After weeks of putting on the biggest front one could ever put on; Justin got the news he had been waiting for. McKennah had been improving every week or so; she moved her hand once but never did wake up. The brain damage wasn't as extensive as once thought, her broken bones were healing, the bumps and bruises were gone. Justin had been back to see her every time they had a day off, no matter what time it was when a concert was over he was on the next flight to Maryland.
It was about 2 a.m. and they had just gotten onto the bus for the ride to Las Vegas. His cell phone was ringing off the hook and finally woke him up. "Hello?"
"Justin? I didn't wake you, did I?"
"Alexis?"
"Yeah..did I wake you?"
"I just dozed off, it's okay though. What's up?"
"Get here as soon as possible."
"What's wrong? Is she okay?"
All the guys' heads turned as Justin began pacing back and forth in front fo them. They didn't know what they'd do if McKennah wasn't around to yell at them and praise them all in the same sentence.
"She's fine, honey, calm down. Your mom got here this morning and was in with her while I went to the cafeteria and she came and got me just a few minutes ago; McKennah's moving again."
"She is?!"
"Yes, they think she'll wake up soon. She's responding to pain and she's been trying to fight the breathing tube so they're going to take that out here in a few minutes."
"She's waking up? Really?"
"Yes..she's waking up Justin."
"I'll be there by morning."
"Ok."
"Thank you...so much.."
"I didn't do anything..go get some sleep Justin."
Justin finished his goodbyes and hung up the phone. All the guys were watching him carefully as he had sat down and wasn't saying anything. He sat completely still. JC got up and stood in front of him, "Justin? Is everything okay?"
He looked up, tears were shining in his eyes, "Everything's going to be fine."
"What'd her mom say?," Joey asked.
"She's moving alot now and they're going to take the breathing tube out in a few minutes because she's fighting it. She said she's beginning to wake up.."
"That's..that's good, right?"
Justin nodded, "That's everything I could of hoped for.."
Lance, Joey, JC, and Chris were all sitting in the kitchen area while Justin was in the back packing his things. Lance sighed, "Not that I don't think this is great..because it is...but...they don't know how much..the little brain damage that was done...they don't know how much it really affected her, do they?"
Chris shook his head, "No, not really. The doctor told Alexis that anything or nothing could be wrong."
"I hope it's nothing.."
"We all do.," Joey said.
"He's so happy..for the first time in weeks, he's truely excited about something."
"I know.."
Justin was in Maryland late the next morning, his mom met him there and hugged him as soon as she saw him. "She wake up yet?"
Lynn shook her head, "Not yet. They took the breathing tube out and she's breathing on her own now though. They said it could be any time..."
Once in the car, Justin turned to look at his mom, "How bad is it going to be?"
"How bad is what going to be?"
"How...how much damage does she have?"
"They don't know. The CT Scans have all been normal for the past week or so."
"That's good right?"
"Of course it is, honey."
"Don't lie to me mom, please.."
"I'm not sweetie..."
"What did she do, when you were talking to her?"
"I was telling her about how Jon and Steven have made little cards and gifts for her and I put them all over her room so she could see them when she woke up. I then said something about how you were on tour but you were absolutely miserable..and she squeezed my hand. I didn't know what to think...then she did it again...and I asked her if she could hear me, to squeeze my hand once and she did. Then, I went to get Alexis."
"That's..that's good."
Alexis was sitting with McKennah when she saw her eyes start to flutter open. She stood up, "McKennah, sweetheart, can you hear me? Open your eyes honey."
Her eyes fully opened and she squinted at the light and then made eye contact with her mother. Alexis smiled, "Hi my baby, can you talk or anything?"
McKennah opened her mouth and tried to say something but nothing came out and shook her head. Alexis grabbed a cup of water and helped her drink that. "Do you need me to get the doctor honey?"
She shook her head and then whispered, "Am I okay?"
Alexis nodded, "Yes, you've just been out of commission for a few weeks...are you hurting?"
"No."
"Okay..good..well..I think Justin's here..would you like to see him?"
"He's here? After all this time?"
"Why would you think he'd leave?"
"I..I don't know..."
"McKennah, he loves you just as much as you do him..."
"But...the fight..."
"He felt it was his fault you got hit."
"It wasn't..I should of looked where i was going...."
"Yes, but that car shouldn't of been going the speed it was..."
"He's here?"
"yep..him and Lynn are both here..I called him last night and he flew in this morning..."
"He's on tour?"
"Yes..."
"Mom?"
"Yes?"
"Do I look okay?"
Alexis laughed, "Honey, you look fine for someone who has been in the same hospital bed and gown for a couple weeks now..."
"Ok.."
"I'll go get him..."
"Thank you."
Alexis left the room and walked down the hallway to see Lynn and Justin sitting in the chairs that lined the wall. They both looked up as they heard someone coming down the hallway. Alexis smiled and took the seat next to Justin, "She's awake now..and she's talking and remembers everything..even the fight. She wants to see you.."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm positive."
Justin stood up, "Ok.."
Lynn pushed him away from the chair, "Go on boy."
Justin walked down the long hallway, it seemed to take hours and hours before he reached the door to her room. He pushed it open and little and stepped inside.
Taking a deep breath, he walked over to the side of her bed. Her eyes, once more, fluttered open and she smiled, "Justin.."
He smiled, tears wanting to come to his eyes, "Hi baby."
"I'm so sorry Justin...I didn't..I didn't see it...at all.."
"Oh don't be sorry Kennah...at all. It wasn't your fault at all..."
He took her hand and gently kissed the palm of it, "I'm so glad you're back with us..."
"Me too..."
"So...do you feel okay? Any pain, at all?"
She shook her head a little, "No..not really..I wanna go home Justin..I want out of here..."
He kissed her forehead gently and pulled back, "You'll be home before you know it..."
"Am..I..okay?"
"Physically?"
She nodded.
He nodded, "As far as I know, you are."
"Ok..good..I guess.."
Both mothers watched as Justin finally sat down, her hand still intertwined with his. He smiled at something she said and was looking at her with so much love and caring in his eyes it almost made them want to cry. Alexis sighed, "I'm so glad she's going to be okay..."
"Me too..."
"It would of torn him up if she would have...died..."
Lynn nodded, hugging Alexis, "It would of torn up alot of people.."
"They're going to be okay Lynn..."
"I know that they will be...they were born for each other..."
"Look at them...they look at each other like they've been together like this for years..."
"They've grown up..right in front of our eyes..."
"That they have..."
Lynn smiled, "They're not really our babies anymore...."
Alexis nodded, smiling, "They're all grown up now.."
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