[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
"CSM Alana, you have a phone call on line three, CSM Alana, you have a phone call on line three," The fitting room associate, Betty paged.

Alana finished giving change to the cashier that was on register 27. She went into the CSM office behind the service desk, shut the door and picked up the call. She looked at the clock on the wall, 12:30 it read, it was just about lunch time.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Hey Alana, it's A.J.," he answered

"How's Nick?" She automatically asked.

"I see how you are, ask about the blonde one, but never ask about me," he said playfully.

"I'm sorry. How are you A.J.?" She started over.

"I'm not too bad, just really tired," he replied.

"How's Nick?" she asked again.

"He's okay, I guess. He's thrown up a few more times since you left this morning. I have had to clean up your bathroom, like, three times because he couldn't make it," he explained Why did I leave Nick all alone? I could've helped him. Maybe he needs me now? But I just can't...

"I left a waste basket near the bed for him this morning before I left," she said.

"Well, that was full, I had to empty that too," A.J said.

Alana closed her eyes. She hated it when Nick was sick. She was the only one that was supposed to take care of him. She didn't want anyone to do help him, but her- but she had to work. She knew that work wasn't the reason. The reason was..Nick. Taking care fo him meant to be closer to him. She this morning when he held her hand. I just don't know if I can't get used used to it again...

"He's asking for you, Alana," he continued "He wants you here and not me."

"I'm working," she stated as she put her elbows on the desk and leaned her head against them.

"He's a god damn pain in the ass when he's sick. He is acting like a baby," A.J said "It's starting to piss me off."

"I'm sorry A.J, but I couldn't get anyone else to keep him company. I just can't up and leave work," Alana said, rubbing her forehead with her hand.

She heard him sigh.

"I know you can't," he said quietly. But I guess things are changing...I just don't know how, but...

"Look in the cupboard next the the fridge and get a pan of chicken soup going, I will be home for lunch in ten minutes," she said finally.
~**********~

Alana dashed from her car into her house. She saw A.J. in the kitchen stirring a small pan of soup. She smiled at him.

"Hey girl," he greeted her.

She hugged him. She was so happy to see him. She was so glad that he had become sober. It would be just about three years this year.

"Nick's still sleeping," he said as she started to walk toward her bedroom.

She gave him a smile. "I'll be right back." I have to see my..friend..

Alana opened her door and saw Nick sleeping, wrapped like a caterpillar in a cocoon, within the blankets. She sat on the edge of the bed and fingered lightly through his blonde hair. God he needs a shower, she thought. She felt his forehead, it was still hot. He needed to take more Motrin to keep the fever down.

"Nicky," she whisphered, her lips close to his ear.

He jerked and opened his eyes. He saw her sitting next to him and he gave her a weak half smile. Is she here? Did she really come back because of me? Please..just stay...he begged in his thoughts, yet he knew it was useless to tell her.

"I'm home for lunch, then I gotta go back to work, okay?" she said softy.

He nodded and pushed some of the blankets off him.

"How about trying to eat something?" she asked.

He shook his head and took the Motrin and glass of water from her.

"You gotta have something in your stomach. Come on, A.J. made soup," Alana said as she pushed all the blankets off him.

Nick slowly got up and she tossed him a blue t-shirt to put on. She grabbed her brush from the dresser and brushed his hair because it was sticking up. He shooed the brush away from his head because he really didn't get a shit about what he looked like. I'm not a baby. I can stand for my own. I can't..get used that she cares about me so much. He walked slowly down the hall and sat down at the table carefully. A.J. was sitting across from him, playing with his pack of cigarettes and lighter.

Nick looked at the pack. He would do just about anything for a cigarette. He hadn't had one since before he went to bed the night before. He wasn't sure if he could handle the smoke along with being sick. Oh fuck it, he thought to himself and grabbed a cigarette from A.J's pack, then going out on the porch.

Alana walked into the kitchen and looked at A.J.

"Where'd he go?" she asked.

A.J. pointed to the sliding glass door. She saw him outside lighting a cigarette. She rolled her eyes and went outside on the porch.

Nick turned around to the sound of the door closing. He saw her as he took a long drag, letting the smoke out of his mouth and nose.

"You shouldn't be smoking, you're sick," she said grabbing the lit cigarette from his hand and putting it out on the wood railing.

"But Lana," he whined "I haven't had one since last night."

She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. "You don't need one right now, you are sick."

He sat in the chair next to A.J.as she put a bowl of soup in front of him along with some saltine crackers and a glass of ginger ale.

"Eat," she commanded.

He looked at her with big eyes, thought about protesting, but realized she was right.

He fiddled with the spoon and looked at the soup. It didn't look to appetizing to him.

"You have to eat Nick," Alana said as she made herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Nick munched on a few crackers and ate about half of the soup, but the entire glass of ginger ale was gone. He pushed the bowl away and sat back in the chair.

"Happy?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Stop being a whine-ass," A.J. said as he took a bite of the sandwich Alana made for him. It was turkey and cheese with lettuce and tomato on white bread. "You're lucky she came home for lunch. She has to go back to work in 20 minutes. Be nice or go back to bed."

Nick got up and went back down the hall to the bedroom. He hated being sick. He was always mean and grumpy. He didn't want A.J. to be here, he wanted Alana. He crawled back into bed and fell back asleep. She won't stay anyways. I want her here, but what..what does she want? When can I tell her what I feel? Probably never...or maybe?

Alana finished her sandwich and started to pick up the kitchen, but A.J. stopped her.

"Leave it," he said "I get it later."

She raised her eyebrows questionably.

"Don't worry about blondie," he said "He will be just fine. You just go back to work and I'll see you when you get home dear."

She laughed and hugged him before she left. Why do I still have a feeling that I need to be there for Nick? That he needs me?
~**********~

Nick covered his mouth as he quickly got out of bed and ran to the bathroom. It had only been an hour since Alana had left. She didn't get home from work until 3:30 p.m. and it was only 1:30 p.m.

He heaved into the toliet for what seemed like the hundredth time. He couldn't keep anything down. He propped his head on the edge of the toliet and closed his eyes to try to block out the feeling of his stomach churning.

A.J. peered into Alana's bedroom about ten minutes later and didn't see Nick in bed. He saw the bathroom light on and went in to see if he was there. He saw him leaning over the toliet, throwing up again.

"Aww man, can't you do that quietly?" A.J. asked covering his eyes with his hand.

"Shut up and throw me a towel," Nick said, with his head still over the toliet.

A.J. threw him a towel that was on the bathroom sink and watched him wipe his face.

"Dude, you probably need to go see a doctor," A.J. pointed out.

Nick shook his head in disagreement. "No fuckin' way."

"You've been throwing up like mad since this morning," A.J. taking out his cell phone. "I'm calling Alana and telling her that I'm taking you to the doctors."

The best that A.J. could do for a doctor's appointment for was 4:00 that afternoon. This meant that Alana could take him and A.J. didn't have to listen to him complain.

Nick was sitting in the living room chair at 3:15 when she came home. He was watching cartoons. He was still in the same clothes that he had on the night before. He looked up her and gave her a small smile.

A.J. was reading a Sports Illustrated magazine. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a black fitted t-shirt with a silver picture on it.

"Did you clean up at all Nick?" Alana asked.

He shook his head no.

"Go jump in the shower, we have to leave in fifteen minutes," she said.

He grumbled something under his breath and went down the hall toward her room.

"I swear I feel like I'm his mother sometimes," she said to A.J. "He's fuckin' 25 years old and doesn't know how to do anthing without having someone to tell him what do to."

A.J. put down his magazine on the coffee table.

"But he listens to you," he said. Where are we going from here? There's something different about how I feel about him. Is that right or wrong? She thought.
~**********~