshua. Of course, she didn\u2019t mind picking up her children, but Paul was supposed to do it when he got off from work early, while Jaela was working. She was very thankful that she worked with such an awesome and understanding team of nurses at the hospital, who always covered for her when she needed to leave early.<\/p>\n Calm down<\/em>, Jaela thought to herself as she walked across the parking lot to the large brick school\u2019s entrance. She walked the familiar path to Mrs. Bishop\u2019s kindergarten class and immediately saw her two blonde children sitting on either side of their teacher as she read them a story. Mrs. Bishop looked up when she noticed a presence in the room and handed the book to Joshua to look at as she walked to the door.<\/p>\n \u201cMrs. Bishop, I\u2019m so sorry about this. My husband was supposed to pick them up today,\u201d Jaela apologized.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is no problem, Mrs. Miller. Things like this happen, and I don\u2019t mind staying with the children. They are a pleasure to be around,\u201d the young teacher reassured Jaela with a smile.<\/p>\n Jaela smiled back at the teacher and after once again thanking the kind teacher, she walked into the room and, a few minutes later, exited with her two young children in tow. When Paul got home, he would have some major explaining to do.<\/p>\n After picking up her two-year-old daughter from daycare, Jaela was now in her kitchen, making a cup of tea. She hoped the warm liquid would somehow calm her nerves. She had come home to an empty house and had received no word from Paul on if he was okay or not. Deep down inside, she didn\u2019t really care, but her love for him overshadowed these feelings, and she was genuinely worried.<\/p>\n As she was sitting at the table, sipping at the tea and going through her mail, the phone rang. Jaela quickly walked over to the phone, ready to pick it up, but withdrew her hand when an unrecognizable name and number appeared on the Caller ID. She picked up the phone anyways, and when she greeted the caller, all she heard was silence.<\/p>\n \u201cHello?\u201d she said again, becoming irritated with the caller.<\/p>\n \u201cIs Paul there?\u201d the cold voice of a woman asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019m sorry, but he is still at work,\u201d Jaela replied, and before she could ask who was speaking, the caller hung up the phone.<\/p>\n That was strange<\/em>, Jaela thought as an uneasy feeling stirred from within her stomach.<\/p>\n Not even five minutes later, the phone rang again. This time Paul\u2019s cell phone number was displayed on the screen, and Jaela picked up immediately. After Paul apologized for not being able to pick up the kids and explained he had to work late tonight, Jaela hung up on him, thoroughly disgusted. After almost seven years of a marriage Jaela thought was perfect, her world had come tumbling down.<\/p>\n Paul was cheating on her.<\/p>\n Kylie pulled into the parking lot outside the apartment building, her heart fluttering with excitement. She saw Addie\u2019s silver Beetle parked in its usual spot, her boyfriend Jack\u2019s black Mercury Cougar right next to it.<\/p>\n She shut off her own car and climbed out, eager to get up to the apartment and talk to Addie. She went inside the two-story building and hurried up the stairs to the second floor. Jogging down the hallway, she came to her friend\u2019s apartment and rapped her knuckles lightly against the door. \u201cAddie? It\u2019s me, Ky!\u201d she called.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on in!\u201d she heard Addie yell from within the apartment, and she immediately turned the knob and opened the door, stepping inside. She found Addie and Jack sitting closely together on the couch.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Ky,\u201d said Jack, scooting over to make room for Kylie.<\/p>\n Kylie perched on the edge of the couch and fidgeted with anxiety, unable to hold back her excitement for too long. Addie noticed this.<\/p>\n \u201cSo what\u2019s up, Kylie?\u201d she asked. \u201cYou sure look excited about something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Kylie said with a grin. \u201cWell, I went to see\u2026\u201c She stopped, remembering Jack was there. Should she tell him the news too or wait until she could get Addie alone? She shrugged; what did it matter if Jack found out now? \u201c\u2026I went to see Melanie Reyes today,\u201d she continued, \u201cand I found out\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Addie leaned forward in eager anticipation. Kylie could tell by the excitement in her friend\u2019s blue eyes that she had already guessed Kylie\u2019s news, but was waiting for Kylie to say the words.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026I\u2019m pregnant,\u201d she finalized. It was the first time she had heard herself say the words aloud; she hadn\u2019t told Josh yet. It sounded strange to say it, but she was getting used to the idea. She had to admit, though she had been shocked when Dr. Reyes had delivered the news, she was excited now. She had always wanted children, and though she hadn\u2019t expected one so soon after marrying Josh, she was now glad.<\/p>\n Addie let out a high-pitched squeal and threw her arms around Kylie. \u201cOh my gosh, Kylie!\u201d she cried, bouncing on the spring couch. \u201cOoh, does Josh know yet?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot yet,\u201d Kylie replied, grinning widely. \u201cI want to wait and surprise him. I thought I\u2019d make it special.\u201d She glanced at Jack and said sternly, \u201cAnd a certain friend of his better not ruin it by letting something slip.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack chuckled. \u201cYou know I wouldn\u2019t do that, Ky,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd congratulations!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d Kylie beamed.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I can\u2019t believe it!\u201d Addie went on, her eyes flashing animatedly. \u201cAnd to think, a few years ago, you thought I would be the first to get pregnant!\u201d<\/p>\n Jack eyed his girlfriend. \u201cWell, we need to get going on that then, don\u2019t we, babe?\u201d he asked teasingly.<\/p>\n Addie giggled and smacked him playfully.<\/p>\n Kylie just watched the two of them, a smile playing on her lips. She had a feeling that at the rate they were going, it wouldn\u2019t be long before she was expecting as well.<\/p>\n It was just after one in the morning, a week later, when Elizabeth O\u2019Brien hurried over to the entrance of the ER, as paramedics AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, and Josh McCartney burst through the double doors, wheeling a stretcher. A man and a woman came hurrying in behind them, crying, the woman hysterical.<\/p>\n \u201cSixteen-year-old male, tried to hang himself in his closet, no pulse on scene,\u201d Howie said quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cTrauma 1,\u201d commanded Elizabeth, hurrying the group into the nearest trauma room. The boy\u2019s parents followed, but Elizabeth stopped them at the door. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, but it would be best if you would go wait in chairs until we\u2019re done working on your son,\u201d she told them, pointing to the waiting room.<\/p>\n The parents nodded tearfully. The man wrapped his arm around his wife and led her dejectedly off to the waiting room. Elizabeth, after calling several of the nurses into the room, closed the door and went back to his patient, who had been in cardiac arrest for some time.<\/p>\n Glancing at the heart monitor he had just been hooked up to, she said, \u201cHe\u2019s in asystole. Natalie, start CPR. I\u2019ll intubate him.\u201d<\/p>\n Nurse Natalie Spade immediately began giving the boy chest compressions, while Elizabeth prepared to insert a tube in the boy\u2019s throat to help him breathe. Leaning over him, she got a good look at his face for the first time. He looked familiar to her, and she tried to place him. Suddenly, recognizing him, she gasped.<\/p>\n Entering Lance Bass\u2019s apartment, you would have felt like it was nighttime because it was so dark inside. Every blind in the apartment was pulled tightly shut, not allowing any light from the outside world enter Lance\u2019s dark chamber. All lights but one were turned off, giving the apartment an eerie glow.<\/p>\n Lance was now seated on his bed, unpacking his box of belongings and deciding where to put them. Ever since the call he had received that morning, Lance had turned from his normal, level-headed self to someone who was angry at the world\u2026<\/p>\n It was almost eight in the morning, and Lance, having just gotten home from a twelve-hour shift at the hospital, immediately collapsed in his bed without bothering to undress. Just as he closed his eyes, the phone at his bedside rang shrilly, and Lance groaned, guessing that it was probably the hospital wanting him to come back to work for someone who had called in. He looked at the Caller ID, and his suspicions were confirmed when one of the hospital phone numbers popped up on the screen.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHello?\u201d Lance asked as he picked up the phone despite his common sense telling him not to.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cLance?\u201d a shaky voice questioned. Lance\u2019s face transformed to a look of confusion as he tried to place the voice he knew had heard before.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cLance, this is James Williams, Oliver\u2019s father.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Lance shot up out of bed as the caller identified himself – he could immediately tell something was frighteningly wrong.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cSir? What is wrong?\u201d Although Lance knew deep inside what had happened, he had to feed his curiosity by asking.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOliver is gone,\u201d Mr. Williams said softly.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOh God\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHe hung himself in his closet late last night or early this morning. His mother had gotten up and saw his light on.\u201d The man at the other end of the line swallowed heavily before continuing his story. \u201cShe went in and Oliver was ha\u2026 hanging from his closet, dead. There was nothing the paramedics could do, but they brought his body to the hospital to be evaluated.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWas he an organ donor?\u201d Lance asked. He realized how stupid that question had sounded, but he needed to know.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Oliver\u2019s father replied. \u201cHe was.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Lance nodded and closed his eyes tightly to fight back the wave of tears that threatened to escape.<\/em><\/p>\n Lance and Oliver had become close friends soon after Oliver had been admitted a month earlier, when he overdosed on his father\u2019s medications. Oliver had survived the ordeal, and Lance revealed a similar story, determined to help the young man even though it brought back painful memories. It seemed to have worked for a while, for Oliver\u2019s attitude appeared to have changed, and he was again starting to live life the way it was meant to be lived. He also had frequent counseling sessions with the hospital psychiatrist, and Lance had even been asked to go to one with Oliver to help relate his problems to Oliver\u2019s, which had made Lance happy that Oliver seemed to trust him. Lance remembered the last time he saw Oliver, just the day before. Oliver had seemed down when Lance had first approached him, but Oliver quickly reassured him he was okay and seemed to brighten when Lance challenged him to a game of basketball, which was another one of Oliver\u2019s favorite sports.<\/em><\/p>\n As tears flowed down Lance\u2019s flushed face, he came to his senses and held the phone far away, the dial tone hurting his sensitive ears…<\/em><\/p>\n Lance took one last look around his bedroom, as if to engrave it in his memory. Before he could change his mind, he opened the nightstand drawer and took out an object that would bring him the happiness he craved. Surrounded by pictures of his loved ones and the possessions he held so dear, Lance took a deep breath.<\/p>\n A second later, the only sound heard was a loud bang.<\/p>\n And then there was silence.<\/p>\n Episode 8: Revelations AJ looked up from the bar, where he was shoving heaps of empty beer cans into a garbage bag. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d he asked in alarm, upon hearing Jack\u2019s shrill cry of \u201cSomebody call 911!\u201d \u201cJustin\u2019s got alcohol poisoning!\u201d Jack exclaimed. \u201cCall an ambulance, quick!\u201d AJ dropped …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":66,"menu_order":8,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-204","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=204"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/204\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":210,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/204\/revisions\/210"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/66"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}+++<\/h4>\n
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Episode 9<\/a><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"