Careless Mistake
by Kelli
Part 65
August 2006.......
"Look at you, little man," Britney said as she watched Chase crawl over to her. She sets the camcorder down and bends down to scoop him up in her arms and planted a big kiss on his cheek. "You are so smart, crawling already."
He smiled and giggled as he waved his arms up and down.
The phone rang so Britney leaned over and picked it up off of the couch.
"Hello?"
"Hi....finally," Justin said.
"What took you so long?" Britney asked as she bounced Chase on her knee. She figured she would have heard from Justin today already, but he hadn't called.
"You know, Mackenzie had to stop and flirt with some cute boys along the way," he teased.
Britney tensed a little. "Very funny. Don't encourage her, Justin."
"Hey, I'm not going to let her date until she's forty."
She giggled. "Right. Anyway, where are you guys at now?"
"We're on the way to the airport."
"Good....so I should see you in a few hours."
"Yep. Counting the minutes yet?" he chuckled.
"Mmhmm. I have a surprise for you when you come home."
"Don't tease," he said in a sexy voice.
She giggled. "It's not like that, Justin. Is your mother still with you?"
"No, she left last night. Mackenzie had a really good time with her."
"Good. I knew she would....and in the process, you got a lot of stuff done so it worked out."
"Right. How did Chase's doctor's appointment go this morning?"
"Good. He told me to stop giving Chase the antibiotics....his lungs sound clear." She bounced him on her knee.
"Good news. Oh hey, Mackenzie, you want to talk to mommy?" she heard him tell her.
When Britney could hear her breathing on the other end of the line she started talking to her. "Hi baby. Did you have fun with grandma?"
"Uh huh."
"Did you give her a big hug and kiss like I asked?"
"Yeah."
Britney tried not to laugh at the lack of conversation.
"Hey," Justin said when he got the phone back.
"Hey," Britney said, laughing. "Nice conversation there."
Chase started to wiggle around so she set him back down on the floor.
"Yeah. Anyway we had a great visit. Mom misses seeing Chase, though so I told her to come out and visit soon."
"Of course."
"So, what's my big boy doing right now?"
She looked down at Chase, who was crawling over to a blanket that was laying on the floor.
"Playing," she said. She wanted to surprise Justin with the news that Chase was crawling.
"Okay, we're at the airport, so we've got to get going. We'll see you in a few hours."
"Yep."
"I love you."
"I love you more. Give Mackenzie a big kiss for me."
"I will. Bye."
"Bye."
She hung up and smiled down at Chase who was sitting on the blanket and looking around him.
"Daddy and Mackenzie are on their way home. Come on, I'm going to put you down for a nap before we go and surprise them at the airport."
~*~
"I am a material.....material girl," Britney sang at the top of her lungs.
She glanced in her rearview mirror at Chase who was banging his sippy cup against his car seat to the music. She chuckled and turned her attention back to the highway.
"Well shit," she said when she came to construction. She turned the radio down and tried to read the signs in the dark. "Let's try this way," she said, pulling off the highway. "At least I think I can go this way to get to the airport."
She glanced at the time. She had given herself plenty of time to get to the airport in case their plane was early.
She pulled up to a stop light and looked around.
"Yep, I think this is right," she said.
The light turned green and she pushed the pedal. Suddenly, she heard a car coming toward her so she looked over to her right and saw headlight glaring in through the passenger's window.
~*~
Justin and Mackenzie got off the plane and headed toward the baggage claim.
"You have to go potty?" Justin asked her.
"No," she said.
"Okay....we have a long drive home," he teased.
"No, daddy."
She was starting to get restless while waiting for the luggage to come. Finally the belt started and she watched intently. He kept his eye out for their driver.
"Where the hell is he?" he asked himself.
He got their bags and got an attendant to help him.
"Where to, sir?" he asked.
"Well, I'm supposed to have a driver. Let me call the service," Justin said, reaching for his wallet and digging out the business card.
He sat down on a bench and held Mackenzie between his legs so she wouldn't wander away.
"Hi, this is Justin Timberlake. I was supposed to have a driver at LAX and there's no one here."
He waited while the woman at the agency looked up his information. He pulled Mackenzie to sit on his lap.
"Sir, your wife canceled the service this morning. There's a note that says she was going to pick you up instead."
Justin smiled. "Oh really? Well, she probably got lost with the construction. Thank you."
He hung up and shook his head as he chuckled. "Oh Brit.....good intentions...."
He dialed her cell phone number and immediately it went to her voicemail. "Hmmm, she's got it turned off?" he asked himself. "Hey baby, it's me. Guess what? I don't have a ride home and I called the service. Where are you? I want to go home," he chuckled. "Anyway, I'm going to give you fifteen more minutes to call me.....it's seven-fifteen now. If I don't hear from you, I'll just call the service back. Love you."
He hung up the phone and told the airport attendant that he was going to wait around for a few minutes. He gave him another tip so that waiting was worth his while.
"Thanks, Mr. Timberlake. I like your music, by the way. I think it's great," the young attendant said.
"Oh, really? Well thanks....ummm."
"Kenny."
"Thanks, Kenny."
"And I'm a big fan of your wife's. She puts on a great stage show," he said nodding with a silly grin on his face.
Justin chuckled. "Yeah, she does."
"Your daughter is very cute. I haven't seen many pictures of her. That's great you can keep her out of the media like you have."
"We try. Excuse me, I'm going to take her to the restroom...I know she's got to go, she just doesn't know it yet."
Kenny chuckled and watched as they walked away.
"Come on, angel, let's go to the bathroom."
He took Mackenzie to the bathroom and while he was holding her up at the sink so she could wash her hands, his cell phone rang. He set her down and grabbed a paper towel for her while he answered his phone.
"Hello?" he answered without looking at the caller ID.
"Justin?" Lynne said. She sounded very upset.
"Mom? You sound upset, what's going on....is everything all right?"
"Where are you?"
"At the airport, why?"
His heart started to beat fast.
"I just got a call from the hospital there....."
He tried to swallow. "Why?" He could feel the color draining from his face.
"There was an accident......"
"Mom, just tell me," he snapped.
"Britney and Chase were in a car accident. I don't know the details but they were taken to Memorial....."
He leaned back against the wall, next to the built in trash can that Mackenzie was trying to throw her paper towel away in.
"Oh God," he said, rubbing his face. "Are they okay? Please Lynne, tell me they're okay...."
He started to cry.
"They couldn't tell me much but they're alive. They were both in the emergency room. Honey do you want the number?"
"Yeah, hold on, I've got to find something to write with" he said, trying to calm himself down and find a pen.
He grabbed Mackenzie's hand and walked back out into the baggage claim area. Kenny looked at Justin's upset face and got a worried look on his face.
"Do you have something to write with?" Justin asked him.
"Sure," Kenny said grabbing a pen out of his jacket.
"Go ahead mom," Justin said, holding his hand out and writing down the number on his palm.
"Do you need me to call someone? When you go to the hospital, you're going to need someone to watch Mackenzie...."
"Umm, yeah could you call JC or someone while I call the hospital? Have them call my cell phone and leave me a message if I don't answer."
"I will. Justin, it's going to be okay," she said, starting to get choked up.
"I know. Bye."
He hung up and dialed the number on the palm of his hand. He glanced down to make sure Mackenzie was still nearby. Kenny was keeping an eye on her as well. She walked over to him and he started to act like he couldn't see her behind the luggage.
"Yes, I need to find out the status of Britney Timberlake.....or Britney Spears," he said, rubbing his temple. "And Chase Timberlake." He held back his tears as he said his son's name.
"Hold on, please. Let me transfer you to the ER," the operator said.
Justin sat on a bench and waited for someone on the other end. Mackenzie stood next to Justin and put her hand on his knee. He touched it and stared straight ahead.
"Yes, I'm Justin Timberlake. My wife and son were brought in there tonight," he started. Kenny was trying not to listen but the more he overheard, the more his heart was breaking for this man in front of him.
Justin closed his eyes as they put him on hold again.
"I don't want to be on hold!" he said as he looked at his phone. "Yes, I'm here," Justin said when the nurse came on the phone.
He listened as the nurse told him about Britney and Chase's injuries.
"Your wife will be moved up to a room and your son will be in Pediatric ICU within the hour," she said.
Justin pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath.
"Thank you. Can I give you my cell phone in case anything changes? I'm at the airport with my daughter. I need someone to come get her before I can get to the hospital."
His phone beeped, meaning there was another call. He hoped it was JC or someone saying they were on their way.
He gave his cell phone number and then hung up. He dialed his voicemail and listened to the message. It was Jenny and she was on her way to the airport to pick up Mackenzie for him.
Justin hung up and started to breathe really hard. He wanted to punch something. He wanted to scream and cry.
"Daddy?" Mackenzie asked.
He looked down at her. She rested her head against his leg so he petted her hair and then leaned down to kiss the side of it.
"Hey baby," he said, trying to sound as normal as possible.
"I want mommy," she said.
"I know....I do too. Your Aunt Jenny is going to pick you up, though. You have fun with her....."
Mackenzie closed her eyes so Justin lifted her up and held her close. She rested her head against his shoulder. He needed this contact with her right now.
Justin pushed a few buttons on his cell and dialed Jenny's number.
"Hello, Justin?" she answered.
"Hey Jenny....thanks for doing this," he said, his voice breaking a little.
"Oh my God Justin....don't even mention it. What did the hospital say?"
He told her the latest news.
"I'm not sure how we're going to do this....I'm in a cab and I don't have a car seat."
"I can call the service and get a car. They actually have car seats if you request them."
Kenny overheard this and started to dial a number on his cell phone.
When Justin hung up he started to get the card out of his wallet again but Kenny stopped him. "Sir, I'm calling for a car for you."
"Oh....thanks," Justin said, sitting back a little.
Jenny was there in no time. When she came into the baggage claim area Justin stood up and walked over to her. He hugged her with his free arm since Mackenzie was now asleep in his other arm.
"Kenny arranged for a car," Justin said, nodding toward the attendant.
Kenny took the bags to the car and Justin and Jenny followed him.
"I can't think of everything you're going to need right now," Justin said. "Um, here's a key.....but you'll need the pass code to get in."
Once he put Mackenzie in the car seat, he gave her a kiss on the forehead and stood up. Jenny was standing there with her purse thrown over her shoulder.
"We'll be fine. Don't worry about me, just go take care of Britney and Chase," she said.
She leaned up and gave him a hug.
"I will. Leave me a voicemail if you need anything, though. Or call Lynne, she usually knows where everything is at...."
"Just go," she said, giving him a reassuring smile.
He looked back down at a sleeping Mackenzie and nodded.
"Thanks."
She got in the car and Kenny stood at the curb.
"Sir, I got you a cab to take you to the hospital," he told Justin.
Justin turned around and nodded. "Right.....thanks."
He walked over to the cab and gave Kenny another tip. "You've helped me out a lot tonight. Thank you."
"No problem, sir. I hope everything will be okay," he said as Justin got in the cab.
The door shut and Justin rested his head back against the seat.
"Which hospital?" the cab driver asked.
"Memorial," Justin said as he closed his eyes and let a tear fall.