BRIAN'S POV
How much longer, I wondered, until I could get Justin out of there! A few days later, I had my answer, for the hotel phone rang.
Michael, Jennifer, Debbie, and Daphne held their breath as I picked up the receiver. "Hello? He has? Wonderful! We'll be right over."
Slowly, I put the receiver back on the hook and turned to the others. "Well," I said, trying to remain as composed as possible.
"What is it?" Debbie asked, as they were all on pins and needles wanting to find out what had happened.
"That was the hospital," I replied, "and they told me—"
"Yes? Yes?" They all leaned forward, waiting.
Then I grinned, the first since the bombing. "Justin's been released."
They all cheered, and everyone gave me a big hug, which I received with as much emotion as I had shown when Justin finally agreed to marry me at Britin Manor.
Justin agreed to marry me! I knew there was some reason we'd worked so hard to get him better!
When we got there, Justin was sitting up—no needles, no tubes—just sitting up in one of the chairs in his room!
When he saw me, he slowly got up, groaning as one last spasm of pain hit—but maybe with a little painkiller, it would go away.
He started to fall forward, and we all reached out in an effort to steady him. But his hands just grabbed hold of—a walker!
Inwardly, I groaned, knowing he wasn't quite the Justin Taylor he was before he left!
But Justin, seeing my anguish, just smiled—one of his trademark Sunshine smiles, which I had missed so much! "Hey," he said, wiping away the stray tear that fell from my eye, "at least I'm vertical!"
Yes, I realized, and maybe with a little practice, we could do away with the walker by our wedding day!
"You do still want to go through with the wedding, don't you?" he asked me.
"Of course," I replied, holding him close to me—so close, I didn't want to let go!