[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Chapter 2: Details, Details…

Nick woke up with a pounding headache, but he’d had so many hangovers in the last two weeks that it would have felt strange to wake up to a room that wasn’t spinning. Drinking yourself into a coma at night, and then countering it with Aspirin and Red Bull in order to get through a rugged performance isn’t exactly the best way to live life, but then, Nick never really did know what was best for him. All he knew is that two weeks ago he’d had a mental breakdown because of the stress this tour had provided, and staying sedated seemed to be as good a way as any to keep from losing all sanity until he could get home and relax. Thank the lord tonight was the last show of the Unbreakable tour.

One last show…

It was this though that finally pulled Nick from his bed, and with a groan he headed straight for the painkillers in his bag. As he kicked them back, he was surprised by how much louder the pounding in his head was now that he was standing – so loud he could hear it echoing in the room around him and not just in his head. It wasn’t until the sound was accompanied by a booming, “Nick?” that he realized the pounding was someone at the door.

“God, Brian, I’m up!” he roared, his self-imposed surrogate mother not helping his foul mood any. “Don’t get your freakin’ panties in a bunch, I’m not gonna be late!”

“No, Nick! You’ve got to see this! Open up!”

With curiosity beating out his annoyance, Nick opened the door to his room just a crack. “See what?”

“It’s a story about that girl in Atlantic City, the one you were going to go out with that night. She ended up in the hospital!”

Nick shuddered at the mention of that night, but before Brian could say another word, he threw the door open and snatched the paper from Brian’s hand. “Something really weird is going on again,” Brian murmured as Nick stared at the picture of the battered girl on the front page – definitely the same girl. “This morning I opened my door looking for today’s paper, and instead I found this. It’s an Atlantic City paper from the morning after our show.”

“How’d it get to your hotel room?”

“I don’t know, Nick, but just read the article! That girl did find someone else to go out with that night, and the guy ended up dead.”

“Beat to death by a crazy ex-marine turned security guard?” Nick breathed, his eyes glossing over as he realized it had all been real.

“How did you know?” Brian asked a little spooked.

“Her ex-boyfriend,” Nick muttered, ignoring Brian’s question.

Nick and Brian were silent for a few minutes, both a little scared, and yet strangely relieved at the same time. “Nick.” Brian broke the silence with a whisper. “That could have been you.”

“It was me.”

“What?”

The concern in Brian’s voice snapped Nick from his trance. “Sorry, Bri. I didn’t mean it was me,” he lied quickly. “I meant it should have been. If it weren’t for…” Nick’s voice trailed off as he remembered the very lucid conversation he’d had with himself. “I should be dead.”

“Don’t say that, ok? You made the right choice. You should be right where you are, getting ready for one last show, just like the rest of us, not dead.”

Nick was still quiet. He disagreed with his band mate. He hadn’t made the right choice, and if it weren’t for that crazy voice, he wouldn’t have made the right choice. He should be dead. “No, you shouldn’t be,” Brian repeated himself, able to read the expression on Nick’s face. “Maybe you should be a little less hung over, but you shouldn’t be dead.”

Brian could tell that Nick was really upset – surprisingly upset – over this, and he hated to see him suffering. It had been years since Brian and Nick were close, but even though Nick seemed to believe otherwise, Brian still loved his friend. “You ok?” he asked resting his hand softly on Nick’s shoulder.

“I’m fine,” Nick answered, shrugging Brian’s hand off him. “I need to get ready. I’ll see you at sound check, ok?”

Nick was surprised when he didn’t feel like yelling at Brian anymore. Brian always asking him if he was ok, was one of the things that annoyed him the most, but for some reason, this time, it had been comforting to hear. The concern in Brian’s face suddenly looked a little more sincere and less bossy. And for a brief moment, Brian almost felt like his friend again.

It was hard not to think back on that night and how Brian had tried so hard to get him to stay back. Trying to save his life without even knowing it. Trying, but not succeeding, because Nick knew he wouldn’t have listened if had been just him there that night. The thought made Nick feel a ton of guilt and remorse all the sudden for the relationship the two men had let slide over the years.

The feeling wasn’t enough to give him hope that things between them could ever go back to the way they once had been, but it was enough to stop him before he walked out the door. “Brian?” his voice was meek, almost shy.

“What’s up?”

“How did you know?” Nick tried again after receiving a look of confusion. “That night, how did you know I shouldn’t go?”

There was silence again for a minute as the reality of what happened – or, what could have happened – hit them again. “I don’t know,” Brian whispered in a voice almost as small as Nick’s had been. “I just felt it.”

Nick nodded again, with a look that clearly showed he was ready to be left alone for a while. Brian shut the door hesitantly, but without another word. Once he was gone Nick headed back to bed, shuddering as he glimpsed at the paper Brian had left on the desk. “What the hell is going on…” he mumbled as he closed his eyes, more than ready to blow off his last show.

Actually, it’s more like, “what in God’s name?” Hell’s got nothing to do with it, lucky for you.

Nick’s heart skipped a few beats, but he ignored the voice, trying to convince himself he hadn’t heard it. It was just his mind playing tricks. He was just upset because of the article in the paper, that’s all. And he was hung over. In fact, he’d had so much to drink last night, that maybe he was still drunk. It was just the alcohol, not him losing his mind.

Nick rolled over on the bed with a groan, and pulled a pillow over his head.

I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You’ll fall back to sleep and miss sound check. Everyone will be super ticked. You don’t want to end the tour on such a bad note.

“FUCK!” Nick screamed, unable to deny that the voice was there.

Nick sat furious, but his rage disappeared at the sight before him. He was showered and dressed, and looked a lot less hung over, but it was definitely himself he was staring at – not a reflection in a mirror, but himself, a physical person. And it was giving him his own trademark grin. I’m baaaaaaaack! it chimed. Did you miss me?

There were so many thoughts running through Nick’s mind, and so many feelings, but one stood out above everything else. “Impossible.”

Improbable. But, as you can see, it’s not quite impossible.

“How?”

That’s kind of complicated.

“Try me.”

Trust me, dude, you won’t get it. I didn’t, and I am you. I had the big guy himself trying to explain it, but there were equations and molecular biology involved.

“Even still, even if you are real, you should be dead then.”

But you saved us remember? Nice going, by the way, you earned me major brownie points for that.

“I saved me,” Nick corrected. “You died. And if you were my ghost, sent back in time to keep me from dying, then you would have evaporated or something when I didn’t die. Space-time continuum? You’ve seen Back To The Future as much as I have. It’s impossible.”

Nick was confused by the look his imaginary self was giving him. Creepy. It said and then laughed. I mean I know we have the same brain and all, but I asked God the same thing. Used the same words and everything.

“And?”

It shrugged. The big guy pulled some strings.

“He what?”

What can I say? I’m Nick carter, baby. Everybody wants a piece of me. Even God, so it would seem. He said he wanted to keep me around.

“How can he do that?”

He’s God… He can do whatever he wants.

“But it’s not physically possible!”

Details, details...

Nick was not about to accept “details, details,” as an explanation for the impossible, and judging from the smirk on imaginary Nick’s face, he’d not accepted that response either.

Molecular biology, remember? Ghost Nick laughed on cue. See, I’m not your dead ghost. Yeah, technically, the first time it was your dead ghost, and that poor sucker did disappear just as soon as you got back to your hotel room and passed out.

“Then who the hell are you? Are you a new ghost? Am I about to get myself killed again or something?”

No, you’re safe. It’s a little different this time. Technically I’m you, not your ghost, but you.

“What do you mean?”

I’m real. Just as real as you or anyone on this planet. See, watch.

“Ow!” Nick yelped when the not-ghost pinched him. “What the hell, dude?”

See. I’m a person. An exact replica of you. God took your genetic make-up and basically made a photocopy.

You mean you’re like a clone? God cloned me?

Yeah, cool huh? I even have all of the memories you had up until the point I was created.

“Which was?”

The night you didn't die.

“Then where have you been these last few weeks?”

Training. I’m a certified guardian angel now. I even get the cool powers.

“You’re my guardian angel?”

Well, guess I’m not an angel really, because I have a body. - You know, we’re going to have to come up with a new name for me, something cool, because I’m kind of an experiment, but if I do a good job, God said he might start making more like me. I’d bet since I’m the first he’d let us decide on the name - But yeah, to answer your question, I was assigned to help you, just like the guardian angels.

Nick’s mind had abandoned the struggle to deny what was happening – this was too real. He could see him, and hear him, and even feel him. There was no doubt that this was really happening. Nick was relieved to discover that he wasn’t going crazy, but a new thought was now plaguing his mind. “Why do I need a guardian… whatever you are? You said I wasn’t going to die again.”

Well, because you’re a screw up, Nick. Big time.

“What the fuck?”

Hey! You think it’s bad hearing it from me, you didn’t have to get it from the big guy. Talk about a guilt trip, that guy knows exactly what you’re thinking. He knows how to hit below the belt.

“Well if I’m such a screw up, why would he send me to fix it?”

Because you don’t listen to anyone but yourself. I guess he’s been trying to assign guardian angels to us for years but we keep blowing them off.

“What?”

Beats me. I blew them off too remember? But when he couldn’t get you to listen to angels, he tried to use Brian. Remember that night, how Brian was trying to get you to stay? Well the first time he wasn’t quite enough, so after you dies, God tried one last attempt. He was so excited that he finally got through to you, that he created me and now here I am. Dude, we’re going to have some fun. I’m telling you, I’ve got a pretty sweet gig here… Ow, OW! I KNOW! No misusing power! For the greater good, I GET IT!

Nick watched curiously as his other self seemed to be having a conversation with someone other than him. He looked crazy, but then, Nick thought, look who’s talking…

Sorry about that. I do have some rules. He looked up at the ceiling with a scowl and grumbled, which I haven’t forgotten! He then turned his excitement back to Nick. But trust me, we’re so going to have some fun with this. Like that newspaper on Brian’s doorstep!

“That was you?”

You should have seen the look on his face! Seriously, we can really have some fun here, and hopefully we’ll be able to fix your life in the process.

Nick couldn’t believe he was about to agree to this insane plan – that that he thought he had any choice – but he had to admit, he was curious. And Nick made a good point, they really could have some fun with it. “Fine,” he said with a sigh, accepting this new reality, “what are you saving me from this time?”

Us, Guardian Nick shrugged with a grin. Yourself.