For the last hour and a half, ever since they got back with Justin, Rory and Cynthia have been running in and out of the house as if it were on fire and they were rushing to save the valuables.

What the fuck are they doing?

"Hey! HEY! What the fuck are you two doing?" I ask as they pass by me for the fifteenth time.

Cynthia ignores me and runs down to the water with what looks several empty bottles in her hands. Rory glances at me and shakes her head before repeating Cynthia's actions. I watch as they run back to the house with the dripping bottles in hand and all is quiet again.

I can't believe the fuss they're making over Justin. I mean, worse case scenario - he's had a heat-stroke. But it's more likely that he just got really dehydrated. Yeah...that's a bit serious too. Still, it's nothing that can't be remedied now that they've found him. But the women are acting like they're performing open-heart surgery in there.

Jeez. For all I know, those jackasses are doing just that.

At this point I'm wondering if I should mention this raft idea. I mean, it might be nice to have a little help. I can be the brains behind the operation and watch as the rest of them do the dirty work. But... No. I could never see them getting it done correctly. At least not by my standards. Best to just do it myself if I want it done right.

I'll tell them when it's finished.

Maybe.

***

It's only been a few hours. Maybe more like five or six. Either way, ever since we've gotten Justin back home, I've felt like a madman.

He's woken up once or twice. Never lucid. Never moving. Just opens his eyes and blinks and then shuts them again. Every time I get my hopes up and every time I feel my heart sink when he doesn't come out of it.

The girls have been helping the whole time. We decided that the best and most important thing would be to get him cooled down. So they took some of the empty water bottles and carried water to the house so we could bathe him with the cool liquid.

I wish we had ice.

I've also been propping him up every few minutes to give him tiny sips of water. Wouldn't be wise to give him too much all at once. Slowly his color has returned to normal, but I am far from feeling relieved about his condition.

"Brian?"

I glance up at Cynthia and can tell she's completely exhausted. Her eyes look dark and heavy and her body tense. "Go to bed, Cynth," I tell her, knowing that if she isn't made to do it, she may just continue to help until she quite literally drops.

"We can keep bringing water," She says, hesitating.

I shake my head. "No. He's considerably cooler. I think he just needs to work through it on his own now."

She smiles at me almost sadly. I'm sure I must look like shit. I know I feel like it. "Okay, Kinney. But you better call us if you need us!"

"Will do." I look up at her and smile, feeling that we've been through these kinds of conversations for years and years. She's always been such a great employee. Now she's a great friend. "Thank you, Cynthia."

She looks into my eyes and sees how deeply that appreciation goes. Nodding, she backs out of the room with a final "Goodnight."

They've been such a great help, she and Rory. But...now that I can be with and take care of Justin on my own...somehow it makes me feel better about things.

"Well...it's just the two of us," I tell him, moving to stretch out beside him. I've been crouched over him all afternoon and it's painful to move my limbs out of the position they've been in for hours. I groan but I would rather be lying next to Justin than not. I can take a little discomfort if it means that I can hold him.

I don't hold him of course. I'm almost afraid to even touch him. He's still very warm to the touch and it serves as a heavy reminder that he could have very easily been taken from me. If we hadn't gone out to look when we did, if Cynthia hadn't spotted him...

Shit! I can't even fathom the thought.

***

I had a pretty fitful sleep. Well...I guess ‘sleep' probably isn't the most accurate word for what I did. Every time I closed my eyes last night, all I could see was Justin, thrashing around in quicksand. He kept being pulled further and further under until all I could see were his eyes and his hand sticking up out of the muck. If I tried to save him, I would be burned so I watched him drown in the sand.

I kept waking up, gasping for breath and each time Rory would hold me and make me feel better. It seems that she didn't get much sleep either.

As soon as it was daylight, I went immediately to check on Justin. I found Brian lying beside him, staring over at him intently, as if willing him to wake up. It felt like a bit of an intrusion actually, but Brian didn't seem to mind. In fact he stayed in the exact spot for another hour after I came in, only taking one or two breaks to give Justin water.

I wonder if maybe Justin won't need to go to the bathroom soon, with all this water we've been foisting upon him.

"Rory, can you go for more water?" Brian asks me. I've been hovering for several hours now, along with Cynthia who keeps coming and going, not wanting to be a bother but unwilling to completely leave.

I nod, happy to be helping in some way.

"I'll go with you," Cynthia says, and we vacate. As soon as we're a good distance away from the house she laughs softly. "Did you see the veins standing out on his neck and forehead?"

"I did." Though I guess I don't find it as funny as Cynthia does.

"He was ready to explode. I do believe that Brian's is a bit stressed."

I can't believe she's acting as if it were something to laugh at! "Well, wouldn't you be if you were in his place? I mean...Justin could have died! And...and he still hasn't woken up! What if...what if he..." My voice is a bit frantic, I'm sure, but the thought of losing one of the people I'm closest to in the world makes me feel completely sick to my stomach. I can't imagine it. Don't want to either.

Her tone immediately softens when she realizes how I've taken her comment. "Rory...Justin looks ten times better this morning than he did yesterday. He's going to be perfectly fine. He's a trooper. He's pulled through a coma before. He's overcome a brain injury. He's been in a relationship with Brian on and off for like eight years or something! He'll be FINE!" Cynthia stopped walking during her speech and turned to pull me into her arms. She strokes my hair and I can help but melt into her arms.

I sniffle against her shoulder, trying desperately not to cry. "Thank you," is all I say and I know it's more than she expects.

I feel her kiss my forehead and then pull away. I look at her and she seems to want to say something. Lately I've been seeing her hesitate more and more. It's like she's holding something back. I wait but nothing comes. Finally she smiles and shrugs one of the empty water cans back up onto her shoulder. "C'mon. Let's get going. Don't want to keep the boys waiting.

***

Why won't he wake up?

I just keep looking at him and he won't even move.

C'mon Justin. Just move a little. Please, baby!

I keep putting my hand under his nose just to make sure he's still breathing. But then I get nervous and think I'm blocking his airway so I stop.

I stand up and move around the small room to stretch. I think I actually need to go outside and get some fresh air, relieve a little claustrophobia, but that can wait until the girls are back.

Stretching my arms behind me and then crossing them one at a time over my chest, I feel the toll that last night took on me. It's been a long time since I've lain so still for so long.

I look back down at Justin. His face seems to have contorted ever so slightly. I try so hard not to get excited.

Sure enough, his eyes flutter but never actually open. It's as though he's stuck in a dream.

I swear under my breath. Kneeling once again beside him, I gently pat his cheek. "Jus? Justin. Justin, can you hear me? Wake up. Come on..." But he's stopped moving and is once again out.

"DAMMIT!" I run my fingers roughly through my hair, taking my frustrations out on my innocent scalp. "PLEASE. JUST...wake the fuck up!" I cry dejectedly.

After he broke his arm and kept passing out, I wasn't too afraid. I knew that Justin was a fighter and he would be perfectly fine. After everything he's survived... But I can't help being afraid now. So afraid.

The fact that he's moving and responding so infrequently makes me nervous. I would feel much better if we could get him to eat something. I refuse to think the worse, but it's very difficult not to.

Taking Justin's left hand into mine, I gently rub the top of the hand with my thumbs and prepare for more hours of waiting. Waiting, waiting, forever waiting. It's something I've gotten accustomed to living here.

And...He has to get better. Because he has to wake up so I can tell him just what I think of him doing this to us. Fucker. Yeah. And I'll make sure he knows just how much he put me through. All of us through. Just how many hours were spent worrying over him. "Yeah. You better wake up, Taylor. Because as soon as you do, your hot little ass is mine. And for once I'm really not talking about sex!"

***

"PLEASE. JUST...wake the fuck up!"

I wasn't trying to eavesdrop. I was passing by the house, heading towards the water for a swim, when I heard Brian's wail.

God. Even the most heartless bastard would have to be somewhat touched by the sound of a grown man crying out like that. Like he was completely at the end of his rope. I must admit...I had to think twice about it, but I finally decided to try and help. (I think the heat is finally getting to me.) I mean...if I didn't there's no telling what would happen to Justin with these dim-wits ‘helping' him.

Ten whole minutes it takes me. That's all. I find a tree, cut down a few bananas and take them back to the house. Using one of the smaller carved bowls, I use a relatively clean rock to grind the bananas into a pretty fine mush paste.

"Here."

Brian looks awe-struck as I thrust the bowl towards him. He doesn't take it so I finally just sit it down next to Justin's head. Maybe that way he'll be sure to know which end it goes in. I almost want to laugh, but that would just delay my getting the fuck out of the room.

"Just put some under his tongue at first," I explain, hoping he has the good sense to listen. "Then maybe feed him a little bit when he's drinking later."

Again, Brian says nothing. Just sits there slack-jawed, unmoving.

"Yeah. Well..."

I turn and leave. I think maybe I hear Brian attempt to speak, but...it doesn't matter anyway. I think I'll forget about swimming and get back to my progress on the raft. The sooner I get it done, the sooner I...um...we can get off this fucking rock.

***

"So...notice anything weird with Neil?"

Rory laughs at me and almost spills half the water she's just scooped out of the pond. "What an amazingly open-ended question!"

I roll my eyes. "No really. I think he's up to something. I passed by him this morning and he nodded his head and walked on without a single insult or offensive remark. He even started whistling!"

"He whistled at you?!"

This time it's my turn to laugh. "Pu-lease! Not even." How absurd! The idea of me and Neil together? Maybe once or twice I've thought about it but then I realized that he was Satan and the fantasy was gone.

I notice that Rory is frowning now. I think she hasn't quite gotten over that little affair. I wish she would. He really isn't worth what she obviously thinks he is. I brush one of her long black locks out of her face. "Rory...c'mon. I wish you wouldn't let him get you down."

"I don't." She doesn't look like she quite believes her own words. "Okay...I do. just... I can't have a normal ‘heart-break' here. I mean, if this was Pittsburgh and he had gone all one-night-stand on me, I would just avoid him like the plague. But..."

"But you can't do that here."

She shakes her head.

I take the water jug from her and place it safely on a rock and take both of her hands into mine. "Rory..." I begin very seriously. Her eyes widen as she meets my eyes. "If you want me to kill him...I will." It takes her a second but she finally smiles and then graduates to soft laughter. "I will! You just say the word!"

After a minute, Rory grins at me and shakes her head. "I love you."

As the words penetrate my head, I still. I know she's saying them very casually. Out of friendship and genuine affection. But...something in the words makes me feel queasy. Not sick-queasy, though. I can't quite put my finger on it.

I look at her and she looks at me. Our eyes hold and our smiles slowly disappear.

Ever so slowly she leans over and I close my eyes, holding my breath as I feel the heat of her breath on my face. I feel the impact of her lips on my cheek just as fully as one might feel a truck running them over. The heat is amazing and with such a simple gesture I feel like my world has been turned on its side.

It's a full minute before I open my eyes again. When I do, I see that Rory is staring at me questioningly.

Jeez. What the fuck?

In awkward silence we cap the jugs and heft them back onto our shoulders, the weight twice as much as I could have carried a year ago.

Halfway home, I think the silence becomes too much for Rory. "So... Something weird with Neil?"

I'd rather not discuss Lucifer at the moment but...what can you do? "Um...yeah."

She thinks it over for a moment and then, "Well...I say we just go our way and let him go his." Funny how suddenly she's sounds ever so nonchalant about the man.

"Of course. But I'd rather he didn't whistle while going his way. It makes me nervous to see him displaying his pleasant side. Quite frankly it scares me."

She laughs softly which sounds mechanical and forced. For myself, I can't even muster a smile. I don't know what happened in the last ten minutes, but...I know that change is definitely in the air. And it scares me a thousand times more than a cheerful Neil ever could.

***

It's around nine or so at night, I guess. I don't completely know. I've been in this room for the better part of thirty some-odd hours but it feels as though I've been here for weeks.

When the girls came back with the water, they sat with Justin while I took a quick jog. I couldn't stand to be gone for long but it did help.

Speaking of helping... I told the girls about Neil's little surprise visit and they seemed just as shocked as I was. But we did give him the bananas and he finally started swallowing on his own. It was a good sign and I could have kissed Neil. Wouldn't dare, but I was just that thrilled with the slight progress.

Around dinner the girls cleared out again and Cynthia brought me a plate of fruit. I ate it all before she had completely handed me the plate. I hadn't realized just how hungry I was. Guess I really hadn't eaten in a while.

Now I'm just waiting for the girls to go to bed. They seem somewhat distracted and aren't nearly as chatty as they usually are. At least they aren't talking and getting on my nerves. They just sit and stare - much like I've been doing. Only their silent staring is putting me a little on edge.

"I think I'm gonna turn in," Cynthia says finally.

I sigh inwardly. Hallelujah! At least the tension will be halved. Gone if Rory would join her. But no luck there. Rory actually makes herself more comfy, leaning against the wall as if she plans to stay a while.

I've seen that look in her eyes before too. She's gonna fucking talk to me. Dammit. Don't talk to me! Noooo!

"Brian...can I talk to you?"

"Nooooo!" I cringe. Didn't mean to let that one slip out. "Um... yeah. Sure. What's up?" I say, grabbing Justin's hand, hoping it will ground me.

"I think...I dunno."

Well that's a big help.

"Something weird happened."

Uh-huh...

"Cynthia... I think maybe..."

Yeeeeeeeeeah...

"I think I like..."

I seriously wish I was in Justin's place right now. I massage his hand as she stumbles along.

"See... When we were getting water..."

"Rory!" I all but scream. "Rory...what are you trying to say?"

"I kissed Cynthia!"

"Oh. Is that all?'

She looks stricken. I don't think she was expecting that reaction. But...that's what you get when you talk to me. I am the king of indifference. At least I was once upon a time.

"Well...I mean...I don't want her to think..."

"Look. Where did you kiss her?"

"On the cheek."

I look up, trying not to completely roll my eyes. I give her a tight smile. "On the cheek? What the fuck is the problem?"

"Well... I don't know. Things just feel...weird between us. Like, maybe she thinks I meant it as more than just a..."

"Friendly gesture?"

She nods and keeps her eyes cast on Justin.

"Rory - stop worrying about it. Just... Act like nothing happened. If you do then I'm sure Cynthia will know you didn't mean anything by it."

"Yeah." I see her wheels spinning. "I think -" I am just short of groaning when her eyes go wide. Her mouth falls open and I follow her gaze to Justin's face.

"Shit!"

Justin's eyes aren't open but his face is screwed up into a teeth-clenching grimace. Leaning close I hear him whimper.

Then I realize that I'm squeezing the hell out of his hand and have been for the last several minutes. "OH!" I loosen my grip and keep one hand on his while I stroke his face gently with the other. "Justin? Can you hear me? Baby?"

"Mmnnnn."

I laugh deliriously. That's the closest thing to awake that I've seen out of him yet. "That's right baby. Just keep coming back to us.

Rory seems to have forgotten her troubles as she's now checking his pulse and rubbing his shoulder, a super-wide grin plastered on her face.

I watch Justin open his eyes and this time they don't immediately close. They blinkingly scan the room, alight on me and the flutter closed again. That's fine. It's fucking brilliant if you ask me! He's gonna wake up! Slowly but surely he's coming back to me!

Thank you! THANK YOU!

I lean over and place kisses all over his face and resist the urge to straddle him and lay my head on his chest. I want to be close to him right now. I feel such a relief in me... It rivals the feeling I had when he finally pulled out of his coma. Only this one is much sweeter, because I can be with him. I can see him through this one. I'm here. And he's coming back!

I don't notice when Rory finally leaves us. Don't notice when the birds start chirping extra furiously at sunrise. Don't notice the sounds of the house stirring. All I see is Justin's eyelashes fluttering up and down, every few hours without fail. And each time his eyes open, he sees me, smiles and is content to know I'm here.

He's out of the worst. Now he's just sleeping it off. And finally, after two days...I can too.

To BE CONTINUED