“Dr. Boland?” Regan asked, every muscle in her body tensing more than before, if that were even possible. The only she forced herself to resign to being treated at the hospital was that it might negate the need for her to see Aaron Boland. He worked at the Harkness Dance Center at Orthopedic Hospital downtown and she panicked at the eerie coincidence. Her mind searched for any logical reason of why he’d just happened to be in this particular hospital the morning she just happened to be unwittingly escorted there by pop icon, Justin Timberlake. There’s no reason, no reason at all. I knew he was creepy… He’s stalking me! That’s it! “What are you doing here?”

“Hi, Regan,” the man before her smiled. He was tall, good looking in that mid-to-later age way, with smile lines around his eyes and a gentle manner about him. Even now when she felt that uneasiness at his presence directly, she still couldn’t figure out what it was that skeeved her so badly. And now she was letting her imagination get the best of her, everything from murder-suicide plots to Blair Witch scenarios ran through her head in the 3 seconds it took him to answer her question. “I was working with a colleague up in physical therapy when your name was mentioned. We’re working on a new form of therapy for people with dance and sports injuries and a nurse bringing up some documents from downstairs and mentioned a patient had just come in that may be eligible. Small world, eh?”

Oh… “Sure is,” she replied dryly.

“Well, anyway, I took your x-rays off of De. Malcolm’s hands since you technically my patient- being part of ABT.”

“How nice,” she replied with a brittle smile, looking over to Jack who returned her smile reassuringly.

“Ok, Miss Regan, I’m not going to sugar-coat this. You have some serious damage to your ligaments and this time last year, hell, this time last month, your career could have easilt been over.”

“And what about this time today,” she said growing impatient.

“What I’m going to suggest, you must realize is still experimental…”

“How many times do I have to say this, lady? She’s not a citizen of this country. She doesn’t have a social security number.”

“Sir, if you’d just calm down, this would go a lot faster,” the nurse replied unfazed by Mike’s irritability. “What country does she belong to?”

“Ireland. It was Ireland this first time you asked me. It was Ireland the second time you asked me. And it’ll be Ireland the tenth time you ask me. Ireland.”

Justin watched, thoroughly amused by Mike’s interaction with the nurse. She had to be just bustin’ his balls at this point. He looked down at his watch. 8am. He concluded he’d have no trouble sleeping after this little adventure.

“And your relation to the patient?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“If you hadn’t skipped so many spaces on these forms—”

“Listen, I just want to see my sister. She’s afraid of doctors and she needs me. Now are you going to tell me where she is or do I have to make a scene?”

“Relation— Brother,” the nurse said, filling to blank space and completely ignoring Mike’s outburst. “Ok, now they’ve taken some x-rays of your sister’s legs and ankles and she’s waiting on them down this hall to the left, bed three.”

“Thank you,” Mike ground out, scowling at her unwavering pleasant expression. He turned to see Justin desperately trying to suppress his laughter. “I’m glad you’re amused, young squire.”

“Will any of you Costelloe’s ever call me by my name?” Justin shook his head good-humoredly.

“Probably not.”

“Well at least I know where I stand.”

“You’re lucky you can stand at all, kid. I promise once I wake I’m going to be very pissed at the both of you.”

“Pardon?” Jusitn questioned incredulously. “What’d I—”

“Aided and abetted the inmate’s escape.”

“Hey she was going no matter what. The way I figure, it’s a lot better I went with her than her having woken up alone, collapsing when she got out of bed without me there.”

“You were there when she woke up?!” Mike exclaimed accusingly.

“What!? No! That’s not what I meant! We never even went to her place! We were at a diner and when we got up to leave, she buckled,” Justin explained at light speed, blushing profusely at how what he said must have sounded. “I was just making a point about where she would have been if I didn’t go with her. That, um, what I, a, that never even crossed my mind.”

Mike eyed him suspiciously knowing he hadn’t meant what he said the way it sounded but still trying to recuperate from his heart-stoppage when the words had hit his ears.

Seeing the not-entirely-convinced look of the rather large big brother of the girl he’d just accidentally alluded to spending the night with sent the young man into a babbling frenzy. “Not that I wouldn’t think of her that way, she’s a beautiful girl- Oh God! not that I was looking! But we just met not even 24 hours ago and I’m not sure that I’m even in the market for any kind of relationship like that and while I think she’s very interesting I don’t know if I’d even want that- not that there’s any reason why I or any guy wouldn’t, I’m just saying—”

“I get it, I get it!” Mike said dragging a hand over his face. “You coming with or do you want to wait here and collect yourself?”

“Well, I told her that I’d come see her so,” he said relaxing as they started to walk in the direction the nurse had pointed them in. “Not that that means anything,” he added trying to cover his bases.

“I get it, kid,” Mike smirked, kind of enjoying the young man’s discomfort. He always took pleasure in rousting his kid sister’s young suitors but this was just as fun without the threat. There was no way Regan would ever go for a kid like this even if he were interested which, despite his boyish outburst, seemed not to be the case. But it never hurt to make sure. “You two seem to be getting along well,” he offered, tossing Justin a sideways glance.

“Well, I have to admit, I’m surprised. I was in a pretty foul mood yesterday and wasn’t exactly cordial. She seemed to shrug it off pretty easily though.”

Nah. I was right the first time. “Well, that’s Regan. She’s never been one to take stuff like that to heart. It takes a lot to irk her.”

“Yeah, I picked up on that. Its cool to find someone who can deal with my mood swings.”

Uh oh. Warning, Warning. “Well I wouldn’t say she’s insanely tolerant. She has her boiling point just like everyone.”

“Oh yeah, sure. I just meant that with the way things are for me an the guys its pretty important for friends not to sweat the little things cus they’ll never be able to handle it when the real problems come up.”

Ok, he used the word friend. Good boy. “Understandable,” Mike replied tersely, realizing that this back and forth could go on forever with a hormonal 19-year-old and he’d never be 100% sure. He’d go with his gut on this one and hope for the best.

“Can I help you boys?” a stout woman in a lab coat asked approaching the two who clearly had no clue where they were or where they were going.

“Um, I’m looking for my sister, Regan Costelloe. The nurse up front said she’d be in bed three.

“This is bed three, right here, boys,” she said pointing to a small curtained-off area.

“Thanks,” Justin nodded as Mike walked ahead.

“Regan?” Mike said pulling he curtain back, to be greeted by his sister’s smiling face. “Well this is right up there with Elvis playing poker with JFK on my list of things I expected to see when I got here.”

“Mike!” she grinned. “I’m gonna be ok! This is Dr. Boland.”

“Doctor,” Mike greeted, extending his hand.

“Nice to meeting you, Mr. Costelloe,” Dr. Boland said, returning the handshake.

“Mike, please,” Mike replied moving to Regan’s side. “How ya doing kiddo?”

“In pain,” she said with a soft laugh. “But Dr. Boland just gave me some great news,” she beamed.

Justin stood silently in the background returning her glowing mile when she looked over to him. He couldn’t help the knot from forming in his stomach as the doctor explained his “new advances in physical therapy”. Not only did what he was suggesting sound off considering she couldn’t even walk and hour and half earlier, he’d been around his fair share of injuries and physical therapists and what he was hearing just didn’t mesh. He was getting “that feeling” Regan had mentioned but looking at her, it was easy to tell she’d let her hope override her intuition.

After Boland finished explaining what the game plan was, he excused himself, saying that Dr. Malcolm would be in to wrap and splint Regan’s ankles. She’d have to stay off her feet completely until they started work on Tuesday. Good luck keeping her sitting down, he thought with a subtle rueful shake of his head. Tuesday, Jesus. Apparently they were still considering letting her dance in the upcoming tour.

Also not lost on him was the fact that the orderly from when they first arrived was still there. His immediate reaction was, Well, that was nice of him. But that pleasantry quickly faded as he noticed the way this guy was looking at her. He felt an inexplicable twinge of… something… course through his body. What the hell? Could this guy be any more obvious? What don’t you just tackle her now and get it over with, buddy. Quick while she’s injured.

Regan caught Justin’s second daze of their “fun-filled” outing and smirked. “Jesus, it hot in here,” she sighed dramatically. “What’s it like where you are, Timberlake?”

“Huh? Oh sorry,” he smiled sheepishly. “I did it again, huh?”

“Yeah,” she confirmed as she and Mike exchanged playful glances. “Oh! I almost forgot,” she scolded herself. “You guys, this is Jack the orderly. Jack, this is my brother Mike and Justin, who you met before.”

“Nice to me you,” the young man said offering his hand and recoiling it when the other two men seemed to be too distracted to return the gesture.

“He kept me company while you were… wait where the hell were you all this time?” Regan continued sending Jack a ‘don’t worry about it’ look.

“Mike and the nurse up front had a little spat,” Justin answered before Mike could come up with an alternative to the truth.

“About?”

“Artistic differences.”

“Huh?”

“He saw your forms as filled out and she saw them as blank.”

“What can I say?” Mike shrugged. “I’m and optimist. I choose to see the triplicate of health insurance form half-full.”

Regan groaned at the bad joke and snatched up Justin’s hand. “Make him stop. Please, make him stop!”

“I’m a singer not a shrink,” Justin replied giving her hand a squeeze of condolence. He was quick to notice the subtle glint of jealousy in Jack the orderly’s eyes and found an intense amount of satisfaction in that observation.

Three hours later, the town house door swung open with a bang.

“Here comes the invalid!” Regan announced as Mike carried her through the front door, Justin in tow carrying her transportation for the next few days- a wheelchair.

“Regan!” Mae called and she pulled herself up off the living room floor where she’d been watching Saturday morning cartoon since dawn.

“Careful piglet,” Mike warned as he set his sister down on the couch. “Regan’s got a boo-boo.”

“That’s ok, mommy’ll kiss it and it’ll get better,” Mae said crawling up on he couch next to her aunt.

“Thanks for the tip piglet but I think Bridie’s lip would get chaped trying to make this better. We’ll leave it to the doctors,” Regan said, pulling the little girl onto her lap.

“But mommy says your ascared of doctors”

“Well mommy’s got a big mouth.”

“Did I hear my name?” Bridget said cautiously entering the room, unsure of just what Regan was feeling toward her.

“You bet, big mouth,” Regan smirked. “Come and join the fun.”

“Does this mean your not mad at me?” Bridget prodded, picking Regan’s feet up gingerly and sitting down on in their place with them across her lap.

“Not as much but your not off the hook,” Regan admitted.

“Well just as long as you don’t start yelling at me in that god-awful language again.”

“I can’t promise that. Its kind of involuntary,” Regan laughed softly.

“Sleep, sleep now,” Justin mumbled collapsing onto the empty couch opposite everyone else.

“Aww, I don’t think this superhero’s gonna cut it for long if he wares out so easily,” Regan teased. “I bet you’re feelin’ those gravy fires right about now.”

“Tell me about it,” Justin laughed through the pillow his head was buried in. “Are there any tums in the house?”

“Are you kidding? I live with the premier Italian chef of the metropolitan area. Heart burn becomes an issue from time to time,” Bridget laughed. “Honey, wanna fetch our guest some tums?”

“Excuse me? Who was the one who got dragged out of bed at 5:30 in the morning, here?”

All she had to do was give her husband one sharp look and he backed off like a corned mink and went to fetch a couple of tums for the kid.

“Doesn’t that kind of power go to your head?” Regan laughed.

“Well that’s what I’ve got you for. To keep me grounded by battering me with harsh words in an indiscernible language only spoken on a small island in the North Atlantic.”

“As long as I have a purpose.”

“I dunno, it just seems off to me. I mean, she couldn’t even stand much less walk and he claims he’s gonna have her dancing at performance level in a week?”

“Well, he’s a doctor, Justin,” JC said trying to tame his hair. “Don’t you think its possible that he really does have a brand new therapy for things like this? Besides you said he warned her that it was still experimental.”

“Something about him, man. I can’t put my finger on it but I don’t trust him. Oh! And you should have seen this orderly that was drooling all over her like he’d never seen a girl before. The whole thing was just a surreal experience if I’ve ever had one,” Justin said falling back onto the bed JC had spent the night in- pleasantly dreaming until Justin woke him up with the shrill ring of a cell phone just to wake up Mike. Nothing like sending your friend on a suicide mission and interrupting a Cameron Diaz dream in one foul swoop.

“Uh oh,” JC chuckled.

“What?”

“You’ve got a crush on Regan,” he accused tauntingly.

“What? I do not,” he defended himself.

“Then what do you care how some other guy looks at her?”

“I don’t care. I just noticed is all. I think we kinda had a moment last night and sue me if I feel a little protective. It doesn’t mean I’m looking for anything from her.”

“You’re digging yourself into a hole here, my friend.”

“Fine, believe what you want.”

“Fine, I planned on it.”

“What are you two bickering about?” Bridget said from the doorway.

“Nothing,” Justin was quick to reply from his unmoved position on the bed.

“Nothing I won’t tell you about until later,” JC whispered to his best friend.

“I heard that!”

“Then I won’t have to worry about lying to you later,” JC replied with a shrug.

“So what’s the game plan for today?” Bridget inquired, stifling a laugh as JC attempted to make his hair presentable without the aid of a professional.

“Sleep!” Justin groaned.

“Well now that Justin broke our tour guide with his ‘diner-fries’ cravings—“

“That SO had nothing to do with me!”

“—I guess you’ll have to be promoted, chicks.”

“I’m so honored! Do I get a badge or something?”

“If you’re lucky. For now its just a uniform,” he grinned evilly. “Go on get dressed, you know what I like baby.”

“Ooo, you gonna get yourself all ghetto-fabulous and be my big daddy?”

“Oh Jesus! Will you two knock it off!” Justin exclaimed, throwing one pillow at them and the other of his face.

“I think we’re offending his virgin ears,” JC snickered.

“Yeah, that’s the only thing virgin about him,” Bridget smirked evilly.

“So you still might be able to dance in that tour you were telling us about?” Lance asked sitting down across from Regan.

“I hope so,” she smiled brightly. “If not this tour at least the doctor is pretty sure that someday there will be a tour. I know its gonna be hard but I feel I’ve been locked in a tank filling with water for two weeks and someone just pulled the plug out of the drain.”

”Well, I hope it all works out for you,” Lance smiled warmly.

“Thanks Lance-a-lot,” she grinned. “I’m just so excited and now I have spend three whole days on my ass before we can get started.”

“Well, I think there are a lot of people who would kill for someone to force them to sit around and be lazy for a few days.”

“Well I certainly wouldn’t resort to homicide for this,” she chuckled gesturing to her reclining position.

“Maybe if you just relax and enjoy the fact that people will be waiting on you hand and foot for the next few days, I’d make it a bit easier,” Lance suggested.

“You know I didn’t think of it like that,” she smiled devilishly. “Suddenly the couch seems shiny and new. Mike!”

“What? What’s wrong? Are you ok?” Mike questioned , running in from the kitchen.

“Can you make me a peanut and jelly sandwich, please,” she requested sweetly.

“I suppose I could do that, “ he breathed.

“Oh and I want grape jelly and chunky peanut butter,” she added with a smile.

“Ok…”

“Oh and Mike?”

“Yes?’

“No crusts.”

The weekend went by in a haze of good food, outrageous conversations, and all-out tease-fests. Apparently the fact that Regan couldn’t get around very well failed to speed down or tame her tongue when it came to her sparring with Mike.

Justin for the most part stayed low key, keeping Regan company when everyone else went out during the day and/or night. After that first night he felt like he was hooked. They were going be friends, the kind he’d lost those years before, and he could feel it. The guys were like brothers but there was something missing since he lost Cristin and he wasn’t going to let this opportunity to be a part of something like that again pass him by. With her starting therapy on Tuesday, he knew that this weekend would be his only chance to build something up before he had to leave. They had movie marathons, played cards, Monopoly, and he even got her to indulge in homemade ice cream Sundays and pizza.

Monday morning they laid, stretched out in the living room watching the Price is Right and having fun yelling at the TV like retards.

“Oh my god, it a God damn salad shooter! In what universe does one of those cost 200 bucks, you reject?” Regan said throwing a fruit roll-up wrapper at the TV.

“I don’t think they can actually hear you, kiddo,” JC said coming down the stairs.

“Like it stops you when the Redskins are playing, ” Justin pointed out distractedly from his seat.

“That’s different,” JC pouted.

“Well, you should probably beware when the soaps start coming on cus I’m ten times worse with them. Come to think of it, I’m usually watching them on tape after I get back from classes. I’m not going to be able to fast forward through the commercials. You may really want to be elsewhere.” Regan babbled as the rest of the brood made their way down the stairs.

”So what are you guys doing today?” Regan asked returning her gaze to the TV.

“Not sure,” Joey shrugged, his voice still hoarse from sleep. “With you on the sidelines and Bridget at school and Mike at work, we have no one to go out and play with.”

“Might I suggest yourselves?” Regan said, muting the TV. “You’re big boys now, this city isn’t that hard to get around and its certainly not hard to find something to do. You’ve been here on your own before, correct?”

“Yea…” was the general response.

“So what’s the problem?”

“No problem, ma’am,” Chris saluted. “C’mon boys, lets show her how Nsync like to have fun.”

Within 30 seconds they were situated all over the room, mindlessly staring at the TV. “Oh yeah, party animals,” Regan scoffed.

“Listen gimpy,” Chris shot back with an exaggerated glare, “we’re just trying to keep ya company but if you’d rather, we could steal Curly and leave you alone to contemplate your therapy starting tomorrow. We could very easily hit the statue of liberty… again.”

“I see Justin isn’t the only one who fights dirty,” Regan grumbled, her face dissolving into a pout as the next contestant ‘came on down’.

“Nsync 1, Ballerina 0,” Chris laughed triumphantly. “Watch out girly, cus today’s all about keep score.”

By the 4 o’clock, General Hospital credits were rolling, Luke had vowed to get Helena back for brainwashing Lucky, Carly had miscarried Sonny’s baby, and the score was Nsync 1, Ballerina 14.

“You know if this past weekend is a point of departure for the future, I just might get through this mess,” Regan said throwing Chris’s triumphant laugh back at him.

Justin smiled at her, hoping she was right.

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