| Chapter 33 Leighanne walked over to the night stand separating the beds and took everything off of it and laid it in the floor. Nick picked up the stand and carried it to the other side of the room out of the way. Leighanne dropped the rails on both of the beds and started unlocking the wheels. Kevin looked up from the chair he was sitting in, "Guys, what are you doing?" "Something that should've been done a long time ago," Nick said. Leighanne and Nick walked over to the opposite side of Tara's bed, Leighanne gathered all the wires and tubes so they wouldn't unhook anything, and Nick pushed the bed closer to Brian's. Then they walked around and did the same thing with Brian's bed. When they finished the beds were together. A.J. looked over at Howie, "What the hell's goin on?" Howie just shrugged his shoulders. Leighanne sat on Brian's side while Nick walked around and sat on Tara's. Nick took hold of Tara's hand that was closest to Brian, and Leighanne did the same with Brian's. Then they placed them together and interlaced their fingers. Now Brian and Tara were holding hands. Nick looked up at Leighanne, "Do you wanna go first?" Leighanne nodded her head as a tear made its was down her cheek. She took Brian's other hand and faced him, "Brian, it's me. I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for what I put you through. I didn't understand, and I assumed things that just didn't happen. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me, but I'm glad that Tara was." Leighanne wiped away the tears that were falling and took a deep breath, "Brian, you deserve to be happy and to be with someone that feels the same way about you. I will always care for you, but I can't be that person. You and Tara need to be with each other. You can't deny a love like you two have, and I'm not gonna stop you. There will always be a place in my heart for you, but I'm letting you go." Leighanne leaned down and gently kissed Brian's cheek, "I hope you find true happiness," she whispered in his ear. Kira leaned close to Howie, "I can't believe they're doing this." Howie looked at her with a tear in his eye, "I can't either." Kevin and A.J. stood at the end of the bed, shocked. Howie looked up at the monitors, "Guys, look!" They all looked at the monitors, it was almost as if they were hooked up to the same person. Both heart monitors were in the same rhythm, as were the ventilators. "What the...?" Kevin said. Nick was holding Tara's hand, he looked at her for a minute. "Tara, I don't know where to start. First of all I love you very much. I've been so blessed to have you in my life. You've taught me so much, and I'm a better person for having known you. I can't put into words how I feel about you, but I'm sure you know. When you came into my life, I was broken. I didn't know what love was, but you changed that. You taught me what true love was really about, and I will always be grateful for that." He wiped away his tears and pressed on, "I overheard you and Brian the other night, and I want you to know that I understand. I'm grateful that you chose me, but I'm not the one you should be with, the one you were meant to be with. So, I'm letting you go. I'll always love you, but what you and Brian share is heaven sent, and who am I to stand in the way of that? I hope you two find true happiness, if not here, then in heaven." Nick leaned down and gently kissed Tara's cheek, then he got up and joined the others at the end of the bed. Kevin grabbed Nick in a hug, as A.J. did the same with Leighanne. "I don't understand what just went on, but it took alot to do that," Kevin said. Nick wiped away a tear, "When this is over I'll try to explain it." "Do you think they know?" Howie asked. Nick and Leighanne looked back at them, "Yeah, I do," Nick said. "Guys, look at the monitors," Kira said, her heart in her throat. They all looked up, the heart beats were slowing down. "Oh hell no," A.J. said trying to hold back his emotions. Nick and Leighanne took each others hand, "I think this is what they would've wanted. I don't think one wants to be here without the other," Nick said. "I know but it's still hard," Leighanne said as the tears fell down her face. They stood there and watched the heart beats slow down until there was nothing. The alarms on the monitors started going off. "God, no," Kevin cried. The doctor and nurses ran into the room. Nick held out his hand, "Let them go." The doctor looked at him with compassion in his eyes, "Nurse, turn off the alarms." The nurses walked over and turned the alarms off, but left the monitors on. The only sound in the room was the ventilators still going. Everyone held each other and let their emotions take over. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brian and Tara stood at the end of the bed holding hands. "Did we just...?" Brian asked. Tara looked at him, "Yeah I think we did." They both looked around the room, Nick and Leighanne were holding each other, Howie and Kira, and Kevin and A.J. "I hate to see them so sad," Tara said. Brian nodded his head. Suddenly Tracy, Jade and Gideon appeared. "Tracy!" Tara said and gave her a hug. Brian looked at Jade and Gideon, "You two were in the room with me." "Yes Brian, I'm sorry it took us so long to find you," Gideon said. "Brian, this is Gideon and Jade," Tara said. Brian smiled at them, "So what do we do now?" "Well, you two have a choice to make," Tracy said, "You can come with us, or you can stay here, but you need to decide quickly." Tara and Brian looked at each other. "It would be easier to stay here," Tara said. "Yeah, but when did we ever do anything the easy way?" Brian asked. "You sure?" Tara asked. Brian nodded his head. Tracy smiled at them, "I thought that's what you would say. It's not gonna be easy." "If it was easy it wouldn't be fun," Brian said with a laugh. "Alright you two, lets get you back," Jade said. Brian and Tara looked at each other. "See ya there," Brian said. "Yeah," Tara replied. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It had been several minutes since the doctor had come in the room. Everyone was still crying, and the doctor had stood back, letting them grieve. The nurses were standing next to the monitors waiting for the doctor to tell them to turn them off, when both monitors suddenly registered a heart beat. "Doctor!" both nurses said. The doctor walked over and began examining them. Everyone looked up and watched him, hoping beyond hope that it was true. After the doctor had thoroughly examined them both he walked back over to the group. "I don't know how, but they are both stable. I'll be back in a while," he said and left the room. Nick was grinning from ear to ear, "I knew it." "Man the angels are workin overtime with us," A.J. said. Howie looked at him, "You said it." Chapter 34 |