Hailey woke up the next morning still not understnading Brian's concept of sex. But she let it go.She looked at the alarm clock. 10:19. Knowing Brian wasn't awake yet, Hailey wandered to find his room. Finally she found it.
The room was large, with shaggy white carpet. Brian's round bed was five times larger than him, its backboard like intertwined black branches.
Brian lay asleep, his entire body convered with the zebra comforter excluding his face.
Hailey walked to the bedside and whispered, "Brian. Brian, this is God."
Brian moaned in response.
"I want you to wake up and help Hailey with breakfast."
Another moan.
"Then I want you to give her your car keys and the house," she said.
"Nice try, Hailey," Brian opened his eyes.
Hailey looked around the large, airy room. "This room is phat to death, Bri."
"Thanks."
Hailey sat down on the bed next to him. She ran a finger down his jawline. "Are you going to make breakfast with me?"
"Molly has it under control. Why don't you go back to sleep?"
"No, we need to get to work. We only ahve a week and then I leave for Chicago again."
"Interview me here, then."
She muttered, "Lazy ass," and left for her recorder. When she got back, he was sleeping on his back again. Hailey straddled herself onto his stomach and spoke into the recorder, "Monday, June Sixteenth, Two thousand one. Brian," She slapped his face a little, "tell me about your experiences in the hospital. With your heart surgery and the incident."
Brian looked up at her. "My heart surgery haunts me always. Hospitals scare the hell out of me even now. I remember seeing my family and my friends. I remember all the well-wishings of the fans. I think between the support of the fans and my close friends and family kept me here on Earth. I thank God everyday for his mercy.
"The incident was just a remake of my first visit in a way. Loss of blood, tubes, IVs, nurses. But there was so much more fear and tension. I worried about Nick the minute I was conscience. Beofer the incident, AJ, Nick and I hadn't been on the greatest terms."
Hailey raked her hair back and asked, "Mind telling me why?"
Before speaking, Brian took her hand and played with her fingers gingerly. "I think we were fighting about him talking shit to the choreographer, Fatima Robinson. I wish we'd just let it go."
"What happened to AJ?" she asked, her fingers gracing his face again.
"He was the least injured one of the group. Part of that was because of Nick. He had sheltered AJ. Only a fracture in the tibia, a few cuts on his face and a gash on his leg. He would have been worse if Nick wasn't there."
"Tell me about Howie and Kevin."
"Howie had a broken wrist, he landed on it wrong. He had a sprained ankle, a deep gash in his side and a few scratches.
"Kevin had to get stitches on his left hand because of landing on a large piece of glass. His right hand was broken in two places. He was knocked out for almost a day."
"What happened to Nick and you?"
"I had a broken rib, was out for three days and several deep gashes on my chest and stomach.
"Nick was out for a week and a half. He had gashes on his arms, legs, chest and small ones on his face. His vocal chords were smashed."
Hailey's fingers jumped from his forehead. She shut the recorder off and put it aside. "You don't blame yourself, do you?"
"No. I wish I hadn't made him mad, though. When he first woke up, he screamed my name, like you when you scream bloody murder." He pushed Hailey's hair behind her ear.
She kissed his palm as she heard a buzz from nowhere.
"That's Molly, c'mon," he said, moving his hips slightly.
She got off him and watched him stretch. His shirt traveled up, revealing a scar on his stomach. He smiled warmly and guided her downstairs.
In the kitchen was a redhead women in her early forties. She was cooking up a storm.
"Hi, Molly," Brian greeted her.
"G'mornin', Brian. G'mornin', Hailey," she said in return. "I hope you two want eggs, cuz that's what I'm making."
Brian nodded and set the table for three. Molly piled mounds of food on their plates and sat down with the two.
"Do you have any new books coming out soon?" Molly asked Hailey.
"No, I've been really focusing on my new job at this time. When I receive enough money to be comfortable white I write, I'll quit."
"What happens when you get slim on money again?"
"I'll realize that being a slave to Bently and the Weekly Skylar is the only way."