Snow Lodge
Chapter 53
By the time Nick had pushed him to the Intensive Care Unit, the jovial mood had gone. Brian looked increasingly haunted as they neared AJ's room, and Nick and Howie sensed some of his fear returning.
Howie moved up so he was walking alongside Brian's wheelchair, and put his hand on Brian's shoulder, trying to reassure him a little.
Nick pulled him to a stop outside the door to AJ's room, and moved around in front of Brian.
Brian's gaze was on the closed door, and the look of fear was back in his eyes; fear of what he was going to find behind that door. Howie squatted down so that he was at Brian's level, and rested a hand on his knee.
"Brian?"
Brian shifted his gaze to his friends. He looked at them for a moment before squeezing his eyes shut and taking a deep breath.
"I'm okay." He reassured them as he re-opened his eyes.
Howie looked at him for a moment before nodding.
"Listen Brian." He began. "I've gotta warn you, J doesn't look too good at the moment." Howie paused as Brian closed his eyes again. Nick moved closer and took Brian's hand.
"It's okay Frick. The Doctor's have just got him wired up to a lot of stuff, so they can keep an eye on him without having to actually come and disturb him every five minutes. You know how much he hates being disturbed when he's trying to sleep."
Brian knew Nick was just trying to make him feel better, but it still worked, as it reminded him once again of just how much they all cared.
"Is Kevin in there?" He asked, feeling the need to have them all with him, especially his older, stronger cousin.
Howie nodded. "Yeah. We wouldn't leave J alone."
Brian sighed in relief and nodded towards the door. "Okay. I'm ready."
The two men nodded, before standing back up. Nick resumed his position behind Brian's wheelchair, whilst Howie moved over to the door.
Brian took a deep breath as Howie knocked lightly on the door before opening it and stepping into the room. Brian's view of the interior was hidden behind the broad expanse of Howie's back as Nick pushed him into the room.
Then Howie moved to the side, and Brian felt as if he had been physically punched as all the breath rushed out of his body.
That couldn't be Alex.
He looked so small, so frail laying in the big hospital bed, wires and tubes crawling across his skin, snaking up to the metal boxes that whirred and beeped, almost tauntingly.
If he hadn't have been sitting down, Brian knew he would have fallen. Nick stopped the wheelchair a good distance from the bed, seeing Brian's anguish. But he didn't want that. He had been too far away from Alex for too long. He needed to be closer, he needed to touch him, to feel him.
At that moment Brian knew that even if he could've crawled right inside Alex's skin, he would never be close enough.
Weakly he reached down to the wheels, trying to push himself closer. Kevin saw this and moved quickly, pulling Brian over to AJ's bedside.
Brian sensed Kevin's presence, but made no move to acknowledge him, his attention focused wholly on the figure in the bed.
He reached up and took one of AJ's hands in his own, surprised to find the skin cold and clammy. It was then that he noticed the light shaking of AJ's body, and the flushed cheeks, denoting his high fever.
Brian frowned. He knew how long AJ had been feverish for, and that if the fever didn't break soon, there was a greater risk of permanent damage.
A single tear slipped down his cheek, but he made no move to wipe it away.
Strong arms wrapped around him, holding him close. Brian closed his eyes and leaned into the embrace. Kevin. He would know his cousin anywhere.
"It's gonna be okay Brian. We're here." Kevin drawled softly into his ear, his accent thick with unshed tears of his own. Kevin could feel how much pain Brian was in, and it was killing him.
Brian said nothing, simply allowing his cousin to comfort him. He knew that Kevin needed it as much as he did right then.
They stayed like this for a few moments, Brian with his eyes locked on AJ, and Kevin watching him. Nick and Howie stood close together, their eyes moving from Brian to AJ; silently willing AJ to show some sign of movement�
�but they got none.
