Chapter 9

 

Still keeping his eye on his younger friend, Howie led Brian in the direction Kevin and Nick had gone. He heard the unmistakable voice of AJ and slowly entered the room.

 

“Hey guys,” AJ whispered hoarsely.

 

“Hey, how are ya man,” Howie smiled, kneeling down to give his friend a hug.

 

“Uh, I’ll live.”

 

They all smiled at their friend, thankful that he was okay. Howie took a seat and Kevin and Nick on either side of AJ.

 

“Bri, why don’t ya sit down. You don’t look too good,” Kevin suggested.

 

Kevin’s deep authoritative voice broke Brian out of his reverie and he glanced over at him and slowly obliged, taking a seat in the nearest chair. Kevin gave Brian a strange look, but didn’t bother to ask. Instead he turned his attention back to A.J.

 

Howie, however, kept an eye on Brian, watching him for any sign that he would need his help. Something told him, something deep down inside, a gnawing feeling; that relentlessly nagged at him, subconsciously. It told him that there was something very wrong going on with his friend. And he was determined to find out what.

           

“So, they tell you when you can come back,” Nick queried.

 

“Yeah, they told me they wanted to keep me over night, ya know to keep an eye on me and stuff. They said I can go home tomorrow morning,” AJ explained.

 

“Cool.”

 

“Guys,” Nick began, “do you think that me and AJ could have a few by ourselves. I need to talk to him about what happened and all….”

 

“Sure,” they agreed and left the room.

 

“Wanna go down to the cafeteria and find something to eat,” Kevin asked.

 

“Yeah, I’m pretty hungry,” Howie answered.

 

“Bri?”

           

“Umm…no I think I’ll just stay here and wait. I’m not really all that hungry,” Brian replied wearily.

 

“Ok, well…you know where to find us.” and they continued down the hall.

 

Brian scanned the hall; not quite sure where he wanted to go until Nick and AJ were done “talking.” He turned away around and headed back down to the waiting room to get some much-needed sleep.

 

***********************

 

“AJ, God, please forgive me. I didn’t mean to get up on you about dating again and crap. I mean, I shouldn’t have even started on it. I’m sorry. I just…just wanted what would make you happy again. Like you used to be…with Taylor.”

 

AJ shut his eyes briefly, searching his mind for the right words. Some how he needed to explain it so that Nick would understand.

 

“Nick…look I know that I haven’t been myself lately…and I’m sorry. But I-I can’t help it. Taylor was the light of my life. I loved her with all of my heart. I thought—I thought that we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. And look at what happened? She was taken away from me, forever. Dude that just totally hurt man. It hurt badly. Every time I think about her or something we did together… I… I want to cry. Let it all out. It’s like I can’t move on. Like, I’m stuck. You know,” AJ explained.

 

Nick smiled, “we’re here for ya man, all the way.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

**********************

           

Brian reached the waiting room but decided to try Leighanne again. He’d been calling her as much as he could, but still, no answer.

 

He dialed her number quickly, and to his amazement, her tired voice answered. “Hello.”

 

“Oh God, Leigh, I’ve missed you so much!”

 

“Brian! What do you want? I told you… I don’t want to talk to you right now. I need some time to-to…”

 

“Leighanne, please, I need you,” Brian cried. “Please.”

 

“Well you know what? I needed you too Bri! I needed you so much. And where were you? Huh?”

 

Brian sat quietly momentarily, collecting his thoughts, not quite sure how he wanted to explain.

 

“See Brian, that’s what I thought,” and she hung up angrily.

 

“Ugh! Jeez…” Brian slammed his new phone down and rubbed his eyes. A few minutes later, a woman walked in. She looked strikingly familiar. He couldn’t figure out who she was though.

 

“Hello,” she smiled.

 

“Hi,” Brian replied, his mind racing hastily, trying to comprehend. He took a good look at the girl once again. Her hair was a chestnut brown and rested on her shoulders. She was tall and slender. Her cheeks were tinted a deep red, her lips were tinged a light pink. The girl’s skin fair and pure. However, this wasn’t what drew Brian’s attention to the young woman. It was her eyes. Something about them…he couldn’t determine what, but they were so lovely. They were a deep green, an emerald color. They were beautiful. Then, catching Brian off guard, the girl tediously approached Brian, her hand outstretched, her pierce gaze never once leaving Brian’s. Then, she gently spoke.

 

“It’ll be okay…I promise,” she soothed.

 

Brian’s stomach plummeted, his heart raced and he could feel beads of sweat accumulating on his forehead. How did this girl know? Or did she, her words were rather blunt, vague. He wasn’t quite sure what she knew.

 

“Who…who are you,” Brian demanded. The young woman said nothing. She looked at Brian sympathetically and Brian could read the fear in her emerald eyes…but the fear for what? Did she know something that he didn’t?

 

“Brian! Brian! Wake up!”

 

“What, what?” he said slowly, struggling to come to his senses, the dream slowly fading away…

 

Brian jumped up and searched the waiting room. “Wh-where is she,” he murmured softly.

 

“Where are who,” Kevin asked. “Come on, we can stay here for another fifteen minutes before visiting hours are over. Don’t you want to see AJ?”

 

“Yeah. Sorry, I had this dream about this-this girl,” Brian muttered, still slightly dazed, his mind wandering back to what she had said to him.

 

“Talked to Leigh lately?”

 

“Uh yeah, just a little bit ago actually. Before I fell asleep I guess…”

 

“That’s good.”

 

They entered AJ’s room and Brian shakily made his way to a chair and sat down gratefully.

           

“I hear you two got in a fight too,” AJ smirked, glancing over at Brian and then at Nick.

 

“Yeah, Brian attacked me.” Nick laughed.

           

Brian, however, didn’t seem to be paying attention to what they were even talking about. The dream was so weird…he couldn’t understand it.

 

AJ, smiled, “What’d he do Bri?”

 

“Bri?”

 

“Brian!”

 

“What…sorry,” he apologized, slightly embarrassed.

           

“What’s your problem dude,” AJ asked, his voice consumed with concern.

 

“Nothing. I’m sorry,” he sighed. “So, how are you. Are you in pain or anything?”

 

“I’m fine. Not really in any pain, they gave me some painkillers…so I’m not feeling anything.”

 

 “That’s good.”

 

“Yep, sure is. I can’t wait to get outta here man…”

 

Brian continued on with his thoughts. The dream he had had. The girl…was she an angel or simply a figment of his imagination? The angel theory may be a bit inept, but he had reason to believe he was being watched over for. Was it just a dream or was someone trying to tell him something?

 

“Rok? Brian,” Kevin yelled. “Jeez, you have been so aloof lately, is something bothering you?”

 

“NO! I am fine. I already told you, there’s nothing wrong with me. Leighanne’s upset with me…that’s all. It’s all I can think about lately. You know?”

 

“Brian, I think that you were like this before your problems with Leigh started,” Nick replied languidly, his tone non-chalant.

           

Brian rolled his eyes and stood up. “I gotta go. I’ll see you guys at the hotel. Jay, see ya tomorrow, take it easy.”

 

“Yeah, sure thing, you too man,” AJ replied, and Brian walked out of the room. “He’s a sucky liar. Something is wrong. I found him throwing up the other day. And I mean it was bad. He was really sick. And I was just like out of it. I think I just took something cause all I could think about is Tay…an anti-depressant or something, and I wasn’t thinking clearly at all, so I didn’t do a whole lot about it.”

 

“Really,” Howie asked, considering that and how he’d found Brian in the waiting room. Completely out of it and dazed, scared and confused. “But, maybe he’s not feeling well cause Nick dropped him off at some street in nothing but a coat in the middle of December!”

 

“Hey, come on. What was I supposed to do? I know it was pretty cold, but he wanted outta the car,” Nick defended.

 

“All right, all right, enough you guys. Let Brian take care of his own problems for now. Ok,” Kevin ordered.

           

“Yeah, fine but don’t you think he could use some help,” Howie asked.

           

“No, because he’s twenty-seven years old and he can take care of himself!”

 

“Whatever.”

 

“Boys, it’s getting time to go,” The nurse prodded gently.

 

“Yeah, ok,” they agreed, standing up. “Bye Jay, take care of yourself! We’ll be back first thing tomorrow morning, ok,” Kevin told his younger friend.

 

“Yep, thanks guys, this really means a lot to me.”

 

“Sure thing,” Howie smiled, and the three Backstreet Boys walked slowly out of the room…