Nick woke slowly, his eyelids heavy and hard to keep open. The room was rather dark, as there were only lights around the perimeter of the ceiling. Turning his head ever so slightly, he saw a nurse hanging a new IV bag from a pole. She was wearing a yellow isolation gown and a mask covering her mouth and nose.

 

“Hey there. My name is Katie. You’re surgery is all finished, and you’re back in the ICU. I’m going to turn the light on above your head, so you might want to close your eyes.”

 

Nick closed them as she tugged on a chain that turned the light on.

 

“I just want to check your bandages real quick.” She pulled down the sheet, exposing the bandages, which covered most of abdomen. “Looks good. Why don’t we put a gown on you, then I’ll let your family come in. I’ll be right back.”

 

She left for only a few seconds before returning with a white gown speckled in blue dots. She unsnapped buttons at the top of it. She then laid the gown over his body.

 

“Can you lift up your right arm a bit?” She asked. As he did, she slid the material under it and snapped it across his shoulder. “Now your left.”

 

She repeated the process on the other side, and then tucked it gently behind his back. After pushing it beneath the sheet, she pulled the sheet back up to his chest.

 

“There we go. Are you ready to have some visitors?”

 

He attempted to nod, but the ventilator tube didn’t allow much movement.

 

“Okay.” She patted his arm before leaving the room. He stared at the ceiling, trying to stay awake, even though his head ached and his eyes were threatening to close. The door opened suddenly, and a tall figure appeared wearing the same gown and mask as Katie had. As the figure neared the bed, he realized it was Aaron. He sat down in the chair beside the bed, but remained quiet. Nick held his hand out and Aaron hesitated, but then grasped it. Nick tightened his grip as Aaron attempted to smile.

 

In the waiting room, everyone sat, waiting for Dr. Resnick to come and speak with them. He was supposed to come talk as soon as the surgery was finished, but he was called to an emergency.

 

“Kev, I think after you get a chance to see him, you and Aaron should get out of here for awhile. Get some real food and then maybe get some rest at the hotel.” Kristin said.

 

Kevin nodded agreeing. “Yeah. I need to try to get a hold of Riley, anyways.”

 

Dr. Resnick appeared in the doorway of the waiting room, his face damp with sweat and breathing heavily.

 

“Sorry about that, folks. I had an emergency down in the trauma room.” He sat down in a chair near the group as he took off his surgical cap. “The surgery went just fine. The damage to his stomach was minimal. It only went through one layer of tissue, the mucosa. We were able to suture that up without a problem. We did have to take out his spleen and left kidney. The nephrectomy is nothing to worry about, but with the splenectomy, as I said before, we’ll have to be cautious of his illnesses. He’s in isolation right now, so he’ll have time to heal a bit before introducing him to a regular room. Nosocomial infections are always possible when in a hospital, so we’ll make sure he gets the vaccinations as soon as possible. The sooner we can get him out of here, the better. If all goes well, he’ll hopefully be in a regular room by tomorrow evening. I hope to take him off the ventilator tonight once he’s had a chance to rest. Do you guys have any questions?”

 

“How long will he have to stay in the hospital?” Howie asked.

 

“If all goes well, at least a week. Possibly more. We have to watch for the possibility of infection within the wounds. We’ll also keep an eye on his immune system. We’re going to have to get him up and walking as soon as he’s able, and then keep doing it often to lessen the chances of blood clots. If he’s feeling better within a week, is up and walking, and eating decent meals, then I’d say let him go home. It will take about six weeks or more to recover from this. Not only is a laparotomy a major surgery, being impaled by the pole also puts a damper on the situation.”

 

“Thank you, Dr. Resnick,” Kevin shook his hand, followed by the others.

 

“I’m going to go check on Nick before I head back down. Be sure to wear the protective gown and mask before you go into his room to keep out bacteria and germs.”

 

Dr. Resnick left, leaving the group in a deep relief.

 

“I’m going to go down and see him real quick, then get Aaron out of here for awhile.”

 

Kevin stood from the couch, leaning over his wife to kiss her before exiting the room. He walked down the long hallway, hearing bits of conversations and television shows from each room. He stopped in front of the new room where a nurse was just leaving.

 

“Hi, are you going in to see Nickolas?” She asked.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“All right. I’m Katie, by the way. I’m his nurse until about six. Gowns are here,” She placed her hand on a shelf containing boxes of different sized gowns. “And masks are here. You’re probably a large gown. They’re made big for their sizes. The masks are all one size fits all. Before you go in, use the antibacterial foam that’s near the doorway on your hands. Just be sure it’s dry before you go in.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“No problem. The phone number to his room is written on the dry-erase board, along with the names of the doctors and nurses on his case. Just let me know if you need anything.”

 

Kevin nodded, gazing over the boxes of gowns. He chose the large she had recommended and slid it over his arms. He tied it around his neck, then his waist, before taking a mask from the box. Tying it tightly against his neck and head, he then used the foam to rid his hands of bacteria. Once finished, he opened the door to the room, immediately seeing Nick’s worn out body.

 

His eyes remained tired, but more relaxed than this morning. He held Aaron’s hand in his own as he watched Kevin cross the room.

 

“Aaron, I thought maybe in a few minutes, we’d get out of the hospital for a bit and rest at the hotel. Is that okay with you, Nick?”

 

Nick nodded slightly, attempting not to pull the tape that kept the tube on his face. 

 

“Okay. AJ and Howie are still here and they’ll be down as soon as we leave. We’ll be back this evening though. Hopefully you’ll have the tube out so you can talk to us.”

 

A look of relief crossed his face. Kevin stayed in the room several more minutes as Aaron talked to Nick, and then he stood to leave.

 

“We’ll be back later.” He squeezed Nick’s hand, promising his return before leaving with Kevin. Outside the room, they both stripped out of the protective gowns, placing them in a large trash bin.

 

“I figured we could grab a bite to eat, since we’ve been lacking on nutrition. We could go back to the hotel and get some sleep too, if you’re tired.”

 

Aaron shrugged. “Whatever you want.”

 

They returned to the waiting room to see more families sitting around the large area.

 

“Hey guys, we’re going to get out of here for awhile. Bob should be here at anytime. We’ll be back later.”

 

“Frank’s been hanging out downstairs in the lobby incase he was needed, so he can give you a lift,” Kristin said before kissing Kevin goodbye.

 

“Okay. I’ll see you later,”

 

“Bye guys,” Howie’s voiced echoed as they walked towards the elevator.

 

“Anywhere in mind to eat?” Kevin asked as the elevator delivered them to the first floor.

 

“It doesn’t matter. I’m not that hungry anyways.” Aaron replied. They walked outside, shielding their eyes from the bright sun they hadn’t seen since the afternoon before.

 

A big, burly black man leaned up against the brick building, a cigarette between his lips.

 

“Hey guys,” He said, smashing the butt into a nearby ashtray. “Need a ride?”

 

“Yeah,” Kevin replied.

 

Frank led the two to a parking lot, stopping in front of a black SUV.

 

“Want shotgun?” Kevin asked.

 

“Nah,” Aaron replied, opening the door to the backseat.

 

“Where to?” Frank asked, inserting the key into the ignition and starting the engine. He backed slowly out of the spot, before putting the truck into drive and leaving the lot.

 

“Uh… why don’t we just go back to the hotel? There’s a restaurant downstairs we can grab some food at.” Kevin said while opening his cell phone. As he turned it on, it immediately beeped, signaling a voicemail. He allowed it to call the voicemail number and then put in his password before holding it to his ear.

 

“Hey Kev, this is Riley returning your call. You should be able to get a hold of me anytime after six. I’ll make sure to answer. Bye.”

 

Kevin checked his watch, seeing it was nearly two in the afternoon. He decided to wait and call from the hotel later.

 

Within minutes, they had arrived at the hotel.

 

“Aaron, Leighanne had TJ put your bags in their room. They’re in one-fifteen.”

 

“Okay. Thanks.”

 

“Kevin, just call my cell when you’re ready to come back. I’ll come get you.”

 

He nodded, opening the door and stepping out. “Thanks Frank.”

 

“Shall we eat first or go upstairs?” Kevin asked as they walked inside the lobby. A bellhop greeted them as they passed.

”I’m not really hungry? Can we go upstairs and maybe take a shower or something?”

 

“Sure.”

 

Upon pressing the elevator button, he heard his name being called. He turned to see the tour manager, Phillip, running towards them.

 

“Hey. How’s Nick?”

 

“Uh… he’s stable.” Kevin said. The elevator door opened and the three-stepped in. “He’s out of surgery and back in the ICU.”

 

“Okay. I called Johnny last night, and he wanted to wait to discuss everything with you all before going on with anything. But with the first show being tomorrow night, we need to figure out something.”

 

“What do you think is best?”

 

“I’m not sure. He won’t be able to return to the stage for awhile, will he?”

 

“Doubtful. At least four to six weeks before he can get back to his normal life, that’s not counting the stress of touring.”

 

“Why don’t you call Johnny? Talk to him and you two figure something out.”

 

“All right.” The elevator opened, exposing the hallway that contained their rooms. As they stepped out, Kevin fumbled for his key in his back pocket. Upon finding it, he led Aaron to the room and opened the door.

 

“Why don’t you go on in and I’ll go get your stuff?”

 

“Okay.” Aaron had remained silent until then, but obeyed and went into the room. As the door shut, Kevin went to the room next beside his and knocked gently on the door. Several seconds later, the door opened and he came face-to-face with his cousin.

 

Brian stood silently, his eyes tired and looking as if he hadn’t slept all night.

”Hey,” Kevin said softly. “I just came to get Aaron’s stuff.”

”Oh… yeah.” Brian stepped back from the door, opening it further to allow Kevin in. Brian picked up a black duffel bag and backpack and set it at Kevin’s feet.

 

“Thanks.”

 

“No problem.” There was an uncomfortable silence, which was rare between the two of them.

 

“Uh… Phillip asked what we wanted to do about the tour?”

 

Brian shrugged. “I don’t know. Cancel it, I suppose.”

 

“Yeah. I’ll talk to Johnny, I guess.”

 

Kevin picked up the bags and turned to leave.

 

“You know, Bri… I know you might be hurt from all this, but believe me, Nick’s more hurt than you are. Emotionally and physically. You should consider going to see him.”

 

“I think I’ll about it,” Brian replied, not at all convincing.

 

Sighing, Kevin opened the door and left. Knocking on the door to his room, Aaron opened it shortly after.

 

“Thanks,” Aaron took the bags from Kevin’s grasp.

 

“You’re welcome to the bathroom or whatever. I need to make some calls, so you can do as you please.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“I’ll order up some food. Anything in particular you want?”

 

“Uh… just a burger or something is fine.” Aaron replied as he disappeared into the bathroom with his duffel bag. As the door shut, Kevin collapsed onto the bed. The soft bed felt good against his achy and tired body. Sitting up, he fumbled with his cell phone. Searching through the electronic phone book, he came upon his manager’s number. He pressed the call button and waited for the other side to begin ringing. As it did, he lay back against the wooden headboard.

 

“Johnny Wright.” A male voice came onto the line suddenly.

 

“Johnny, this is Kevin.”

 

“Hey man, how are you?”

 

“I’m okay.”

 

“And Nick?”

 

“He’s stable.”

 

“Good. Look, I’m glad you called me. We need to discuss the tour.”

 

“Yeah, I know. I don’t think Nick will be able to return to the stage for at least two months, if not longer.”

 

“Okay. We have the option of canceling or postponing. It’s your guys’ call.”

 

“Why don’t we just postpone indefinitely for now. When he starts getting better and everything, we can talk about it again.”

 

“Works for me. What do you want the fans to know?”

 

“They can know everything except about the HIV. Let him decide about that one. Just tell them about the accident.”

 

“All right. I’ll let you go so I can get started on straightening things out and getting a press release. Take care, Kevin, and let me know if you guys need anything.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

Kevin hung up, now hearing the shower running in the other room. He decided to order room service before calling Riley. Using the hotel phone, he dialed one and waited for the operator.

 

“Marriott. How can I help you?” A female voice asked.

 

He quickly put in an order for food, and then hung up. The water stopped in the bathroom, leaving the room in a dead silence. Glancing down at the phone in his hand, he all but wanted to call Riley and tell her. Seeing as she was halfway around the world, she would be torn at the fact she couldn’t do anything immediately about it.

 

He hesitated before finding her cell phone number in the phone book. He pressed down gently on the call button, and the call was suddenly being made. Holding the small gadget to his ear, he listened to the line ring several times before someone picked up.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Riley?”

 

“Kevin?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Hey! How are you?” She asked cheerfully.

 

“I’m okay. How about yourself?”

 

“I’m great. So what’s so urgent?”

 

Kevin looked up as the bathroom door opened and Aaron emerged, dressed in clean clothes, though his hair was still damp. At the same time, there was a knock on the door. As Kevin got ready to stand, Aaron waved him off and went to the door.

 

“Kev?”

 

“Sorry. Uh… Nick had an accident.”

 

From the other side of the line, he heard giggling. “He’s always having accidents. Did he break his leg this time?”

 

“No… it was more serious this time.”

 

The other end of the phone went silent. Dead air filled the line. “Kev… just tell me this. Is he alive?”

 

“Yeah, he’s alive.”

He could hear her as she breathed a sigh of relief. “He fell off the stage and landed on a pole used for part of the barricades.”

 

Aaron shut the door and returned to the main room with a large silver platter. He set it on the table, and then uncovered it. The smell of hot food immediately filled the room. Kevin realized how hungry he was for the first time that day.

 

“How is he?”

 

“He’s stable right now. He’s had two surgeries. They had to take out his spleen and kidney, but they expect him to make a full recovery if there aren’t any complications.”

 

“Where are you guys at?”

 

“In New York. We had rehearsals for the tour, but its getting postponed.”

 

“How much longer will you guys be there?”

 

“Nick will be here at least another week, maybe more. Aaron’s here, too. The rest of the guys are at the hospital.” He left out the part about Brian, wanting to let Nick to tell Riley everything.

 

“I want to come see him. I’m not sure how soon I can get a flight. I might be able to get a red-eye. Can I have the information for the hospital and stuff?”

 

He gave her the name of the hospital and Nick’s room number. “He’s in isolation, but he might be out by then. Security has been downstairs, so they can help you find him, too. We all have security bracelets.”

 

“Okay. I’ll let you go so I can get a flight. Thank you for calling me, Kev. Love you.”

 

“Love you, too, kid. Take care.”

 

They hung up, Kevin feeling a bit relieved. He left the phone on the bed as he sat down in a chair beside Aaron at the table.

 

“I didn’t think I was this hungry,” Aaron said, munching on some French fries.

 

“Me either. Riley said she’s going to try to get a red-eye flight.”

 

As they finished with their food, Kevin took his turn to shower while Aaron lay on the couch watching TV until he eventually fell asleep. Kevin returned to the room soon after and decided to rest as well. He set the alarm on his cell phone before lying down on the bed. It seemed as if before his head even touched the pillow, he was asleep.

Chapter Five

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