| Chapter 34 Kevin was sitting in the chair closest to Brian's bed reading a magazine. It had been several hours since Brian and Tara had �come back', and Howie, Kira and A.J. had left to get everyone something to eat. Nick sat on the other side of the bed next to Tara. He was flipping through the channels when he stopped on MTV and started watching videos. Leighanne had left, saying there was something she needed to do, and would be back. Kevin dropped his magazine in the floor and looked over at Nick. "You're really OK with what you did?" Kevin asked. Nick looked at him, "Yeah, I've known for a few days and have been thinking about it alot. I think this was the right thing to do." "It may be the right thing to do, but you love her, how are things gonna be with all of us now?" Kevin asked. Nick looked at the floor, "I don't know man, we'll just have to make it work. Brian's still my best friend, nothing will ever change that, not even this." Kevin stared at Nick, admiring him for doing something he could never do. Just then a MTV News flash came on, "This is John Norris with a MTV News flash. Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell has been hospitalized along with Nick Carter's girlfriend Tara. Details are still sketchy, but we will update you when we have more." Kevin and Nick looked at each other, "Oh shit! How'd they find out so fast?" Nick said. Kevin pulled out his cell and started dialing their management's number, "I don't know, but I have no idea how we're gonna explain this." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Leighanne made her way down the hall to the door she was directed to. The officer at the door checked her ID, then let her in. Gary was laying in the hospital bed with his leg propped up on several pillows. He was handcuffed to the bed rail. "Anne, I'm so sorry," he said. Leighanne glared at him, "How could you do that? I trusted you!" "Anne, let me explain," Gary pleaded. Leighanne crossed her arms and stared at him, "I'm waiting." Gary took a deep breath, "Anne, I really don't know why I did what I did. You were hurting, and I wanted him to feel what you were going through, to hurt as much as you were hurting." Leighanne looked at him in shock, "So you kidnap him and make him watch our every move!? You are sick!" Gary just looked at her, he knew she was right. "I never want to see you again," Leighanne said and turned toward the door. "Anne, wait," Gary said. She stopped but didn't turn around. "Anne, I just want you know that I did it for you, I love you," Gary said. Leighanne wiped away her tears and turned back around to face him, "Gary, that's not love." She turned and left the room. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Howie, Kira, and A.J. walked into the room carrying several bags of McDonalds. "Guys, we're all over the news," A.J. said. "Yeah, we saw," Nick replied. "What are we gonna do?" Howie asked. Kevin hung up his cell, "Our official statement right now is no comment. We need to have a meeting and decide how we're gonna handle this." "Why don't we just tell the truth?" Nick asked. Everyone looked at him like he was crazy. "Nick, we may understand it, but I don't think the fans will ever understand what's going on," Kevin said. "Screw the fans Kevin. You know that the truth will eventually come out, the only way for us to stay credible is to tell the truth now," Nick said. "And just how are we gonna do that? Announce to the world that Brian's dying, and he and your girlfriend were secretly in love with each other for the whole last year and a half and that you and Leighanne are just hunky-dory with it?" Kevin said. "I don't know! All I know is that if we don't tell them the truth, we will pay for it later," Nick said. "Nick's right," Howie said, "If it comes out that we lied to the fans, it'll hurt us more than telling them the truth will." "Hell, it's kinda romantic if you think about it," A.J. said. Kevin looked at them all like they'd lost their minds, "I think we should talk to Leighanne, and wait until they wake up to do anything." "Kev, they may not wake up for a while," Howie said. "I know, I just don't wanna put a statement out there that they may not want said, we can No Comment for a while and see," Kevin said. Everyone looked from one to the other. "Alright, we'll wait, but we can't wait long," Nick said. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brian jerked awake and found that he couldn't breathe. Kevin jumped up from his chair and sat on the edge of the bed, "Brian, calm down, you're on a ventilator, let it do the work." Brian settled down a bit and stared at Kevin. "I'll go get the doctor," Kira said and left the room. Howie, A.J. and Nick came around to Brian's side and looked at him. "Hey man, glad you're back," A.J. said. "Bri, you know you've gotta stop doing this, you're wearing us out man," Howie said with a smile. Nick walked over and Brian reached out for his hand. Nick took it and looked at him for a long moment. He could see the love and thankfulness in Brian's eyes. "You would've done the same for me," Nick said to him, "She's right next to you." Brian looked over and saw Tara laying there still asleep. He reached over and gently touched her hair. "Brian," Kevin said. Brian looked back over at him. "When you get off this," Kevin said pointing at his ventilator, "we need to talk about some stuff." Brian nodded his head and pointed at the machine and made a gesture to take it off. "The doc will be here in a minute, let him decide," Nick said. Brian looked at them with impatient eyes. A few minutes later Kira returned with the doctor and a nurse. Everyone moved to the other side of the room to let the doctor examine Brian. After the doctor was finished Brian pointed to the ventilator. "You think you're ready to come off?" the doctor asked. Brian nodded his head. The doctor looked at him skeptically, "OK, we'll try it, but don't fight me if we have to put it back on." Brian nodded his head in agreement. "OK Brian, the nurse will turn the machine off, and I'll take the hose off, breath through your nose and out your mouth. If you do alright, then we'll pull the tube," the doctor said. Brian waited while the nurse walked over to the machine and the doctor undid some of the tape on the hose. "OK turn it off," the doctor said. The nurse turned the machine off, and the doctor took the hose off. "Brian, if you're gonna breathe this would be a good time to start," the doctor said. Brian looked at him, he thought he was breathing. He concentrated and began breathing. The doctor watched him for a while, then smiled at him, "You are becoming one of my most interesting patients." Brian smiled at him. "Alright Brian, we'll go ahead and pull the tube, when I tell you I want you to cough as hard as you can," the doctor said. Brian nodded his head. The doctor undid the tape holding the tube in place, "OK Brian now." Brian coughed and the doctor pulled the tube out of his throat. Brian gasp for air, and the nurse hooked up the oxygen and put the mask on Brian's face which helped tremendously. He lay there taking deep breaths until he had settled down. "Brian, I want to run some tests on you starting in the morning," the doctor said. Brian nodded his head then looked over at Tara, "How..is...she?"he asked in barely a whisper. "She's holding her own right now, she has a hard recovery ahead," the doctor said. Brian looked back at the doctor, "Thank you," he whispered. The doctor smiled at him, "I'll be back later, get some rest," then he and the nurse left the room. Brian settled in and focused on the TV when another news flash came on. Brian looked over at Kevin in horror. "That's what we need to talk about," Kevin said. Chapter 35 |