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Joey's Choices

No one spoke, they just sat waiting for news on Chandler, the only sounds of quiet cries filled the room. Ross glanced around the room at his friends. Phoebe trying to comfort Monica but everyone knew the only person who could comfort her at time like this was Chandler. Rachel sat, staring into the polystyrene cup filled with un-touched coffee that had long gone cold. Then his eyes landed on Joey, stood in the corner of the room, away from the rest of them as guilt washed over him, blaming himself for Chandler sudden deterioration.

Ross sighed sadly and rubbed his tired eyes as he glanced down at his watch; noticing they had only been there 30 minutes but it felt like a life time. He couldn't get the look on Chandler's face just before he passed out and how he reached for him instead of Joey. Ross wondered what would happen now, was it end of Chandler and Joey's friendship. His mind started to try and form a plan to get everything back to normal, away to show Joey that all this wasn't his fault, to stop him from going to L.A. He looked at his friend again, catching his eye before the actor quickly looked back at the floor. If something happened, if Chandler didn't make it…. He knew no matter who said what, Joey would hate himself.

Ross let out an involuntary cry and a lump rose in his throat as he thought about his last statement. Chandler was going to be okay, he told himself…. He had to be.

The 5 friends jumped from their seats and rushed towards the doctor as he entered the room.

"How is he?" Monica asked, quickly. "Is he okay?"

"Well, Chandler is suffering from a collapsed lung…" The doctor explained.

"Collapsed lung?" Rachel repeated, sharing a look with Ross, both wondering how bad that was.

"Why didn't you notice something was wrong before!" Joey demanded. "How could you let him go home!"

"We had no reason you expect that Mr Bing's lung would collapse." The doctor told them.

"So, this has nothing to do with the shooting?" Phoebe frowned slightly, confused.

"Well, being shot doesn't help the matter but a collapsed is common with tall, young males…." He informed them. "Maybe if he hadn't have been shot then it might not have happened but there's chance that it still would have…."

"Why did it happen then?" Ross asked. "Surely a lung doesn't just collapse."

"No it doesn't, your friend's lung collapsed because air and fluid had gotten trapped between his lung and the chest wall, adding extra pressure to lung until it collapsed…." He explained. "Like I said, it could be a result of the shooting or could be other reasons…. Smoking, drugs alcohol abuse, stress or just bad luck…. It could be anyone of those reasons."

"But he's going to be okay, isn't he?" Monica asked, quietly.

"He should make a full recovery…" He nodded. "We've but a drip in his side, to drain off the fluid and hopefully the lung will re-inflate on its own."

"What happens if it doesn't?"

"Well, we'd have to operate and see how much damage had been done…."

"Oh, okay…" Monica nodded. "Can I, uh can I see him?"

"Of course, we've given him some painkillers so he may be a bit drowsy…" He warned. "If you'd like to follow me."

Monica looked at her friends before heading out the room, leaving them behind because he was only allowed one visitor at a time.

She entered Chandler's room and the doctor excuse himself, giving the couple some privacy. She moved towards the bed, seeing he had his eyes closed, she simply took his hand and sat down in the chair next to the bed.

Chandler's eyes fluttered open when he felt her take his hand; he turned his head slowly to look at her. "Mon?"

"Hey, it's okay I'm here… " She smiled at him, standing up so she could be closer to him. "How you feeling."

"I'm okay…" He mumbled, looking up at her. "A bit tired."

"Get some sleep, then…" She told him, caressing his cheek softly. "I'll be right here when you wake up…"

"Promise?" He whispered, letting his eyelids drop back down.

"I promise." She whispered back, placing a kiss on his forehead as sleep took hold of him.

XxXxX

Half an hour later, Monica entered the room where her friends were waiting, they all looked up when she came in.

"How is he?" Rachel asked.

"He's sleeping now…" She told them. "I just thought I'd let you know he's going to be okay."

"Oh that's great!" They all sighed in relief.

"Yeah, they're keeping him in for a few days just in case…" She smiled at them as tears pooled in her eyes.

"Aw, Mon…" Ross put his arm around his baby sister. "It's okay, now."

"Yeah, I know…" She whispered, hugging him.

Joey glanced at his watch before looking back at his friends. "Uh, Guys…. I've got to go…"

"Go where?" Phoebe frowned.

"My flight is in 2 hours…" He told them, looking away.

"You're still going!" Ross asked, shocked.

"Well, yeah…now I know that Chandler's okay."

"What do you mean?" Monica questioned. "He's not okay."

"But there is nothing I can do about it." He sighed.

"Just be his friend!" Ross stated, anger rising inside of him.

"I've told you, I can't stay!"

"Joey, you leave now and Chandler's not going to forgive you." Rachel told him.

"Once he's calm down, he'll understand…" Joey said quietly, looking down.

"No he won't!" She insisted.

"It's not like that!" Joey claimed. "What did he expect that we'd all stay together, you guys living in one apartment, us across the hall…"

"He didn't expect you to run away!"

"I'm not running away!"

"What else would you call it then!" Monica asked. "Your pride took a hit and you can't handle it."

"Look, for years we've all been around each other as if we were super glued, maybe its time for one of us to leave…we can't rely on each other for ever."

"Joey, that's a load of crap!" Ross glared at him.

"Okay, I know Chandler and Monica will get married have kids, next you and Rach can get back together…. So that leave me and Pheebs, I guess we would have to hook up because there is no way one of us could leave or bring someone else into this tight-knit group!" Joey replied sarcastically before looking at them seriously. "People grow apart…things change! If you guys can't accept that then we're not as good of friends as I thought!"

Rachel turned away, covering her mouth with her hand as tears fell from her eyes after hearing Joey's words. This wasn't the same guy that was one of her best friends, this wasn't the same guy that invented fireball and hammer darts.

"We'd be able to accept it if there was a valid reason for you to be leaving…" Ross told him, lowering his voice, shocked by Joey's out-burst. "But you're leaving because you blame yourself for something that wasn't you fault and you're not just punishing yourself but all of us to…."

"But it was my fault!" Joey exclaimed. "The gun was aimed at me!"

"Okay, so it's your fault he got shot." Monica agreed, accusing everyone to stare at her but she continued anyway. "It was my idea for Chandler to take you to the game, you wouldn't have been there if I hadn't said anything…. So is it my fault?"

"What? Of course not!" Joey told her. "But the bullet was never meant for Chandler!"

"Joey, you see a gun pulled at your best friend and when you hear the shot, instinct takes over and you just have to dive in there not to be a hero but because you want to save your best friend." Ross said. "If he thought about it for a second he could have just pulled you out the way instead of jumping in front of you…. But by that time it would have been to late."

"Yeah and anyway if fate wanted you to be shot, Chandler wouldn't have stopped you." Phoebe added.

"You think fate wanted Chandler to be shot?" Ross looked at sceptically.

"Ross!" Monica elbow, warning him not to start.

"Alright, maybe you're right…might I couldn't have done anything…" Joey admitted. "But I still need time, we all do."

"Fair enough but if you leave without at least talking to Chandler first then he's never going forgive…" Rachel finally turned back around to tell him. "He's already had so many people in his life abounding him, do you want to be one of them?"

"I'm not abounding him." Joey stared at his feet.

"He'll see it that way…you running off instead of talking to him, trusting him or having any faith in him." Rachel continued. "It's your choice…."

The room fell silent as Monica, Ross, Rachel and Phoebe stood side by side, waiting to see what Joey's choice would be. They all watched in astonishment as he turned to leave.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered before disappearing out the door.

TBC

For my brother who is recovering from a collapsed lung, reason for me adding it! Please review!