The
Press Conference
Dan, Nadia, Leonie, and Jack all sat in the middle of a long narrow table set inside the largest lounge the hospital could provide. In front of them were over a hundred reporters and camera crews sitting on folding chairs waiting to get the chance to ask questions. Dan was nervous, Jack could tell. She knew her cousin all too well. The wrinkles on his forehead gave it away. She leaned over and patted him on the back. He looked at her, and with a reassuring smile, she whispered, “You’re going to be fine.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with being up here?” he asked. “Are you sure you’re not going to begin crying when I start talking about Darren?”
“Yeah,” Jack replied. “I’m all cried out. I don’t think I have anymore tears left.”
“Good, then I’ll tell Leo we’re ready to begin,” Dan said, turning towards Leonie. He nodded, signaling he to let the fun begin.
Leonie stood up and began, “Welcome, distinguished members of the press and media. As you all know, many things happened in the last few hours. I’d like to turn things over to Daniel Jones now so he can explain the situation further.”
“Thank you, Leonie,” Dan politely replied. He cleared his throat and started to explain, “As you all know, my fellow band mate, Darren Hayes, has been hospitalized. Contrary to popular belief, he is not here because of an accident, but because of a drug overdose.” The crowd began to explode with questions. Dan politely sat and waited as Leonie calmed them down. “To answer the question why,” he continued, “it was an attempted suicide. Darren has been under a lot of stress lately, but as of right now, we don’t know why he did it. He overdosed on Vicodin, and when he was found, he was barely alive. Some of the best doctors are taking care of him, but it doesn’t look too good. We’re keeping our hopes up, though, and praying that he’ll pull through.
“On a more happier note, my girlfriend, Nadia Becker, and I are expecting our first child, which is due in June. I’ve known Nadia for a while, but as of right now, there are no marriage plans in our future. The baby is healthy, though, and we’re not expecting any complications. I’d like to take the time now to open the forum for questions.”
The reporters exploded with the energy of an atomic bomb. The noise level skyrocketed to the point where Jack was seeing stars. She shook her head trying to clear all the noise ringing in her ears. She could now see why Dan had been so nervous. This would scare the shit out of anyone.
“Is it true that you didn’t even know your girlfriend was pregnant until about three months ago when she showed up at your door?” one guy in the back asked.
With a fake smile plastered on his face, Dan answered, “No, that isn’t true. Next question.”
“Weren’t you involved with one of the members of your band prior to this relationship, and if so, why would she want to run to the press to tell them about it?” a somewhat pudgy man in the front row asked.
“I was, but I don’t know why she would want to run to the press and tell everyone. Maybe it was spite. You know how ex-girlfriends are. Next question.”
“Did Darren leave a suicide note before he overdosed?” a short man with a scowl on his face asked from the front row.
“No, but if he did, we haven’t found it yet. Next…”
“Then why am I holding a copy of it in my hands?” the man interrupted.
Dan, Leonie, Nadia, and Jack exchanged mortified glances with each other. Dan covered his microphone and leaned over to whisper into Leonie’s ear, “That little bitch. Who gave her the note?”
Leonie shrugged. “Do what you’ve been doing the last few minutes and deny that it exists,” she advised.
Dan sat up and said, “There’s no possible way you could have received a copy of a note that doesn’t even exist. It’s a fake.”
“Then why would your ex-girlfriend, Anna Maria, assure me and stake her reputation saying that it was really written by Darren? That this was, in fact, the actual suicide note that Darren wrote before he overdosed on those pills,” the reporter continued.
Jack leaned back in her chair and covered her face with her hand. She knew her interrogation was all to ominously in her future. Dan leaned over and whispered, “Leave, now!”
Unfortunately, it was too late. “So, Ms. Jones I presume,” the reporter said as he looked at her. “The ex-sports star that was lucky enough to survive a paralyzing spinal cord injury. What kind of paid did Darren cause you to shut him out of your life and ultimately lead to his demise?”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Jack growled as she let her hands drop down to the table to reveal her face. “If you think you’re going to get anything out of me, you’re so wrong. You have no business exploring my personal life.”
“Sweetheart, you’re now an international icon. We’ll find out sooner or later,” the cocky reporter said.
“Well, you know what? That’s never gonna happen. And do you know why? Because I’m gonna kick your ass, that’s why!” she shouted, lunging for him. In a matter of seconds, she had his head beneath her arm and was punching him with her free hand. “I’m so sick of you cocky reporters trying to screw up my life and the lives of my friends and family. Someone needed to teach you a lesson. Lucking that someone was me.” Jack stopped punching him and released her headlock. He fell to the ground in a bloody mess. She walked away and headed into the hall where Ben, Angi, Nikki, Jen, Karl, and Lee were still staring at the scene, wide eyed.
Dan, Leonie, and Nadia were escorted out of the room soon after by bulky security guards. They quickly made their way into a more secure room along with the others. The moment Jack entered, all eyes were on her. She knew their probing glances had thousands of questions waiting to ask her, but her head was spinning and she was ready to drop onto the floor.
“What the hell is the matter with you?” Dan was the first to yell.
“Not now, Dan,” Jack moaned as she collapsed into the nearest couch.
“Not now?” he retorted. “I want an explanation.
“Seriously, Dan. Not now! I feel like I’m gonna puke,” she replied.
“Oh, shit,” Dan said when he realized why she didn’t want to talk. “Ben, get a doctor.”
“I don’t need a doctor,” Jack groaned as she laid flat on her back.
“Trust me, you do,” he replied.
“Dan, what aren’t you telling me about my health?” she unexpectedly asked.
Dan looked around the room to see if anyone was going to bail him out of this predicament. They all shook their heads letting him know that he brought this upon himself. “Jack, honey, we really didn’t want to tell you this fearing that it would push you over the edge, but you know when you passed out and I told you it was because of fatigue and exhaustion? Well, there’s more to it than that. What you weren’t told was that you’re three months pregnant,” he quietly explained with his head down.
“I… I’m pregnant?” Jack asked in disbelief. “Oh, God!” she cried.
“Jack, listen to me,” Nadia ordered, sitting down beside her. “You might think this is really bad now, but give it a little time. I felt the same way when I found out I was having a baby, but that anger is totally gone, and I’m so happy.”
“But what about Darren? He’s practically dead. How will he ever know?” Jack continued to cry.
“Don’t think like that. He’s gonna make it. I know he is. You just gotta stop being so negative. You have to look on the bright side of life.”
Jack had suddenly stopped crying, and when Nadia looked down at her, she was asleep.
“Well, there goes my pep talk,” she added, standing up and walking over to another couch.
“Now what?” Dan asked.
“We sit and wait,” she replied.