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A Lifetime of Undying Devotion To a Life Tragically Cut Short
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Briley's birthday was April 7, and Courtney and some friends had made him a birthday cake and posters that morning at school. Before dismissal, she again made the drive to the hospital, knowing that Justin had been taken off life support at midday.
Around 4 p.m., Courtney kissed him on the forehead and said, "I love you." Teary-eyed, she left the hospital because she didn't want to see him take his last breath. Justin's parents and other friends and family remained in the room, where Justin died just before 5 p.m. Courtney's father called and told her Justin was dead just as she pulled into the driveway of her home in Stafford.
By 6:30, about 600 people had congregated at the North Stafford baseball field for a candlelight vigil. Some people sobbed, some wept silently.
When Courtney arrived, wearing a blue North Stafford letter jacket, she grabbed a microphone and the crowd fell silent. "I know we're all sad," she said, "but the last thing he wants to do is look down and see all of us in tears."
'Do It for Justin Whitaker'
The next day, between innings against Albemarle, Courtney stood off to the side in the dugout. Sometimes she would plop down in a chair and duck her head. Other times she would stand alone, staring into the distance.
"I think I can be strong enough to get through all of it because I have such a great support system," Courtney said later. "But I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to move on past the fact that he's not here."
Courtney had the option of postponing the game earlier in the day, but she firmly stated that she wanted to play. Justin would have wanted her to, she said. She had even slipped out of school during lunch to help prepare the field.
Courtney collected one hit and drove in a run during North Stafford's 9-0 victory. In the stands, Craig Whitaker cheered on Courtney. Each time she ran back onto the diamond between innings, she slapped a rectangular wooden board hooked to the chain-link fence that read "DIFJW," short for "Do It for Justin Whitaker."
After the game, Courtney walked to the baseball field, where she chatted with players and friends. Soon she was alone, still muddy and sweaty in her catcher's gear, gazing into the North Stafford dugout. There, in the far corner, a single white, orange and blue uniform hung from a hook. It was jersey No. 7.
