Unforeseen 14/?

Summary: Set after the episode 'Double Date.' Pacey wakes up the day after the carnival to a new reality no one saw coming.

Disclaimer: I only own the plot.

Rating: R

-break-

Joey stood pacing the waiting room, her whole body shaking.

Watching Pacey slump to the ground her heart constricted in her chest, the scream that escaped her echoed in her ears as she bolted around Dawson and dropped to Pacey's side. "SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE OR HIS BROTHER!" Joey yelled back to the pair, her eyes on Pacey as she pressed her fingers to his neck, letting out a breath as she felt a pretty steady beat. Looking him over her eyes widened in alarm noticing his very choppy breaths, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

She was about to yell when Doug came in front of her. "How long has he been out?" He checked Pacey's pulse before pulling him into his arms and heading to his patrol car.

"A few minutes at least." Jen supplied from behind them, her own heart racing.

"Shit." Doug swore stepping up to his back passenger seat. "Thank you." He breathed as Dawson numbly opened the door, his eyes on Pacey as his brother lay him in the back, Joey following behind him pulling Pacey's head into her lap as Doug got behind the wheel.

That was an hour ago.

"Joey please sit, you're pacing us making me nauseous." Doug sighed rubbing his hands down his face nervously.

"I'm sorry but shouldn't they be out here already? What's taking so long?" Joey growled sliding into a chair next to him, her leg bouncing in nervous agitation.

"There probably checking everything." He exhaled groaning a moment later as he remembered. "Crap. I have to call my parents and Gretchen. Do you need anything?"

Shaking her head, Joey bit at her thumbnail, her eyes on the direction they wheeled Pacey. "No, I'm fine…I think."

"I'll call Bessie too. So, she doesn't worry herself."

"Thank you." Her eyes remained in the direction Pacey was as his brother went in the other direction toward the phone.

"Have you heard anything?" Jen breathed as she ran up to Joey, out of breath from running through the hospital trying to find them.

"No…nothing yet." Joey responded shakily, eyeing her friend before turning back to look down the hall. "Where's Dawson?"

"I don't know…" Jen murmured sitting down next to Joey, her eyes following the other woman's. "He dropped me off then drove off."

"I don't understand…" Joey breathed her eyes not moving from the spot down the hall. "He's been friends with Pacey as long as me but now he acts like Pacey doesn't exist…like the cancer already killed him."

"Has…" Jen started a minute later, her fingers playing with a string hanging off her jeans. "Has Dawson dealt with cancer before?"

"Not directly…" Joey sighed rubbing her neck uncomfortably. "He was around my mom but not enough for it to really impact him like it did me."

"Maybe…" The blonde broached leaning forward her fingers playing with the edge of the chair. "Maybe he's scared?"

"And I'm not?" Joey fired back her eyes blazing. "I'm terrified out of my mind, but I haven't abandoned Pacey."

"See I have a thought as to why that is." Jen smirked, turning to her friend, a giggle on her lips seeing the slight blush register on Joey's cheeks.

"Oh yeah." Joey chuckled sarcastically shuffling in her seat. "Whys that?"

"Because you're in love with him."

Shocked Joey was about to answer when Doug and Dr. Tiale stepped up.

"Dr. Tiale, is Pacey, ok?" Doug asked wide eyed, he had seen his brother, and he was scared.

"He's alright. We did have to intubate him for the time being but once the antibiotics are working, we can remove it."

"What is it? Whats wrong with him?" Joey asked, startled by this information.

Dr. Tiale nodded, offering a slight smile to the group. "He caught a bout of pneumonia. With his immune system compromised from the cancer he's more susceptible to getting infections. Its good you brought him in when you did, or it could have been worse."

An alarming silence reigned over the group before Joey spoke, her voice shaky. "Can we see him?"

"Yes." Dr. Tiale nodded, pointing down the hall. "He's in room 21. He'll look a little jarring with the intubation but he's ok."

"Ok." Jen smiled while Joey just nodded.

"You girls go first. I need to talk to Dr. Tiale." Doug informed, nodding between them.

The girls nodded and walked towards Pacey's room.

Joey gasped upon entering the room. Pacey lay in the middle of the bed, his top covered in a hospital gown, his arms rested over the top of the sheet that covered him. His face was pale, his eyes were closed, and the ghastly tube hung from the corner of his mouth leading to a noisy machine that fed him air.

"Oh my god." Joey whimpered falling into her chair, his hand reaching for the nearest one on the bed.

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