Chapter 8
"What are we going to do, Kevin?" Howie asked as they sat in the hotel room, thinking.
"I don't fucking know. They've been gone for almost two days now. We need to find Brian." Kevin said, running a hand through his hair.
"What about Nick? Or that girl, Amber? They are all out in this weather..." AJ pointed out. Kevin didng answer, he just went to his room.
How could all of this gotten screwed up so bad? His mission had been simple....get Nick out of the way long enough to get him to the lab so the switch could be made.
Dave was not going to like this....
"Just a little further...." Brian whispered, trudging through the deepening snow. It had gone dark about two hours ago.....he wasn't sure. The wind howled around him like a pack of angry wolves, biting at his exposed face. It was bitter cold, the wind chill nearly taking his breath away. Brian limped, humming to himself to keep warm, but his voice was starting to fade. He could feel his leg screaming at him with every step, begging for him to rest.
Deep down, Brian was starting to give up hope. He kept thinking about Nick and Amber....trapped in the car but at least sheltered from the storm. Nick needed his help....they were depending on him.
"I can do this..." he thought, coughing. Icicles formed on his eyelashes, the snow almost blinding him until he saw a warm yellow light glowing just beyond the trees.
"Thank God!" he gasped. Brian began running, the best he could although his wounded leg protested.
The wind gusted so strong it caught him by surprise and he tripped, falling face first into the snow drift, coughing and sputtering. His vision began blurring. Brian managed to get up, but fell again a few feet later. The light was getting closer but seemed to be dimming....or maybe that was just him....
"Nick?"
Amber woke in the night to find Nick laying there moaning in pain, the blankets she had given him were on top of her.
"Nick?" she called, tapping him. His eyes opened but were full of tears.
"My stomach...." he sobbed, a hand at his side. Amber looked for the water bottle, it was about half full but ice was beginning to form inside. She gave him a drink, Nick's face flushed with a fever.
"Just hold on. Help is coming." Amber promised, although she knew something had happened to Brian...somehow he was in trouble and there was nothing she could do to help him. She consoled Nick until he fell asleep after she had given him some aspirin from Renee's glove compartment. He was much sicker than he let on. Time was running out.
"Is he....is he dead?"
"He looks like he's sleeping."
Brian felt warm....he wondered where he was although his eyes were closed....but he felt warm. Was this heaven? Brian allowed himself to open his eyes. There were three young girls standing over him, all with blonde hair.
"Good morning, sleepy head." one of them giggled. Brian sat up in the bed, his head throbbing.
"Where am I?" he asked groggily.
"You're at our father's cabin. Jessie found you passed out in our backyard last night. Are you feeling any better? You almost froze to death." the oldest girl replied. All of them had blonde hair but the girl speaking to him had brown eyes.
"I'm April, and these are my sisters, Jessie and Ashley." she continued.
"I appreciate you saving me....but I need to get help....my friends are stuck in the woods in this storm..." Brian said, cutting her off. He tried to get up but cried out in pain.
"You're not getting out of that bed, mister. Your leg is hurt pretty bad." Jessie said. Ashley brought him some food and Brian ate as they talked about his situation.
"That sounds awful. Is that why you were out in this weather? It is too dangerous to be walking in a blizzard." April scolded him.
"I don't care....Nick needs help. He could be dying!"
"Wait....you're Brian Littrell aren't you? From BSB." Ashley gasped. Brian saw the Backstreet Boys shirt she was wearing and chuckled. You could always count on fans to help out.
"Yes, that would be me. Can your father help me? Nick really needs a doctor. He's not doing well." he whispered, looking at the window. The snowstorm was picking up and the cabin creaked with the wind, it was a bad one.
"I'm afraid we can't help them until morning. It is far too dangerous to go and get them now..." Frank said, listening to the radio for the storm report. It didn't look good for them at all.
"Sir, we need to help them. It might be too late already!" Brian begged. Although he was told to stay in bed, Brian insisted on talking to the girls father himself.
"Just rest up for a few hours. We will go and get them in the morning."
Brian looked at the clock, morning was a few hours away....but he didn't want to wait. Storm or no storm, Nick was counting on him. He began putting on his coat and shoes, his face without emotion.
"Brian, where are you going? My dad said it is too dangerous!" Jessie shouted.
"Tell him to warm up that tow truck. Nick and Amber need us." he protested.
Brian and Frank got into the tow truck, a plow on the front of it. One way or another, Brian knew he would help his friends.
"Just hang on, Frack. Help is on the way."
Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks to everyone that's been reading. Hope you enjoy the upfate!
