Kevin started to tell Nick about starting out to find him when the rest of the group walked in. "Hey Frack!" AJ leaned over the bed and kissed Nick full on the lips. "What was that for?" Nick sputtered, wiping his hand gingerly across his mouth. "I told you I would get you back for that one at the Teen People shoot, when you least expected it too!" Nick laughed. "Oh yeah! I had forgotten about that!" AJ cackled, "You didn't even see it coming, did you?" "You can say that again!" Nick laughed again. "Is Howie here too?" "Hey Nick, right here." Howie took Nicks hand in his and squeezed it. "I'm so glad your feeling better!" "Me too!" Nick smiled. "Kevin was just about to tell me about how he found me. I know you've all heard it before, but I haven't." "Actually, we haven't either." Howie said. Everyone settled into chairs and on the end of the bed as Kevin started the story again. Nick felt tears fall from his eyes and soak into the pads covering them as Kevin told how he and the rescue crew had found him on the island where the plane had crashed. "You were covered in blood, I thought you were dead." Kevin said emotionally. "Then they lifted you onto the rescue copter and started working on you." He sighed and rubbed his eyes, trying to erase the memory, the image of his friend lying on the stretcher. "You died on the copter." Nick gasped. "I...I...died before we got here? The doctor told me that they had brought me back to life here in the hospital, I didn't know it had happened before...I didn't know you were there." Kevin nodded, not thinking about the fact that Nick couldn't see him. "Really using up your lives pal!" AJ cracked, bringing nervous smiles to everyones faces. "If you were a cat you'd be down by two!" Nick laughed. "I guess you're right!" "You really had us scared for awhile there buddy." Brian said. "I guess we can compare scars now, huh?" Nick grinned. "I haven't seen mine yet, but by the sounds of it, it's comparable!" "Nah, I'm sure mine is bigger!" Brian laughed. "No way, mine is!" Nick boasted. Kevin rolled his eyes at Nicks parents. "Only those two could get into a battle over who's got the bigger heart surgery scar!"

Hearing the laughter from within the room, the nurse knocked at the door loudly before pushing the wheelchair in. "Hey my favourite, and I might add, only, celebrity patient!" she greeted Nick. "Hi Kathy!" Nick smiled. "Hey everybody this is my nurse, Kathy." "You have your own nurse?" Howie asked. AJ just whistled lowly as he gazed at her. "Well, she's not just mine." Nick blushed. "Good deal!" Brian whispered. Ignoring the obvious praise of the boys, she pulled Nick's covers back and tapped him on the leg. "Ready to go down for your testing?" Nick nodded. "How long should it take?" he asked, as Kathy helped him slide his cast-covered leg off of the bed and got him into the chair. "Oh, not too long. But you folks could all go and get something to eat and relax for a bit, if you want to." Nick sighed as he settled into the chair. He made a motion to scratch his bandaged cheek, forgetting about the wound and the cast covering the hand he wanted to scratch with. "Ow!" he yelled. "Okay, that hurt!" Kathy giggled at him and swatted his uninjured hand. "Don't scratch, it's healing." She thanked AJ for holding the door open and pushed Nick through it. "We'll see you folks!" "Bye guys! Maybe I'll see you when I get back!"

"Okay, you need to wait here. The specialist should be in any minute." Kathy said as she propped Nick up in the bed of the testing room. "Can't I sit up?" Nick complained. "I've been laying down forever!" "Nope!" Kathy exclaimed. "It's too much of a strain right yet. Let your injury heal a little more and then you can start sitting up and maybe walking around." "Brian was walking the day after his heart surgery." Nick pouted. "And as I recall, he was not supposed to. It was just to get him back on tour quickly." Nick was amazed. "How do you know that?" Kathy smiled. "I'm a fan, honey! I love your music. You boys sing like nobody's business!" "And you obviously watch MTV." "Only when I know you are on, sweetie!" Nick blushed. "Thanks Kathy!" She rubbed his shoulder. "No problem sweetie! Here's the doctor, I'll see you after okay?"

Nick turned his head to the sound of the doctors voice. "How are you today?" Nick sighed. Now that he was relatively alone he realized that he must have missed a round of his pain medication somehow. Or maybe he was due for one soon. Everything was starting to hurt, a dull ache that touched the very core of his body. "I'm starting to hurt. Could I get my pain medication?" The doctor consulted his chart. "Ah yes, sorry. You were due for one a half hour ago. I'll be right back." The doctor returned quickly with the medication and a small paper cup of water. "Here you go. Must have been missed in the confusion to get you down here." Nick gulped the pills and water down hastily, praying that the faster they got into his system the faster they would work. He didn't think he'd be able to stand this pain for too long. The doctor sat and consulted the chart again. "Mr. Carter, can I be honest with you?" "I hope you will be." Nick said. "When I remove the pads and bandages off your eyes, there is a chance you will not see." Nick nodded, subconsciously holding his breath. "In light of the tests that have already been performed there appears to be a significant amount of damage done to the corneas." "But it's just temporary right? You can operate and fix it?" Nicks voice was strained. "We will still run the tests and see if there is a chance the damage might be temporary, but from what I see here, it is not." he cleared his throat. "I just want to prepare you for what is sure to be a shock. You will most likely be blind for the rest of your life." "No!" Nick shook his head and cried out. "NO! You can fix it, operate or something! I can't be blind!" "This type of damage is not something that can be reversed by operating." the specialist said, calmly. "But, let's take off the badages first and perform the tests." Nick was shaking like a leaf as the doctor cut away the bandages and pads covering his eyes. "Now keep them closed for a minute. I need to get some drops for them." Nick held his eyelids together as told. He was afraid at what he might or might not see if he opened them. "Okay, turn your head up." Nick did so and the doctor slipped the drops in the corner of each eye. "Okay, open them slowly and tell me what you see." Nick opened his eyes and tried to focus. "What do you see, Mr. Carter?" "I can't see anything." he said slowly, quietly. "It's like a cloud. I can't see anything!" his voice now bordered on hysteria. "I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING!"