Chapter 2: Vacation in Intensive Care
Five hours later---
“NICK!”Caroline said trying to remain calm as she saw him outside of the hospital surrounded by cameras for the reality show. “Hey.”he said and pulled her into a hug. “Listen you gotta put this on.”Nick said handing her a mic pack. “Nick I don’t wanna…”Caroline said thinking she did not want to be on the show. “Do you wanna see Aaron?”he asked and she took the mic pack out of his hand. “Okay so what the hell happened?”Caroline asked as they began to walk inside. “He was surfing and he got rocked by a wave and when he came back out you could see where he was hit by the end of the board…but you know Aaron…”Nick said turning to look at her as they got into the elevator. “He didn’t say anything.”she finished his sentence. “Exactly, so a few hours later he was throwing up everywhere. So we brought him here. The doctors just sent in the trauma team and they said the board hit his liver and that he is bleeding internally.”Nick said as Caroline’s hand shot over her mouth. “Oh my God…did they say if he would be okay?”she asked about to throw up. “I don’t know yet.”Nick said looking away from her as they stepped out of the elevator. They walked down the hall to the trauma room. Aaron looked up at them and Caroline waved trying not to cry. He looked so helpless. “Hey.”he said as she approached his bed. “Hey babe…how are you feeling?”she asked not knowing how to act towards her boyfriend she had not seen or spoken to in almost two months. “Better now.”he said putting his hand in hers. “I have missed you so much.”he said making her smile. “I have too…you have no idea.”she said as he leaned up to kiss her. “You look bad.”Nick said walking in from behind them. “You know the last thing I want you guys to do is worry yourselves over this. If it’s bad we will fix it. I’ll find a way.”Aaron said looking at the two of them trying not to cry. “I know bro.”Nick said and gave his brother a hug. “I will be outside if you need me.”Nick said and walked out the door. “How’s home…better yet hows the Navigator?”Aaron asked. He moved over on the bed so she could lay beside him. “Nothings changed… sucks this had to be the way I got to see you.”Caroline said shrugging. “Yea…I know. They have some strict lockdown on me with these cameras.”Aaron said motioning to the camera people in the room. “It’s quite weird.”Caroline said smiling. “Yea, they just didn’t want my fans seeing that I had a fiancé you know, does bad things for ratings.”Aaron said. “I love you.”Aaron said pulling her into him. “I don’t think I should be laying on you.”she said getting off of him. “It’s fine.”he said pulling her back into his arms. As Aaron fell asleep Caroline slipped out from underneath his arms and walked outside where Nick was falling asleep in the waiting room chair. “How is he?”Nick asked slowly waking up. “You know Aaron…you can never tell.”Caroline said as a doctor rounded the corner asking for Nick. “We’re gonna let him go home.”the doctor said and Nick and Caroline smiled. “His liver appears to be just bruised now. We got most of the internal bleeding stopped. Just make sure he cuts back on the drinking and smoking for a while…that’s going to be key in his recovery.”the doctor said looking over Aaron’s chart.
Later that night at Monterey’s Seafood Restaurant~
“If you guys wanna go out that’s fine…”Aaron said getting upset. “No we will all just go back to the house…it’s fine not a big deal.”BJ said shrugging. “I just wanna go home is it that big of a deal.”Aaron asked throwing up his hands. “Aaron you just got out of the trauma center, you’re liver was bleeding.”Angel said. “Yea but you guys are being over concerned.”he said. “If you go home all of us are going to be worried about you all night long…its stupid to drive three hours back when all of us are leaving tomorrow. Caroline’s here, you don’t have to be with us, take her out or something.”Nick said getting upset. “I’m going to step out for a minute…”Aaron said and got up from the table and walked outside. “Good Aaron walk out…be a jerk.”BJ said throwing her hands up. “I am on the verge of losing it.”Nick said putting his head in his hands. “He doesn’t like it when he’s wrong.” Caroline said trying to defend him. “I know that’s exactly it.”BJ said shaking her head. “I’m gonna go see where he went.”Caroline said and got up and followed him outside where he was already talking with Angel and Leslie. “Look I just want to go home and have sex okay…I have not had sex in three months and you guys are having lots of sex!”Aaron yelled at his sister Leslie. “Okay Aaron I understand that.”Angel said stepping up beside him. “I just don’t want to be here because of what happened to me. I don’t want to be in San Diego! I am not having fun.”Aaron yelled at all of them. “Aaron calm down.”Caroline said. “Yea seriously. Dude you need to chill out.”Nick said as the family surrounded Aaron. “You need to do this and you need to this and you need to do this… I could live my life everyday and be fine without you guys.”Aaron said and everyone was a little taken back and hurt. “So you’re independent now…Yea walk away.”Nick yelled as he walked down the street. “Caroline leave him alone.”Angel yelled as she followed him. “Just let her go.”Nick said throwing up one of his hands. “Aaron stop being an asshole…what is your fucking problem! Try being a damn brother…these people are trying to be there for you!”Caroline yelled at him pointing her finger in his face. “You should have never came here…Don’t fucking talk to me like that! Fucking mistake man!”Aaron yelled back at her. “Don’t yell at her like that Aaron she didn’t do anything to you.”Nick yelled back at him as he came up behind them. “Stay out of my business…see here you guys go again.”Aaron said backing away from his family. Caroline walked away as she held back the tears and sat down on the curb. “Aaron why are you acting like this?! You are hurt! You’re FIANCE you have not seen in months is on the street crying! You’re family is worried about you…WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?”Nick yelled pulling Aaron towards him by his neck. “I just wanna go home man.”Aaron said looking away from his brother. “I am worried man…every step you take.”Nick said trying not to get more angry. “Guys lets just get a cab and go home okay…”Leslie said convincing the guys. As they entered the cab BJ put her arm around Caroline who was very upset still at Aaron’s antics. “He’s a jerk.”she whispered making Caroline smile a little. Aaron who was sitting on the other side of her tried to put his hand on hers. She pulled it away quickly. “What’s your problem?”he asked quietly. “Don’t fucking talk to me.”Caroline said not looking at him. Aaron sighed and looked away out the window. As they approached there house Caroline took out her Sidekick and dialed the airport. “What is the earliest flight to Tampa Bay, Florida tomorrow morning…six oclock…okay yea let me book that.”Caroline said as everyone in the car turned to look at her. Aaron closed the phone as she was in the middle of talking to the agent. She looked over at him and slapped him in the face as she scooted out the other side of the cab. “You really messed up man.”Nick said following Aaron into their rented beach house. “I know.”Aaron said sighing.
He walked up the stairs where Caroline was packing what little she had unpacked. “Can we talk about it?”Aaron said. “Talk about what? The fact that you disrespected me not in front of your family, not in front of the people at the restaurant, but in front of everyone who watches this God Damn show…”Caroline said continuing to pack. “I’m sorry they can cut it out of the show…”Aaron said leaning up against the door frame. “Look…Aaron I’m just over it. I mean you leave me to come do this show…you leave me for two months and tell me I can’t come visit you or speak to you yet your sister’s boyfriends have been here several times…I am sorry but communicating through MYSPACE is just not going to do it…THEN I get a call that you are near death and I come out here and you are a dick to me an hour later. I mean seriously Aaron does it look like I wanna forgive you or talk about it right now…”Caroline said. She was to angry to even cry. “I didn’t lie to you about talking to you and you visiting ask Nick…his friends couldn’t come either.”Aaron said. He came over behind her and put his arms on her shoulder. “I need you to take me to the airport at five thirty in the morning or you know what I’ll just call a cab I guess. I am going to sleep downstairs with your sisters.”Caroline said shrugging his hands off. “Come on Caroline.”Aaron said noticing the engagement ring was on the table beside them. “You forgot something.” Aaron said as his stomach dropped. “No I didn’t.”she said and picked it up off the table and shoved it into his chest. “Are you serious?”Aaron said his eyes swelling up with tears. “Damn right. A guy is never going to talk like that towards me…I don’t give a shit who you are.”she said and walked out the door. Aaron fell back on the bed with the ring in his hand. Nick came into the room a few minutes later and sat down next to Aaron.
Meanwhile Caroline was setting up her place on the couch. The rest of the girls were downstairs watching TV. “Are you okay?”BJ asked sitting down next to her. “I gave him back the ring.”she said quietly. “Are you sure you want to do that?”BJ asked as the rest of the girls came over to her. “I just…I’m not sure…I just cant deal with him talking to me like that…and I don’t have to you know.”she said starting to cry again. She got up and walked outside to sit on the steps facing the beach.
“I don’t know what to do…and I have all this stress from work and I know that as soon as the show goes out she is going to find out about the past two months and what I did and it just does not matter what I do either way. She’s gonna break it off anyways…”Aaron said sighing. “Show her.”Nick said. Aaron’s face shot up to look at Nick. “Show her. She will respect you more if you admit it.”Nick said handing Aaron a video camera.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Caroline is flown out to LA to see Aaron in the hospital...he's irritated and exposes a major secret.
Chapter End Notes:
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