Chel reached for the phone in a sleepy haze. She saw the bright red numbers of the alarm clock next to her bed and wondered, why is somebody calling me at one thirty in the morning? Finally grasping the receiver, she managed to put it to her ear and answered with a sleepy, "Hello?"
"Chel, Im on my way to your moms house. Throw on some clothes, as soon as i get there, we need to go up to the hospital." Chel stared at the phone, trying to make sense of what Nick was saying. "The hospital? Why are we going to the hospital? Nick, what are you talking about?"
"All i know is that AJ had to bring Kayla to the hospital. I just got done talking to him and he doesnt sound too good. They were on the way up there now. He said to pick you up and meet them up there. So, i guess thats what i'm doing." The urgency in Nicks voice quickly brought Chel awake. She jumped up from the bed, nearly dropping the phone. Remembering Nick she said, "Alright, Im up and getting dressed right now. He didnt tell you anything else?" Fully awake now, her mind was running overtime. She wondered exactly what had happened and was worried about her friend.
"All he said was for us to be there. He wouldnt tell me anything else. Like i said, he sounded terrible. I just hope..." Nicks voice trailed off and Chel knew exactly what he was thinking. Their friends had already been through enough hardship already. "Im almost there. Gimme ten more minutes." "Alright Nick. I love you!" Just before hearing the familiar click of the phone haning up on his end, she heard him whisper, "Love you too."
As she sat on the bed waiting for him to pick her up, she thought about the things the four of them had been through since they met. Both her and Kayla had finally found love. She loved watching her friend whenever AJ was mentioned. Her eyes would light up at the mere mention of his name. True, their relationship had been tested to the limits and thankfully, true love had endured.
Chel smiled as she brought her thoughts to Nick. He always had the ability to do that to her. She had know doubt that the love they felt for each other was special. She had never felt this way about another man before and it was all new to her. The sound of the doorbell brought her back to her mothers living room. She quickly jotted a note to her parents and opened the door. Taking Nicks hand, the pair walked silently to his truck.
Kayla clenched her eyes shut tight as another round of pain shot through her legs, first the left, then the right. She had never felt pain like that before and she was scared. As soon as the pain would subside, she would go back to having no feeling in either leg and that was what scared her the most. As yet another round of pain coursed her lower body, she lay her head against the window of AJ's truck and let out a small whimper of pain. She was trying her best to hold herself together and stay strong for AJ. She could see the fear in his eyes and could hear the shakiness of concern in his voice. "I'm sorry." She whispered as her latest round of pain ended.
She watched as a single tear coursed down AJ's cheek as he began to speak. "No baby. Dont be sorry. Think of this as the beginning of everything good that will come. I can feel it. This is only the beginning. You are starting down the road now and at the end, you will be walking down the road. And I will be here with you every step of the way. You know that. I wont ever leave you."
Kayla smiled despite her pain. AJ always knew the words to calm her fears. He sounded so hopeful, like this was the definite start of something good. She lifted her head to look at him sitting next to her. His profile was illuminated by the moonlight coming in the driver side window. She wanted to tell him she believed him, that she knew he was there for her. Unable to speak as another wave of pain came over her, she grabbed for his non-driving hand. Finding it in the dark, she wrapped her fingers around his reassuringly, letting him know that she knew he wouldnt leave her.
The rest of the short drive was in silence. Through her pain, Kayla wondered what AJs thoughts were. She wished that he would say something but she knew he had alot on his mind. Things like this were never easy for him. That was one of the reasons she loved AJ so much. He felt things, he was very emotional. Again she felt a wave of pain that had now become familiar to her. This time was different, it was worse than the others and before she could stop herself, she cried out. Tears sprang to her eyes and she could hear AJ's voice. She tried to find his voice through the pain just so she could use it to focus on. Closing her eyes, she wondered why the pain was lasting so long this time. She wished for anything to make it go away. As she opened her eyes again, she found it hard to focus on anything and though she still heard AJs voice it seemed like he was a million miles away.
"AJ, make it stop. Please, just make it stop..." As he pulled around to the back entrance of the hospital, the sound of Kaylas cries sent chills down his spine. He hated seeing her in so much pain especially since he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. As he parked the car, he felt the Kaylas hand drop from his and when he looked over at her, he saw that she had fainted from the pain. "Dammit.", he muttered as he quickly got out of the truck and walked over to her door. He had a million of fleeting thoughts running through his head. Thoughts that had been there since the night of the accident, thoughts he had done everything in his power to push away. He carefully lifted Kayla out of the truck and into her wheelchair, which he had already set up. As he wheeled her into the hospital, half running through the doors, he could feel people staring at him. For some reason he could feel anger rising within him and concentrated on finding a doctor to help Kayla.
"Bone!!!" He turned when he heard Nicks voice. He saw the look on Chel's face and knew that it looked worse than it was and he had to explain. "Its not as bad as it looks. She started having pains in her legs and they just got to be too much for her. She fainted right before we got to the hospital." He couldnt believe that he had found the strength within himself to sound so confident that Kayla would be fine. "Stay with her for a sec." He said to Chel and Nick as he went in search of a doctor. Placing a kiss on Kaylas cheek, AJ walked up to the nurses station.
"I need a doctor." Although his voice was stong and clear, there were hints of fear and stress in the pleading tone he spoke with. He watched as the three ladies behind the desk looked up from their conversation and stared at him. Under their harsh stares, he could feel his patience waning. That was one thing he didnt need was for anybody else to stare at him. "Are you going to help me or do i have to go find the doctor myself?" The one lady in front of him continued to stare as the two behind her looked at each other and laughed. The lady in front of him, whose name tag read Billie, finally opened her mouth and what came out sent AJs mind into an angry rage. "Oh my god, arent you AJ from the Backstreet Boys? Here can you sign this?" It was AJs turn to stare as the lady pulled out a copy of Millennium and thrust it at him. "I just need a doctor for my..." AJ continued to stare in shock at the cd that Billie still held rudely in his face. Not even acknowledging the fact that he had begun to speak, Billie began pumping him for information. "So what brings you here? Arent you still busy from the tour? Are the rest of the guys here too?" AJ moved his gaze to her face and stood in an angry silence as Billie peered around him looking for the other guys.
AJ felt the anger rising and helplessly looked back at Nick and Chel. He saw that Nick was walking toward him, ready to back him up. "Look, I just need a doctor for my fiancee. She's paralyzed, but tonight she started having pains in her legs. She fainted on the way here, now can you please help me?" Maybe it was something in his voice, but the three ladies finally began to help him. Billie took Kaylas name and within a few minutes, AJ was talking to a doctor about Kayla. "In cases like Kayla's, there is not much hope that a full recovery will take place. However, she seems to be showing signs of regaining sensation in both of her legs. As soon as she wakes up, we will run a few tests to see where we stand. We have admitted her into a private room and given her medicine to help her pain."
AJ stared as the doctor stood up. "Can i see her?" The doctor flipped through a few pages on his clipboard and told AJ what room Kayla was in. AJ listened as the doctors footsteps echoed as he walked down the hall. For a second, he leaned back into the hard hospital chair and felt a sigh escape him. Closing his eyes, he wondered how much more the two of them would have to endure. He wasnt doubting their relationship. He knew the love they had for each other was strong. It was something that ran deeper, something he knew could consume his every thought if he would let it. Shaking these strange thoughts from his mind, AJ stood up and walked toward the elevator in search of which way to go to get to Kaylas room.
Once he found her room, he quietly opened the door and walked in. Spotting the chair by the bed, he quickly sat down in it. Flashbacks of the last time he sat by her bedside flowed through his head. It hurt him still to think of the pain she had been through. The pain that had been caused by somebody elses stupidity. He didnt know why he still let these thoughts haunt him. He knew he should forget them and move on. If Kayla knew he still thought about these things, he would get a lecture, he knew it. Smiling at the thought of Kayla lecturing him, he leaned over slightly to take her hand in his. As he did a small piece of notebook paper fell to the floor. Curious, he picked it up and unfolded it. As if to mirror his confused thoughts of the night, his own handwriting jumped off the paper at him. It was a poem he had started the night on the beach.
Night time falls on my empty heart
without you, I'm torn apart
Broken, I cant let you go
Waves crashing, I wont let you go
I sit and stare across the sand
Haunting images, take my hand
starless night, i cant let you go
falling tears, i wont let you go
Underneath the moon tonight, I'm holding you tight
Baby, you pushed me away,
Baby please, show me the way
I cant let you go, but you are fading away
His tears were now at their limit as he blinked to hold them in. He lifted his head up to stare at the still figure on the bed. For once though, he realized that his tears were not tears of sadness they were tears of happiness. Something in that small verse had given him the strength to put all the bad things of the past behind him. Glancing once more at the bed, he watched as the figure, his fiancee', stirred slightly, then opened her eyes. "Hey baby." AJ spoke to her in nothing more than a whisper. "No, baby, dont try to move around. Just rest." He told her when she began to sit up in the bed. He realized that he still had not taken her hand in his and did so. Feeling her warm hand in his, AJ felt complete. Yawning, he knew that the tiredness of the night was catching up to him. He noticed that Kayla had also fallen back to sleep. Being careful not to let go of Kayla's hand, AJ leaned his head on the side of the chair. Slowly his eyes closed, his thoughts on what the future held.
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