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Downtime - Chapter 7

“ Come on, man. Donīt be such a spoilsport.Letīs shoots some hoops,” Brian said as he dragged Nick along towards the Littrell family driveway where a basket was rigged up and before Nick could register Brian was bouncing the ball around, shooting hoops. “ Come on,” he urged the blonde teen who stood watching, with his hands in his jeans pockets.


" I donīt feel like playing,” he mumbled as he kicked a stone so it rolled down the driveway.


Rasing his eyebrows, Brian uttered in surprise, " Why? Youīre not sick or something?"


" No."


" Dude, you never turn down a game of B'ball unless there is something seriously wrong with you." This was true since Nick usually was at it playing with Brian whenever the Kentuckian wanted to. "Aww come on Frack. Itīll be fun. Here catch," he threw the ball towards his friend who made no move what so ever to catch it and instead let it bounce.


" What is the matter?" Brian asked when Nick stood there, like a statue." Man, youīre not upset over that Iīm going out on Friday with my old buddies, are you?" He drew his breath.


" No."


" Because if you donīt want me to do it.I wonīt," he continued, narrowing his eyes towards the blonde, holding the ball under his arm.


" Itīs not that," Nick said, giving away no further explanation.


" Ok, then what is it?" Brian wasnīt about to let the subject drop until he knew what was bugging Nick so much.


" Itīs..itīs nothing." Nick kicked another stone, making no attempt for any further conversation. There was no way he was going to tell Brian that he felt homesick and that he longed to be with his friends and family down in Florida. He hadnīt been at home for over a month and he missed everything. His dogs and the house, yeah even his room. There was also a tad of jelousy when he saw what a great relationsship Brian had with his parents, especially his mom.


On top of everything there was also an unsure feeling in his stomach and he didnīt know where it came from. He couldnīt pin point it, but it was a feeling of worriness combined with a dull ache. Strange.


" Stop sulking and shoot some b'ball then," Brian tried to sound cheerful even if he was getting more and more sick and tired of Nick’s moody acting. When he saw the sadness in his friends eyes he stopped saying anything further and instead said, " Come on then. Letīs play a game." He passed the ball to Nick who took it with a sigh. Brian would never give up bugging him so he better play before his head would start hurting from all the nagging.


"Thatīs it," Brian was satisfied as he watched the teen set a ball into the basket. " Letīs play first to ten." He threw the ball and then hit the basket from long distance. " You can still do it," Brian commented to himself as he made the goal.


Nick watched through his bangs. No matter how hard he tried he still couldnīt get into the game with much energy. His joints ached as he ran and there was a strange feeling in his stomach that reminded him that he was not feeling one hundred percent. No doubt seriously jetlagged.


"Ok, youīre on," Nick took up the challenge since him and B'rok were the worst of competitors when it came to playing. It was usually Brian who brought home the most scores.


They played for a while and Brian was winning by three points when Nick made a slamdunk.He jumped for the basket and as he was about to slam the ball into the goal something ripped in his stomach. It hurt so much that he sank down to the ground,wrapping his arms around his stomach. Tears formed in his eyes and he moaned as a sharp pain ripped through his midsection.


" Canīt take it?" Brian grinned, thinking that Nick was playing a prank with him. He was fooling around, the joking guy that he always was. " Come on whimp. Get up and let me show you what a winner looks like." He laughed as he set the ball in the basket again. Holding up his hands in a winning gesture he continued, " See Frack. That is what it should look like."


When he got no response and Nick hadnīt moved an inch, curled up into a ball, he got concerned. " Nick stop fooling around.Get up." He pleaded as he walked over to the teen, " Itīs not funny anymore."


" It hu..hurts," Nick whimpered as tears rolled down his cheek. He was choking for air as the pain in his stomach felt like he had ripped some important part.


" What is it? Where does it hurt?" Now Brian was coming into action and he hunched down beside his injured friend. He lifted Nicks hand from his stomach, questioning, " Is it your stomach?"


" Ye..yeah..I think I pulled a muscle or something."


" You did? Aww come on let me help you up." Brian reached out his hand to help his friend to stand. Nick however made no movement at all. He shook his head.


" No, let me just rest. Iīll be fine."


" Thatīs it. Iīm getting mom," Brian said as he ran inside to get help. There was something in Nick’s voice that said that he was in a great deal of pain and this was just not a pulled muscle.


" No, itīs ok," Nick whispered. Too late. Brian was already out of sight. He sat up as the pain was slowly starting to disappear. This he was grateful for. He hoped that he didnīt have to experience such a blinding pain again.


"Nicholas, what has happend?" Jackie said as she was running towards him, closely followed by her son. Immediatly she took a hunched position beside him. " Tell me where it hurts," she said as she felt on his forehead. With a frown she mumbled, mostly to herself, " Clammy."


" No..nothing." He did his best to steady his voice as he rubbed his face. " I think I just pulled a muscle or something when I made a jump for the basket." He smiled weakly.


" Let me see," she pressed Nicks stomach and he flinched as she hit a sore spot. " Does this hurt?" she questioned.


" Not really..itīs just a bit tender..but itīs going away." He sat up straighter. " Itīs nothing to be concerned about." He smiled paley at the worried expression that Brian’s mom showed. Not wanting to alarm her when there was no need to do that.


" Nicholas Carter, let me the judge of that," There was authority in her voice. " You think you can stand now?"


Nick nodded. " Yeah, Iīm good." He made an attempt to stand up from the ground, but instantly Brian was there.


" Let me help you," he offered as he reached his hand to steady the weak teen. " Youīre going to be fine."


" Yeah." Nicks head bobbed back and forth. " I think Iīm just tired or something."


"Youīre sure?"


Another nod.


" Probably," Having two children of her own she wasnīt so sure that this was just a case of fatigue. However there were no indication that Nick was in for something worse. " You could have pulled a muscle when you threw up yesterday and it got worse when you played Basketball," she offered.


" Mhm.." Nick shrugged off the help that Brian offered, " The pain has gone away." he explained, not wanting to feel like a disabled. " I can manage." With that he walked ahead of them all into the house.


"I think that you should lay down and rest for a while," Jackie commented as she pointed towards the livingroom. " Youīre still pale." Turning to her son she continued, " You guys have too rough of a schedule and you need to rest up."


" Mom, we can cope." Brian reassured his mother as he patted her comforting on her shoulder.


She shook her head, " I hope so. Here lay down on the sofa."She said to Nick as she picked up a wool blanket to cover him up with. " Try to sleep some. Brian, I need your help in the kitchen."


" Iīm not tired," Nick protested, sitting up in the sofa. " Iīm feeling fine again." He was instantly pushed back by Brians mom.


" No youīre not." She gave him a hard eye." A little sleep would do you good."


" but..but I am..f.." he started,just to get interrupted by Brian seconds later.


" Donīt argue with Mom Nick. She always wins." He grinned as she slapped him playfully on his arm.


.” I do not. Itīs just that I am a bit concerned over how pale Nicholas is."


" Yes you do."


" Brian." She tried to sound hurt, but it wasnīt very successfull. " Come now Brian, let Nick be alone." With that the two of them left the room.


As soon as they were out of view Nick closed his eyes.He felt very tired. In a good sense of feeling since the pain had subsided. His eyelids were getting more and more heavy and soon he was sinking into the world of oblivion.


The last thing that was on his mind was that this might not turn out to be such a bad Thanksgiving after all.


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


" Nick,wake up," Brian murmured softly as he was trying to wake up his friend. " Itīs dinner time."


All he got back was a snoring sound and he grinned at the sight that were laying in the sofa infront of him. He looked so young and peaceful and it was a pity that he had to wake him up. If Nick looked like thirteen awake, he looked like eleven asleep.


The teen stirred in his sleep as Brian made another attempt. " Nick come on. Youīve been sleeping for almost two hours." He shook him on his shoulder.


" No! Let me sleep." Annoyance were shown in his voice and he rolled to his side, strict determinded to continue with his favorite task: Sleeping.


'Oh how I wish I could,' Brian thought with a sigh. God knows that Nick needed his sleep, but they had to eat and then go to church. He shook Nick harder as he said, " No Nick.You have to get up NOW!" He yanked at the blanket.


" I donīt want to do any reharsal," Nick whined, " I donīt feel good."


Brian grinned at Nicks lack of excitement, yet he felt a bit concerned over that he had mentioned that he wasnīt feeling good. This he inteded to find out more about,later on.


" Nick we have to go to church."


The words most have triggered something as Nick shot up like a canonball. " Wha..what?" He asked confused, " Church? Who died?"


Brian laughed at the disoriented figure that were blonde that didnīt look like he was following the situation yet.


" But you..said..you said," Nick stuttered as he draw his hand through his tousled hair.


" We are going to church. You know Wednesday night service," Brian explained, a smile toying at his lips.


" Oh." It was like the air went out from him.


Changing topic Brian looked at Nick, " Hey buddy, how are you feeling?" Laying his hand on the teens forehead he noticed that he wasnīt clammy anylonger. Which was a good sign.


Nick shrugged with his shoulder, " Better I guess." He yawned widely as he stretched his joints, like a cat. All that was left from the piercing pain he felt in his stomach earlier on was a dull ache.Nothing to pay any attention to. Probably hunger pains, Nick concluded as he stood up.


" Jetlag can be a real pain," Brian said, " Come on Nick, mom and dad are waiting and Harald is also here for dinner."


" Ok," there was no need to waste anymore time and he followed his friend. A strange feeling was still left in his body and Nick was more and more sure that he was coming down with something. Crap, he thought miserable. It never seem to fail. Everytime they had downtime germs struck them in their back.It was like they were not allowed to take it easy and rest up.


" Hi Nicky," Harald jr said as Nick entered the kitchen. He dunked the fifteen year old in his back with his back. " Hey man youīre getting taller everytime I meet you." Harald commented with a grin. " Brian, he is getting to be more of a basket player than you are."


"Well Harry, Nick still has alot to learn before he catches up with me." Brian said with a laugh, although his eyes were not laughing at all.


" Yeah but at least he makes it to NBA, lengthwise." Harald never seem to cease an opportunity to make fun of his younger brother.


Jackie was the one that stopped their argument, " Oh stop it boys," she said as she sat down a pot of carrots on the table. Turning to Nick she continued, " Did you sleep well?"


" Yes."


" Good. You seem so much more rested now."


" I am."


" He slept like a baby, snoring." Brian said with a grin.


" I did not. I donīt snore." Nick was defending his own honor.


" Yes you did," Brian laughed, " This is what it sounded like." He draw in air through the nose, snoring real loudly.


" Brian Littrell," Jackie said with a displeased frown. " You donīt sound like that at the dinner table."


" Sorry mom."


The young Kentuckian stopped immediatly as Harold took the words in his mouth, " Now when we are all seated by the dinner table, let us thank the Lord for giving us food on our table. Brian, would you do us the honor and lead us into prayer?"


" Yes dad," Brian became serious again and he started to recite the prayer. Meanwhile Nick looked up from under his bangs. This was not a situation that he was familiar with. Brian came from a very religious home.


" Amen," Brian ended as they all dug into the pot roast that Jackie had prepared for them.


" I met Reverend Patterson today on my way back from work," Harry said as he put several potatoes on his plate. " He asked me if I thought that you wanted to sing at the Thanksgiving service tomorrow."


" He did? Really?" There were excitement in Brian’s voice.


" Yeah and I said..I said.." Harry prolonged the words and Brian was starting to get more and more irritated. Like all older brothers teasing his little brother was the best he knew.




" Harry, let it out," he said as he saw his older brother grinning towards him.


" Ok, I said that I thought that you would be more than happy to do that. To sing at church"


" GREAT!" Brian shone like he had been offered a million dollar contract. " Nick, do you want to sing too?" he asked his friend.


Nick shook his head. " No, you go ahead." he stuffed his fork into his mouth, " This is the best pot roast that I have ever tasted," he commented as he flashed a teeth wite grin.


" Thank you." Jackie responded with a smile, " Iīm glad that you like it Nicholas." She looked at the young blonde that were sitting beside her and he was more and more winning ground with her. There were something vunerable that touched her motherly instincts.