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Denise looked up as Nick’s parents entered the room, Jane’s eyes red from crying as she walked over and sat down next to Katherine.
“ It wasn’t their fault.” Jane said as she hugged Katherine close. Katherine leaned against Jane and cried. Her slender body racked with sobs as she thought of losing her husband that night.
“ Excuse me are you all here for Mr. Carter and Mr. McLean?” The doctor asked coming into the room.
“ I am Nick’s mom.” Jane said standing with Katherine.
“ I am Alex’s wife.” Katherine said softly.
“ How are they?” Howie asked knowing the others wouldn’t ask. The doctor looked at the group and sighed.
“ Well I will start with Mr. Carter first. It seems that he’s the one with the least amount of injuries. The car landed on his side but with his seatbelt it kept him from being hurt worse than we had first thought. He did hit his head pretty badly, which is the reason he’s in a coma, he’s got a broken arm, his left leg is broken actually his left leg was totally crushed but it will heal. Right along with the rest of his body.” The doctor said.
“ But he’s in a coma?” Jane said looking at the doctor.
“ Yes ma’am he is. His head injury is the biggest part of our worries right now. His brain has swelled and until we can get the swelling under control he will remain in his coma.” The doctor said.
“ Is there any brain damage?” Katherine asked.
“ It’s too soon to tell. Until the swelling comes down and he finally wakes we wont know.” The doctor said. Bob pulled his wife into his arms as she began to cry.
“ My husband?” Katherine asked.
“ Mr. McLean is the worse of the two. He was on the receiving end of the first impact. We where told the truck that hit them was speeding at over 60 mph when it impacted with their vehicle. It took the paramedics the longest to remove him for the car. He has a sever head injury, his head was bleeding when he was brought in that required several stitches to close. We took several x-rays once we had stabilized him and his back is broken in three places.” The doctor said. Katherine brought her hands up to her mouth and dropped to her knees.
“ Now Mrs. McLean that doesn’t mean that he wont walk again. We have to wait and see. This is a waiting game. Your husband is in a coma, but unlike Mr. Carter he slipped into that coma on his own. We are unsure if and when he will wake.” The doctor said. Denise put her arms around Katherine and looked up at the doctor.
“ My son will wake up. He’s strong and has a lot to live for.”
“ Mrs. McLean we cant promise that. At this moment we are trying to bring the swelling down to see if he’s paralyzed.” The doctor said calmly.
“ He’s a family man with a two month old son. He will pull threw this and will be there to show his son how to dance or how to play basketball.” Denise shouted.
“ Denise, this isn’t the doctors fault let the man do his job.” Howie’s mom Paula said. Denise leaned down and lifted Katherine and held the sobbing girl close to her.
“ I can lose him.” She sobbed.
“ Can we see them?” Denise asked calmly. The doctor nodded and smiled.
“ One at a time.”
“ I don’t think she can handle going alone.” Howie said looking at Katherine.
“ Alright but don’t stay long.” The doctor said
“ What rooms?”
“ 214 they are in the same room.” The doctor said leading them down the hall. Linda held Howie’s hand as they walked down the hall.
“ When will the others be here?”
“ A few hours, Aaron was in New York, Kevin’s in England. And Brian is flying over on the first flight he can get. He’s bringing Leighanne and Baylee.”
“ They all need to be here.” Linda said as they came to a stop in front of the door.
“ They will be.” Howie said. He looked into the room and wasn’t even sure he wanted to walk threw the door. He hated it when Brian had spent his short time in the hospital threw which they had all thought they where going to lose their brother. Now he had two brothers in ICU with machines helping them breath. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he walked into the room. AJ lay with his arms at his side, he looked so small in the large bed. Tube down his throat helping him breath, an IV line in his left hand running to a set of medications that where being given. His head had a huge bandage on it covering the stitches that needed to be given.
“ He.. He looks so small.” Howie said finally breaking down in tears. His tear filled brown eyes looked towards the other bed, where Nick lay. His blond hair messed from the accident. Howie watched as Jane ran her fingers lightly over her son’s bruised face. All Howie could see was a curious young boy he had met those ten years before. Always getting into trouble. He half expected Nick to sit up and laugh like it was one big joke. But Nick never moved, the machine next to him beeping with the rythem of his heartbeats. Howie touched the cross that had been given to him by AJ many years ago.
“ Don’t take them.” He whispered as he ran his fingers over the cross. Suddenly a shrill beeping filled the room. Howie’s eyes darted towards a histerical Katherine.
“ Don’t you leave me!” She screamed. The doctor rushed into the room with several nurses making everyone move away from the bed.
“ Damn it he’s flat lined. Get me the paddles and charge to 150.” The doctor shouted. Katherine felt arms around her shoulders, her eyes looked away from the bed for a moment to see Brian standing there. She turned and buried her face in his chest and cried. She heard the machine make a noise and turned and saw AJ’s body arch up from the bed.
“ Charge to 200” She heard the doctor say again. “ Clear.” He said as he placed the paddles on AJ’s exposed chest, again AJ’s body arched up from the bed and then she heard the beeping of his heart rate again.
“ We’ve got him back normal sinus rythem.” The doctor said placing the paddles back on the machine. Katherine looked at the doctor expectantly.
“ We’ve got him back. Let’s pray that doesn’t happen again.” He said touching her shoulder. Katherine cried as she looked towards the bed.
“ He’s strong.” Brian whispered holding Katherine in his arms.
“ Honey come on lets go get some coffee.” Leighanne said taking Katherine’s arm.
“ I don’t want to leave him alone.”
“ He wont be, go with Leigh.” Brian said letting his wife lead Katherine away from the room.
“ How could something like this happen?” Denise asked.
“ We aren’t sure. But we have to pray for them. Kevin and Aaron will be here soon.” Howie said looking at the group.
“ You where able to reach my son?” Jane said
“ Yeah, Nick had given us all Aaron’s cell number in case he was with his brother.” Howie explained.
“ It’s always good. My son’s both thought of you all ask their family.” Jane said looking towards Nick’s lifeless body. She could easily lose her oldest son as much as he could lose one of his closest friends.
“ I’m going to check on Katherine.” Bob said heading out of the room. Brian walked into the room and looked at his friends. Nick the youngest member of their group his best friend. He remembered when he first met Nick, a small 13 year old boy that was very active that always was willing to play tricks or pranks on their friends. Nothing that would hurt anyone but just good fun. Nick was the little brother that Brian and the others had never had. And they where the big brothers he had never had, since Nick was the oldest of five he never knew what it was like to be the youngest, joining the Backstreet Boys he found out that having older brothers was great.
“ We could lose our little brothers.” Brian said looking at Howie.
“ We could but we wont. I am going to the church do you want to come with me?” Howie asked. Brian nodded and followed his friend from the room. Jane sat down between Nick and AJ, Denise sitting on the other side of AJ holding his limp hand in her own.
“ I always thought that he would be hurt doing some stunt on that stage but I never thought I could lose him because some moron decides to drive drunk.” Denise said looking towards Jane. Jane looked at Denise with tears in her eyes.
“ She will lose her mind if he dies.” Jane said looking at Denise.
“ They are everything to each other, she completed something in my son. Alex smiled the day he came to me to tell me he was going to ask her to marry him. I remember listening to them talking about how much she cared about each of the boys.” Denise said running her fingers over AJ’s cheek, brushing his unruly brown hair from his face.
“ I know, Nick was the same way, he has younger sisters but never thought that having the wives of his friends as older sisters would ever be an option. He cares about Leigh and Kristen and Kathy, but something about being able to hang out with them helped him cope with the fact his friends where married. Nick thought when Alex got married that he had lost his friend. He was totally surprised when Kathy continued to hang out with him, playing pranks going to games even coming to Nick’s concerts. Nick was so happy.” Jane said looking at her son.
“ And they will be again.” Denise said.

*******************************************

Katherine sat in the cafetieria looking down at her coffee cup. Her fingers running over the edge of the cup, lost in her own thoughts. Brian reached across the table and placed his hand on her arm.
“ He’s going to be fine. He’s going to come back to you and your son.”
“ I could lose him Brian. I could lose the only man I’ve loved. He’s my heart and soul. I don’t know what I will do if I lose him.” Katherine said never looking up from her cup.
“ Brandon needs you, and he needs his father. You both will be there to raise that little boy.” Howie said placing his arm around Katherine.
“ I want to go back in and sit with him.”
“ Come on we will go back with you.” Howie said. Linda and Leighanne looked at their young friend and then followed their husbands to the room.
“ Howie.”
“ Yeah Ma?” Howie said turning towards his mother.
“ How about we let her sit in there alone with them for a while. She needs time.”
“ That is a good idea. I’ll see if Jane will let her sit in there.” Howie said looking at the doorway, he saw Katherine standing in the doorway her hands on the edge of doorway. Her body shook with fear wondering if she should return to her husband’s side. Denise saw her standing in the doorway and stood and guilded her into the room. Having her sit where she had been sitting and kissing her cheek.
“ How about you sit here with him. I am going out for coffee and some air. Jane how about you come along.” Denise suggested.
“ Sure.” Jane said standing. Jane leaned down and kissed her son’s forehead and left the room pulling the door closed behind her. Katherine held AJ’s hand and moved her fingers over his cheek.
“ My dearest love, I need you. You know that right. I need you more than anyone could ever imagine. You’re the reason for my smile and for our beautiful son. I can’t do this alone. Please don’t leave me.” Katherine said kissing his hand.