Snow Lodge
Chapter 61
A few hours later Jonesy came back to check on Brian and was surprised to find him looking much better than he had that morning.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't my favourite patient." Jonesy breezed into the room, smiling widely at Brian, who grinned in return.
"Hey Doc." He greeted him.
"So. How are we feeling now?" Jonesy asked seriously, as he checked Brian over.
"Honestly, I feel a lot better now. I guess I really did need those extra few hours rest."
"See. You should listen to the man." Nick chimed in. "After all, he is a Doctor."
"Really, so that's what the white coat is for." Brian grinned at Nick, and Jonesy bust out laughing.
"Yep. You're feeling better." Kevin chirped up from the doorway.
"Ahh. Kevin. Just in time." Jonesy smiled at him.
"In time for what?" Nick asked.
"Here cuz." Kevin called, tossing a bag at him.
Brian looked at him for a second, before opening the bag and taking a look inside. The grin that split his face when he saw the contents was nearly a mile wide.
"Does that mean you're gonna release me now?" Brian asked hopefully, pulling clean clothes from the bag.
"Yes Brian, it means I'm gonna release you now." Jonesy confirmed. "However." He began, causing Brian to look up at him. "You are being released on the understanding that you will continue to rest. And you will not spend the whole time up in AJ's room. Okay?"
Brian's face fell; that was exactly what he was planning on doing. But he knew that he wouldn't be able to argue this one, because it seemed that Kevin was backing Jonesy up on this as well.
"I guess." He sighed.
"Good. I knew you'd see things my way. I'll leave you now to get changed. When you're ready just give Shelly a buzz and she'll bring on your discharge papers." With that, Jonesy nodded at Kevin and left.
Brian sighed again; he really wanted to be with AJ now.
"Don't worry Rok." Kevin told him. "As long as you take a break every couple of hours, and get some sleep, it'll be fine. Jonesy is just worried you're gonna exhaust yourself again if you do too much too soon."
Brian turned his head and rolled his eyes, but Nick still saw him.
"C'mon Frick, don't be so stubborn. We just don't want you to end up back in here again, that's all."
"I know." Brian spoke softly. "I just wanna be with him though."
Nick wrapped his arm around Brian and pulled him close. "You will Brian, you will."
True to his word, forty minutes later Brian found himself outside AJ's room again. But this time he wasn't in a stupid wheelchair, and he was clean and fresh after a nice shower and back in proper clothes instead of the drafty hospital gown.
All in all, he felt at least ten times better than he had before as well.
So, although he took a deep breath when he entered the room, this time he didn't feel like he was about to fall apart either. So he reached out a shaky hand and pushed open the door, before stepping into the room.
Howie looked up when he heard the door open, and smiled softly when he saw Brian enter.
"Hey." He called quietly.
Brian smiled back before moving his eyes back to AJ's silent form. Howie stood up and moved over to Brian, leading him to the chair he had just vacated and gently pushing him down.
"He's doing better." Howie told him, squeezing Brian's shoulder gently.
"Is he?"
"Yes." Howie assured him. "He has more colour than before, and now the fever has broken he's stopped shaking. The Doc says his vitals are improving as well, they are much happier about his condition now too."
"They said that?" Brian asked, his voice small, but filled with hope.
Howie smiled warmly. "Yeah, they did."
Brian reached out and took AJ's hand, linking their fingers together and squeezing softly before resting their clasped hands back on the bed.
"You hear that Alex? You're running out of excuses to stay asleep now. Time for you to wake up."
"Yeah Bone." Nick said, as he and Kevin walked into the room fully. "Time to come back to us."
"Yeah Jay," Kevin agreed. "I'm missin' ya buggin' me."
Kevin and Nick both moved closer and sat in the two spare chairs that they'd had brought into the room earlier. All four boys surrounded AJ's bed, watching and waiting for a sign that he was coming back to them. Howie and Brian each held one of AJ's hands, occasionally squeezing gently, hoping for a response whilst the four of them carried on a conversation full of tears and laughter about the things that AJ had done over the years.
Brian only half paid attention though, wanting to say things to AJ, private things that he didn't want the others to hear.
Eventually, after a few hours, the others decided to go and get something to eat. They tried to persuade Brian to go with them, but he refused.
"Come on Brian. You're supposed to take care of yourself remember." Kevin told him.
"I know Kev, and I will. I don't want to leave him alone in case he wakes up."
"Do you want me to stay?" Nick asked.
"No, I want to be here. I just want to spend some time alone with him. I'll go and get something myself when you come back."
Kevin saw something in Brian's eyes that made him relent, and he sighed heavily.
"You promise?" He asked.
"I promise." Brian replied.
Kevin nodded, satisfied. "C'mon guys, let's go eat."
Howie and Nick followed him out of the room, Nick throwing a concerned glance over his shoulder as he closed the door behind him.
"What's wrong Nicky?" Howie asked, seeing the look.
"I don't know." He replied, "It's just a weird feeling I have."
"You're probably hungry and it's making you delirious." Kevin joked. "So we'd better get food in you before you start hallucinating."
"Ha, ha." Nick deadpanned as he walked down the hall. "You're so funny Train."
"I know." Kevin smirked as he followed after Nick and Howie.
