Sterling took the other three out into the hall and looked at their concerned faces. They all seem to have aged five years in one night. Brian was nearly fit to be tied. The other two were literally the only thing that was holding him up.

He shook his head, it was never easy to tell friends and family something like this and this group of boys seemed unusually close. "This is a huge setback for Nick. I'm not going to sugarcoat it for you. Whatever was said on that phone was the catalyst that made Nick break down like that. Both emotionally and mentally. He's let go of his grasp on reality and turned inside himself. He can't take being hurt anymore by those that have been hurting and lying to him, but that also means that he's cut off all of the people who support and love him. It's called Hysterical Catalepsy. Where someone goes into a trance like state after a psychological shock or trigger. There is no medical reason for it, so there is nothing medically that can be done to take him out of it. We can only help him psychologically as much as we can in the state he's in. I've seen this before and I can tell you what to expect. He won't talk, but you can talk to him, any stimulation is good. I'll have to examine him more closely, but depending on the depth of it, he may be able to do menial things like dressing, brushing his hair when asked to do it, but it will be within this trance state. It will be done in an orderly fashion and once he's started, he won't stop until finished and then will retreat back further into himself again."

Brian swallowed loudly, "How long will this last?"

Sterling looked in the door at Nick laying in Kevin's arms, staring off into space as Kevin rocked him and stroked his face. "There is no telling. Sometimes people come out of it within a day, some it takes months or even years." He turned to look at them, "Some never come out of it. They find the fight it takes to get back to reality too hard. They don't want to leave the safety of their own world."

Howie, AJ and Brian all sank down into the chairs in the hallway, stunned. AJ looked up, "Is there anything we can do to help him?"

"Just be there for him, talk to him, tell him everything that is going on that won't upset him further. He just needs time to sort this all out in his mind."

Brian nodded and looked up at Sterling, "Why is Nick clinging to Kevin like that? Kevin's never been one for showing a lot of affection."

Sterling took a piece of paper from his pocket, it was Kevin's note. "Kevin wrote a note to Nick, I think he found it in the bag of clothes. Nick is lost right now and he needs a guidance figure, someone who wants him just because he's Nick, not because he's a Backstreet Boy, not because he's family and must be kept in the family, just because he's Nick, plain and simple."

He looked at the note, "Kevin was always that to Nick, I think. This note just solidified it. When Nick was speaking to me about all of you, he talked of you three as his brothers, but there was a difference in the way he spoke about Kevin. He spoke of Kevin like someone would speak about their father, with a mixture of respect and annoyance at having to follow their word."

Sterling put his hand on Brian's shoulder, "He's not turning away from you, Brian. He just needs a father figure right now, someone that he feels safe with. It's not something better than what you can give him as his best friend, just different."

Sterling left them to absorb all that he'd said and went back into the room. Kevin was now singing softly to Nick, still rocking the younger boy in his strong arms. Sterling sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the two of them. He met Kevin's eyes and saw the fear in them. He was afraid for Nick and what this was going to do to the younger boy. Sterling leaned forward and put his hand on Nick's arm, "Nick, I need to look you over to make sure you are ok to travel tomorrow. Kevin is going to stay right here, you can hold his hand the whole time if you want to, but I need you let go of him so I can look you over. We have to make sure you are ok to hit the land of snow, ok?"

Kevin felt Nick's grip on him loosen and the hand that was wrapped around his arm slid downwards until Nick's hand rested in his. Kevin squeezed it gently and turned Nick around to let Sterling look at him.

All Sterling could do was make sure there was nothing physically wrong with him that would stop him from travelling. He had a nurse draw some blood and asked Nick to wash his face and brush his teeth, much like you would remind a child to do. Nick stood and hesitated, still gripping onto Kevin's hand.

Katya knew that he didn't want to leave Kevin, or rather the safety of Kevin. So she walked over to Nick and offered her hand for his. She could only hope that he felt as safe with her as he did with Kevin.

Slowly his hand released Kevin's and moved to his side, where Katya's was and grabbed it. Katya stood in front of Nick and wrapped her other arm around his shoulders, and kissed his forehead before hugging him. She was getting used to this touching other people thing. She didn't feel any sensation, but just the realization that he did and it helped in some way was enough for her. She followed him into the bathroom off of his room and watched as he mechanically picked up a toothbrush and started to brush his teeth. She sat on the counter and watched him. "Nick, I know you can hear me. I just want you to know that what she said, it her problem, not yours. She is the one that needs help, not you. Do you think for one moment that if you were as evil and such a mistake as she says that you would have been so blessed in your life to have four friends that are right here for you every step of the way, or the career that you were telling me about?

I heard every word she said and she's wrong, Nick. But if you give up like this, if you keep in this little world your in right now, you are proving her right on one thing."

Katya saw his eyes snap over and look at her, really look at her. She looked right back at him, "If you keep hiding like this from everything, you will prove her right that you are a coward. She could never know how much strength it took to not cut deeper, to get to Brian's room and get help, to choose to come back and face the consequences of what you had done, to face your life. But if you keep hiding, you are a coward."