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Jennifer took a deep breath before opening the door to Nick's room, wondering what she would find inside. She slowly pulled it open, her eyes widening when she saw a blond boy sleeping in a chair next to Nick's bed. "Aaron?" she said softly, stepping into the room, stopping dead in her tracks when she saw Nick. "Oh god, Nicky," she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand to silence the sobs she was sure were about to start again.

He looked awful, a thousand times worse than he had when she'd left. There was tubes and wires connected to every inch of him, it looked like, and a machine next to the bed was loudly clanking away with every breath he took, connected to him by a tube going down his throat.

Jennifer moved to the side of the bed and sat down, taking Nick's hand in hers and bringing it to her cheek. So cold ...she kissed the palm of his hand, rubbing the cool skin.

Aaron stirred in his chair and sat up, rubbing his eyes as he looked at Jennifer. "You're Jennifer, right?" He asked softly, his brown eyes puffy and tired.

"Yes," Jennifer nodded, returning Nick's hand to the protection of the blanket before looking at his brother. "How is he?"

"The doc says it's not good," Aaron said, looking at Nick. "He'll be glad you're here."

"If he knows..." Jennifer said with a frown.

"He knows," Aaron got up and stretched. "I'll leave you two alone, talk to him."

Jennifer watched as Aaron left the room, shaking her head when the door closed behind him. She turned back to Nick with a sigh, wishing she had Aaron's confidence. "Well, last time, you said you could hear me, right?" She started, taking a deep breath. It was so hard, talking to him like this....she so desperately needed to hear him answering her. The silence was painful. "Hopefully you can still hear me now...Nicky, we came back. Me, Brian, AJ, Howie, we're all here. AJ figured out what happened, well, Brian saw, but AJ figured it out....I don't know what we're gonna do, but we're gonna do something..."

She ran a finger down the side of his face, over his lips, around the ugly tubes sticking out of his mouth. "We all need you so much, Nicky, please, don't leave us. You have to come back...Kevin, he's not worth this. I love you so much, Nick, please...don't say goodbye...."



Jennifer sat down next to Brian with a heavy sigh, having been replaced by Nick's mother at her post in his room. The doctor was actually making them stick to the one visitor at a time thing now, and it was only fair that everyone got some time with him.

"How is he?" Brian asked her softly, his blue eyes narrowing when she didn't reply. He'd seen Nick earlier, seen the machines, and seen enough. He felt like he could do more sitting out here, praying, than he could trembling in fear at the memory of machines like that.

"How do you think he is," AJ hissed at Brian, shaking his head. "What are we gonna do?"

"We're having a press conference in two hours."

Every head in the room snapped to stare at the figure standing in the front of the room, nobody really able to believe the gall of the man.

"What did you say?" AJ said slowly, standing up and staring at Kevin.

"You guys just left, we were supposed to do a concert. We need to explain what's going on," Kevin said, looking around the room. "How's Nick?"

"Fuck you," Jennifer spat at him before standing up and running out of the room. She couldn't stand seeing him, not now...

"Dying," Howie said, noting the flash of fear in Kevin's eyes when he heard the word. "He's in bad shape."

"No..." Kevin whispered, his hand going to his forehead. Nicky...dying? He saw Jennifer leave the room, and moved to go after her, but AJ grabbed him before he could get out the door. "What?"

"Nick's dying. Did you hear Howie?" AJ glared at Kevin, squeezing his arm tight. "He needs to know everyone loves him and needs him right now. Unfortunately, I think that includes you."

"Will you talk to him?" Brian asked softly, standing up and facing Kevin.

"I need to talk to Jenny Lynn..." Kevin mumbled, pulling his arm away from AJ. No...this wasn't what he'd wanted...not Nick dead...

"Forget JENNIFER, would you, Kevin?" AJ shouted, staring up at the larger man.

"I can't..." Kevin turned and fled the room, stopping outside the door to catch his breath. He held his spinning head between his hands, unable to believe what was going on. He just wanted Jennifer...that was all...his eyes widened when he heard a sob from a door nearby, and he walked to it, pressing his ear to the door. "Jenny Lynn," he whispered, recognizing the sound of her crying.

He should go to Nick, tell him he loved him, he was sorry...he WAS...

But Jenny Lynn was crying. She needed someone.

Nick could wait, right?

Taking a deep breath, Kevin pushed open the door.