Kathy smiled gratefully. "I’m just thankful that you will offer me a job when I am ready to return! I was thinking that it was too much too ask for!"

Mr. Thomsen signed some forms and pushed them towards her. "Good help is difficult to find nowadays. We wouldn’t turn down the chance to have you back."

"I’m glad you think that way, sir." Kathy acknowledged.

"Well, I think your capabilities are obvious. I mean, if the patients want to steal you away, you must be doing something right!" They laughed together as Kathy finished signing the forms.

"When will Nick be leaving?" she asked.

"Barring complications, he will be leaving Monday. I’ve requested that he go to his doctor immediately, just to insure that he is satisfied with Mr. Carter returning home."

Kathy nodded and jotted the information in her notebook. "Now, is there anything you can recommend as far as my helping him is concerned?"

Mr. Thomsen folded his hands under his chin. "I think ensuring that he can move around on his own, learning how to establish where things are, would be the first thing. You may want to inquire about a seeing eye dog. Reading. Writing." Kathy raised her eyebrows at the mention of writing. "He can get a braille typewriter. It will deliver a letter that anyone can read, but he will be able to type with the help of braille keys." Kathy nodded and indicated that Mr. Thomsen should continue. "He will need support. That is the most important thing. He will get frustrated, angry, annoyed. You will have to be very understanding and take whatever he dishes out with a grain of salt."

Kathy silently agreed with him, this was going to be so hard for Nick. He had been so active and had such a busy schedule, this was going to be a huge adjustment for him.

"The last thing I would recommend is that you keep his parents, the mother in particular, away on days when he is trying something that he will find frustrating. I don’t think he will need the extra aggravation."

Kathy smiled at her employer. "You’re right there! And I want to see her as little as possible, judging from what I have seen here."

"I have a feeling you are not going to get that wish." Mr. Thomsen laughed as he stood to see Kathy out. "She seems very clingy."

"He’s her baby boy." Kathy shrugged.

"He’s her oldest, isn’t he?" Thomsen asked.

Kathy nodded. "But, he’s still her baby, regardless."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kevin curled his fingers around the hot cup of coffee and breathed in the aroma. He had come to the hospital for his weekly chat with Nick, but he was still sleeping. Kevin looked over at his friend in the bed. Blankets tossed everywhere, his good leg sticking out, his t-shirt pushed halfway up his chest and his arm with the cast resting on his forehead. Kevin laughed and gently moved Nicks arm off his face and set it on the bed.

"That can’t have been comfortable, buddy!"

He settled into the easy chair in the corner of the room and slowly sipped his coffee. He had been coming every week to talk with Nick, ever since the accident. He still felt some sort of guilt for Nicks blindness. Everyone told him it was not his fault, even the therapist he had gone to see a couple of times. But deep in his heart he knew it was. There was no way anyone could convince him that Nick would be laying here right now if it hadn’t been for a crazy decision to record in the Bahamas. And who had come up with that crazy idea? None other than Mr. Richardson, himself. He had to cajole Nick into coming, knowing that Nick wasn’t crazy about flying and was into his vacation. Kevin set his styrofoam cup down and rubbed his face.

"Sorry, Nick"

"Sorry for what?" Nicks voice rang out and startled Kevin.

His hand hit the side of the cup and it toppled over onto the floor.

"Oh, uh...nothing, man. Do you know where there are some towels or something? I spilled my coffee."

"Try the bathroom!"

Kevin looked up at Nicks grinning face and smiled himself. "Never thought of that!" he laughed and got up to see what he could find in the tiny room.

Nick could hear Kevin rummaging around and then mopping up the floor, and finally, getting the cloth wet and returning to wipe the floor again, just to make sure it wasn’t sticky. Good old, reliable Kevin!

"So what brings you here?" Nick questioned, as Kevin returned to his seat.

"Just came to chat with you, see how you are doing." Kevin answered. "I know you are going home soon, and we have to stay behind for a little while longer."

Nick pulled himself into a sitting position. "How come?"

Kevin sighed. "We can’t finish the record here, obviously. We are trying to wrap up what we can and have it set so that when we get home, we can finish up the tracks and have them ready for you to lay your vocals down."

"I don’t know when I will be ready." Nicks nose wrinkled up in a look of distaste.

"I know." Kevin assured him. "The doctor said you might even need to see a vocal coach for a while to get your breathing back. This accident sure has buggered everything up." Kevin winced, realizing what he had said. "I’m sorry Nick, I wasn’t thinking. I wasn’t saying it was your fault."

"Why do you even want me back in the group?" Nick pouted.

"Because you are one of us. Because it isn’t the Backstreet Boys without you."

"It won’t be the Backstreet Boys with me up on stage wandering around with a German Shepard or a cane either!" Nick said stubbornly.

Kevin smiled at the picture Nick had put in his head, but made sure not to laugh. "Fatima already has some great ideas for the stage set and we won’t be doing anything until you are 100% ready to."

Nicks eyes seemed to stare at him. "I don’t know how long that will take."

It was the oddest feeling. Kevin knew Nick couldn’t see him and yet, with the look he was giving him...

Kevin got off the chair and waved his hand in front of Nicks face. The blue eyes didn’t blink or even move. Kevin sat down again heavily. It was too much to hope for, he should have known.

"Kevin?" Nick called out, questioningly. "Still here?"

"I’m here buddy, just thinking." he answered. "We will wait for you as long as you need us too."