Loyalty

Chapter 25: Spectacular?

"I've just been so focused on Brian lately. But really, I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about," I tried to tell her. But she didn't seem convinced.

"Okay, if you insist. But just know that if you ever need to talk to anyone, I'm here," Bessy promised me.

"Thanks, I really appreciate that," I told her.

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Once the show was about to start, one of the producers brought Bessy and me into a room, where we could watch the whole thing. Neither of us were really looking forward to watching the show, especially the portion with the obstacle course. After what happened to Brian, Bessy was rightfully concerned about her husband's safety. But we sat there watching, in support of our men, hoping that everything would be fine.

When the four guys went out there, they had to explain to the crowd, and the viewers, why Brian wouldn't be competing. They explained how Brian had gotten injured during the practice, and that the doctors wouldn't let him compete. However, they got Joey Fatone to be Brian's substitute, like they had done in a previous challenge. I was glad that Brian would still get an opportunity to make money for his charity, without having to put his own body at risk.

After they explained the situation, they were playing clips of the guys during their practice. I knew it was coming, but I didn't want to watch. I was well aware that an ATV flipped over onto Brian and caused his injury. But I had never seen the video until that moment. There was something about watching it on video that was too disturbing, and it caused such a visceral reaction. I watched the ATV crush his ribs, and I knew how much pain he was in. I got so upset watching it, that I was physically sick. I ran over to a nearby trash can and threw up. I figured it was from all the stress, along with the fact that I was barely eating or sleeping. The video had triggered me. Bessy looked very concerned.

"Are you alright?" Bessy asked me. She came over to me and started rubbing my back.

"I'll be fine. It's probably just the lack of sleep and food," I told her.

She handed me a bottle of water, which I gladly accepted. I took a sip of water, and took a deep breath, trying to regain my composure.

"It's okay, Jess. I know that was hard to watch, but Brian's okay now," Bessy said, trying to comfort me.

"I just hate watching that video," I told her.

"See, Jess, this is what I'm talking about. Clearly, you're not okay. You need to start taking care of yourself," Bessy insisted.

"I know, you're right. I will," I promised her.

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After they played the challenges, like a regular episode, it was time for the guys to start the obstacle course. Joe went first, dressed in his Captain Fatbelly costume. He quickly ran out of breath, but the other guys were still cheering him on. Although this was supposed to be a competition, all the guys were rooting for each other, mainly because this was all for charity. Joe was competing for Daniel's Music Foundation, a charity he and Bessy have proudly supported for years. Joe ran into an issue when his motorcycle wouldn't start. This wasted valuable time, so Joe gave up and ran for that portion.

"We need to take time off," we heard Brian say, repeatedly.

"It's not his fault the thing didn't start," Bessy said.

"You're right, it's not fair," I agreed. But I wasn't really surprised, it seemed as though this entire episode wasn't fair. Maybe it was cursed.

Then we watched Joe get towards the end of the course. One of the last obstacles was to run through one of three doors. But only one door was open, so if the Joker picked incorrectly, they'd basically be running into a wall. Unfortunately, Joe's first two choices were incorrect, so he slammed into two walls. When he slammed into the second wall, he didn't get up immediately.