Chapter 16
The hospital room was quiet as AJ sat next to Nick, watching him in the bed. The monitor nearby beeped slowly...in sync with the clock on the wall and the beating of his own heart. He knew this day was coming....had been dreading it, had fought against it tooth and nail...but he had lost. Nick was to be taken off of the life support in a matter of hours.
"I'm so sorry, Nick.....I fought and fought for you, I don't know what else I can do now." he muttered as he smoothed the blanket that covered Nick, then moved his hair out of his face. Nick's hair had grown....he almost looked like he was 16 again...when they were touring in Europe and just starting out.
"He looks so peaceful." Brian commented suddenly, appearing in the doorway. Brian's face looked solemn....his eyes watered as they fell on Nick.
"Yeah....at least he won't be in pain anymore." AJ said, hanging his head. He and Brian had been hoping Nick would wake, but he had remained in the coma for too long. Nick's mother had signed the order for him to be removed from the life support and there was nothing they could do.
"Can't Kevin talk to Jane? Maybe if he tells her how he moved the other day..."
"No, Jay. She won't listen, Jane wants her share of the insurance money. She could care less if he lives or dies. As horrible as that sounds, its true. There is no changing the mind of Jane Carter."
"He wants to wake up..." AJ protested once more, his temper rising again.
"Stop it. They are doing it today." Brian told him shakily. He looked away and wiped his eyes, surprised tears fell from them. He hated to admit defeat, but Nick was gone. He moved towards the bed and took Nick's hand, stroking it gently with his thumb as he sat down in the chair nearby.
"I'm going out for a cigarette, Rok. Don't let them touch him while I'm gone." AJ said before heading out of the hospital room. Brian was alone with Nick now, and didn't realize how quiet it was.
"Nick, I know you're in there. Find your way out....please..."
"uhnnnn" Brian jumped, startled when Nick made the noise.....his heart started pounding within his chest....the tears flowing down his cheeks.
"NICK.....COME ON...." he shouted, hopping to his feet. He couldn't believe Nick had moaned...it was the best sound he had heard Nick made since the accident. Brian wanted to cheer, he wanted to scream and shout, tell the whole world that Nick was back. He begged Nick to make another sound, but he had gone still once more. Brian's face fell when Nick was silent.
"No.....no...." he whispered, sobbing. Howie walked in with AJ and they saw Brian sobbing with his head resting on Nick's chest, holding his hand.
"Brian, what-" Howie started to say something but AJ's expression had changed.
"He moved? Spoke? Brian, what the HELL DID NICK DO?!" AJ demanded, his voice rising to a fever pitch. He grabbed Brian and shook him...Brian continued to sob, his head bouncing like a rag doll.
"AJ, stop it!" Howie protested as he attempted to pull him away. The three of them struggled for a while until Kevin walked into the room with the doctor and a priest.
"Brian, calm yourself." Kevin admonished, his eyes falling upon his sobbing cousin. AJ shook his head as the priest read Nick his last rites, the doctor looking over the monitors and charts as the priest spoke.
"Okay...its time to say your goodbyes...better do them now." the doctor said gravely. Kevin strode to the bed and touched Nick's chest gently. He could feel his heart beating...feel him breathing. Kevin felt his eyes water as he spoke.
"I'm sorry it came to this, little man. You were a big part of my life...of all our lives. I will miss you." he whispered, before walking away to stand near the window. Howie was next, his brown eyes shimmering. He spoke his piece, then had to steer Brian towards the bed.
"No...I cant-" he said tearfully. There was no way Brian could say goodbye to him after he had just made noise. He held onto that glimmer of hope, that hope Nick would pull through at the last minute. He refused to say goodbye, to admit defeat. AJ had been right, that Nick really was lost and trying to find his way home again. He was sorry that he had not listened before. Brian held Nick's hand and did not say goodbye, but spoke a little prayer for him before joining the other two near the large window overlooking the courtyard. It was a nice view, but it had been raining all morning. The other four men watched AJ carefully, who stood in front of Nick's bed. AJ had always hated being the last one for everything. He had no intentions of saying goodbye like the others had done. Instead, he decided it would benefit them all for him to punch the doctor in the nose.
"DON'T TOUCH NICKY!!!" AJ screamed as he leapt on the unsuspecting doctor. All he had done was move towards the monitors near Nick's bed. Kevin scrambled to restrain AJ as the priest fled the room....AJ was on the floor wrestling with the doctor, beating him about the head and shouting. Brian was crying and Howie just stood there in shock as all this went on, wondering if Nick could hear any of it.
"Jay, let the doctor do his goddamn job!!!!" Kevin's voice boomed. AJ didn't listen, he landed another blow onto the doctor, cutting his lip. Nick's monitors began to beep crazily and the chaos seemed to escalate as the minutes passed.
"Come on, Nick...." Howie whispered as his bandmates lost all self control, hoping that somewhere, wherever Nick was, he could hear them.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Its been a while I know. But here is chapter 16. Thanks for sticking with this story, although updates are few and far between. Please don't forget to review!
