“I’M THINKING OKAY,” he yelled beginning to pace back and forth. The five-minute bell sounded indicating that the show was about to recommence. “Okay, ok this is what we will do. Justin you stay here in case JC shows up, Joey you stay with him.
“No. You’re not leaving me here, I need to be looking for him not watching some stupid fucking show.”
“And where are you going to look Justin?” Lance’s emerald eyes blazed, adrenaline feeding his growing temper. “Huh, where? You stay the fuck here. Chris you and House go to the hotel, see if he’s gone back there if he’s not wait there he may come back anytime.”
“What are you going to do?”
Lonnie, Meaty and me are going to search every inch of this place, when we’ve finished we are going to go up and down the god damned street in every shop, coffee house and restaurant. Joey just keep J here.” They split into their search groups and Justin slumped back in his seat as the lights dimmed and Brittany hopped back over the stage shaking her tush in time to the music as she growled out her idea of what A old classic rock tune should sound like.
***
His head hurt, no that was an understatement his head vibrated with the brass band that was playing loudly inside it drowning out his ability to think, to understand what was happening to him. He couldn’t feel the sturdy arms anymore that rocked him or the thick fingers that stroked and petted at his long locks. It wasn’t real, this place wasn’t real, he knew who he was, he knew his whole life history, he could remember everything from the fire that nearly wiped out him and his whole family when he was five years old to his first pet dog, the first day on the set of MMC, the first day he met Justin. Justin … Justin would be so worried about him, they had plans, they were together now. He had to go … get away… Get back to Justin. He jumped as the hospital room door opened. A short balding man wearing glasses sat on the chair next to the bed. “Hello Jason, do you remember me?”
“JC. My name is JC”
“I asked you a question Jason.”
“Answer the doctor Jason, he’s here to help you baby.”
“Will you stop calling me Jason! My ….name …. Is …..JC.” He spoke loudly and clearly as if they couldn’t understand him.
“Mr Scott, I’m sorry but I really think the institution is the best place for him, you really should sign the papers as his next of kin you have the authority.”
JC snapped forward “I’m not crazy” He hissed. “I’m not. I know who I am, what I am and what I’m not.”
David ignored his ’husbands’ outburst, “The institute is so final … I don’t want to do that to him.”
“He’d get the best possible treatment and care, he could be ready to rejoin society in as little as 12 months.”
“Stop talking about me as if I’m not here.” JC shrieked “I’m here look at me. Talk to me not him.”
The doctor took off his glasses and rested them on the nightstand. “All right Jason I’ll talk to you. What do you want to talk about?”
“You keep calling me Jason, I’m not Jason Scott!”
The doctor nodded and David scrubbed at his eyes in frustration. “Jason, sweetie ….” The doctor shut him up by holding up his hand.
“Okay, if you are not Jason Scott who are you?”
JC lifted up his chin his eyes flashing triumphantly. “I’m Joshua Scott Chasez.”
“A minute ago you said you were called JC”
The brunettes confidence slipped a little then he gave a wry smile “That’s what I’m called too, its my nickname JC, Joshua Chasez.”
“Why don’t you tell me about JC?”
“I shouldn’t be here, this isn’t my life.”
“What is your life?”
JC swallowed hard how could he convince this doctor he wasn’t mad? “I’m a singer/ songwriter, I sing in a band, we tour, cut albums.”
The doctor nodded listening to what JC had to say. “If and I only mean if all you just said is true how do explain all this?”
He opened the photo album and dropped it on the bed next to him. “Or this? a scrapbook of newspaper cuttings about you and David?”
JC was blinded as his eyes filled up, he stared at the two books that were calling him a liar as he rocked back and forth, he swiped at the tears beginning to fall with his long fingers. “I … I can’t … but I know who I am and I’m not Jason Scott, I’m JC Chasez … I’m JC … I’m JC …. I’m JC .”
“Stop it” David tried to put his arms round his husband again in an attempt to console him. “You’re agitating him.”
“Mr Scott please wait outside your partner needs to be told the truth.”
“He’s my husband!”
The doctor waved his hand dismissively “Yes, yes, yes what ever partner, husband, the fact Mr Scott is that Jason is a paranoid schizophrenic and with out proper treatment he is a danger not only to himself but to those around him. He turned back to JC who was hugging his knees staring down at his hands and rocking back and forth muttering “I’m not mad, I’m not mad, I’m not mad.”
The bald doctor lifted the frightened mans chin, “Look at me Jason.” JC looked slowly at the mans face, tearstained his mouth quivering. “Jason, you are suffering with paranoid schizophrenia, you suffer multiply personalities, JC is one of those personalities, look at the pictures Jason, its you and David, you can see that can’t you?” JC nodded. “If and that’s David in the picture and its his wedding picture and that is Jason Scott with him, and that is also a picture of you, then who are you?”
“Jason.” JC’s voice was a whisper.
“That’s right, good boy Jason.”
The brunette started to shake his head slowly to start then faster and faster. No they nearly had him then, but he knew …. he knew he was JC Chasez. He began to scream, he thrashed out at the two men, his frenzy building. Hands clamped on his arms, his head forced forward as they were forced into the sleeves, the buckles fastened tightly. His arms were crossed across him and the straps secured behind him, he screamed and cried louder, kicking out at the interns strapping him into the straitjacket. A in injection stung his rump as a sedative was administered before they dragged him howling from the hospital room and down the corridor. He was thrust through an open door into a room, tumbling forward onto the floor. He spun onto his ass and kicked himself backwards till he was pressed against the padded wall curled into a tight ball shaking in near hysteria. David pushed past the burly interns and gathered him in his arms. One of them tried to pull him away. “No, I’m staying. He needs me, he needs me.”
The bald doctor caught up with them panting with his exertion. “Mr Scott I must insist …”
“I’m staying at least till he’s calmed down. I insist.”
“We’ll monitor you both via the camera.” The door was shut and locked leaving JC straitjacketed and sobbing gently in his husbands’ arms as the powerful drugs now kicked in.
***three days later****
“Are you ready to talk to us again Jason?”
The pale tangled haired man nodded not looking up, still bound in the confines of the jacket from the chair he had been sat in. The bald headed doctor sat behind a big oak desk and polished his glasses as he questioned the brunette.
“Can you tell me who you are?”
“Jason.” JC mumbled his answer.
“Louder!”
“Jason Scott.” JC said louder this time.
“Do you want to go home Jason?”
“Yes.” came the broken reply. “Please let me go home.” the doctor pressed his intercom. “Send Mr Scott in please Casey” The office door opened and JC’s eyes lit up at the sight of his husband. David went straight to JC, cupping his face tenderly looking into his eyes. “You okay honey?” JC nodded not able to find his voice as his breath began to hitch and his eyes began to fill once more.
“I’m willing to release Jason into your care, I’m having his prescription filled as we speak, one pill four times a day, I want to see him again in 3 months.” David shook hands with the doctor as an intern unbuckled JC from the straitjacket. “If he has anymore episodes or he doesn’t take his medication I will apply to the courts to have him committed for a more drastic form of treatment.”
“I understand. Thank you for everything.” David took out a fat envelope and placed it on the desk as he steered JC out through the door, carefully shielding it from his husbands view. “Come on honey, lets go home.”