“How the hell did you let this happen
Robert?” Jane was screaming at Bob in the hospital lobby. She slapped his chest
hard and continued to pace the room.
“Well
you can’t blame this entirely on me! When were you going to tell me you had
already sent him to this psychiatrist and this psychiatrist had my son on
drugs?!”
“Well
gee Bob, you never asked!”
“Listen,
would you two just shut up,” Howie spoke forcefully, “Nick’s still in the emergency
room and he needs all of us out here praying for him ok?”
“Oh,
look it’s Howard Dorough trying to give us advice... You know you cannot talk
down to us. You were horrible to him on tour. You snubbed him, you ignored
him...” Jane was beginning.
“Just
like you did! And you’re his damn mother!” Brian spat, “My mother would never
treat me in that way.”
“Do
look like freakin’ Jackie Littrell Brian. Do I look like the perfect mother?
Maybe I could be more like your mother Brian, if I didn’t have a personality!
Or maybe if I didn’t have a husband who dropped his pants for any
who....”
“I
love Abby!” Bob burst out, “Jane, I fell out of love with you!”
“Well
you just could have said it Bob, you didn’t have to SHOW me! Or your children!
That day Nick came home so upset, so upset he was sick to his stomach, and he
tried to tell me... and I slapped him, Bob, I slapped him. And he had told me
the truth. He never lied to me. You sat and looked my child, all my children in
the eyes, me in the eyes, and lied... lied about your fidelity to me. What did
I do that was so wrong Bob? What? Why did you fall out of love with me? Am I
too old now? Do you not find me attractive anymore?”
“I
married you cause you were pregnant Jane, got that. Over the years I grew fond
of the mother of my children... but when Abby came along. She’s true love
Jane, and I couldn’t let that pass me by Jane. I wouldn’t blame you
if you had found it too...”
“But
I did find it Bob! I found it in you! Or rather I thought I had found it in
you!” Jane said softly, tears beginning to spill down her cheeks. Leslie
and BJ sat behind their mother, neither one dry eyed.
“How
could you do that to Mom, Dad, how could you?” Leslie asked coldly, “How could
you do that to us?”
“I
had to do what was right for me,” Bob said, “Why should I be miserable for the
rest of my life for a mistake I made...”
“How
can you call us making love a mistake Bob! How can you say us making a baby a
mistake? That’s just like saying Nick’s a mistake. One you wished you never
made cause it brings you misery. I’m sorry I made you miserable Bob, I’m so
sorry. But I want you to know that you could have left me at anytime. Told me
how you felt before I grew too attached to you Bob. Tell me, did you love
Nick when he was born? Did you want him?”
“Yes,
of course I loved my son. That’s why I stayed Jane, to see him grow.”
“But
you told him he was a mistake. A horrible mistake you wished you could take
back,” BJ said flatly.
Jane
gasped, and reared away from the man she no longer knew, and had shared a bed
with for 20 years, “You... you said that to my son? You told him... Oh God Bob,
how could you? How could you?!!” She began to scream and beat at Bob, striking
anything on his body she could get her fists in contact with.
“Ahem,”
uniformed security guards were entering the room. Kevin and AJ stood to pull
Jane away from Bob. She broke down sobbing onto AJ’s shoulder, “My husband
never loved me... how could I have made such a mistake... I’m so stupid.”
Brian
glared at Bob from AJ’s side as he consoled Jane Carter. He actually felt
sorry for the woman. She may not have been a model mother, but at least
she had tried. She was wrong in her attempts, but she had tried. And
Bob’s deception was just too much for Brian to stomach. He felt ill as he
thought about the man who could lie in a bed next to a woman he did not love
and lie... How could he say he loved her? How could he say Nick was a
mistake?
“Excuse
me?” A doctor was standing in the middle of the chaos of security, Backstreet
Boys, and Carters trying to make his voice heard.
Kevin
turned to address him, “Hi, how is he? Is he ok?”
“Who
are you sir?” the doctor quizzed him first.
“I’m
his brother,” Kevin said, “Is my baby brother ok?”
The
doctor blinked, clearly not seeing the family resemblance in Kevin’s features,
“His brother?”
“Yeah,
I am too,” Brian stepped forward.
“Me
too,” Howie said, “Now how is he?”
“I’m
not quite sure I understand...”
“He’s
my son,” Bob Carter pushed his way to the doctor, “I’m his father.”
“And
are all of these, your sons?” the doctor looked around at the Boys who stared
seriously at him.
“No,
I mean he thinks of them as his brothers.. But there’s no blood. Now I’m his
father...”
“No
you’re not,” Jane spoke icily from AJ’s shoulder, “You’re not anyone’s father.”
She pulled away from AJ and approached the confused doctor, “I’m his mother.
May I see him?” She wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to straighten
herself up.
“Any
more relatives?” the doctor asked raising his eyebrows.
Leslie
and BJ waved sheepishly. They jumped up to join the crowd around the doctor,
“We’re his sisters.”
The
doctor blinked, “Oookay... The patient, Nickolas, is stable at the moment. His
body is very dehydrated and underweight for a man his height and age.
Nickolas shows signs of having anorexia nervosa. Rare in males, but
it happens. There were also signs of some drug abuse.”
Jane
gasped at the drug abuse and Leslie took her hand.
“We
know Doctor,” Brian said, “He’s been staying with us, trying to get better...
but some things happened to upset him.”
The
doctor nodded, “He’s on an IV right now feeding him fluid intravenously.
He’s still asleep, but he should wake up momentarily, if you would like
to visit him you may.”
“Yeah,
yeah,” Jane was nodding her head.
“Limited
to one at a time,” the doctor warned, “And if there are any altercations all of
you will be thrown out and denied access to the patient until further
notice.”
“Yes
sir.”
“Angel
you have to get here. Just charge the ticket to Mom’s account,” Aaron was
begging his twin sister. Angel was uncaring as she giggled loudly at
what one of her friends was saying to her. “What was that again Aaron... Jilly,
no! Pass me that shade. What time are they coming? I hope you invited David,
he’s cute.”
“Angel
will you just listen to me! Nick is in the hospital!” Aaron was practically
yelling into BJ’s cell phone.
“Nick’s
what... Jilly!”
“He’s
sick Angel. He may die!”
“Huh?
They’re on their way! Listen Aaron I have to go,” Angel was saying,
“Um... tell Nick I said hi! Bye!” The line disconnected leaving Aaron with a
dial tone... A dial tone...
“That’s
it,” Jane was pacing the living room, every once in a while looking at her
watch, “That girl is out of this house! She’s been late for the last time!”
Jane punched in the code for the alarm and retreated to her bedroom, never
seeing Aaron sitting in the darkened hallway beside the front door. He
stood up slowly and went for the phone. He dialed BJ’s cell phone number and listened
to it ring. He had to tell her to get home, Mom really meant business this
time. “Hello?” a male’s voice answered.
“Who?
Is BJ there?” Aaron asked desperately.
“BJ?
Bobbie? Yeah, yeah she’s dancin’ man,” the voice laughed.
“Can
you get her? Tell her it’s Aaron,” Aaron said hopefully.
“No
can do bud, she’s a dancin’ machine,” the low voice chuckled, “But I can take a
message to her.. Who’s this again?”
“Aaron,
her little brother. Tell her she has to come home.. Now.”
“Sure,
I’ll tell her, now why don’t you get to bed kid, ain’t it past your bed time?”
the voice chuckled and then Aaron heard the dial tone.
“Well
it’s past BJ’s bed time too...” Aaron muttered. He heard footsteps coming
down the stairs. He watched to see who it was coming down. “Oh shit..”
Aaron heard his brother’s voice laugh as he tripped on the last step, “When’d
that get there?”
“Nick!”
“AAAAHHH!”
Nick yelped jumping into the couch and nearly falling over, “Aaron, what are
you doing down here?”
“Trying
to get a hold of BJ, where are you going?” Aaron stared at Nick. His face was
flushed and he looked rather wild, “I’m meeting Mandy at her hotel. We’re going
out.”
“Are
you ok?” Aaron stared at Nick. Nick’s eyes seemed cloudy and he had trouble
focusing on Aaron for more than a few seconds, his eyes kept roaming over to
other things.
“I’m
good bro, and I’m out, I’ll see ya,” Nick smiled and patted Aaron’s shoulder.
“Nick!”
Aaron caught Nick’s arm as he tried to get by him.
“Whaa?”
“Find
BJ while you’re out there, can you do that? Tell her to get home. Mom’s not
playing, she really will kick her out of the house,” Aaron shuddered at the
thought.
Nick
frowned, “Yeah, whatever, if I see her. But BJ’s all grown up Aaron she can
decide what she wants. Besides, if she gets the boot she’s always got Florida.
See ya later kid.” With that Nick punched in the alarm code and left out
the front door.
Aaron
watched him leave, concerned about his brother driving. Aaron knew what wasted
was, and that’s what his brother was. But he never recalled seeing his
brother drink. He curled up on the couch holding the phone in his lap,
forever ready for a phone call, from anyone. He fell asleep still holding
the phone.
He
was startled awake. He gazed at the wall clock 4:56... He rubbed his eyes, BJ’s
had it. The alarm was turned off and Aaron could hear voices. He
saw a flash of long brown hair. Brown hair? He saw a flash of blond. BJ.
He shook himself awake and began stumbling his way through the dark
to the quiet commotion being made. Aaron’s eyes widened as he saw BJ
swaying slightly on her feet halfway supporting Nick who was draped over her
shoulder. Nick’s girlfriend Mandy was on the other side helping to hold
Nick up, “We gotta get him to bed.”
“What
happened?” Aaron asked staring. Both girls jumped, “Aaron! What are you doing
up?”
“Waiting
for you,” Aaron said. He gently raised his brother’s drooping head.
His face was pale and drawn, “What happened?”
“He
had too much to drink,” Mandy said gruffly, “Help us get him to his room.”
“Ok,”
Aaron said, moving behind Nick to take on some of his body weight when, “Well,
well, well, Miss Bobbie Jean Carter... What in the hell? Nick?”
“Not
Nick... Batman,” Nick uttered in a drowsy voice.
“He
wasn’t feeling so well Mrs. Carter,” Mandy said, “We went out, and ran into
BJ..”
“I
know where BJ hangs out, and I hate to think that you would take my son there!
I knew you were no good!” Jane spat at Mandy, “I want you out!”
“Mom,
Mandy took such good care of Nick. He took her there Mom, but she kept him
from...”
“Bobbie
Jean, I will talk with you in the morning. Amanda Williford you are to set my
son in that chair there, and you are to leave my house, and my son alone, for
good!”
Mandy’s
eyes widened incredulously, “You can’t...”
“I
can,” Jane said venomously, “Now get out before I call the police!”
“Nicky,
I have to go for a...”
“Put
him down!” Jane charged forward and grabbed Nick under the arms. She then took
on his full weight by herself and guided him to a chair. Nick slumped in the
chair, his neck tilting back his head hanging over the back of the chair.
“Nicky,
I have to go..” Mandy began again.
“GET
OUT YOU TRAMP!” Jane screamed rushing at Mandy and shoving her back, she went
for the phone.
“I
am so sorry Mandy,” BJ was saying, “but you’d better go.”
Mandy’s
eyes were red from tears and hurt, “Take care of him BJ, please...”
BJ
nodded taking Mandy’s hands and squeezing them, “I will.”
“And
take care of yourself as well.”
“I
will, I promise,” BJ nodded she watched sadly as Mandy left. Aaron stared at
the scene confused, what had just passed between the two women? Aaron didn’t
know, but whatever it was had changed BJ. Changed her for the better. BJ
went straight to Nick and leaned his head forward. She righted him in the chair
and then stood him up.
“Bobbie
Jean...”
“I’m
taking him to bed Mother,” BJ said simply, “and then I’m going to bed. I’ll
talk to you in the morning.”
Jane
stared, her mouth nearly scraping the kitchen floor, “You bet we’ll talk,” she
uttered. She looked at Aaron, “Go to bed.”
Aaron
nodded, but remained where he was. He stayed there for the remainder of
the night. Never sleeping... Someone had to watch out for this family, and that
someone would have to be him...
“If
you would like to make a call...” Aaron turned off the phone at the sound of
the operator. “Someone has to watch out for this family,” he said weakly, “But
why does that someone have to be me? I’m only 12...” He slid down the wall he
was leaning against, letting his sister’s phone clatter to the floor, “I’m only
12...”