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Chapter 17

Brian looked down at Nicks lifeless body and let out a long breath. He had spent the whole night at the hospital, wide awake, waiting to see if Nicks condition had changed. When the doctor had come in to check up on Nick, he had fallen into a coma. He hadn't called the other guys yet, he didn't have the courage, so he spent the whole night alone with Nick. Hoping that he would wake up. Brian took one more look at Nick and then pulled out his cell phone. He needed to talk to someone. He should have called the guys sooner, but he just couldn't force himself. Brian put the phone to his ear after he dialed AJs number.

"Hello?" came AJ's tired voice. That's when Brian realized it was still early in the morning.

"AJ, this is Brian, sorry to wake you up," he replied, his voice shaky.

"Rok, what's wrong?" he asked noticing Brians voice.

"I'm at the hospital right now..."

"Are you alright man?" AJ interupted, "do you need me to come over there and pick you up or something?"

"I'm alright, it's just Nick.."

"What happened to him?"

"It has something to do with the drugs he took the other night. There was something in them that made him sick. He fell into a coma a couple hours ago," Brian explained, "it happened just as I was leaving the clinic after I brought him his clothes. I was almost out when I saw the EMT running inside and I waited to see who it was because something told me, Nick. That's when they brought him out and I went to the hospital with him."

"I'm going to be right over Rok," AJ said hanging up the phone. Brian sighed and closed the phone. Then he glanced over at Nick and walked over to his bed.

"I don't know if you can hear me," Brian started, "but, I have to tell you something alright? I'm scared right now man. I didn't think it would get this bad. I thought that everything was going to be alright, it was going to go back to the way it was ya know? I never imagined that it would turn out like this," Brian said with tears starting to roll down his cheeks, "I don't want to lose you like this. Be strong for me alright? You can pull yourself out of this Nick. I know you can, you just have to be strong. Just think about all the people that love you and need you. AJ's on his way here. He's gonna be there for you Nick. He's one of the people that care about you. He is your 'brother' after all."

"Mr. Littrell," a nurse said as she stepped into Nicks room to find Brian still there, "why don't you go home and get some sleep? I'm sure you'll feel a little better once you've rested."

"I can't leave him like that," Brian answered, "I need to be here for him."

"If you stay here too long and don't take care of yourself you may end up here for you own health reasons," she explained.

"Don't worry, I know my limits," he told her.

"Alright, just don't push them," she warned as she walked over to Nicks bed, "I'm just going to look over him and see if there's been any change."

"Okay," Brian answered nodding his head and stepping away from the bed to give the nurse space to work.

"Nothing's changed," she said after a few minutes. Brian looked at her, dissapointed.

"How long do you think he's going to be like this?" he asked.

"Honestly, I don't know. Each case is different. Some people stay in the coma state for days, other weeks or months, some years and others never wake up. It depends on the individual."

"What about Nick? What do you think's gonna happen to him?"

"I don't know," she answered, feeling sorry for Brians vulnerability, "only time can tell."

"What happens if things get worse?"

"His family has the choice of wether or not they want to pull the plug and let him survive without any help from machines for as long as he body can hadel it. Most times, the patient dies shortly after, but not always."

"So people can survive like that?"

"Rarely, there has only been a few people that have been able to pull through it when on their own. Some of them go years before they actually die. I have to admit, it's painful to watch."

"So why do you do it?"

"Because we don't have any say in what the families want. If they want to pull the plug it's because they feel that no matter how long they leave them on life support, they're never going to pull through. Others think that if they do that, the body might be shocked back into functioning for itself again. The reasons vary from person to person."

"Is there any way that I can help Nick?" Brian asked hopefully.

"Talk to him. Keep his brain functioning. Let him know that he has support. It helps in recovery a lot. 99% of those who've come out of coma's had people that they care about talk to them. So I believe that it helps. Also treat him like you would if he were awake, sometimes that has an affect."

"Alright, thank you," Brian replied.

"Sure, just watch yourself too Mr. Littrell, I don't want to see you here because of bad health alright?"

"Alright, I will." She looked at him for a second longer and then walked out of Nicks room. Brians attention immediately shot over to Nick. He walked over to the chair that was next to Nicks bed and he took a deep breath and continued to look over at him. He had to call the other guys. Again he reached for his cell phone. He dialed Kevins number then he placed the phone next to his ear.
"Hello?" Kevin answered, tired and confussed.

"Kev it's Brian. I'm at the hospital..."

"The hospital? Why? Are you alright?" he asked becoming very worried about his cousin.

"I'm fine, it's Nick," Brian answered. Kevin sighed in both relief and fustration.

"Is he alright?"

"Not really. He's in a coma," he explained.

"What happened to him?" Kevin asked.

"There was something in the pills that he took. I really don't know what it is, and I don't think the doctors are too sure what it is either. I've been here since just as I was leaving from dropping off Nicks stuff."

"Why didn't you call sooner?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to see what happened to him before I called you guys. It's been a while since I've been here. I just called AJ and he's on his way."

"Alright, I'll be there soon too," Kevin answered and then hung up. Brian sighede again and then called Howie.

"Hello?" Howie answered through a yawn.

"Howie, this is Brain. Come down to the hospital, Nick's in a coma," he said, not really wanting to talk any more, just yet anyway.
"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, AJ and Kev are on there way already, so I'll see you in a few?"

"Yeah, I'll be right there," Howie answered and hung up.