Mutiny Below

Natalia

I don't know how I got in this position but here I was walking to John's. It was almost 8 when he called to ask if I wanted to come watch a movie with him and Garrett. I of course said yes and promptly jumped up from reading my book in pajamas to get dressed in some real clothes. I ran a brush through my hair and grabbed my phone before I left, making sure to leave Eric a note.

I knocked on the door and almost immediately it opened. John smiled and moved aside to let me in. I followed him into the living room where I was greeted by Garrett, who was sitting in the big chair. I bit my lip as I nervously sat down next to John and he started the movie.

Garrett didn't even stay for the whole thing, which left just John and I. Alone time with John was good and bad. On the one hand, I was happy for obvious reasons, but on the other, I was extremely nervous. Plus, despite her faults, he very much loved his girlfriend. It was getting late but honestly I didn't want to go. John had put in another movie and I was starting to feel my eyelids get heavy but still I didn't leave. He draped a blanket over our legs when I started to get cold and I rested my head against the armrest, letting sleep overtake me.

It was almost 5:30 in the morning when John's phone began to ring. I sat up and untangled my legs from his to retrieve it where it was ringing obnoxiously and shook his shoulder. When his gorgeous green eyes opened, I handed it to him and sat beside him as he sat up to answer it.

"Hello?....This is John....What?!" His voice cracked and he looked over at me. His face had drained of all color and his breathing sped up. "What hospital?....Okay thanks." He dropped his phone on the table and gulped. "Jayce was in an accident."

"Oh my God, is she okay?"

"She's- she's unconscious right now."

"Come on. We have to go"

We quickly slid into our shoes and I grabbed his arm, pulling him along to the door. When I stopped to lock it, I noticed John visibly shaking. I p[ut my hand on his chest and his heart was pounding. "John, you can't drive like this."

He shook his head weakly, agreeing with me.

"I really don't know my way around here either. So I'm gonna go get Eric, okay?"

He nodded again and I took off running back to Eric's. I'd forgotten my key so I was forced to bang on the door until he finally answered it. He swung the door open shirtless and unhappy.

"Nat, what the fuck?"

"Jayce was in an accident. Come on, we have to go!"

"Let me get a shirt!" He yelled as he ran back to his room.

"Wake Nick too," I called back.

"Nick isn't here," he replied as he came back to the door. "I thought he was with you guys."

I shook my head and he shrugged as he locked the door and we ran back to John's. Eric didn't realize until we got back that he'd forgotten shoes but he said "Fuck it" and we all got in the car, with him driving. We were speeding down the highway when Eric told John and I to start calling everyone.

"John, you should call Adam first. Nat, you call Gemma"

With John, Eric, and I all calling people, I only had to call three. Gemma kept me on the phone with her sobbing until Kennedy took the phone from her and said they'd meet us at the hospital.

When we got to the hospital, Jayce's parents and siblings were already there in the waiting room. John immediately went to Jayce's brother for updates but nothing new had happened. She was still unconscious.

Eric and I settled into the hard plastic chairs and he put his arm around my shoulders, holding me against him as we waited for awhile.

John had been trying to get in touch with Nick for the past hour with no luck and that worried me. I went out into the empty hallway and tried calling him myself. He picked up after the second ring.

"Nick, where are you?!"

"I just-...went for a drive." He sounded mechanical, like it was response he had ready and waiting.

"John's called you like fifty times in the past thirty minutes! What could you possibly be doing at 7am that you can't answer fifty phone calls?!"

"I told you, I just went for a drive, Nat." He sounded tired and sad at the same time.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he replied immediately. Well, more like snapped.

I wasn't sure why he was being so short with me or even why he was out driving so early in the morning. And that's when I figured it out.

"She was going to see you."

"What?" he asked, confused.

"Oh my God, she was on her way to see you! You are such an asshole, Nick! I can't believe this. God, it's so wrong!"

"Natalia, calm down! What are you talking about?"

"Jayce! Jayce was going to see you and she was in a car accident. We're all at the hospital now while she's in there unconscious with her boyfriend worried sick about her!"

"Nat-"

"Stop, Nick. Just get here."

I hung up the phone without giving him the chance to say anything else and went back into the waiting room with everyone. Gemma and Kennedy, Jared, Garrett, and Tim had arrived in the time that I'd been trying to call Nick so the waiting room was now more packed and I was forced to sit on Eric's lap. He put his arms around me and pulled me backward into him and I nuzzled my face in the crook of his neck.

I ended up falling asleep because the next thing I knew, Eric was gently squeezing my leg to wake me. When I sat up, I saw Nick walking in the door. He immediately came over to where I was sitting with Eric and picked me up in a hug.

"I'm sorry I was mean," he whispered as he squeezed me tight.

I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I know."

When he set me back down, I retook my seat on Eric's lap and Nick sat down on the floor in front of us.

"How's she doing, man?" he asked John, who was sitting beside Eric and me.

John shook his head. "They still haven't told us anything."

He looked so pitiful, just sitting all slouched down in his seat. His eyes were tired and the worry was visible in his face. Jayce's family sat on the other side of the room, all completely silent.

There were so many things on my mind. First, poor John. Second, I can't believe Jayce was on her way to cheat on John when this happened. Third, Nick must feel so terrible right now. I put my hand on Nick's shoulder and he rested his hand on top of mine, squeezing my hand gently.