~~~~Chapter 33~~~~
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Alexa got permission to have Aaron moved to Nick's room that same day. Kathy helped her wheel his bed down to the room and set up the equipment. "Push him as close to Nick's bed as you can. I think if Aaron can see and touch him, maybe Nick will know he is here pulling for him." Kathy suggested. She and Alexa maneuvered the beds so that they sat right next to each other. "We can wheel Aaron out of the way if we need to get to Nick quickly, this should be fine." Kathy looked down at the two blond heads and almost burst into tears again. This wasn't fair, none of this was fair for either of them.
Bob Carter tapped on the door and entered after Alexa invited him in. "How are they?" His eyes were red-rimmed and black circles lay under them. "Nick is unchanged." Alexa informed him. "Aaron is sleeping and should be fine when he gets up. The medication will relax him somewhat." Alexa wrote something in Aaron's chart and hung it on the end of the bed. "Will him being in the room with Nick help? Do you really think so?" Alexa plucked Nick's chart off of his bed and sat on a folding chair in the corner. "It may. We are hoping that Nick will be comforted knowing that Aaron is here. The two of them obviously have a tremendous bond between them. It can't hurt, having him in here." Bob nodded his head wearily and picked up Nick's hand tenderly. "He's so cold. He hates to be cold. Unless he is in the water." He pulled Nick's covers up and tucked them around his shoulders, careful to avoid the tubes and monitors sticking out of him. Kathy wiped away silent tears as Bob gently kissed each of his sons on their foreheads and wished them well. Their father had been so quiet, Kathy had wondered what he was all about, but his love was very evident in those touching gestures. "Jane is sleeping on the cot in the waiting room, she'll come in when she wakes up, alright?" Alexa nodded and Bob's sad figure walked out the door.
The next morning, Aaron awoke screaming. Alexa came running into the room and hugged him tightly. "What's happened Aaron?" His body shuddered in her grasp and all he could do was point at Nick and sob. "Is he dead?" He finally stuttered out. "Oh honey." Alexa patted his hair and rubbed his back, trying to soothe him. "No, he's not dead, sweetie." She held him until his tears started to subside. "He's not in very good shape Aaron. You know he is in a coma, right?" Aaron nodded. "And he had surgery again. It's all mom's fault too!" Alexa held his arm gently. "No, it's not entirely her fault. The artery did not heal properly and would have burst sometime. It just happened when he was upset." "She upset him!" Alexa looked at the young man in front of her. He knew a lot more about the situation than she gave him credit for. "Aaron, none of that is important now. We put you in here so that Nick could sense that you are here, so that you could talk to him and let him know how much he means to you." Aaron sniffled and wiped his nose with his arm. Alexa grinned, that had to be one of Nicks most annoying gestures that Aaron was copying. "That's what I did the other time." "And what happened?" Alexa prompted. "He woke up." Aaron smiled brightly. "Exactly! We need you to stay here for a day or so just to make sure you are alright, but after that you can still sleep here if you want to, just to be with him." Aaron agreed happily. "Can I get some breakfast?" "I'll get someone right in here with something for you okay? I have to go do my rounds now and I'll be back later." Alexa turned to look back from the doorway. Aaron had sat up in his bed and clasped Nicks hand, talking in low tones to him. She smiled and slipped out. Kathy was right, this just might work. Alexa returned to the Carter room after her rounds that afternoon. Aaron had eaten lunch and was sitting cross-legged on his bed munching a cookie and reading a comic book, outloud. "Oh man, Nick, this one is so cool! I wish you could see the pictures. You'd love'em!" Aaron resumed reading the comic and only looked up when he had finished. "Wasn't that great Nick?" He jumped when he saw Alexa standing in the doorway. "Hi Aaron, how are you doing?" Aaron crinkled his nose up and grinned. "Well, I hate the food, but otherwise this is pretty cool. I get to do nothing, just try to help Nick get better." "You're doing an excellent job, Aaron." Alexa assured him. "Why is mom acted so weird?" "She's upset." Alexa told him. "I gave her some medicine to settle her down, and it just makes her sleepy." Aaron nodded, happy with the explanation. "Okay, see Nick, I told you. She is upset. But dad is really sad. He would be so happy to see you sitting up in bed too. I know he would. BJ, Leslie and Angel too." Aaron tossed the comic aside and took Nicks hand in his again. "I've been telling him to move his baby finger if he can hear me." He confided to the doctor. "So far he hasn't done it, but I know he will." Aaron picked up another comic and started to flick through the pages, still holding Nick's hand. "Okay, Nick, this is the new one of your favorite! Are you listening?" After several days, Nick's condition was still unchanged. Aaron was back to his normal self but he refused to leave Nick's side. Most nights Alexa noticed Aaron went to sleep with the stereo on, holding his brothers hand and talking to him until he dropped off. After one such night Alexa returned to her office to change and then the waiting room to meet up with AJ. "That Aaron is a little spitfire, isn't he?" Kathy asked her. "Is he still talking to him?" "Talking, reading, telling jokes, you name it, he's doing it." AJ came up behind Alexa and gave her a tight squeeze. "He loves that little freak lying in there, no doubt about it." Kathy grinned at AJ's affectionate term for Nick. "Do you think this is still a good idea having Aaron in there? It's got to get to him." Alexa pushed AJ away, teasing, and plucked his coat from his hands. "Hey, that's mine!" Alexa smiled sweetly at him. "Well, I didn't bring one and you wouldn't want me to get cold, would you?" She turned to Kathy as AJ reluctantly helped her into the jacket. "Like I told Bob, it can't hurt. I think if Nick will respond to anyone, it will be Aaron. However..." She kissed AJ lightly on the cheek. "The longer he is in a coma, the worse the situation is for him." Kathy nodded. "Of course." Alexa took her by the arm. "C'mon let's get out of here and come back refreshed in the morning." Just as they were heading out the door, they heard someone hollering down the hallway. "What the hell?" AJ muttered. "People might be trying to sleep, for God's sake!" Alexa peered down the hall. "It's Aaron. What is he doing out of bed?" She walked quickly to the excited boy. "What is it, Aaron? Why are you out of bed?" Aaron jumped up and down and babbled something out. "Whoa boy, pull back!" AJ pulled Aaron down on the floor beside him. "Take a breath, now, what's up?" "Nick moved his baby finger!" Aaron screamed. "What?" Kathy asked, confused. "I told you Lex, remember? I told Nick to move his baby finger if he could hear me! He moved it!" Aaron jumped up from AJ's clutches. "Come on! He can do it again! I know he can!" The rest of the guys, who were also just leaving, and the Carter family had heard the commotion by this point and they all massed in the hallway. "Okay, just Aaron and me are going back in there. I'm sure Aaron will let you know how things go." Alexa grinned wryly at him and laughed when he tugged her into the room. Alexa pulled a chair next to the bed and watched as Aaron picked Nick's hand up again. "Okay Nick. I'm back. Alexa is with me. Can you hear me?" Alexa let her gaze fall to the two hands clasped together on the mattress. "C'mon Nick. I know you can hear me! Show Alexa!" Aaron encouraged his brother. Alexa prayed silently to see Nick's finger move, it would be the first important step in a long road to recovery. After a several moments she sighed and placed her hands on her knees, pushing herself off the chair. "I'm sorry Aaron, it might just have been a twitch of some kind." Aaron looked crushed. "It wasn't a twitch. He could hear me. He did move his finger." Alexa patted him on the back and went to join the others waiting eagerly in the hall. "C'mon Nick, I know you can do it. Do it for me please? Can you hear me?" Alexa looked back at Aaron, pleading with Nick. Her eyes noticed the slightest movement. "Yay Nick!" Aaron crowed. "See if he can do it again." Alexa asked quietly, moving back over to the bed. "Nick? Just one more time. I know you are tired. Just once more. For Lex." They both watched his hand intently. Very slowly, but very definitely, the smallest finger on Nick's hand bent up and then down again. "Oh my God, Nick, you are back with us, aren't you?" A cheer went up from the gang crowding the doorway as Nick's little finger bent up and down again.
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