Love Sick

Janet's Point of View
The next morning, I wake up to see Justin sitting in a chair beside me. He smiles at me and reaches down to get something off the floor. "Judah said you like to read, so I bought you a book to help pass the time faster." He places the book in my lap. It's a thick novel by John Green. The cover has two clouds, a white cloud and a black cloud on a silver-gray background. The Fault In Our Stars. Exclusive Collector's Edition. I turn the book over to discover that it is highly praised and recommended by big-name authors, publishers and magazines.
As I turn to the inside cover and read the summary, I try not to frown. He bought me a cancer book? Justin's voice breaks through my thoughts. "Please don't think I bought you this specific novel solely based on your condition. I, uh, I actually lost a bet with some of the guys and my bargain was that I had to read a chick book and carry it everywhere with me until I was done. I had to admit it is one of the best chick books I've ever read." He says with a laugh.
I smile, a real smile, and thank him for being so thoughtful. We chat for a while until the topic turns to love. "I'm breaking up with Selena as soon as I touch down in LA."
I understand what he's doing. He's trying to put it off for as long as he possibly can. He continues. "I actually came by to tell you goodbye, for now at least. I leave with my mom, Fredo and Moshe tonight."
For some reason, at this information, I feel like crying. Although I've only known Justin for less than a week, it feels like we're best friends; like we've been through everything together. He was there when I got the shocking cancer diagnosis. Heck, it is very likely he may have saved my life by choosing to take me to the hospital that afternoon.
"So are we going to see each other again?" I ask.
"Of course." He assures me. He holds up his phone, shaking it from side to side a few times with his fingertips. "I have your number." He reminds me with a grin.
"So did you just come by to give me a going-away present?"
"No. I'm going to stay here until my meeting with the record label executives in a couple hours over a videochat. But, in the meantime, why don't we get you out of this room. Sound like a plan?"
"I'm actually wanting to stay here for once and find out more about this "gorgeous plot twist", Augustus Waters."
"He's definitely a modern-day Prince Charming." Justin nods. "Girls on Twitter are raving about him and even comparing him to their own real-life boyfriends."
"That doesn't really seem fair." I say. I mean, he is fiction, after all."
He wheels me down to the lobby, where he asks a nurse if he is allowed to take me outside on the back patio. The automatic doors slide open and the fresh air hits my face, the smell of fresh flowers greeting me. "Feels nice, huh?" Justin says, looking out over the white deck.
"Yeah, I haven't breathed fresh air for days. Never will I take fresh air for granted again." I proclaim.
He laughs and slowly wheels me down the ramp and through the garden. The cobblestone pathways make the wheels jostle for a bumpy ride, but as I reach out to touch the delicate roses and peonies, everything falls into place. My life is as it should be; I have a good friend who cares enough to take time out of his busy life to visit me and make me feel normal. I forget about the cancer diagnosis and the heart condition. I care less about the fact that I don't know when I'll be able to go back home as the beautiful flowers take full possession of my thoughts as I think about their life cycle. They go from a seed to a bud, basically nothing, and grow into this delightful piece of vibrant colors, surrounded by others just like them. They are never out of place; they are not bothered whether or not they look different or alike. Their purpose is to bring beauty and fresh smells to a monotonous green garden. Justin reaches down and picks a flower, setting it in my hair. "I want to go home." I whisper.
"I don't." Is his reply.
"You don't want me to go home?"
"No, I don't want to go home myself. Because then I can't just randomly decide to visit you."
I smile as he takes me back up to the room, where Judah, Jonathan and Cameron are waiting. Justin apologizes for taking me out of the room without informing anyone as I settle back into the bed. He kisses my head and says goodbye, saying it's time to head back to the hotel for the meeting.
My brothers and Cameron eat lunch with me and give me time with my dad and sisters.
As I settle into my hospital bed that evening, I open the new novel to meet Hazel Grace Lancaster.
"Late in the winter of my seventeenth year..."