Date: Wed, 01 Sep 1999 18:29:22 EDT
From: Brwy Milo <brwymilo@hotmail.com>
Subject: "Nick and Justin" part 20
Hello once again! Wow, this is part 20! And the longest section
to date so far I believe. This one covers a lot, and it answers a lot of
the questions that I have been receiving. I hope everyone finds it
satisfying. The next few will bring together a lot of the pieces that were
started in previous parts. Aren't we excited? ::Smile and nod::
OK, well, this story is totally fictional. It's not meant to imply
anything about the sexuality or beliefs of anyone in the story.
I love e-mail. If you have any comments, questions, criticisms,
suggestions, or just wanna say hello, drop me a line. The address is Mike
at BrwyMilo@aol.com. Enjoy the story.
****
There was total darkness. Lance groggily struggled to open his eyes as he
felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. He moaned loudly and tried to look
around for the others. He turned his head but found he was too weak to lift
it far. He managed to roll it to the side and saw Joey laying on the floor,
out cold. He continued to stare around the darkness, but soon felt his eyes
closing again as the pain overwhelmed him. Distant sirens were the last
things he heard before losing consciousness.
****
"Clear the hall," a nurse yelled as the stretchers began racing towards the
emergency room. They were pushed fast as doors flung open and wayward
patients and visitors jumped out of the way. Justin began to breathe
heavily as his eyes opened slowly and he felt pain piercing through him. He
looked up at the nurse's face above him and whispered, "Where's Nick?"
"Everyone is right behind you honey," she said as she ran sideways along
with him. "Don't worry. Everything's gonna be alright," she said,
adjusting his IV.
Justin dropped his head back down as his thoughts ran wild in his head.
'What happened,' he thought to himself. He remembered Robert's talk with
them bitterly. He could remember the bus swerving, screaming, and
then...blackness. He could remember the others screaming and being thrown
around. His thoughts flew back to Nick. Nick had tried to cover him, but
they were both thrown apart. "Are the other's OK," Justin asked slowly.
The nurse frowned and looked at the orderly who was pushing Justin's
stretcher. She glanced back at the other stretchers following them.
"Everything's going to be alright," she said soothingly.
"No wait," Justin said as he struggled to sit up. "I need to see them.
Where's Nick?" He tried to lift his upper body, but a pair of strong hands
pushed him back down and he was too weak to fight them. Waves of dizziness
came over him as he lost consciousness again.
"Everything's going to be alright," the nurse said as she held his hand.
****
Kevin sat with Joey and Howie in the waiting room of the hospital. Five
hours had passed since they had arrived. The three of them had just been
released after being treated for their injuries. "Howie and Joey both had
soft casts around their right ankles. Howie had his wrist in a cast and his
arm in a sling. Joey and Kevin both had gauze bandages around their
foreheads, covering the stitches they had received at their hairlines.
"I think Nick's mom was the worst," Kevin said slowly as he stared down at
his feet. "She was crying so hard she had to give the phone to the maid to
get the details." Kevin had had the grim job of calling the parents of the
Backstreet Boys. Joey had called the family members of his bandmates. "I
wish I had gotten through to Brian's parents! They're going to be a wreck
if they catch this on the news and don't hear from one of us first."
"My parents had already seen the story on the news," Howie said. "I
thought my mom was going to jump through the phone when she heard my voice."
"I could only get through to Justin's mom and my mom," Joey said.
"Shouldn't parents be home in bed, sleeping at this hour of the night?"
Kevin smiled. "Life is never that simple anymore Joey."
"How the hell did this happen," Howie asked angrily. "We've never had
something like this happen before."
"I don't know what went wrong," Kevin said. "I remember the bus swerving
and flipping over, but that's about it."
The doors to the waiting room opened quickly as a doctor marched in. Kevin
jumped to his feet swiftly and approached him. "It's about time," he said
impatiently. "How is everyone?"
The doctor's removed his glasses and motioned for everyone to take a seat
near him. He sat across from the three men and frowned.
"Let's start with the good news," he said. "The three of you are doing
well. AJ McLean and JC Chasez are both going to be released shortly." He
glanced back at the chart in his hands. "We were going to keep them under
observation because they have some pretty bad bumps on their heads, but
scans and MRI's have shown nothing unusual."
"I always knew AJ had a hard head," Howie said, trying to joke.
"Ms. Spears has a concussion due to some head trauma. She has a sprained
ankle and apparently cut her arm and leg up pretty bad on some glass. She's
received stitches and should be fine. We are keeping her under observation
for tonight. She is expected to make a speedy recovery though and should be
released tomorrow."
"How's Fatima," Howie asked quickly.
The doctor looked at the chart and frowned. "Fatima has a broken leg and
hurt her back quite badly. She should make a full recovery, but she is
going to be in a lot of pain for a while. We have her on pain killers and
are going to recommend a chiropractor for her."
"And Chris," Joey asked nervously.
"What about me," Chris laughed as he entered into the waiting room on
crutches. He had a cast around his left foot. "Come on, you know I'm
indestructible."
Joey leapt up and gave him a tight hung before helping him down into a
chair next to the him.
Kevin's face remained stern as he continued to stare at the doctor. "What
about the others?"
The doctor's smile left his face as he stared at Kevin. "Nickolas Carter
and Brian Littrell have yet to wake up. They've been in a coma since their
arrival. While this is not strange, we do have to keep a close eye on them
as both had some pretty bad bumps on their heads. Nick gave us a bit of a
scare for a while. His heart rate dropped rapidly and his breathing slowed
to a critical point. He is now on a respirator and is responding well to
the medication we've given him. But we'll all feel better when he wakes up.
As for Brian, we are watching him very closely because of his heart
surgery. So far, his heart has held up fine, but we can't be too careful."
"And Justin? Lance," Kevin asked.
"Justin is falling in and out of consciousness," the doctor said. "When
he's awake, he keeps repeating a name, but we haven't been able to make it
out yet. He did ask for someone named Nick on the way into the hospital."
The doctor paused and looked back down at his chart. "Lance dislocated his
shoulder, but we've taken care of that. He is currently under observation
for an irregular heartbeat. He also needed some stitches in his leg. He
should be fine, assuming his heart beat returns to normal soon. The driver
was badly injured. Right now, it doesn't look good."
Kevin frowned and then remembered something. "There was another man.
Another man on the bus with us. What's...his condition?"
The doctor checked his chart and then his eyes grew wide. "He is in
critical condition. His heart stopped for a while there. We got it started
again, but it's weak. He has some pretty bad cuts on his face that will
definitely scar. His brain activity is low and he can only breathe with the
help of a respirator."
Joey and Howie tried to hide their smiles as relief mixed with guilt washed
over them. Chris found it harder to hide his excitement. "Is he gonna
die," he asked a bit too eagerly.
The doctor and Kevin both looked up at him, shocked. "We're trying to
prevent that from happening, but right now the chances do look bleak."
Chris nodded and then turned his head towards Joey to try to hide his
smile. Kevin shot him an angry look. "That's horrible," Kevin said flatly.
"Don't worry, we're doing everything that we can," the doctor replied.
"So, when can we see everybody," Joey asked.
The doctor sighed. "Well right now, Justin, Brian, Nick and Lance are in
the intensive care unit, so only family is allowed in."
"Can I see Brian then," Kevin asked. "I'm family."
"Right this way," the doctor said as he got up and walked towards the door.
"Has everyone's family been contacted?"
"Yes," Kevin replied sadly. "They're on their way."
****
Kevin walked into the ICU and slowly approached Brian's bed. He grabbed a
chair and pulled it close. He saw all the monitors around, checking his
heart and breathing rates. He sighed heavily and remembered the last time
he had visited Brian in the hospital, immediately following his heart
surgery.
"What are you trying to do to me Brian? First the heart surgery, now
this," Kevin said, trying to joke as his emotions began to overcome him.
"You're gonna give me heart trouble." He looked down at his cousin's smooth
face and frowned. "Wake up Brian. Please. We're getting in contact with
your mom, and she's gonna come here and visit you. You know how much
everyone misses you. Wake up so you can say hello to them when they get
here. Please...open your eyes..." Kevin cried lightly and smoothed his
sheets gently.
Brian lay exactly as he had, his skin smooth and clear, his breathing slow
and gentle. Kevin wiped his eyes and then slowly rose from his chair.
Across the room we could see Justin laying in bed, a curtain pulled around
one side. He walked over to the bed and looked down. "He looks like an
angel like this," Kevin thought to himself. With one hand he began to
smooth Justin's hair and wipe away some of the sweat that had formed on his
brow. He paused. Then, on an impulse, he leaned over and gently kissed him
on the cheek.
"Nick," Justin whispered in his sleep.
Kevin breathed heavily and shook his head. "No," he said as he ran his
hand one final time over Justin's brow. "It's not Nick." Kevin glanced
down and then silently left the room.
****
AJ walked carefully into Britney's room and looked down at her sleeping
peacefully. Her hair was a bit wild. He stepped over to her and swept a
few strands out of her eyes. She stirred quietly as AJ took a step back.
"Hi there," she said as her eyes opened weakly.
AJ smiled warmly and went closer. He sat by the side of her bed and gave
her hand a squeeze. "How do you feel?"
"How do I look," she smiled sarcastically.
"Beautiful," he replied sincerely.
"God you're sweet," she replied with a smile. "I feel alright I guess.
That was the most terrifying experience of my life though. What happened?"
"I don't think we know yet. I haven't seen anyone else yet though. I came
here as soon as I was let go."
"Aw," Britney smiled as she squeezed his hand. She yawned lightly.
"Why don't you get some sleep now," AJ asked with a smile.
"No, I want to visit with you," she pouted.
"I'll be right here when you wake up," she replied as he pulled a chair
over. He sat down and took her hand in his own again.
"That sounds nice," she said, her eyes already closing.
****
Lynn rushed through the door to the waiting room and quickly ran up to
Joey. "Where's Justin," she demanded. "Is he alright?" She had him by the
shoulders and she was shaking him lightly as she spoke.
"Lynn, calm down," Joey replied. "Justin is going to be fine."
"What happened," she asked frantically as tears ran down her face.
"There was an accident," Kevin said as he entered the waiting room. "Oh,
I'm Kevin Richardson from the Backstreet Boys." He went to shake her hand
but withdrew when he saw her condition. "Which I'm sure you really care
about right now," he said guiltily.
"An accident," she said slowly to herself. "Is Justin alright? Has anyone
seen him?"
"He's in a room with my cousin in the intensive care unit. I'll take you
there now," Kevin said as he led her from the waiting room.
Lynn walked nervously down the sterile white corridor. Doctors and nurses
walked hurriedly to and fro. She looked to the right into a room and saw a
woman crying hysterically over what appeared to be her husband. Her heart
was leaping to her throat as she spoke. "Is Justin hurt badly Kevin?"
Kevin looked away. "The doctor's say he's been in and out of
consciousness. I think he may have a concussion."
"Oh god," she said as more tears came. She quickly wiped them away and
tried to compose herself. A thought hit her as she turned to Kevin once
again. "How's Nick," she asked suddenly.
Kevin was a bit taken aback by the question. "He hasn't woken up yet," he
replied solemnly. "His heart rate dropped rapidly on the way in, so we're
feel a lot better once he wakes up." He paused a second and then added,
"Justin's been asking for him."
Lynn sighed. "I can imagine," she said. Kevin led her through a set of
double doors and into the intensive care unit. Lynn slowly walked over to
Justin's bed and stared down.
"I'll be in the waiting room," Kevin said as he shut the door.
Lynn pulled a chair over to the side of the bed and ran a hand lightly over
Justin's forehead. She carefully smoothed his curls and smiled. Her
thoughts flew back to when he was a baby. She hummed lightly the lullaby
she used the sing to him. "Were you ever so little," she asked herself as
tears came to her eyes. "You were such a beautiful baby. And so energetic.
I thought you would give me a heart attack trying to keep after you." She
stopped and let the tears fall from her eyes. She recalled the last time
they had spoken and the way he had left the house. "I'm so sorry," she said
through her tears as she laid her head down on the bed.
"Nick," Justin asked weakly.
She quickly brought her head up and wiped her tears. "No honey, its mom."
"Mommy," Justin said as his eyes opened a bit. He managed a weak smile.
He raised his hand a bit for her to hold as he kept eyes on her.
"Do you know the scare you gave me," she asked as she kissed his hand
gingerly.
"I'll try not to let it happen again," he said with a small smile. He
seemed to fall asleep again for a bit as Lynn continued to stare down at his
bed. After a few minutes, his eyes opened again. "I need you to do
something for me," he said slowly.
"Anything," his mother replied confidently.
"They won't let me out of this bed," Justin said slowly. "Could you go and
see Nick for me. Talk to him for a couple of minutes. Tell him I love
him." Justin began to cry lightly. Lynn quickly jumped up and did her best
to hug her son.
"Nick is going to be fine Justin," she said quickly.
"Mom, I've heard the nurses talking. I know he's hasn't woken up yet."
Lynn gently released him and stood up. She wiped her own tears away.
"I'll go see him right now," she said. She turned to go and started
towards the door.
"Mom," Justin called from his bed.
"Yea baby," she said as she turned his head.
Justin stared at the floor and whispered, "I love you."
Lynn melted where she stood. "I love you too," she responded before
exiting the room.
****
Lance stirred in his bed as he adjusted to the heart monitor and wires they
had on him. "I hate wires," he said to no one. He was no longer in the
ICU, but in a private room. He flicked on the television and saw a picture
of their bus, toppled over by the side of the road. He turned up the
volume.
"According to police and fire department reports, the bus was driving along
this highway when another car blew a tire and veered out of control. The
bus tried to avoid a collision, but ended up flipping over. To repeat, the
tour bus carrying N'Sync, the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears has been in
an accident. All members were brought to a local hospital to receive
treatment for injuries. No word yet on their condition."
Lance turned off the TV. "Damn they get these stories fast," he commented.
"Hey buddy," Chris said as he entered into the room on his crutches.
"Hey, you doing OK," Lance asked as he saw the cast.
"Been better, but it could have been a lot worse. I could be
trapped in some bed with machines and wires hooked up to me," Chris replied
with a grin as he examined all of the equipment in Lance's room.
"Oh shut up and pull a chair over," Lance ordered. "How's everyone else
doing," he asked.
"The only ones who are in really bad shape are Nick and Brian. Neither one
of them have woken up yet. Justin's been better. He's in and out of
consciousness. Joey and me are doing pretty good though. Britney and
Fatima both got pretty beat up."
"Damn," Lance replied. He felt a twinge of pain as he heard of Brian's
condition. "What do the doctor's say about Brian's condition? When's he
gonna wake up?"
"They don't know yet," Chris said. "But they'll feel a lot better once he
does. They're a bit worried because of his heart." Chris paused and looked
Lance in the eye. "What did happen between you and Brian anyway," he asked
slowly.
Lance sighed. "I don't even know Chris. I really wish I did though. We
shared this amazing night together, but then JC found us and, well you saw
what it was like at the dinner."
"Not exactly the best time any of us have had at a party." Chris paused
and then took a deep breath. "Look Lance, what you and Bri did definitely
was not the wisest thing to do, and yes it did hurt JC a lot, but I can't
say what you did was wrong. You too obviously shared something, even if you
don't know what it was. You need to talk about it with Brian."
"When he wakes up," Lance replied sadly. "If he wakes up." Tears began to
fall from his eyes as he thought of all the possible outcomes. He couldn't
see himself benefiting in any one of them.
Chris didn't know what to do as he saw Lance fall into tears. Then
instinctively he reached over and pulled Lance into his arms.
****
Nick was now located in his own room, still close to the intensive care
unit. He had wires and monitors strapped all over his body as he lay in a
peaceful dream-like state. Lynn stared at him from the doorway and sighed
heavily as she thought back to the last time she had seen Nick.
"You don't deserve this Nick," she said softly. "None of you do." She
silently approached the bed and stood over him for a second, admiring his
flawless skin and hair. His lips were pouted a bit as his chest slowly and
rhythmically rose up and down.
"Justin wanted me to come here and talk to you for a bit. He wanted to
come himself, but they won't let him leave his bed right now." She looked
at him and saw there was no change. "You need to wake up. He needs you. I
can see that so clearly now Nick. He needs you with him. Having a mother
to love him can only do so much. But the love he has for you..." She
stopped as she heard her own words. "He needs you." She reached out
tentatively for his hand and took it into both of hers. "Please
Nick...fight this."
Nick remained in his state. Lynn breathed in heavily and then rose form
her chair. "He loves you, you know. He wanted me to tell you that. He
loves you a lot."
Lynn took a final look and then quickly left the room.
****
"Brian, when are you going to wake up," Howie asked tenderly as he stared
down at Brian. "We all miss you, ya know. Nick needs you to wake up. I
think you two are having a sleeping contest or something." Howie laughed a
bit, hoping joking would have an affect. "Come on, you even have two hot
guys fighting over you. You get to pick! Truthfully though, I think you
and JC look cute together." Brian didn't stir. "Well Rok, I'm gonna go
check on everyone else. Do me a favor and wake up, alright?" He leaned
over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Oh, and we may not have to worry
about Robert anymore. He's in really bad shape." With that, Howie left the
room.
JC stepped out of the shadows form where JC couldn't see him. "Security in
this hospital isn't too good. I got into the intensive care unit and into
your room with no problem." He paused and smiled widely. "And Howie was
right about one thing," he said as he took Brian's hand. "We do look cute
together."
He rubbed his hand over Brian's and let a tear fall on them. "You've gotta
wake up now Brian. We need you here. Please wake up."
There was no answer.
****
Jane Carter rushed into the waiting room and walked straight over to Kevin,
pulling him into a tight embrace. No one saw as Leigh Anne slipped into the
waiting room behind her. She stayed behind a large plant in the corner and
listened.
"I want to see a doctor," she said as she released Kevin. "Kevin, where's
Nick? Is he alright? How's everyone else?"
"Well, Howie, AJ and I are a lot better than expected," Kevin replied.
"And Nick? Brian," Jane asked, her hands trembling.
"I think you should talk to a doctor," Kevin said lowly, unable to look her
in the eye.
Jane stared at him a moment, a terrified look on her face. Then she nodded
her head and began pacing around.
"Where's your husband," Kevin asked slowly.
Jane sighed heavily. "He should be here later. He had some thinking to
do," she replied.
"Thinking," Kevin yelled, causing everyone in the room to jump up.
"Yes," Jane replied spitefully as she recalled her conversation with her
husband. "He's thinking."
Kevin shook his head and sat down heavily in his chair. A few seconds
later, the doors flew open again and the doctor re-entered. Jane flew at
him with the speed of an Olympic runner.
"How's Nick," she yelled. "I'm his mother. Can I see him?"
"Hello Mrs. Carter. I'm Dr. Yorkins," the doctor said. "Nick is still
classified as being in critical condition. This is because he hasn't woken
up since the accident occurred. We've got his heart rate steady, but he is
still breathing with a respirator."
Jane collapsed into a chair, burying her face in her hands. She shook
violently as the loud sobs rocked her. Howie walked over and slowly put his
arm around her.
"He'll be alright Jane. He's a fighter. He's not going anywhere," Howie
said, desperately trying to comfort her.
Jane looked up slowly. "Can I see him," she asked through her tears,
"Come with me," the doctor said gently.
Jane followed him out of the room. Leigh Anne stood by the door, tears
streaming down her face. She slipped out, careful to keep her presence
hidden from the guys.
"Howie, let's go visit Fatima, see how she's doing," Kevin said.
"Oh yea! I forgot all about her," Howie said, slapping himself.
They walked through the hospital, Howie struggling a bit on his crutches.
"So what do you think about Robert," Kevin asked, bringing him up for the
first time since they had heard about his condition.
Howie sighed. "I hate to say this, but after what he did to everyone on
the bus, I couldn't be happier."
"I know how you feel," Kevin replied slowly. They continued down the hall
before Kevin stopped. "This is Fatima's room."
Kevin knocked on the door and entered with a smile on his face. Howie
followed and quickly covered his hand with his mouth to stifle a laugh.
Fatima was sitting up in bed as best she could, one leg elevated in a
sling. She had her hair covering her face and was twirling it around her
finger as she hummed happily.
"Hi Fatima," Kevin said slowly as his smile grew wider.
"Kevy, where are you," Fatima asked as she looked around, her hair still
covering her eyes. "I can't see you!"
Kevin laughed a bit and then quickly opened a curtain in her hair so that
she could see. "Better?"
"How'd you do that," she asked mystified.
"So, they really got you on the good stuff don't they," Howie said as he
made his approach.
"I've got a morphine drip," Fatima said happily.
"Dear lord, she's totally drugged up, isn't she," Howie laughed.
"Fatima, how many times have you pulled on this little string," Kevin asked
with a grin.
"I dunno, but I feel WONDERFUL," she exclaimed happily.
"Wait til it where's off and your back feels like shit again from the
accident," Kevin said sadly.
"I don't get to keep my drip," Fatima asked with a pout.
"You don't get to keep your drip," Kevin replied with a laugh.
"Ugh," she groaned, falling back on the bed. "Howie, come here," she said
lowly.
Howie threw a look at Kevin and then slowly got in closer. As soon as he
was close enough, Fatima sat up, grabbed his color and kissed him
passionately on his lips. Having done that, she fell back onto the bed and
was instantly asleep.
"Oh yea," Howie laughed. "She's gone."
****
Jane Carter approached Nick's bed tentatively. She kept one hand over her
mouth as she struggled to keep her tears in check. She saw the rhythm of
his heart monitor and his chest rise and fall gently as the respirator
helped his breathing.
"Nick," she whispered lovingly as she got closer. No longer able to hold
back her tears, she let them fall freely as she ran over to the bed. She
clutched his hand, careful not to disrupt the IV.
"The doctor told me you haven't woken up yet," she said as she stared at
his hand. She tried to control her crying as she spoke. "You've got to
wake up Nick. Please. Just open your eyes, open your eyes Nick." She
looked up at his face and saw how peaceful he looked. She allowed one hand
to brush his cheek as she kissed his hand. "We all need you here. What
would Aaron do without his big brother?" She stopped again and stared down
at the crisp white sheets. "You're father isn't here right now, but he will
be soon. He's a stupid man Nick, but he loves you, he really does. He just
needs time." She stopped talking and just stared at his tranquil face.
After a few minutes she stood up and exited the room. As he walked across
the hall, she saw Justin lying on his bed. She sighed heavily and walked
over to his room.
She entered the room and smiled warmly as Justin saw her. "Hi Justin," she
said sweetly.
"Mrs. Carter," he exclaimed happily.
"Justin, I told you to call me Jane," she replied with a smile. "How are
you doing?"
"I could be better, but all in all I guess I was pretty lucky."
"Justin, I'm going to bring you some clothes and things from home," Lynn
said as she re-entered. She stopped when she saw Jane. "Oh, hello. I
didn't know you had a visitor honey."
"Justin this is your-" Jane asked. Justin nodded. "Oh," Jane said as she
blushed. "Um, I'm Nick's mother, Jane," she said as she looked at Lynn.
"Oh," Lynn exclaimed. She appeared awkward for a moment and then smiled.
"I'm Lynn, Justin's mother."
An uncomfortable silence followed as the two women grew accustomed to each
other. "I'm sorry we have to meet under such sad circumstances," Lynn said.
Jane nodded and threw an another glance to Nick's room. "It's horrible,"
she said lowly.
"Have you seen Nick," Justin asked, concerned.
Jane nodded her head. "He still hasn't woken up yet."
Justin tried to hide his tears as he struggled to sit up. "I'm going to go
see him," he declared.
"Justin you are not moving from that bed," Lynn stated authoritatively.
"You've been going in and out of consciousness since you got here and you
are not going to jeopardize your health like that."
"You're mother's right Justin. Nick needs you to get better, as does
everyone else. Resting here would be best."
Justin looked at both women. "I am going to said Nick," he said again in a
more demanding tone. "I can make it across the hall fine," he said as he
sat all he way up with a groan.
"Please Justin, don't make me get a doctor in here," Lynn said, her hands
on her hips.
"Mom, there is no debate here. I am going to walk across the hall and see
him and talk to him, and hold his hand. I need to," Justin said, trying to
keep his composure in tact.
Lynn sighed heavily. "Fine Justin. I'm going to visit with the others for
a bit and I'll check in with you again later." Lynn bent down and kissed
Justin on the forehead.
"Well, let's see if I can still walk," Justin joked as his mother left the
room. He put his feet over the side of the bed and took his IV stand in one
hand as he stood up. He wobbled a bit as Jane ran to stead him. "OK, I'm
good," he said as he walked slowly out of the room and across the hall.
Justin stopped at the door and gasped loudly. He could feel tears well up
in his eyes as he saw Nick lying there. "Oh my God," he cried suddenly.
"Justin, maybe this isn't the best idea right now," Jane said, concern in
her voice. "Come on, I'll help you back to your room."
"No," Justin said as he calmed down. "I'm fine now. I was just a little
shocked to see him like that," Justin whispered. He walked further into the
room and sat on a chair next to the bed.
"I'll be outside if you need me," Jane said as she quietly slipped out.
Justin could feel his lip quiver as he looked down. "You look like an
angel," he whispered, a small smile on his face. He saw the bruises on
Nick's arms and the small cut on his neck and inhaled deeply. "I don't have
an explanation for what happened," he said slowly. "I don't really know
much of anything right now." He paused and swallowed hard. "You have to
wake up Nick," he choked out. "You have to open your eyes and get better so
we can get on with our lives together." Justin moved his hand to his neck
and gently pulled out the locket Nick had given him. "I'm still wearing
it," he said with a smile. He opened it and held it over Nick's face. "You
see what it says? N loves J? You know something," Justin whispered as he
leaned in close. "J loves N too." He fought his tears hard, but soon
collapsed on Nick's stomach, sobbing. "You have to get better," he
struggled through his tears. "Please. I don't think I can go on without
you."
The sound of shouting in the hall made Justin lift his head. He wiped the
tears from his eyes and tried to listen.
"Robert, you are not going in there yet," he could hear Jane yell.
"Yes Jane, I am. I am going to have a chat with Justin," Robert replied.
"That boy is miserable right now. We all are. He doesn't need you to
attack him again. You can see Nick in a couple of minutes."
"But I also need to see Justin. Jane move!" With that the door opened
quickly and Robert Carter entered.
Justin swallowed heavily and struggled to stand. "Please, stay sitting,"
Robert said flatly. Jane entered the room behind him. "Jane I am going to
talk to Justin in private, so please leave."
"Alright, I'll go," she replied coldly. "But so help me God Robert, don't
you dare do anything to hurt him," Jane warned before leaving.
As soon as the door shut, Robert turned to look Justin right in the eyes.
"We need to talk," Robert said slowly.
****
Leigh Anne slipped silently into the private room. She heard blips and
tiny sounds of suction. She smiled coldly to herself. On the bed lay
Robert, his face totally bandaged. Tubes ran through his body as he lay
totally still. She approached the bed and stared down at him. "Hello
Robert."
****
Well, it had to happen. Another cliffhanger. Sorry guys! The next part
should be out in a few days. Until then, please let me know what you
thought of this section. Also, what do you think should happen with Robert?
I have an idea, but would really appreciate some feedback. So, mail me at
Mike at BrwyMilo@aol.com. Until next time!