Chasing The Wind

Title: Chasing The Wind
Tagline: Your heartbeat is like a timer, counting down the minutes till your death.
Rating: PG-13
Reasons for rating: to be safe
Summary: After a night's tragic events, the students of Degrassi each take their turn visiting one of their own in the hospital. Many stop for a moment and recollect the memories they had up until the incident.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Degrassi-related, nor am I affiliated to any members of the cast and crew.

Chapter One

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The heart monitor called out, adding to the tension in the hospital room. Manny gripped the girl's hand tighter, her eyes red with fatigue and her clothes still dirty for the night's incident. Manny's eyes welded up at the remembrance of what had happened, and she shuddered despite herself.

JT entered the room. He put his hand on her shoulder.

"Manny, please. Go home. Get some rest. I'll watch over her." he said sympathetically.

Tears dribbled down the young woman's cheeks, but she swiftly brushed them away with her free hand.

"I can't leave, JT. I have to know what's going to happen. I need to be here for her. She needs me. I can feel it."

JT sighed, rubbed his eyes with his index finger and thumb, then crouched beside Manny.

"Let me stay with you."

Manny released the girl's hand, and wrapped her arms around JT's neck. He noticed the water in her eyes. He saw his reflection, but saw also the girl, and the worry Manny had for her. He reached up and rubbed underneath Manny's eyes.

"Okay." she finally whispered.

She then buried her face in JT's neck while she cried and JT patted her back. When the tears ceased, she looked up into his eyes, and cleared her throat.

"Thank you JT."

"I love you, Manny."

He kissed her gently on the lips, wishing the moment to last forever. Manny kissed him back, remembering all the good feelings she had, the memories before the incident.

"Stop it!" Manny giggled as JT tickled her belly. After 2 long hours of working on their last project assigned at Degrassi, they opted for a break and had turned on the TV. It didn't take long for JT to become distracted and start being a goofball again.

He stopped, but continuing looking into Manny's eyes as she stared back at him. She tried to read him, wondering what he was thinking, when he leaned in and kissed her. Surprised, but unwilling to make him stop, she kissed him back, wondering what they were doing.

JT let go, questioning his own actions. It was too late now. He'd have to tell her.

"Manny, look, I know I lost to Craig once, and I know he really hurt you, but I really do care about you. I want to make you and me work this time. For real."

Manny looked at him, but said nothing.

"I promise I've changed okay I'm not immature and I won't break your heart and..."

Manny put her fingers on his lips, silently telling him to stop talking. She moved in, and kissed him again. They smiled, changing their friendship to romance. For better, or for worse.

"Here," JT said, handing Manny some change, "go get some food downstairs. I'll stay with Emma."

"He's going to pay for this," JT thought to himself. "big time."