Title: Sweet Joey - Accident

Part: 1

Author: Chantal aka Mala Website: http://my-dc.cjb.net

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Season 3

Summary: Joey is involved in an accident. Will she pull through?

Category: Joey

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. Author's Note: One of my first fics. It's probably not suitable for publishing but please R&R.



Joey Potter picked up the big hammer and lifted it above her head. After taking a quick glance at her friends she brought it down heavily on the target. The light in the machine starting rising - stopping at "You're Tough". Her friends cheered and Joey stuck her tongue out at Pacey Witter.

"See, I told you I was tough!" Joey laughed.

Pacey leaned forward and gave her a tickle under her arm. Joey squirmed away as the others laughed. They all walked away from the machine. Andie McPhee giggled as she put an arm across Joey's shoulders.

"I don't think one of us doubted your toughness, Jo!"

The group headed towards the food hall and took seats at a vacant table.

"So what are we eating?" Dawson Leery asked everyone.

The whole Gang were at the annual Capeside Fair. They'd tried all the rides and side show games and were famished.

"Mmmm." Jen Lindley murmured as she surveyed the offerings. "Chinese food is looking pretty good right about now."

"Me too!" Andie exclaimed.

Pacey shook his head. "No way. I'm going for the good old American hamburger. How about you Jo?"

"Yeah put my name down for a hamburger with the lot." Joey said.

"Your muscles need building up, hey Jo?" Jack McPhee asked with a laugh.

Joey stuck her tongue out at him. She got up from the table.

"Who's coming with me?" Joey asked.

Jen, Andie, Dawson and Pacey stood up.

"You'll watch the table?" Dawson asked Jack.

"Yeah, as long as my dear sister gets me some of that Chinese food."

Andie winked at Jack. "Sure thing big brother!"

The five of them headed over to the stands. After about five minutes, they all returned.

"Yummy!" Jen exclaimed, tucking straight in.

There was silence as everyone ate. Andie interrupted the silence by giggling.

"You can tell we're all eating when there's absolute silence!"

Joey piped up. "No, you can tell PACEY'S eating when there's absolute silence!"

Everyone started laughing as Pacey mocked hurt.

"So what do we do next?" Jack asked the others. "We've been on all the rides, played all the side show games, eaten a horrendous amount of fairy floss. What's left?"

Pacey stood up. "Hang on, we still haven't got Joey on the Ferris wheel. We can't leave until she gets on it!"

Everyone started cheering but Joey tried to ignore them. Pacey walked over to Joey's table and pulled her chair out. Then he lifted her up as she squirmed in his arms.

"Ferris wheel! Ferris wheel!" everyone chanted as Joey pushed Pacey away.

"Leave me alone, you jerk!" Joey exclaimed, almost serious.

Pacey wouldn't give up and as he attempted to grab Joey again, she twisted away from him and tripped over her chair. She fell heavily against the table, hitting her head in the process. She slumped to the ground and Pacey was immediately at her side.

"Joey!" he called lifting her head up. "Joey, can you hear me?"

Her eyes were closed and her face had gone pale. Everyone crowded around in concern.

"Is she okay?" Andie asked.

Dawson squeezed through the group and pushed past Pacey. He picked up Joey's limp wrist to check her pulse. He leaned forward and placed his hand over Joey's mouth.

"She has a pulse but I don't think she's breathing." Dawson said. "Someone call an ambulance."

Pacey moved out of the way and dialled 911 on his cell phone. Dawson began CPR on Joey to get her breathing.

"They're on their way." Pacey said as he came back to them.

Pacey sat down beside Dawson next to Joey. She looked so frail. Andie began to get teary and she went to Pacey. She laid her head on his shoulder as she watched Dawson perform CPR.

"Come on Joey." Dawson pleaded between breaths. "Come on, sweetie."

Andie started crying and Pacey put his arm around her. Suddenly they heard the sound of an ambulance. Jen sighed with relief and a big group of onlookers started to crowd around.

"Move on!" Jack called out to the strangers. "Give the girl some breathing space."

The paramedics pushed their way through the crowd and the Gang moved out of the way. Dawson wouldn't move from Joey's side as the paramedics lifted her onto a gurney.

"Is she okay?" Dawson asked anxiously. "I performed CPR but it didn't seem to work."

The paramedic patted Dawson on the shoulder. "You did great. Is anyone coming with us?"

"I will!" Dawson and Pacey said at the same time.

Dawson glared at Pacey. "I'm her best friend. I'll go."

Pacey backed down as he watched Dawson climb into the back of the ambulance. Just before they closed the back door, Dawson turned to the others.

"Can someone please call Bessie and my parents."

Pacey got back on the cell phone. He followed Jen, Andie and Jack to their cars.

"God, I hope she's alright." Andie said, still in tears.

Jen and Jack just sat silently in the back of Pacey's truck as they headed to the hospital.

*

Dawson paced back and forth in the hospital outside the Intensive Care ward. He spotted his friends hurrying toward him. Jen gave him a quick hug.

"How is she?" Jack asked.

Dawson frowned. "I don't know. They just took her into ICU. They haven't been back out."

Pacey walked over to Dawson and slapped him on the back. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

Dawson shot Pacey a glare. "No thanks to you! You did this to her."

Pacey was taken aback and shook his head. "It was an accident man. I didn't want her to get hurt."

"You treat her like crap all the time. Stop teasing her! Stop hassling her!"

Pacey looked like he was losing patience. "Look, I know you're upset so I won't take offence at that. But you have to realise you aren't the only one hurting here. We all care about her."

Dawson's voice broke. "No one cares for her like I do."

Pacey moved to a bank of chairs. "Don't count on it." he muttered.

Jen looked at him curiously as Andie quickly joined his side and placed her hand in his.

Bessie Potter came running over to them with Dawson's parents not far behind.

"How is she?" Bessie asked tearfully. "What happened?"

Dawson walked over to them. "We don't know how she is yet. They just took her into the ICU."

Bessie's eyes started to overfill with tears. Gale Leery put an arm around Bessie's shoulders and lead her over to the chairs near Pacey.

"It was my fault." Pacey said to Bessie. "We were mucking around and she fell. She hit her head on the table."

"She wasn't breathing." Jen chimed in. "But Dawson performed CPR."

Bessie managed a small smile for Dawson. "Thank you, Dawson."

Dawson began crying himself. "I love her. I would do anything for her."

Dawson sat down next to Bessie and hugged her as he said. "She'll be alright. She'll get through it."

Pacey grinned sadly. "She's tough. Just like that machine said."

Jen and Jack nodded seriously while Andie cried in Pacey's shoulder. They sat silently for a few moments when the doctor came out of the ICU ward. They whole Gang rushed over to him.

"How is she?" Dawson asked anxiously.

"She's in a coma." the doctor said.

Everyone gasped but the doctor put up his hand.

"Let me finish. She's in a coma but she's in a stable condition."

"What does that mean?" Gale asked.

"It means that she's alive and basically resting peacefully. She just can't communicate with us."

Bessie slumped forward. "How long will she be like this?"

The doctor shrugged. "We can't say for sure. But the longer she stays in the coma, the worse the side effects will be."