| Great Outdoors [nine] by Destiny Lance hated to use Joey as a crutch but with the drugs slowly returning him to normal the pain increased tri-fold. The ulcer that sat in his gut flared up with vengeance sending sharp stinging pains throughout his lower region. "I have to stop," he gasped as he disentangled himself from Joey and leaned against a tree. "No. We can't stop now buddy. The light is disappearing and if we don't keep moving we'll really be fucked. We have to keep moving okay?" Joey's sobriety caught up with him in a hurry and he yanked Lance from the tree. "Almost there," he said reassuringly. "Almost." Hell, he didn't know where he was but they couldn't be far off. Lance muttered in agony as he plowed onward with tiny unsure steps. Each new footing sent shivers of pain though his body and he gritted his teeth to keep from crying anymore. Joey was strong, pulling his pants up in time of need. Lance realized he'd always been like that right from the start. Joey hung in the back happy to smile and laugh but when one of them was truly in trouble his protective Italian nature emerged and he became a lion, daring strangers to mess with the injured. So why couldn't he do that with his new wife? Why couldn't he be that lion and step up to protect her and their unborn child? "I see something," Joey grunted. Lance squinted and there in the distance was the tiniest of hope, a small glimmer of a fire burning brightly in someone's campsite. "Come on buddy. Can you do it? Can you make it just a little further?" "I think so," Lance sniffled hobbling along. The pain had consumed his entire leg and he dared not look down sure he would be met with a horrific sight. His toes were numb and he trudged along fighting the tears with each movement. Joey strained his eyes to see the orange flames of a fire lapping higher into the darkened wooded area. "I hear Chris I think," he said with hope. He held Lance tightly and pressed on with the realization Lance was in a lot of pain. He hoped he could get him to safety soon. "Don't feel good," Lance garbled lowly. "Come on," Joey urged as his heart raced. "A little further Lance. Don't you fucking do this to me!" Lance watched the tree tops spin around before the world went black. Joey gasped as Lance slumped down. "No!" he screamed. Chris titled his head. "Did you hear that?" he asked. JC nodded and the two raced through the thicket toward the sound. "Hey!" JC yelled cupping his hands around his mouth. "Hey! Is that you guys?" Joey laid Lance down gently on the forest floor. JC's voice was heaven to his ears. "Yeah! Hurry! Lance fainted!" He touched Lance's forehead and wiped the tiny beads of sweat away. "God, Lance, don't do this man. Wake up." He slapped at the younger mans full cheeks lightly. "Lance, buddy, be okay." Flashbacks of Lance's exhaustion incident flashed by and Joey cringed. JC sped past Chris hopping over logs and fallen branches. His blood ran cold through his blood thinking about Lance fainted. "Jesus!" he cried as he stumbled over a rock. "What happened?" He landed just a few feet from Lance's feet. Chris appeared behind him with wide eyes. Joey shook Lance angrily. "Get the fuck up! You get up Lance. Don't you put us through this again." He felt a floodgate of tears threaten to escape and he was consumed with the bond of brotherhood they'd all lost. "JC, do something," he begged. Chris knelt down and scooped Lance's head up a bit. "Lance?" he said gently as he pushed Joey's frustrated hands away. "Lance do you hear me?" JC escorted Joey back a bit to let Chris tend to Lance. "Where's Justin?" he asked as his eyes filled with dread. "Joe? Where's Justin?" Joey shook his head unable to tear his gaze away from Lance. Lance was slowly coming around and Joey pulled free from JC's confining grip to see his friend. "Goddamnit," he smiled. "Don't fucking do that shit!" Lance felt a dull throb in the back on his eyes. His stomach lurched with fire and he couldn't deal with the pain in his ankle. "I need..." His face fell as he remembered Justin tossing his stash. His heart lurched as he realized he was not getting relief from any of his pain anytime soon. "Fuck!" His wail echoed through the trees and he pushed his knuckles into his eye sockets begging for some kind of reprieve. ****************************************************************************************************************** Justin's head snapped up. The unmistakable cry that settled in his ears was Lance. He stood up and brushed the dead leaves from his pants. He was sorry he'd left Joe and Lance, hell, he was sorry about a lot of things. Having time to think alone was an eye-opener. He'd spent time thinking back to better times, to grueling tour schedules when they first started and nights spent laughing and playing video games. He remembered how he and Lance always got sappy when their mother's left for America leaving them alone in a foreign country. He recalled how JC, Joey and Chris were always there for them, sneaking in some alcohol, or even finding videotapes of American shows to remind them of home. He remembered the brotherhood, how they stood united against Lou even though they were scared to death that it would be the end of them. They supported one another through break ups and paternity suits, rumors and out of control fans. Justin let his tears slip out as he realized he had everything he needed in the woods somewhere. Lance, Joey, JC, and Chris were his life, his family. He raced toward Lance's voice as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "Guys!" he screamed. "Hello?" JC looked up when he heard the familiar voice. "Justin?" he called back. "Follow my voice, man. Keep coming." Justin continued to flee in the dark not caring if the branches ripped his flesh or his feet ached. He had to get to them and apologize, beg their forgiveness and make it all right. He spotted JC's head in the distance and sniffled. "Jace! I'm here!" JC turned to see his friend jogging toward him. He wanted to embrace him, pull him into a hug and never let go. But he feared new Justin still existed. New Justin wouldn't allow himself to be hugged. Justin jumped into JC's arms surprising everyone. "I'm sorry," he sobbed as he clutched onto JC. "Everyone, I'm sorry." Lance scrunched his nose up in agony. "I can't move," he whispered. Justin pulled back and hurried to Lance. "I'm sorry I got like that when you got hurt. I'm sorry." "Apology accepted," Lance grunted through gritted teeth. "Now can someone get me some Tylenol?" Joey and Justin lifted Lance and carried him the short distance to the camp where Jessica approached. "My God, is he alright?" JC sighed. "I think so. Just a sprain. Got any aspirin?" She nodded and rushed to her two friends who promptly headed back to their own camp. Jessica jogged back over to JC. "They're going to get something for him." The hug rocked her backwards. She hadn't expected JC's arms to find their way around her, nor did she expect the alarming strength of the grasp. JC didn't know what came over him to stand and hold this stranger like he'd known her forever. He knew it felt good to be vulnerable, felt nice to stand in nature's wilderness and feel a soft body next to him. And when he felt a stirring between his legs he laughed through his embrace. "What's so funny?" Chris asked as Joey and Justin deposited Lance carefully down on the blanket. "Nothing," JC blushed pulling back. "Everything is good for once." The two girls returned with an amber bottle. They handed Lance two tablets and gave him a drink. Jessica nodded thankfully. "They found something for him." "Isn't that prescription?" Chris asked with a grin. "What'd they give him?" One girl hopped over. "He'll be fine now. Codine always knocks me out." "You gave him drugs?" Justin cried as he stood before the petite blonde. "You fucking gave him..arghhh!" Joey pulled him back. "Chill. It's okay. He'll rest now. We'll deal with it all in the morning. Tonight we relax, get to know each other again and figure all this bullshit out!" JC nodded as he took Jessica's hand. "You understand I hope." He let his eyes surrender to hers as she pulled a stray twig from his shirt. "Just know you came along at a time when I needed you so much." He tugged her away from the campfire where Lance was being babied by her friends. "I can't give you much in return," he said solemnly, "but know that you've been an angel." Jessica smiled at him. "I knew I was here camping for some reason." She understood what he was saying..no promises of further contact. "Good luck, JC. I'll be watching y'all." He returned her smile and held her close. "Thank you." She rounded up her friends and they headed off leaving a very fun-loving Lance, a virile JC, a lovable teddy bear Joey, a caring Justin, and a mother hen Chris to work out their issues in private. |