�Nick, man, I�m sorry.�
�Why? She�s coming back.�
���
�Brian, she is coming back, isn�t she?�
�Go home. You�re going to need rest.�
�Answer my question.�
�How am I supposed to know?�
�You know everything� or so you claim.�
�� No, you�re going to have to find her.�
���
�Nick, she�s stubborn - almost as much as you. Plus she�s doing the same thing you�re doing - blaming herself for everything and feeling responsible for putting both of you in the hospital.�
�But it was my fault.�
�It wasn�t your fault Nick. Or hers. It was nobody�s fault. Or maybe it was everyone�s fault.�
�You�re not making any sense Brian. You sound like��
�Leslie. I know. I don�t know why.�
��So how am I supposed to find her?�
�Obviously she knew me��
�How did you know her anyway? She never told me and you never mentioned her.�
��A.J.�s wallet is always full of surprises.�
�What?!�
�Dude, get some sleep. You�ll find her, and even if you can�t� well, you�ll find her.�
�Brian�?�
~
�Why do you and him always go to sleep at the same time? By the time I talk to one of you, the other is already fully dreaming of the first. Or I try to debate who I need to talk to more, and when I finally decide, I can�t bust up your dreams.�
�What the fuck are you talking about?�
�Well, good morning sunshine!�
Laughter
���
�Jeez, sorry. Didn�t realize you were so touchy right now.�
�I shouldn�t have left.�
�Yea, well, I already knew that.�
���
�I did talk to Nick a moment ago and��
�You can do this with him too?�
�Yea, of course. Took a few tries but I can� Why?�
�Well, I just thought��
�You�re special, but not that special babe.�
��What did you talk to him about?�
�You, of course.�
���
�Oh, you want details? Nick got your letter, but he�s a little slow. Always has been. He thought you were actually going to come back, so I told him otherwise. And that he was going to have to come find you.�
�WHAT?!�
�You�ll thank me later. I just gave him hints, and him being him, it�ll probably take him awhile to figure them out. He was going to start searching for you anyway when you didn�t show back up. I�m just saving him the trouble.�
�But he wouldn�t have found me.�
�Are you kidding me? A.J. has your contacts in his back pocket, in his wallet.�
�What? How?�
�The note you wrote him telling him to take care of Nick.�
�My phone number wasn�t on that.�
�That�s what you think. Your address too.�
Laughter
�Brian, what the fuck are you trying to do?�
�Bring the two of you back together� where you belong.�
���
�Don�t worry. You have time. It�s not like I told him to go through my old stuff and find everything he wants to know about you. Just that obviously I knew you.�
�Oh god. You�re not�?�
�I won�t interfere. You told him five weeks. After that, well, I hold no promises. Go back to sleep. Have sweet dreams about our Nicky.�
�Brian, I��
��don�t want him to find you. I know, but I think you�ll change your mind soon enough. It only took you a day to regret leaving. Plus, it�s always nice to have someone beside you for support when you start lying to everyone.�
���
*
Kevin had returned to Nick�s bedside Saturday evening, more aware of what was going on now that he�d gotten a few hours of rest. He was tempted to read the crumpled letter that lay on Nick�s table, but held his composure when the younger man grew restless and mumbled in his sleep to an invisible person in his dreams.
He tried to ignore the presence of the letter and focused instead on A.J.�s odd behavior since he returned yesterday afternoon. His secretive nature and edginess suggested a lack of emotional stability, but his underlying calmness baffled Kevin. A.J. was no longer searching for a penance or someone�s forgiveness. Somehow he must have realized that, against all logic, Angel hadn�t been angry with him in the first place.
Kevin continued to think over the possibilities as Nick settled back down, and analyzed the past week until his cell phone rang an hour later. He picked it up immediately, glancing at Nick in hopes he hadn�t woken up.
�Hello?� he whispered.
�Kevin?� a small female voice replied.
�Yea, this is he. Who is this?� he asked, still keeping his voice down.
�Albert told me he called you already��
�Angel?� In his surprise, he�d forgotten to keep his voice down, and quickly turned to see Nick still seemingly asleep. Walking to the other side of the room, he leaned his forehead against the wall. �How are you?�
�Decent, considering. How�s Nick?�
�Asleep. Yesterday was pretty hard, but� he�s doing a little better today. He�s going to be fine. The doctor says we�ll be able to take him home to Florida by the middle of next week.�
�That�s good. They want to send me home tomorrow,� she said sadly.
�You don�t seem too excited by that.�
�My parents are there. At least here I don�t have to answer all their questions and it doesn�t seem weird. That I just don�t feel good because of the drugs or something.�
�What have you told them?�
�I was in a car wreck.�
�Do they believe you?� Kevin asked in disbelief, remembering the extent of her injuries.
�My parents want to so yes. My brother, not so much, and the doctor not at all.�
There was a pause before Kevin asked something that�d been bothering him.
�Angel, why didn�t you tell your parents where you were going? Why did you just leave?�
�Shit� Kevin someone�s coming. I have to go.�
�But Angel� how do I get hold of you?�
�You don�t. I�ll call you.�
He heard her slam the phone down and the line disconnect. Unsure if the conversation got him anywhere, he stared at the caller ID of his phone - 817-***-**** : Hospital. The area code, the only part of out of area numbers his phone picked up, baffled him. It seemed familiar. As he studied the number, hoping to remember where it was from, he returned to the chair by Nick�s bed.
�Angel called you?�
Kevin jumped at the sudden voice. He looked up to see Nick wide-awake, hopeful.
�Yea,� he replied slowly.
�How is she? Where is she?� Nick asked, thinking this was a way Brian was going to help him out in his search.
�Better. They�re letting her out tomorrow. As for where she is, I don�t know. In a hospital somewhere with the area code 817. That�s what I was just trying to figure out.�
Kevin watched the life drain out of Nick at his words.
�So you�re going to make me work for this aren�t you?� he asked the ceiling.
�What?�
Nick turned back to Kevin and shook his head a little, a tired look on his face. �Nothing.�