Chapter 24

Someone like you

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with friends

A/N: I'm back! (Again) I've had a little writing vacation, but like every good thing, it has to come to an end. :o) I'm going to try and get all my stories updated at least once before Christmas (I may regret saying this). So please review and let me know you're all still interested in reading my fics. x

"Damn it!" Chandler slammed his fist as hard as he possibly could into the antiquated black, plastic telephone which hung on the cream coloured wall in the hospitals corridor.

"Piece of shit!" He ran his frustrated fingers through his gelled hair and rested his back on the notice board that was filled to capacity with flyers promoting various health issues, and most of them highlighting the dangers of smoking, much to Chandler's disgust. A cigarette was the one thing that right now would have settled his nerves and evened his building temper.

"What's up?" Joey appeared through the main entrance, coming back in from a short break outside to get some fresh air, away from the stale hospital environment which caused him unease.

"Damn stupid phone swallowed my last quarter and I was trying to call Phoebe to let her know I was ok. I promised her I'd be home hours ago, so she's bound to be worried, she hates being on her own. You don't have any spare change do you?"

"Hmm, I don't think I do…I put the last of it in the coffee machine earlier, which incidentally isn't working either. I tried to get Monica a white coffee with 2 sugars and instead got some yucky watery soup with huge chunks of some green vegetable mush. It looked like road-kill!" He screwed his face up at the memory while he continued to rummage through is pockets for the requested coins his friend so badly needed.

"Ahh, road kill, Heinz's best selling soup!" Even in his turmoil Chandler found room to make a sarcastic comment, which Joey ignored.

"You're in luck! My last Quarter…" he yanked the silver coin out of the deep set Jean's pocket and handed it over to Chandler, who quickly placed it into the allotted slot in the phone.

"Thanks man, you're a lifesaver!" His finger frantically punched in his own dorm room number and he patiently waited with baited breath as it began to ring…and ring…and ring again, with no answer. After the 5th unanswered ring his stomach began to knot n fear. Why wasn't she picking up? Surely if she was home she would answer? He looked worriedly over at Joey as he held on in desperation to hear her voice say "hello?"…but it never came.

"No answer, huh?" Chandler shook his head and reluctantly hung up the receiver.

"Maybe she's fallen asleep and hasn't heard it? I wouldn't worry about, buddy, I'm sure she's fine."

"Yeah, you're probably right; she has been pretty tired the last few days, with all she's had to go through." Joey nodded in recognition and patted his friends shoulder as they began to descend down the clinically clean hallway towards Ross' room, where they had already spent the majority of their sleepless night.

As they reached they neared the door, side by side, Chandler stopped in mid-stride and rooted himself to the floor, unprepared to move any further.

"I have to get back to College, I can't rest until I know Phoebe's ok. Ross is in safe hands now, and there's nothing more I can do here…he has Mon with him if he wakes up…you don't think she'll mind do you?"

"Don't cut yourself up, Phoebe may need you, Monica will understand. She would do the same if it was her. Get yourself back to campus." Chandler nodded, knowing he was right, but it didn't stop him feeling like a horrible person, who was deserting his friend in his hour of need.

"Do you want me to drop you off in Queens?"

"No, I'll stay here with Mon for a while, and I'll get a cab back later. I'll drop by your room later, to give you an update. I'll need to get Mon some fresh clothes, and if Ross wakes up he may want some stuff brought to the hospital."

"Ok, well I'll get off then, and if everything's fine back home I'll grab a quick shower and head straight back over here."

"Everything will be fine!"

"I hope you're right Joe, I really hope you're right!"

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Monica's red, swollen, tear-stained eyes lay unmoving on her sickly brother, who lay equally as still on his hospital bed, strapped to numerous horrific looking machines that monitored his every bodily function.

A small, sturdy, middle-aged nurse hovered around the tiny room, attaching new drips to his arms with one hand, and sorting his bed to maximise comfort with the other.

Monica didn't take any notice of her, and no words or pleasantries were shared, but a slight nod of her head from the member of staff before she exited the room was enough acknowledgment for Monica, who in her sleep deprived state was in no mood for conversation of any kind.

Not long after the door was closed over it reopened and someone else entered the room, but Monica didn't bother to look up to see who it was…taking her eyes off of Ross was not option. She almost believed that if she stared at him long and hard enough he would open his eyes and speak to her, instead of laying in silence in his drug induced state.

"Hey" Joey rested his gentle hand on her tense shoulder and positioned himself into the plastic seat next to her. The room was deadly silent, apart from the noises made by the various metal contraptions which echoed around the 4 walls, beeping and banging rhythmically every few seconds.

"Did the Doctor tell you anything while I was gone?" Joey broke the silence with a whisper, but till his voice sounded 10 times louder than he intended it to be. He held his breath, waiting to hear the worst.

"He's going to be fine...the Doctor's expect him to make a full recovery." Joey let out his breath in relief. He felt like jumping up and down in joy, but remained composed, considering this wasn't the time and place to be getting over zealous. As the good news and his happiness began to die down he looked over at Monica, and her sombre face, which showed no signs of relief or contentment. Instead her eyes shone of sadness and regret.

"Why the long face? You should be feeling over the moon that Ross is gonna pull through this."

"I am…" Joey could sense a "but" coming and he wasn't wrong.

"But I don't understand why he would want to kill himself. Doctor Roberts told me he had taken between 75 and 100 pills…this wasn't just a cry for help Joe, Ross truly wanted to die. He didn't want to be in this world any longer. Things must have been so bad for him…he was hurting inside and I didn't even notice." She let out a painful sob, unable to carry on speaking, she fought for composure.

"How could he have been so sad, and I didn't pick up on it. I'm his sister…he should have been able to come to me and talk it through, but I've been so busy, so selfish…" Her crying finally took over her whole body, blocking anymore words from leaving her mouth. Instead of trying to stop she resigned and rested her head on Joey's chest. She was desperate to be held, by someone who could take away her own pain…the pain that burnt away deep inside of her heart.

Joey was more than willing to comply. Whatever she felt he felt, and right now his heart felt broken. He wrapped his strong arms around her, while planting a kiss on the crown of her head, all the while cradling her like a babe in arms, rocking her back and worth until she had no more tears to cry.

As he last tear trickled down her cheek she pulled herself away and sat upright, feeling more than embarrassed at her sudden emotional outburst in front of her boyfriend. She hated to deviate away from her usual strong, together persona…especially in public. She straightened herself out, starting by flattening down her dishevelled hair and clothes, and wiping away the black streaks of her smudged mascara from her flushed face.

Once she was satisfied that she again looked like the Monica he had fallen in love with she relaxed and turned to him to offer her thanks…but another voice interrupted her before she got the chance to speak.

"Rachel?" A soft, croaky mumble, which was almost pleading, rang out, causing Joey and Monica to lock eyes in confusion.

"Ross!" Monica span around in her seat, grabbing Ross' hand, she squeezed it tightly.

"Rachel?"

"No, honey, its Monica…"

One single teardrop fell from his closed eyes. As his faculties returned so did the memories of the last 24 hours…the worst day of his life.

He wanted Rachel, and only Rachel. No one else could make this nightmare go away except her. He pulled his hand away from his sister, and turned onto his right side…his back facing Monica and Joey. He curled himself into a ball and began to cry. Without Rachel life wasn't worth living.

Rachel lay back on the bed, her smile spreading across the length of her face, the size of the Grand Canyon. 24 hours ago she thought her life was over, but things had taken a 360 degree turn, and the bad had turned to good. Here she was, lying in bed, her boyfriend, whom she though she had lost beside her, and all her dreams and aspirations had come back with him.

As Jason rose from beneath the covers and began to dress, she watched him longingly. She knew there would have been no way he could have resisted her if she swallowed her pride and asked him to come back. So what, he had cheated on her, didn't all men cheat at one point in a relation ship? Isn't that what guys did to get their girlfriends attention when they were bored with a stale relationship? This was Jason's way of telling Rachel he loved her. Wasn't it?

Her deluded mind ran away with her. She desperately tried to convince herself this was a good thing. He had wanted her to find out about his infidelity, and she had. This was a fresh start, they had a second chance together, and this time she would put her heart and soul into it. This time it had to work out, it just had to!

Jason was her college sweetheart. The man with whom she would have a fairytale wedding, 2 or 3 wonderful children who would make them proud, a huge house in the suburbs where they would live happily ever after…just like her parents.

But despite all her positive thoughts, a nagging, sinking feeling still lingered in the pit of her stomach.

"A leopard never changes its spots!" The proverb her Dad so often used rang around in her head, but she shook it off. Jason was the exception to the rule. He would prove everyone wrong, she knew he would. This was a one off. He hadn't told her so, but deep down she knew it was true. It had to be.

The more and more she tried to convince herself the more she began to become paranoid. One half of her brain told her she was being crazy; while the other half pictured her fantasy wedding to the man she loved.

She closed over her eyes, and began to picture it.

Standing in the massive church, her father by her side as she walked slowly down the aisle in her perfect, flowing white dress to the sounds of the "Bridal March", nearing her groom…dum dum dud umm, dum dum dud um…her Dad walked to the left, leaving her to the man of hr dreams, the man she would spend the rest of her life with. She turned to look at him….

her eyes suddenly darted open, a look of shock on her face. As much as she tried to shake it off and come back to reality she couldn't help but focus in on the mental picture. Ross, standing at the altar looking wonderful in a Tuxedo - not Jason.

"It doesn't mean anything." She thought to herself, unconvinced.

"Or does it?" She shook her head.

"No, Ross was just a fling, to make myself feel good after losing Jason." As much as she tried to lie to herself it just wasn't working. Still that little bit of doubt lay at the back of her mind.

As Jason continued to dress, Rachel cast her mind back, to that 1 amazing hour she had spent with her friend. From the moment he had become her hero, to her leaving so abruptly, she replayed it over and over. As she did, all the feelings came back. Feelings she had never felt before, certainly not with Jason. Maybe they were feelings of deep friendship? Yet more self lies.

Jason flashed her an insincere smile as he yanked on a sock.

"Where are you going?" She watched as he pulled on his Nike sneakers and headed for the door without as much as an explanation for his near disappearing act.

He stopped dead in his tracks, turning a pale shade of crimson. Her question had been an innocent inquiry, but it had seemed to hit a sore spot.

"I have stuff to do! Some business to take care of…Jeez! Don't smother me Rachel! This is just typical of you! Where are you going, what are you doing? Who are you doing it with?! Christ!" Jason's temper flared into a red rage as his tirade continued.

"I knew sleeping with you would result in this. Sex, that's all it was. SEX! Your not my God damned Mother. We hang out, have sex and hang out some more. That's all it was, and all it ever will be!"

"What? I think our relationship was more deep and meaningful than hanging out and having sex." She was hurt beyond comprehension. How could he say all those things? Surly he didn't mean it?

"Relationship? Rachel, we never had a relationship. We never did and we never will. I need my freedom. I need to have fun. I'm 20 years old; the last thing I want to be is tied down in some "relationship" with some girl I don't love." He sighed and eased his tone.

"I don't love you Rachel, I'm sorry, but the quicker you realise that, the better." Jason knew he had said some terrible things. But they had been bubbling away inside of him for as long as he could remember, and it had just been a matter of time before it had all come spewing out like this. He felt no guilt, for he meant every word of it.

A sob threatened to break out of her throat, but she caught it in time. It was too late to save her dignity, but she was damned if she was going to let him revel in seeing her hurting by his comments.

All this time he had been using her, like his own personal sex toy, she hadn't seen it, blinded by the love she thought she felt for him. But as she looked at his shallow, empty shell standing before her in the doorway the fog that once covered her hazy eyes began to drift away, and for the first time in years she was able to see clearly.

How could she have been so dumb

This wasn't a relationship of love; it was a relationship of convenience…Jason's convenience.

Suddenly, like a light bulb going on above her head she realised, that warm feeling she had felt fluttering in her heart while she was with Ross, that was true love

"Hey, where are you going? Rachel stay, lets talk about this, at least let me explain." Jason tried to block the doorway to prohibit her from leaving, but it was no good.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm going to see Ross…I need to tell him I've made a mistake."

"Ross?" Jason let out a confused half-laugh.

"Ross? Geeky, dinosaur loving, Ross? This time he almost fell to the floor, his laughter becoming more raucous. His mocking giggles made her anger soar. How could she ever have imagined spending her life with this loser?

"Yes, Ross. Sweet, caring, wonderful, Ross. Who loves me unconditionally, despite my flaws, something you would never be capable of. Now get out of my way, I've wasted enough of my life with you already!" Jason, now silent, warily stepped out of the way. He had never seen Rachel be so passionate before…she no longer was the spoiled Daddies girl he had once taken for granted and she was walking away from him. He knew she was gone from his life forever…a regret he would have to live with until the day he died.

Rachel walked confidently down the long corridor, heading to her future, never once looking back to her past.

Ok, the next chapter is definitely the last! I know i've said this a million times before, but this time I mean it :o(

Once I've finished this one, I'll be concentrating on the others on a regular basis…so watch out for constant updates.

The last chapter will focus on all characters…What will happen to Phoebe? Will Ross and Rachel get together? And will Joey finally get to reunite with his sister, Tina?

It will be action packed, so hold onto your seats :o) xxx

Oh, and lastly, please review. Mwah x