He awoke --his eyes blurry from sleeping so long-- and had no recollection of the past night. Had he found somewhere to sleep? He wasn't sure; couldn't remember, but obviously he had. Slowly, he opened his eyes and saw sunlight all around him. Maybe he was in a park. He squinted his eyes trying to block out the rays and keep his head from throbbing. A sensation he had gotten quite used to waking up to. He didn't know where he was, but that was also something he'd gotten quite used to. This time was different, though. There was just something not quite normal, but he couldn't seem to put his finger on it.

"Sunshine," a voice next to him boomed, "You're awake."

Turning his head he saw the waitress from the diner sitting next to him. Then, the memories of the diner and of Michael and Brian came back to him. How had he gotten here, though? God, he didn't even know where 'here' was.

"It's stifling in here. I'll go tell 'em to turn the heat down."

She was right about that. That's what it was; that thing that was so different. He felt under his head, a pillow; on top of him, blankets. He was warm, a sensation that he was not used to waking up to. Usually he would awake shivering, hugging himself for whatever warmth he could find. Sometimes, if he were in a big city he would curl up on the grates and feel the warm steam course through his body, and just when he was almost asleep the cops would come and scare him off to a dark alley. No, continuous heat was something he hadn't felt in a long time.

"No," Justin protested and grabbed Debbie's arm, "I like the heat."

"Oh, of course honey," Debbie said sitting back down.

"Where am I?"

"Allegheny General Hospital," she replied scooting forward in her seat.

"Hospital?" Justin asked sitting up in bed, "I don't do hospitals." He pushed the covers off and looked down to see the paper-thin gown that was distributed upon admission. Scanning the room he saw his clothes neatly folded on a chair in the corner, and he scurried over trying to keep the back closed so as not to flash the older woman.

"Sunshine, get your ass back in that bed."

"What are you? My mother?"

"Fair enough, but if you don't get back in that bed then you're going to wish I was."

Justin grabbed his shirt off the top of the pile and held it out in front of him. "You washed my clothes?"

"Somebody had to," Debbie replied.

"Thanks," Justin said as he slid easily into his pants. Quickly, he grabbed his backpack and marched towards the door. Unlucky for him, Debbie beat him to it and slid between him and his escape.

"You're sick, Justin." Debbie's voice was more harsh than indignant. "I can't have you out in the cold with no shelter."

Just then a knock sounded at the door and Debbie stepped aside to let whoever was there into the room. To Justin's utter disappointment it was Michael; just what he needed the offspring of Nurse Nightingale.

"Rise and shine," he called stepping into the room. He looked at his mother and then at the kid and saw that he had obviously entered at the wrong time. "Oookay, I'm just gonna go this way." He walked back to the door and was stopped by a well-decorated hand.

"Not so fast there, kiddo. You're gonna help me convince Sunshine here that he's not going back out on the street."

"Who's gonna convince who about what now?" Brian asked at the door.

"Justin wants to leave the hospital and go back to the streets," Michael filled him in.

"And the problem lies…?"

"The problem is," Debbie's shrill voice rang out, "he's a sick kid and I don't want him out there so he can pass out again. Who would find him then?"

"I passed out?" Justin asked vaguely remembering leaving the diner.

"Ma found you lying against the dumpster behind the diner. You were in pretty bad shape. They said that you have pneumonia."

"Oh," Justin said slumping onto the bed. He had known that he was sick, but he figured it was just a cold and would go away; he didn't know it was something serious. "That doesn't mean it's going to happen again, though. Plus, if I stay here, it's going to cost a fortune. If it doesn't already. How am I going to pay for all this?"

Justin looked at Debbie and she could see that he was actually scared. Maybe of being sick, maybe of trying to pay for something he knew he wouldn't be able to afford. When you're a kid you always hear about not paying for a bill at a restaurant and them making you wash dishes, but what would you do at a hospital? Scrub bedpans? Debbie turned and looked at Michael and she saw him smile and knew they were thinking the same thing.

"Oh no, not happening," Brian exclaimed when he saw Debbie and Michael looking at him.

"Come on Brian," Michael whined approaching his friend. "Help him out." Brian turned his head knowing he couldn't resist Mikey when he got this way. Those big puppy dog eyes that he knew just when to break out. They were really what had attracted Brian to him in the first place. He had looked like such a chump, a loner, and Brian had liked that. He didn't like being in the 'in-crowd' and he knew with Mikey he wouldn't have to deal with all that shit. Not that the friendship was a farce; he really liked having someone around to counteract his cynicism.

"Fine," Brian caved.

"No way!" Justin yelled jumping to his feet. "I'm not letting you pay for this."

"Well, we don't have much of a choice now, do we? You think I wanna fork over my hard earned money because you had a drama queen moment and passed out in the fucking street?"

"I don't care what you do or don't want to do. You're not paying and that's final. I don't want your charity." Justin folded his arms across his chest and gave a little huff.

"Fine, but I don't know what else you're going to do. Money doesn't grow on trees you know."

"Actually," Justin interjected, "it does because money is paper and paper is made from trees. So, technically money does grow on trees." He couldn't believe he actually said that. It sounded like something a prepubescent school girl would say.

"Jesus," Debbie cried, "you two sound like a fucking married couple."

"Excuse me!" Justin and Brian exclaimed in unison.

"Never mind," Michael interrupted, "Justin, Brian's right. You really don't have much of a choice. Somebody has to pay and he has the money, so let him."

"Fine," Justin agreed after some thinking, "but I'm paying you back, and I don't want to hear any of your shit about how long it's taking me."

"You're fuckin' right your paying me back. I don't do charity."

Justin looked at Debbie and then at Michael before barging through leaving the room. He walked determined down the hallway in a direction he hoped had been the right one because nobody wants to backtrack when you've got an attitude the size of Texas. Luckily, he was right and soon found himself in front of the desk to check out. Looking behind him he saw Debbie walking towards him between Brian and Michael. He hated to admit it, but Brian looked hot. He guessed that he looked like shit ran over twice. He waited and watched as Brian pulled out a credit card and handed it over to the blonde nurse with a slight smile. She was giddy with delight and winked at him before having him sign the receipt. Apparently, he had the same affect on females as he did on males; too bad he was such a fucking ass.

"Now that that is settled I'm going," Justin told the trio as they exited the hospital.

"The hell you are," Debbie bellowed. "I thought I made it clear back there that you're not going back to the streets."

"Jesus, you were serious about that shit?"

"As a heart attack, but we never decided what we were going to do with you." Debbie turned and looked at her son, smiling slightly.

"You think I'm going to take him in? I think the apartment is full enough with Emmett and Ben there," Michael countered.

"You were the one that piped up in the first place."

"Oh, like you weren't going to. I figured I'd score major points by agreeing to help with him. I didn't know that I'd be gaining another roommate."

"Well, if he can't stay with you then where's he going to stay?"

Brian looked around and saw that again all eyes were on him, "The fuck if he's staying with me. I paid for the little twat. Now you can play happy homemaker and take care of him."

"I never said a word." Debbie retorted. "I was going to suggest he stay with Vic and I."

"Will you people please stop talking like I'm not here?" Justin asked. "I'll be fine staying at Deb's as long as there's room for me."

"You can stay in my old room," Michael piped up, "Although, I don't want you touching or ruining anything."

"Fine," Justin agreed.

"I don't want to come home and find all my action figures shoved in a corner, or my pictures taken down. And don't even think about touching my comics. I still have boxes of them in my closet."

"I said fine," Justin retorted, "Jesus."

"Don't forget about Patrick Swayze, Michael," Brian scoffed, "The kid might ruin our most prized possession."

Justin laughed not knowing what he was referring to, "I won't jack off on your duvet if that's what you mean."

"I think you two already accomplished the ruining part a long time ago. I'm surprised it still opens."

"Mom!" Michael cried embarrassed.

After everything was finally settled, Brian went and got the jeep while the other three waited. Justin didn't know what he'd gotten himself into with these people. He'd never stuck around with anybody; he didn't like relationships all they did was tie you down, and he didn't want to be tied down.

'It won't be for long,' he reminded himself. 'I'll get out of here soon.'