~ Chapter Sixty One ~

AJ hovered in the doorway of the small office, watching Nick carefully.  He had to give the right fielder credit, Nick was one of the best, if not the best, AJ had ever seen at hiding his emotions.  His face hadn't even changed expression when Rich had told him the news.

Nick did look pale, but AJ attributed that to the flu, and not the news about Brian. 

"You okay, Nick?"  Rich wondered, taking a few steps forward, concern written across his face. 

Nick nodded, just barely, his head hardly moving enough to be seen, before he spun and headed for the door, neatly dodging AJ.

AJ hesitated, trying to decide whether to head after him or not.

"I've got it."  Rich jogged after Nick. 

That was better.  Leave the nursing up to the health care professionals.  AJ scowled at the painted cinder block walls of the office, wondering if he suddenly decided to head-butt one, if it would have any affect whatsoever, or just entertain Buddy and the two nicely dressed men. 

The nicely dressed men had left the office, leaving just AJ and Buddy, who had dropped into the black padded chair behind the desk, tipping it back until it was dangerously close to toppling over onto the floor. 

"Well, s---."  Buddy said after a moment, lacing his hands together across his ample midsection. 

"You can say that again."  AJ agreed.  Whenever AJ was told that, he said it again, but Buddy didn't bother. 

"Do you feel like you won the World Series?"  Buddy wondered.

"Nope."  AJ shook his head.

"Me either."  Buddy whipped the chair upright.  "You know what the worst part is?"

"We were losing in the seventh."  AJ said quietly. 

"Exactly."  Buddy said in surprise.  "He didn't even know we won."

"Nah, I think he knew."  AJ couldn't quite explain it.  "I don't know how, but I think he knew we were gonna pull out of it okay."

~*~

Kevin leaned forward and straightened the magazines on the table in front of him for the tenth time.  Right now he was so upset with himself he could have cleaned Brian's entire apartment.  Of all the times to be sitting in a hospital.  Hospitals had nothing to clean - everything was already so clean it made his head hurt.  Other than the magazines on the table and the muted TV flickering over in the corner, the waiting area was completely bare. 

Karen had called him in the start of the eighth inning, semi-hysterical at that point, and in the short time it took Kevin to get to the hospital, Brian was gone.  Way in the back of his mind, Kevin had been prepared for this, he just wasn't ready for it to happen so suddenly. 

He knew he shouldn't have gone to the stadium, he should have put his foot down and stayed right in the hospital room, but Brian had raised such a big fuss, Kevin went along with it.

Kevin sank down onto the small couch behind him as he suddenly realized something.  Brian had known.  Brian had purposely made Kevin and Becky go to the stadium and he had purposely talked his parents into not coming out to Los Angeles.  He didn't want them there. 

His gaze traveled back over to the TV, as the local news came on, the top story, of course, the Dodgers and how they had fared in Game Seven.  Kevin stood and crossed over to the ancient television, turning the volume up slightly so he could hear.  "... as the Mariners staged a late inning rally, including a two run home run by right fielder Nick Carter, and defeated the Dodgers 5-4. Shortly after the game, the news broke that the Mariners second baseman, Brian Littrell..."

Kevin muted the TV again.  They had won the game.  "Great timing, Bri..."  He muttered.

~*~

"Thank you very much, sir."  Becky said primly to the tall usher who had led her to the visiting team's clubhouse door. 

"You're welcome, sweetie."  He pushed the door open for her, since it was a big metal door and Becky wasn't quite strong enough to open it herself.

It was now almost two hours after the game had ended, and her father had never appeared to pick her up from the game.  Becky's father didn't ever forget to do anything, so Becky was pretty sure he was still around somewhere. 

The clubhouse was fairly deserted, except for the occasional Dodgers staff member appearing here and there, the players all seemed to be gone. 

The room itself didn't smell very nice, but as Becky's mother had always told her, when large groups of sweating men got together, it was bound to smell.

"Hi, Nick!"  Becky finally saw someone she recognized.  Nick was standing in front of his locker, looking more dazed than usual. 

"Hi."  Nick said back listlessly, either not surprised to see Becky at all, or not paying enough attention to really realize she was there. 

"Where's my Daddy?"  Becky wondered.  It looked like Nick was the only person left in the clubhouse.  Maybe her father had gone to look for her and she had just missed him. 

Nick sneezed.  Becky winced, it sounded like it had hurt.  "I haven't seen him."  Nick finished hoarsely, shoving the black bag in front of him aside until he found the Kleenex box.

"Oh."  Becky sighed.  Maybe he had forgotten her.  She supposed everyone was bound to make at least one mistake. 

"Becky!"  AJ said in shock, appearing from one of the hallways leading out of the clubhouse.  "What the hell are you doing here?"

~*~

"I didn't know you were here!"  AJ knelt down in front of his battery mate's daughter, more than a little surprised to see her standing in the middle of the deserted clubhouse.  Pretty much everyone had left and headed back to the hotel or in the case of Howie, whichever club he was frequenting that night.  AJ hadn't even been aware that Becky was at the game tonight. 

"Where's your mother?"  He asked.  Karen had to be around somewhere.

"She's at the hospital."  Becky shrugged.

AJ dropped down crosslegged on the floor so he could think about that one for a moment.  "So, your Dad just..."  he broke of, suddenly realizing that Becky didn't know what had happened.  AJ wasn't about to be the one to tell her either. 

"Where did he go?"  Becky raised her eyebrows, making her look strikingly like an owl behind her wire rimmed glasses.  "I saw him leave in the eighth inning."

AJ scowled.  Becky didn't miss a trick.  "He got a phone call."  He hedged, hoping it would be enough to satisfy her six year old mind.

"From the hospital?"  Becky was staring down at AJ in all seriousness.

AJ nodded. 

"Oh."  Becky scowled slightly as she thought, her hands clasped tightly around her pink vinyl purse.  "Brian died."  She didn't say it as a question, it was a statement. 

AJ twisted around to glance up at Nick.  Nick was watching both of them, that same unreadable expression on his face.  "You ready?"  AJ broke the silence.

"Uh-huh..." Nick sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve. 

"Where am I supposed to go?"  Becky said in alarm. 

"You come with me until we find out what's up with your parents, okay?"  AJ unfolded his legs and stood up, taking one last look around the clubhouse.  Neither game in Los Angeles had ended very prettily.  This was one city he honestly would prefer to never play in again.

Becky reached up and wrapped her little hand around AJ's, holding on tightly.