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Nick looked over at AJ and frowned, AJ didn’t look happy at all. They still sat in the car as they drove into town. Kevin pulled the large suburban to a stop, looking in the rearview mirror he waited for AJ to respond to the stop.
“ You ready? This is the first time you’ve been out of the house since the accident.” Kevin said looking at his friend.
“ Yeah I’m ready.” AJ said as Nick climbed from the truck. Howie reached in the back and pulled AJ’s chair out. AJ slid towards the edge of the seat as Nick reached out for him.
“ No, I’ll do it myself.” AJ said looking at him. Nick nodded and stepped back, AJ inhaled and placed his arms out on each side and swung himself into his chair.
“ Man your stronger than you where before.”
“ I already had strong arms D.” AJ said raising an eyebrow and wheeling himself into the club. Howie’s brother looked up from behind the bar and smiled at them.
“ Hey great to see you out and about Alex.” Jon said looking at AJ. AJ nodded and looked around.
“ Your club D?” AJ said looking at his friend.
“ I figured it was safer, unless you want to go somewhere else?” Howie said looking at his friend.
“ Nah Tabo is fine.” AJ said wheeling himself towards a booth in the back corner. Finally getting himself situated he waited for the others to join him. Nick sat next to him as everyone else moved and sat around the table. Jon decided to be the one to wait on them. Howie looked up and smiled at his brother.
“ What would you guys like?” Jon asked.
“ Tea is fine.” Howie said looking at him. Jon looked at the others once he had gotten their orders he went to make the drinks.
“ Vodka?” Howie said looking at AJ.
“ I need it.” AJ said shrugging his shoulders.
“ No you don’t.” Jon said setting a glass of Coke in front of him.
“ This fucking sucks.” AJ said looking at the floor.
“ You will get better J.” Howie said looking at his friend.
“ Better? I couldn’t even satisfy my wife. She tried to say that she could do all the work but that’s not the point. I am useless.” AJ said looking at his friends.
“ Your not useless. Have you spoke to the doctors about this?
“ Not really. I have an appointment to see him next week. I don’t want to. Cause I know he’s going to tell me this chair is perminate.” AJ said softly.
“ He wont your getting stronger everyday Alex. Just let us help you.”
“ I shouldn’t have to ask for help. This isn’t fair.” AJ said slamming his hands onto the top of the table. AJ pushed himself away from the table and wheeled himself from the club. AJ looked around and wheeled himself down the street.
“ We have to go after him. He can’t wheel himself home, Kathy would never forgive me for that.” Kevin said standing.
“He needs time. Let’s give him that time.” Howie suggested.
“ Alright but not long.” Kevin said sitting back down.


AJ rolled down the street looking around seeing young couples holding hands and walking down the street.
“ This fucking sucks.” AJ growled as he moved further down the street. He looked at the bus stop and saw a mother and child sitting there waiting for the bus. The child looked and smiled and waved at AJ.
“ Hi Sweetie.” AJ said, the little girl seemed to blush and move closer to her mom.
“ You AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys aren’t you?” The woman asked.
“ Yeah that’s me.” AJ said smiling a bit. The woman looked and noticed AJ was sitting in a wheelchair.
“ How long?” She asked leaving an open ended question.
“ I was in a car accident a little over seven months ago. I spent six months of that time in a coma. My wife and son thought they had lost me.” AJ said looking at the woman.
“ We saw the news report of the accident. But they never said anything about you being paralyzed.” She said
“ I didn’t find out about that till after I had woke up. Kathy has been there for me everyday. Always trying her best to help me.” AJ said a smile playing on his sad features.
“ She is a beautiful woman and very lucky.”
“ She is beautiful but I’m the lucky one.” AJ said. “ How old is your little one?”
“ She’s five. How old is your son?”
“ He will be a year in two months. He’s already walking a little and says daddy.” AJ said.
“ That is a cute age. I remember when my Becky was that age. Oh here’s our bus. It was nice talking to you AJ.” She said taking her daughters hand.
“ It’s Alex and thank you. Thank you for listening. It was nice of you.” AJ said reaching into his wallet and handing her a small card.
“ If you ever want to visit.” AJ said with a huge smile.
“ Thanks. Have a nice evening Alex.” She said heading onto the bus. Becky smiled and waved once she had seated. AJ waved at her and waited for the bus to pull away. Looking in the direction the bus had gone, finally he sighed and headed back towards the club. He smiled a bit when he looked and saw the guys walking towards him.
“ We worried.” Howie said looking at his friend.
“ I’m fine and I had a nice chat with a lady and her daughter. I want to go home.” AJ said.
“ Alright. Come on guys.” Kevin said as they headed towards the truck. AJ sighed thinking that he really needed to talk to Katherine he felt he had been snapping at her for no reason. Things the others hadn’t seen, the way he’d been treating her, like she was treating him like a baby. He knew he wasn’t a baby and had to admit he needed help.

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

Katherine sat alone in AJ’s small den. Denise had long since gone home. Linda had gone into the spare bedroom and lay down, she had gotten tired. Katherine sat there in darkness with her knees against her chest listening to the noises around the house. Several noises where unusual, Katherine stood and walked towards the sound.
“ Alex?” She called out as she made her way down the stairs. She heard rustling around and wondered what was going on.
“ Alex, babe what’s going on down there?” Katherine asked heading down the stairs. She heard who ever it was become quiet. Shrugging her shoulders she reached for the light switch on the wall at the base of the stairs. A hand came from nowhere connecting with her jaw causing Katherine to stumble backwards. Before she could recover another fist connected with her, falling to the floor with a loud groan. Katherine attempted to stand when she felt a kick in the ribs that dropped her back down onto the floor. Curling up trying to protect herself as best she could Katherine felt another kick and then something hard hit her in the head and stars danced in front of her eyes.
“ Bitch should have stayed in bed.” She heard a voice say just before she blacked out.

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Kevin pulled down the street towards AJ’s home. He spotted an ambulance drive past them heading in the direction of the hospital.
“ Something is going on around here.” Kevin said looking at Howie.
“ Yeah I noticed. We’ve got a problem.” Howie said pointing towards AJ’s home. In front was two police cars and what looked like a news crew.
“ Great what is going on?” AJ said looking towards his house. Linda stood outside holding Brandon in her arms and holding Duane’s hand. Kevin pulled the truck to the stop, climbing from the truck he walked towards an officer while Nick and Howie helped AJ from the truck. AJ wheeled himself towards where Kevin stood.
“ What happened?” AJ asked. Hoping what ever happened wasn’t bad.
“ Mr. McLean?” The officer asked.
“ Yes. Can you tell me what happened?” AJ asked his voice full of fear.
“ We received a call about a break in. A hysterical young woman told the dispatcher that she had come down stairs to find a young woman unconscious and bleeding on the floor.” The officer said. AJ looked past him to see Linda standing there and then it hit him like a wave as he realized that it was his wife that had been in the ambulance.
“ Oh my god.” AJ said turning around.
“ It was Kathy?” Kevin said looking down at him.
“ Yeah it was. Mrs. McLean was rushed to the hospital after sustaining a sever blow to the head. She had multipul abrasions on her face and body. It seems whom ever broke into your home, she may have startled them and they beat her for it.” The officer said looking at the group.
“ Was she alive?” AJ asked his voice very shaky.
“ She was stable when they left. I can’t really tell you.” The officer said. AJ nodded his understanding to him and turned towards Linda.
“ You alright?” AJ asked her.
“ Y.Yeah I am fine.” She said looking down at him. “ There was blood all over the floor. The only way I knew there was anything wrong was when I came downstairs I saw the lamp tipped over and Kathy lay on her side on the floor.” Linda explained. AJ closed his eyes and tried to remain calm.
“ Didn’t you girls set the alarm before going to bed?” AJ asked.
“ Kathy hadn’t gone to bed. She was in your study. I guess she had heard a noise and headed down the stairs.” Linda said. Howie placed his hand on AJ’s shoulders.
“ How about we go to the hospital and see if she’s alright?”
“ Yeah that would be good.” AJ said nodding his head. Brian wheeled him back towards the truck.
“ Mr. McLean we will be down later to speak to your wife about the break-in.”
“ Yeah fine.” AJ said as Brian moved around the truck to put the wheelchair in the back.


Kevin left the truck in a spot after he had dropped off AJ at the entrance of the Emergency room. Nick followed behind Kevin with his head down.
“ Maybe we should have stayed home.” Nick said quietly.
“ Nick this could have happened even if we where there.” Kevin said putting his arm over his shoulder. “ Come on lets go see if Kathy’s ok.”
“ I hope she is.” Nick said as they entered the emergency room. AJ sat his eyes full of tears both men panicked wondering if something bad had happened.
“ J what’s wrong?”
“ She’s been moved upstairs.” AJ said looking at them.
“ Upstairs where? To her own room?” Nick asked.
“ ICU. She’s still not awake, twenty-seven stitches in her head. We have to go upstairs to talk to her doctor.” AJ said looking at them. Kevin nodded and walked towards the elevator.
“ Do you want me to push?” Howie asked.
“ No I’ll do it.” AJ said following behind Kevin. Brian Linda and Nick fell in behind them. Linda had made a quick call and had gotten Gretchen to take the kids. The older woman was more than happy to take the kids to let them find out if Katherine was hurt.
“ We are here to find out about information about Katherine McLean?” AJ said once he had stopped at the nurse’s station.
“ Are you family?” The young nurse asked.
“ I am her husband. What is wrong with my wife?” AJ asked again.
“ I will get the doctor.” The nurse said. “ Please have a seat in the waiting room.” She said. Kevin nodded and led the group towards the small waiting room.
“ Are you all family of Mrs. McLean?” A young man in a white lab coat asked.
“ I am her husband how bad is she?”
“ She was bleeding pretty badly from the wound on her head. That required 27 stitches to close. We aren’t totally sure what caused it. She’s got three cracked ribs and a broken wrist. She is currently unconscious, but not in a coma. Placing her here in ICU was more for safety as she also has a collapsed lung and is on a resperator. We have her heavily medicated right now so she can hear you but will not respond. It’s to help her heal.” The doctor explained.
“ But she will get better?” AJ asked.
“ Yes sir she will, but it will take time. I saw from the name that you’ve been here before.” The doctor said looking at AJ.
“ Yes we have. My friend and I where in an accident about 9 or so months ago.”
“ Mr. McLean I promise you at this point we’ve done all we can for your wife and she’s in the best care. Would you like to see her?” The doctor asked him. AJ nodded and followed the doctor down the hallway. AJ wheeled himself into the room and took his wife’s hand in his own.
“ My love, this seems like a bad dream, just a few months ago you yourself sat here thinking I was going to leave you. Now it’s me sitting here thinking the same.” AJ said kissing her hand. Where had his life gone wrong? What had he done to deserve this kind of punishment? He had always had an ego about his fame and knew that someday it would come back to haunt him, but he didn’t think that would mean it taking away his family. AJ lay his head down on the bed and closed his eyes.