Kevin fidgeted on the cot as he waited impatiently for his discharge papers from the emergency room.

“Would you please settle down?” Brian urged.

“This is really stupid that you made me come here in the first place!”

“You broke your hand; you had to come in to be seen! Don’t be stupid.”

Kevin rolled his eyes at his cousin in reply.

“Remember when Nick broke his hand? You didn’t find out about it until the following afternoon when he walked into sound check.”

Kevin smiled at the memory. “Yeah the little shit lied and said he tripped over the drum set or something crazy like that.”

“Are you in pain? Do you want me to get a nurse?” Brian asked when he saw tears pooling in Kevin’s eyes.

“No, I just keep thinking about how Nicky used to be.”

“You remember that he punched the wall, exactly like what you did to mess his hand up,” Brian pointed out. “His temper got the best of him.”

“I punched the wall for a better reason than what Nick did.”

“How do you figure? We only know that Nicky punched the wall in the hotel room when you went into his room to grab his wallet and you saw the huge hole. He never did say what exactly happened.”

“I punched the wall to stop myself from hitting his psycho of a mother. I cannot believe after what her son has gone through that woman is still talking about going back on tour. She just doesn’t get it. Where is that goddamn nurse! I can’t sit around any longer!”

”Kevin,” Brian quietly admonished. “She’ll get to you eventually. I’m sure she’s got other patients besides you.”

“Too bad,” the older man grumbled when he hopped off the cart. Reluctantly, Brian silently followed his cousin out of the emergency room.

“You know she’s probably going to get in trouble for what you did back there,” Brian said once they got into the car and he placed the key in the ignition.

“I couldn’t sit waiting around anymore. I have to deal with Jane Carter and God only knows what she’s done while I’ve been gone.”

**

Jane Carter tearfully watched her youngest son as he paced the living room floor.

“You fucked me over for years and I finally had enough of both of you! You and dad were pathetic enough as it was. Didn’t you realize that you had a problem when I filed papers to be on my own? What kind of kid would do that? Dad got the balls to divorce your sorry ass because it finally dawned on him what an evil manipulating bitch you are!!”

Aaron stopped pacing for a moment to stare down at his mother.

“Truth sucks, don’t it Jane!?”

The older woman covered her ears. ”STOP IT!” don’t you dare call me Jane! I’m your mother!”

“I call you Jane because you’re not my mother. A mother is someone that protects their children and does everything they can to see them succeed in life. You’ve pretty much did everything but that! It’s always been about the money! When Nicky started Backstreet you made sure you had a hand on his money from the start. For some reason you always thought you were entitled to it!”

“I was the one that drove him to all the auditions, talent shows and the appointments with prospects for talent agencies! I was the one that saw the talent and if it weren’t for me he’d probably work at a gas station pumping gas!”

“Nick probably would have been one hell of lot happier doing that instead of working for you and Lou Pearlman -- that was some talent agent you found there!”

Jane ignored Aaron’s comment as she continued with her defense. “Driving Nick to places cost me money and I wasn’t going to sit and watch a fourteen year old have free reign with hundreds of thousands of dollars! That would be asinine! As far as I can see, I was entitled to it! It was not just me that Nick took care of. Think about it, he provided a roof over your head, clothes on your back and food in your stomach!”

“Something that a parent should provide not a fourteen year old kid!” Aaron retorted. “Once Nick got the balls to write you people off, you latched onto my assets and me! Game’s over Jane. Sign the goddamn papers over to Kevin or Brian or the dude next door because I don’t give a shit who you sign them back over to but just sign them and get out of our lives once and for all!” 

Jane stared in disbelief as she listened to Aaron rant.

“Did you even pull your head out of your ass when Nick walked into the kitchen earlier?” Aaron continued.

“Huh?”

“I didn’t think so,” he added with a sarcastic laugh.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“When Nick came into the kitchen and you said hello to him, he did not know who you were. He’s one of the lucky ones in this house that doesn’t know you,” his voice husky with sarcasm. This time it was Aaron that was tearing up. “Nick doesn’t know any of us!”

“You have to admit, we’ve been away for some time,” Jane pointed out.

“You’re a fucking piece of shit,” the teenager grumbled as he sat down on the couch shaking his head.

As if the scene was rehearsed, AJ entered the living room; flopping his body onto the couch. “How’s things going?”

“What do you think?” Aaron muttered.

“Can’t get through to her?” he asked as he gestured over to Jane.

“Oh I see now, you’re both after my Nicky’s money! It’s not about his well-being you’re all concerned over; you people are starved for cash since you haven’t been on tour since he got sick.”

“Look lady, we don’t need any of Nick’s money! All of us are doing just fine, we have great accountants that handle our cash,” AJ rasped. “I don’t know about Aaron, but I’m pretty much set for life and as far as I knew so was Nick before any of this mess happened. Now that you’ve had your claws on his money he probably has very little left over for anything.”

“Why is everyone attacking me?!”

“We’re not attacking you; we just are trying to get you to understand why we’re asking you to sign off on the power of attorney papers, you holding onto that right does absolutely nothing for your son! What have you done in the last year that involved the power of attorney rights over Nick?”

Jane Carter only stared at the two men sitting in the room.

“Can’t think of a goddamn thing, can you Ma?” Aaron growled.

“What I do as power of attorney is none of your business.”

“Just give me one thing that you’ve done for Nick in the past year and I’ll stop asking you anymore questions,” AJ pressed.

“Nothing comes to mind at the moment.”

“Nothing comes to mind at the moment,” AJ echoed, slowly annunciating each syllable. 

”AH HAH! you are spending Nick’s money on your selfish ass self!”

Jane quickly stood up. “I am not putting up with anymore of this bullshit!”

Aaron jumped in front of his mother, grabbing her arms. “You’re not going anywhere Jane! We’re not done with you!!”

“Don’t threaten me!” she hissed.

“And what are you gonna do about it?”

“Aaron, don’t,” AJ asked as he gently placed his hand on the teen’s shoulder.

Aaron dipped his shoulder from the older man’s hand. “NO! I’m sick of all this shit; it needs to be stopped! This has gone on for years and I can’t take anymore of her fucking shit!”

“Calm down Aaron; take a deep breath. You’re not speaking rationally,” AJ urged quietly.

“Yeah, you should listen to him,” Jane added getting a quick glare from AJ.

“Don’t put your two cents worth in!”

“Don’t talk to my mother like that!” Aaron growled.

AJ jumped back in response as if being struck. “I seriously don’t understand you Carters. I thought you were against her,” he muttered with a shake of his head.

“I am against her; you just don’t say shit like to someone’s mom! What would you do if I said shit to your mom?”

“Completely different scenario kid, my mom wouldn’t take my money without asking!” AJ spat back, standing with his face literally inches from Aaron’s face.

“Nicky….” Jane breathed as she caught sight of her oldest son wandering into the living room.

“Why is everyone yelling?”  he mumbled.

“We’re not yelling, we’re having loud discussions,” AJ explained.

“We’re fighting,” Aaron corrected, “because mom is being a bitch.”

Nick looked at Aaron and then towards Jane; face void of recognition. “Why are you calling her a bad word?”

“Because Aaron isn’t thinking,” AJ pointed out.

“Because your brother is being bullheaded,” Jane added. “Both of you weren’t raised to speak to adults like that.”

“You’re AJ’s mom too?” Nick asked innocently.

“No silly, I mean both of you as in you and Aaron,” Jane responded, ignoring AJ’s scowl.

“Huh?”

“C’mon Nicky you know what I mean,” Jane smiled, “you always love to play practical jokes.”

“Drop it Jane,” AJ warned, instantly fearful of Nick having a panic attack.

“Remember that time when you—“

“Shut the fuck up!” Aaron interrupted. “Can’t you see what you’re doing?!”

“Just stop talking and look at him,” AJ added softly.

Jane connected with AJ’s eyes and followed them over toward Nick. She finally realized what both of them were trying to convey. Nick was face was drained of color; unshed tears pooled in his eyes.

“Kevin and Brian aren’t here and I doubt I can handle this right now. Let’s just not talk,” AJ pleaded. “We could watch some TV until its time for Nick to go to bed.”

“You tell a twenty-five year old man when it’s time to go to bed?”

“When it’s time to go to bed… brush his teeth…. what to wear…. for crying out loud Jane why don’t you understand that his life is never going to be the same anymore?” AJ asked as tears were slipping down his cheeks.

“He needs constant supervision, twenty-four seven,” Aaron added somberly.

As all this was unfolding, Nick stood quietly his index finger in his mouth. Normally AJ would correct the blonde’s actions but with Nick not back on his medications; he knew that Nick was ‘slipping’ and this was known as one of his familiar comfort methods.

Jane happened to glance over at her son and caught his actions. “Why on earth are you sucking on your finger?? Oh my God, you did that when you were six….…” she whispered when it finally hit her. Confronted with reality, Jane rushed out of the room.

Aaron was starting to go after his mother but was quickly stopped by AJ’s voice.

“Let her go, she needs some time to sort this out.”

******

“Anything new happen while we were gone?” Brian asked as he and Kevin entered the living room.

“So did you break your hand?” AJ snickered as he caught sight of the bulky bandage on the eldest man’s right hand.

“Not funny but yeah it’s broke and I have to wait twenty-four hours or something like that to get a cast on it,” Kevin replied.

“You’d know the exact time frame if you had waited for your discharge instructions,” Brian added.

“You left before they told you to go? What happened to anal Kevin Richardson?” Aaron asked with a mocked stunned expression.

“They were taking too long and I had more important things to worry about,” Kevin defended. “Where’s your mother?”

“Lying down, she probably has a migraine,” Aaron said as he rolled his eyes after uttering the word migraine.

Kevin frowned as he looked at Nick lying on the couch sleeping, curled up on his side. “Is he alright?”

A sour expression washed over AJ’s face. “For now.”

Catching the tattooed rebel’s expression instantly set alarms off. “What the hell happened?”

“I think Nick’s situation finally connected with ma,” Aaron explained and added with his eyes rolling, “hence the migraine.”

“I thought I told you guys not to talk until we came back home,” Brian said.

“No, you said ‘I’m taking Kevin to the hospital,’ not don’t talk until we get back,” AJ clarified.

“Whatever, I think you’d at least wait until we got back,” Kevin sighed. “We wouldn’t have gone to the hospital---

“You fainted from the pain,” Brian interjected.  “I had to take you!”

Ignoring Brian, Kevin continued. “Will she be signing off her P.O.A. rights?”

AJ shook his head. “We haven’t gotten that far. The woman was still fighting it. I now see where Nicky gets his stubborn streak.”

“I’ll sign the papers,” Jane announced as she suddenly entered the living room.

Kevin, Brian, Aaron and AJ turned toward her.

“Repeat what you just said,” Aaron said.

“I’ll sign the papers,” she repeated. “I realize now that I can’t do what my Nicky needs. Give me the papers and I’ll sign off and go home.”

“Just like that? You’re going to just up and leave Nick??” Aaron angrily asked.

“We’ll have to have this notarized,” Kevin interrupted. “We’ll have to call the attorney.”

“Or just go to Kinko’s,” AJ added.

Kevin shook his head as he voiced his disagreement. “That’s a public place.”

“And that matters because?”

“Don’t be a smartass,” Kevin reprimanded.

“I’m fine with a bank or a store; I’ll sign what you want me to sign.”

“Let me just call the attorney,” Kevin firmly repeated his intentions as he pulled his cell phone out of his pants pocket.

And so, four hours later it was finished. Jane Carter signed off her parental rights to her oldest son.

The last thing Jane did before she left the house was kiss Nick lightly on the forehead as he slept. She tearfully whispered her good byes to him and then turned and wrapped Aaron into a tight hug.

“I’m so sorry, so very sorry.”

Aaron only lightly returned his mother’s hug -- as he felt obligated to do so -- however he did not feel obligated to accept her apology.

Wordlessly, Jane turned to leave.

“I’ll let you know if there’s any change,” Kevin said as he walked with her to the door.

“Thank you. I guess I never realized what a good friend you are to Nick,” she replied quietly as she rested a hand on the doorknob.

As much as he had more disrespect than respect for the woman, Kevin opened his arms as he felt he should offer her hug. “Nick was good kid; he’s still a good kid just not the same person we knew.”

“I know,” she whispered as she pulled herself out of the hug. Awkwardly, she fumbled with the doorknob and quickly opened the door walking briskly toward the taxi waiting in the driveway.