*AN* A few of my stories, I realized that I had been unintentionally using the member's last names. I said I write based on the real BTR but just as far as some details like their dogs, states they came from, favorite colors, and other minor details like Kendall is the most disorganized. When I write, I try to keep last names out of it in general however they have been slipping through so I'm in the process of going through and changing those occurrences. However some ANON already reported me, so I apologize to my ANON readers but I no longer accept ANON reviews :( Blame the jerk who ruined it for everybody. I hated to do it because I look forward to any and all feedback I can get.

In any case, I have papers to write still that I have been putting off as well as rewrites, changing and editing the chapters on FF and then typing up these stories. Bear with me as I get caught up and again I'm sorry for no longer allowing ANON reviews but its for everyone's safety.

*AN-NEW!* The above AN will stay for the next few chapters depending on how long this story goes. I may treat this as an individual story/sequel rather than an alternate ending just because of its length. I have caught up in school a little and have had extra time to work on my other ideas. When this story finishes I will continue to write but I may not upload until the semester is over. I know I said that I would take hiatuses before but I may very well follow through with it this time. I have a few papers to rewrite/edit which wont take long and I'm just getting tire of typing behind a my computer all day even though writing these fictions are fun. Enjoy this story.

It was around 10 by the time they got to the hospital. The motel was only a 10 minute drive but it was difficult to get everybody up and going this morning at check out. Everybody was overtired and basically just worn down and out. They just wanted to sleep but at the same time they wanted to see their buddy. One of the back entrances were ready for them to enter through and they had an escort through the hospital to James' room. He was in a secluded area in one of the pavilions so it was safer for everyone to wander around, including James during his therapy without the threat of being seen. They still weren't ready to release full details, the media was after them like crazy once James police report leaked out. The longer they waited to give their personal statements, the more likely it would seem to fans that they weren't being truthful or sincere; that their words were fabricated by officials.
Security stood watch outside the door and the security escort gave them an automatic in. They looked at each other and waited for a second.
"We can do this guys." Carlos said
"But what if he hates us? I mean we deserve it, we wanted nothing to do with him before. Respect works both way and you cant expect someone to treat you better than you did them." Kendall said
"Depends on if one of you is a better person. Live and let live. If you're willing to forgive and forget, I'm sure things will work out in time." Katie said
"Easy for you to say, you two are already talking!" Kendall replied
"But she went through the most, so obviously we have a chance." Logan assured. "Come on, Kendall, there's only one way to find out and its now or never."
"Alright…Lets do this." he sighed. He walked to the door and put his hand on the knob before pausing then he backed away. "I can't. Katie you go first."
"Ok." She said softly. "It's alright, Kendall, take your time." she continued as she pat him on the shoulder and gave him kind of a half hug. She grabbed the knob and opened the door slowly; she didn't see him on the bed. Instead he was sitting in a chair in the opposite side of the room looking out the window. She walked in as the others just watched, she wasn't being overly quiet but James was just in his own world. Her guess that he was thinking hard about something. She wanted to surprise him but didn't want to scare him and thought of how to say hello. She just walked up behind him and saw her reflection in the window and thought he saw her. She stood behind him, hands on the back of his chair and waited a few seconds for him to notice her but he didn't. She stood to the side and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey." she said calmly with a smirk. He looked up at her in surprise, he was in deep thought or something and wasn't expecting anyone to be there and he never heard her come in. It sank in pretty quickly though and tears began to well up in eyes before he knocked over a table in his hurry to get up. He grabbed on to her with force and squeezed her as hard as he could as he started to cry. She hugged him back as hard as she could as she began to feel the tears fall from her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Katie, For everything, please forgive me. I thought you were mad at me and then I heard the report on the news that you were missing and I was so scared that I hurt you so much that you didn't want to live anymore. That you were so scared to continue on like you promised. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." James pleaded through choked sobbing. He started to cough hard from crying and since he wasn't completely healed yet, it was difficult for him to breathe. She helped him sit back down and nurses who had come in when they heard the commotion and waited silently at the door, made their way to assist James get settled again. Katie backed up to let the nurses do their thing and Carlos stood next to Katie, consoling her as she wiped away the tears.
James couldn't calm down enough to get the oxygen that he needed so the nurses gave him an oxygen mask to help him along. Tears continued to stream down his face although his crying became less audible. He had yet to notice Carlos, Kendall and Logan; Kendall was only just inside the door with Logan, waiting for the guts to greet his friend. He just couldn't do it, even more now that he saw his friend suffering in this state. He had so many emotions flowing through and really didn't know how to feel. James was tired out from the excitement and his nurses asked the group to leave for a little while. They weren't mad at them for causing him upset but they did want him to calm down and rest a little before another round of emotions. They left willingly without a word; James was nearly asleep anyway.
They wandered the blacked out section of the hospital that was reserved just for James. Although it was great news that he was awake, it was even better for his recovery if the media and public stayed out until he was stronger. Although he had been out of it for close to two months he had made little progress during his stay. He was still very malnourished, thin, battered and just weak. He wasn't healing much, if at all due to his poor diet. Currently it was unknown if he had suffered any permanent damage from or what even caused his convulsions at the county prison. The prison had since been sued successfully and the staff responsible for his hospitalization fired and sentenced to time in prison. It was unknown how long they were in for but hopefully it was long enough for them to suffer like James did.
James' sentence was reduced to parole, but he would be unable to leave the state until his sentence was up. With the help of lawyers, his guilty conscience and remorseful comments, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison. If Katie was of sound mind, she would have been able to reverse the charges but the courts ruled her as too emotionally damaged to testify and proceeded on her behalf. James wouldn't have wanted the easy way out anyway, he even told the courts that he wanted some sort of punishment.
It would be a few months before James would be well enough to travel and then he would need much physical therapy. He had lost almost all of his muscle mass and was nothing more than skin and bones. It would take a couple years to fill back out. It was going to take time for him to be the James he once was. BTR was on an indefinite hiatus, the longer they stayed out the greater chance they would lose fans; especially when they knew little of what was going on. Their careers weren't quite ruined yet even though James' assault charges were leaked. Their lawyers and bosses were on top of that matter and ready to take action against whoever leaked the information. Although, sexual offenders must be registered and the public has a right to know, no one was prepared for that bombshell. Angry parents were writing and calling to the studio and demanded an explanation. They were shocked and disgusted that a child's role model would do such a crime; they wanted him replaced. The studio couldn't do that to BTR, it was all or none. They were willing to shoot another season and more music just to see what they were left. Even though BTR was a children's show, the fan base had a majority of teens, or older even. It wasn't uncommon for girls in their 20's and dudes as well to be a fan.
There wasn't much they could do until James was better. The studio put out their official words and held conferences to appease the public as best they could. Once they were ready, the guys and Katie would talk about it themselves. Campaigns were made in preparation of these talks, the studio figured it would fit in, in today's day and age of technology involved tweens and teens. It would not only protect young girls from getting raped but also help those who had gone through it find the support they need to talk about it.

The group wandered around and talked occasionally amongst themselves for about an hour before making their way back to James room, only to be turned away. He was still asleep and it was better that he got his rest. They understood but were heartbroken; they really wanted to see him and Katie wanted to talk with him more. She wanted to hold him again and tell him everything would be alright. They left the hospital to go out and get some lunch and maybe catch a movie. They would go back to the hospital in a few hours and hopefully James would be ready to see them.
By the time the movie ended it was dusk. They made their way back to the hospital in the dark with a few hours left of visiting hours. They weren't allowed to stay overnight this time, so they had to get a hotel near by. Reservations were made earlier in the day; they got a sweet the four of them could share, which would be cheaper than 3-4 separate rooms. The hotel was only just down the street, about 2-3 miles, from the hospital. When they got to the closed off section of the pavilion, it was quiet; quieter than usual at night. Another patient had arrived in the section but it was an older gentleman with no idea who BTR was. James room was dark and quiet; security wasn't posted outside, they were on break. Carlos checked with staff to see if they could see him. A nurse went to check to see if James was awake, if he wasn't they would have to wait until the morning.
A nurse entered quietly and turned on one of the night lights to see where she was going. She made her way over to the bed and turned on another night light above the bed. James eyes were closed but the clicking of the lights made him turn towards her.
"We're you sleeping, James?" she said
"I guess a dozed off a little bit. I didn't think I was tired." he replied softly
"It's alright, you're going to feel like that for a while until you regain some of your strength. How are you feeling otherwise?" she asked
"I'm a little sore" he said lifting his hand to his chest. He coughed lightly.
"I'll get you something for the pain. You just need to stay relaxed and not get worked up. I know its hard and boring but its for your own good. Understand?" she warned. He nodded in acknowledgement. The nurse fiddled with a few dials and checked readings before readjusting his blankets and pillows. He nodded off again as she worked. He quickly fell into a rather deep sleep and twitched as he dreamt. The nurse could barely make out the words he mumbled.
"…Don't…Stop…No, don't do it…Please…" he said softly. The nurse paid no mind to him as she finished up but it wasn't long before his heart monitor began to get faster. Whatever he was dreaming about was pretty serious. His heart was racing and his blood pressure was rising. This was nothing new, it happened to everyone and was a normal occurrence but she watched to make sure his body could handle it. The alarm went off after a few minutes and the nurse began working.
Outside they group heard the alarm and were about to burst in but a medical team push them aside. Logan held Katie back to keep her from getting in the way. They couldn't see much from outside since the door was shut but they didn't hear much commotion inside. Carlos could see bits and pieces through the blinds but could only make out when someone moved.
James heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure kept rising to a dangerous level for his state but there wasn't anything they could do. They were trying to wake him up but surprising him would do more harm than good. He was twitching on and off but he wasn't talking.
"James, wake up, come on now." a nurse said gently touching his shoulder.
"Come on James, stay with us." the doctor said. James flinched hard before waking up suddenly, breathing heavily. He grabbed the nurse next to him and she let out a small shriek of surprise.
"Katie! Katie, don't leave me!" he called out. He was worked up but came to his senses when the medical team tried to hold him down. "Where's Katie? Where is she?"
Confused they didn't know what to say. They didn't know who Katie was.
"Where is she? Is she ok? Katie!" He yelled out
"Calm down James, its alright."
"Don't tell me to calm down! I don't know where Katie is and no one will tell me where she is or if she's alright. She's in trouble I just know it, someone has to help her please!" he pleaded as he fought the medical staff. He was strong enough in the beginning but was quickly overpowered and eventually tired himself out.
"We'll help your friend, she's in good hands." the dr. said.
"I want to see her!" he argued.
"Right now, you need to get your rest. Don't worry about your friend." the dr. said calmly. James had calmed down a little from his words and lay back in the bed as he caught his breath. One by one the team of medical personnel left, with the dr. leaving last.
"Dr is James alright?" Kendall spoke up.
"James is fine, he just got a little worked up is all. He was dreaming something fierce and because he's so weak it was taking a lot out of him. I'm afraid you won't be able to visit him tonight, but you're welcome to come back first thing in the morning. He needs his rest."
" We understand, we'll be back tomorrow then." Logan replied. The guys began to make their way down the hall but Katie lagged behind.
"Come on Katie, we'll see him first thing in the morning." Carlos reassured her. The dr. overheard them talking.
"Excuse me, your name is Katie?" he asked
"Yes." she replied.
"James kept saying some girl named Katie was in trouble and that she needed help. Was there an accident previously?" he asked. Katie was confused for a moment.
"Not that I can remember. I'm fine, I wasn't in any accident." she said
"Oh I see. Does he know another Katie?" he asked
"As far as I know, I am the only one." she replied
"OK. He was dreaming about you then. He kept calling for you. Very well then. Thanks for your help." he said
"Sure." she said. As he walked away. She joined the guys and they made their way out of the hospital and to the hotel.
The hotel they had was pretty sweet, they were going to be there for about a week and there was a lot to do. They would be spending a lot of their time here. They could only spend 2 hours at a time with James, which they had yet to spend anytime with him at all except for Katie but she only got 5 minutes before he over exerted himself. Kendall hit the weight room to let off some steam and Carlos went with him while Logan hit the Jacuzzi. Katie made her way upstairs and got ready for a shower. The suite they had was huge, it was the size of an apartment just about. There were 4 main rooms:2 bedrooms, a den/study and a combination kitchen/eatery. There were also two bathrooms and several closets. Katie had one bedroom all to herself and the guys shared the other bedroom; there were only two beds so they might trade off on sleeping on the pull out couch. They had no problem anymore sleeping near each other. After the incident with James, they made it appoint to take great care around her until she was comfortable.
After her shower, she got settled on her bed and began going through and reading some of her mail. There was a whole pile from when she had left. Fan letters were forwarded to her house and she had hundreds waiting for her at home but she grabbed only a few handfuls. She had several magazines to read as well. The covers were emblazoned with the usual stars and Big Time Rush was usually somewhere on the side or even on the bottom. One magazine, though was headlined with them on it. "Could this be the end of Big Time Rush? Is Big Time Rush, Big Time Finished?" The article was about the recent reports that had appeared on TV, however this had more detail. Pictures of the group had made their way to the pages of the magazine; some were clear shots from paparazzi and others were lower quality like from a cell phone or from a distance. A few photos were sent in from fans in the credits. Being the hot topic celebrities they are, it was almost impossible to hide from cameras but they thought they did a great job.
Most of the pictures were from the very beginning of the incident with Katie and James being carried off the bus. Medical personnel and police had blocked the pictures enough to make it impossible to identify who was in what picture. Kendall was with the stretcher but none of the other guys could be seen so it was left to the reader's imagination who was who in the photos. Some other photos included Logan and Carlos with the Nickelodeon girls the day of the concert they had to cancel. The concert went on with out them and it was noticed by many. The article mentioned BTR's absence as well as a photo of the poster and sign in front of the venue that announced their performance. More photos showed the guys disheveled, tired and upset getting on and off their bus and a couple shots of Kendall coming out of the hospital and county jail.
She kept reading the article; tears starting to form. It looked like her career was in fact over, without BTR there was no way she would get another acting job. She was a good actor and an average singer/dancer since she had much practice in theater as a child but she only got the job on the show because she was friends with the guys and had previous experience working with Nickelodeon. The rest of the article detailed the story of James' sexual assault charges and his hospitalization; his mug shot stood prominently in the middle of the page. Before reading the final few paragraphs, a yellow box held a message with a link to check out online, the footage of James' beating and rough treatment and handling. It was on a news website and warned that it was graphic. She hadn't seen or heard of it at all and wanted to see it, but first she finished the rest of the article only to find that news of the rape somehow got out. There in print, staring her in the face, were the words: "James Maslow was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the rape and physical assault of co-star Katie Pryzsweck who suffered severe bruising, broken bones and several lacerations as well as emotional and psychological trauma in the attack".
Katie couldn't believe what she was reading; but there was no denying what was written. She was shocked to say the least. She saw her career and life flash before her very eyes, there was no recovering from this. She wondered if Nickelodeon knew about this, even if they did, there wasn't much they could say. Somehow the media found out the truth and as much as they would love to deny it and claim these as false accusations, there was no changing fans minds. James picture and arrest was out in the open.
Katie got up and hurried out of her room, no one had come back yet so she made her way down stairs as fast as she could. The pool was the closest and least busy so she ran down the hall, racing past staff who paid no mind to her. She swiped her key card to the pool and ran in calling Logan's name.
"Logan!" she called to him in a panic. She raced around the wall and saw Logan standing in the Jacuzzi with a startled and worried look on his face.
"Katie, what's wrong?" He said jumping out of the Jacuzzi. He splashed water everywhere and didn't bother with a towel. He saw she was or had been crying and was concerned but before he could ask any more questions, she held out the magazine. Without a word he glanced through it and looked up after a few seconds.
"They put it in the magazines too, huh? This thing is spreading like wildfire. But don't worry too much about it, we arent in any trouble yet." he assured.
"Read the last section." she said quietly but sternly. He looked at her confused but did what he was told. He again just skimmed through it, then grabbed the magazine and stared at it wide-eyed.
"Oh my god…" he sighed. He saw Katie wipe away the tears in her eyes, out of the corner of his eye and he pulled her into a hug, resting his chin on her head as she cried softly into his chest.