"Back the fuck up, both of you!" Joey yelled. "Sit down and shut up and listen to me." JC sat down right next to Chris. Joey didn't get mad very often, but when he did JC listened to him, even when it wasn't JC he was mad at.

"Listen," Joey said, his voice softer. "He is fine, he is fine, he is going to be fine, they just want to -"

"Bullshit, Joey," Chris said, "he's not fine, you saw him fall and he's not -"

"He is fine. He fell on his wrist a little hard, but it's not even sprained, they just want to check him out and then he's good to go. He's not even bruised."

"He's not fine, Joey," JC said.

"He is. He's fine, pretty fucking freaked out but there's nothing wrong, all right? Can you get that through your thick heads?"

"Pretty fucking freaked out is not -"

"No, JC, you're right. Pretty fucking freaked out is not fine, but it's a fucking picnic compared to what could have happened, and he's certainly not going to get any finer with the two of you screaming and raving like somebody forgot your meds." Joey took a deep breath. "Why don't you guys go out to the bus and wait -"

"Are you fucking kidding?" Chris said. "Do you really think I'm leaving here before I see -"

"Lance, take Chris out to the bus," Joey snapped.

"Yes sir," Lance said, and saluted. Joey looked over at him and something private passed between them. "Look, I got a lot on my hands right now," Joey said, and Lance smiled at him.

"I'm not going -"

"Chris, come on," Lance said. "They're going to put him right on the bus anyway, so you'll see him just as quick. And you know he hates waiting around, and he's going to especially hate it today, so why don't we go get on the bus and then we'll be ready to go when he's ready?"

"Fine," Chris said, "but I'm going because I think it'll get J home quicker, not because you told me."

"That's the best reason ever, and I don't doubt it one bit," Lance said, and guided Chris out the door.

Joey looked at JC. "I'm not going out to the fucking bus, Joey," JC said before Joey could speak.

"Can you be calm?"

"Yes, but even if I couldn't you couldn't make me get on the bus."

Joey sat down heavily next to him. "Yeah, I'm really who you want to be fighting right now."

"I'm sorry," JC said. "But it was really fucking freaky. I just - I feel like anything could happen, you know?"

"Yeah, well, anything could have happened, but it didn't. And anything could have happened yesterday, or the day before, but it didn't, and it most likely won't tomorrow, so the best thing you can do is be cool and help Justin remember that."

"I know, I know," JC sighed. "I know, and I will, but I was really fucking scared for a minute there and right now all I want to do is beat the shit out of someone, you know?"

"I know," Joey said. "For a minute there, I thought you were going to beat the shit out of me."