Nick was lying in bed, running his fingertips over a braille book when he heard the door open. "Nicky!" The next thing he knew, two arms were squeezing his neck and he could barely breathe. "Christina?" "Oh my darling, I�m going to take such good care of you when we get you home!" Nick wrinkled his brow in frustration. There was something he was missing here, but he couldn�t quite grasp it. "Home?" he said, quizzically. "I�ll look after you honey, and then we have your nurse too. You won�t want for anything." "That�s great." Nick mumbled, knowing something was wrong but his brain wouldn�t let him figure out what. "So what are you doing?" Christina took the book out of his hands and studied it. "Spot the Dog? What the hell is this?" She tossed the book to the end of the bed and snuggled up next to Nick on the bed. "It�s my book." Nick leaned over and tried to feel for the book, before laying back and sighing in frustration. "It�s for 2 year olds." Christina teased, and shoved the book off the edge of the bed with her foot. "I can�t really start with �War and Peace�." Nick protested. "I�m just learning braille." Chris tickled his chin and kissed him passionately. "Who needs to read? You never cared much before." "Well I do now." Nick scratched his head thoughtfully. "I�m not sure why, but I do care now." "I�ll give it back to you later, okay? We can have some fun first." Christina tenderly pushed his hospital gown up and straddled him, massaging his chest. Rubbing tenderly at first and then a bit more forcefully as Nick�s sighs urged her on. "Ow! Shit!" Nick yelled, suddenly. "Oh my God, that hurt!" Christina jumped off of him, her heart thumping wildly. "What? What did I do?" "He just had heart surgery, you twit!" Alexa leaned across the bed to tug Nicks garment back down. "What the hell did you think you were doing?" Nick�s face flushed beet red. "I�m sorry, Lex, it happened before I could think." "Well little Miss Back-stabber here could think!" Alexa pointed at Christina. "I want to talk to you in my office!" Christina grabbed her things and flounced out of the room. "What�s going on?" Nick asked patiently. "Can someone tell me, cause I don�t understand a damn thing!" Alexa patted him on the shoulder. "I�ll be back and fill you in. In the meantime you might want to take care of your little friend there." Nick blushed again as Alexa left the room, giggling.

Alexa shut the office door and spun around to face Christina. "What the hell are you doing here?" "You�re just his doctor, what business is it of yours who visits him?" Dr. Reeves sat in her chair and glared at the young woman. "I�m also his friend, and if I remember correctly, he dumped your ass to the curb!" "Yeah, he did, but a little bird told me he couldn�t remember Miss Goody Two Shoes, so I�m making a play for him." Christina sneered. "That little bird wouldn�t be named Carter now, would it?" Alexa wasn�t surprised when Christina nodded her head yes. As soon as Nick had recovered somewhat and Jane had gotten off her meds, her attitude toward Kathy had been just like before. "Well, let me tell you this. Nick will remember Kathy and I will tell him that he dumped you and why." Christina slumped in her chair. "It�s none of your business!" "Oh yes it is! He was happy with Kathy! Confident, smiling, everything he never was with you!" Alexa stood up and stared at Christina. "I want you to leave him alone, go find some other rock star. I don�t want to see you in here ever again." Christina stood as well and smiled. "Don�t worry, I already have another guy hooked. Ma C. gave me some cash to get with Nick again. I don�t want the cripple!" Alexa looked at her in shock. "He�s not a cripple!" "He can�t see!" Christina spat back at her. "I don�t have the time to waste on someone like that!" She picked up her coat and walked to the door. "See ya, Doc!" Alexa never saw Christina again after that, although Nick�s mother asked many times if she had been in. Alexa lied and told her that she hadn�t seen her since the party, which left Mrs. Carter seething, much to Alexa�s amusement.

Over the following two months, Nick regained much of his strength. Alexa had him walking daily and taking exercise programs in the gym. His breathing level returned to normal and his stamina had increased. He told Alexa how he had always been tired before and she reminded him that it was most likely because his body as still been trying to heal itself. His memory was coming back slowly. Alexa had told him all about Christina, which he had been thankful for. His memories of Kathy were also returning. He could remember all of his time in the Bahamas now, so he knew something would stir and he would remember all about her. It was just a question of when. Aaron had returned to his tour that had been put on hold, reluctantly. It had been quite the sob session the day he had to leave. Nick found it so hard to let Aaron leave, he had been so important in Nick�s recovery and his willingness to live. Aaron didn�t want to go either and that made it even worse. Nick had gotten used to having Aaron around from day to day and he missed him horribly now that he was gone.

The guys had visited often. Alexa knew AJ was going stir crazy not being able to perform. The Backstreet Boys should have been on tour by now, promoting their latest album, but they had yet to finish it. No one was blaming Nick, of course. But it was frustrating. Kevin and Brian were enjoying the time to relax with their wives. Howie threw together some small fundraiser concerts for lupus and AJ donned his Johnny No Name persona for a few shows in Florida. They all had to keep busy.

A few days before he was to go home Nick asked Brian to come in alone. "What is it? What do you need?" Brian asked, concerned. "I want to sing. But I�m afraid." Nick said, simply. "Why man? You know you can sing." "Rok, what�s the date?" Brian looked confused. "December 5th, why?" "I haven�t sang at all since June. That�s 5 months. Not a note out of my mouth. And with all that has happened, I�m afraid." Brian sat down and rubbed his friend�s shoulder. "That�s understandable." Brian thought for a moment. "Sing for me now." Nick shook his head. "I can�t." "Come on!" Brian shook him, teasing. "Try it. For me?" He laid his head on Nick�s shoulder and comically batted his eyes at him. "Get up you moron!" Nick shoved Brian away from him, laughing. "Sing!" Brian urged. "What?" Nick asked. "Open Arms." Brian sat back and waited. Nick was quiet for a moment, opened his mouth, closed it again and then started to sing.

"Lying beside you, here in the dark, feeling your heart..."

He stopped short. "I sound like crap." Brian shook his head. "No. You sound better. It�s rough, but your voice is different, better different." Nick raised his eyebrows at him. "Trust me man, you sound good. We�ll get a vocal coach to get the roughness out for you and you�ll be all set." Nick still looked unsure. "Trust me!" Brian laughed. "Would I lie to you?"

Alexa gave Nick one final physical before judging that he was healthy enough to return home. "I still want you to take it easy." She warned. "Ease into the singing, keep up the exercise you�ve been doing here, keep walking, swimming and eat healthy." "Aw c�mon!" Nick mock whined. "I never eat healthy!" Alexa smiled and ignored his comment. "And avoid stress." "Well, mom is on tour with Aaron, so that should be easy!" Nick laughed. "Oh you are bad!" Alexa finished marking his chart and set it on the table beside her. "Well, Mr. Carter. I think you can go home finally." Nick smiled. "I can�t wait! No offense, but I am sick of this hospital!" Alexa gave him a small hug. "Well, other than your plastic surgery you, hopefully, won�t have to come back." Nick hugged her back. "Thank you for everything you�ve done for me." He raised his hand to touch her cheek and gave her a kiss. Alexa blushed. "My pleasure Nick. Just don�t make me do it again. Please!"

Kathy picked up the last of Nick�s gift bags from the bed and put them on his lap. "Why do I have to leave in a wheelchair?" he asked. "Hospital policy, one last piece of control." "Great." he moaned and Kathy grinned at him. "Okay, I have your clothes and books in the car, you have the gifts. I think that is it." Nick had asked her to distribute the flowers, stuffed animals and some of the other gifts that his fans had left him. "I don�t need them and don�t have the room for them." he had said. "I�ll keep the cards though." Kathy took handful after handful of gifts to delighted kids on the children�s ward. The flowers she left in the continuing care center for the seniors to enjoy. Nick was pleased when she told him how the kids eyes lit up upon receiving their presents from him. "I�m glad I could do something to make them smile." he mentioned, as Kathy pushed him down the hallway to the exit. "They all loved them Nick, honestly." She stopped at the front desk to sign him out and to say goodbye to Alexa. Nick stood to give her another hug and held Kathy�s hand tightly. "I�ll call you later tonight, okay?" Dr. Reeves called out to them as they went out the door. When they reached the Durango, Kathy piled the gifts into the back seats and helped Nick into the front one. "I�m going home!" Nick cried out happily. "I�m going home!"