It was past midnight and the guys had finally made it out of the venue after signing tons of autograph and they were now on their way to Italy where they were going to end the tour. Since they had a show to do in Milan the next day they had to travel by night so therefore all they could do was watch video and take it easy. Johnny had ordered up pizzas to them and all but Nick had devoured the dish like they were a bunch of starving wolfs. The teen on the other hand had said no, claiming that he wasnīt hungry and instead heīd drank a can of coke. This had come much to an surprise since neither of them were used to Nick skipping a meal, especially not if it was Pizza. Yet they said nothing since they all knew that their little brother had not been feeling well to begin with and instead they blamed that the lack of apetite to the flu that were going around.
But Nick knew better.
He was still peeing a tint of pink and his back ached like a bitch. If he wasnīt so sure that they were upset with him for catching another flu bug again he would have asked for tylenol but now he refrained from doing that. Mainly beacuse he felt like he had been given the cold shoulder all evening, probably beacuse he knew that they was pissed at him for stalling again. Another flu bug wasnīt wanted, especially not in the end of a tour when all everybody was thinking off was going back home to meet girlfriends and family and didnīt want to be stuck in a hotel room with a sick teen. It was these thoughts that had Nick thinking twice about telling anyone how bad he really felt.
" Anyone wants another beer?" Howie called out from the kitchen area. He was rumaging through the small refrigerator trying to find some cold ones.
" Yeah I want one," AJ yelled back, tightlt followed by both Kevin and Brian. Lou and Johnny had decided to ride the bands bus since they needed to take care of some business and to say that the guys was happy would be an understatement. " D' make that two no wait..three..hell bring the whole six pack!" AJ cried.
" Allright, anything else?"
" Yup make some popcorn too and bring that bag of chips. You know those sour cream ones that we bought at that supermarket." Brian was in the livingroom section, waiting for Sweet D' to join them so they could start watching the horror film that AJ had bought. It was suppose to be a scary one.
There were loud noises as Howie slammed in the cupboards obviously not being very happy of being the designated maid. The guys couldnīt help to tease their brother. " D'! While youīre at it, bring some peanuts too."
There were a brief silence before Howie yelled back with annoyance in his voice, " Is there anything more you want before I close the shop for tonight?"
" Yes as a matter of fact there is," Brian stated with a chuckle, " get those bags of cheese doodles too and donīt forget to bring..." He was instantly interupted.
" Get it yourself."
A loud laugh broke out in the livingroom. They had been pulling poor Howies leg again. Sweet D' was such an easy target, especially since he had a hard time staying mad for a longer period of time. Usually it was Nicks doing, bugging their friend, but tonight when the teen was not in a mood Brian took over the task. With delight.
Soon they found Howie balancing several bags of chips and cheeze doodles as well as a six back and a bowl of popcorn into the living room area. No one made any attempt to help since they were seriously discussing if the videofilm AJ had bought was worth watching or if they should look at a safer card.
Just when Howie thought he was safe with juggeling the hard task and he was going to put down the popcorn bowl as well as the bags of chips on the table he tripped. Before anyone could react the blue plastic popcorn bowl came flying through the air as well as the chips bags. Popcorn was soon decorating both the rest of the guys as well as the floor. It was a disaster.
Looking down at the obsticle on the floor that had tripped him Howies face went red in seconds, " Jeeze Nicky," he yelled, " What are you doing on the floor?"
Looking up with innocent eyes Nick mumbled, " Sitting, what does it look like I do?" He rubbed his leg absently, " Ouch that hurt."
" It did?" Howie was much to nice to be upset for long and he bent down to see where he had hit his friend. Noticing that Nick wasnīt hurt he stated irritated, " Well you didnīt need to sit on the floor did you?" They were all tired and tense since the show and a bad mood was nothing but expected. " Look what you did! Now there is popcorn all over the bus."
" Chill out D', " AJ came to the rescue,"There is no disaster besides most of it was still in the bowl." With that he helped the others to pick up the popcorn placing it in the bowl. There had been lots of laughter but it had quickly died down when they saw that Howie was nothing but amused.
After the place was cleaned up as best as they could regarding the popcorn AJ threw a beer to Nick " Here ya go!" When the teen didnīt accept it and it fell down on the floor he continued with accusasation in his voice, " Fuck Nick, why didnīt you take it? Man youīre not the one to turn down on a bud."
Nick shrugged, " Didnīt want any."
" Uh..are you sick or something?" AJ asked getting a glare back from the others. " What? Itīs not like Nicky to turn down booze or food!" The others shook their head in disapprovement and AJ sighed loudly, " Man I just asked." He sat down heavily on his side of the couch.
Howie, forgetting that Nick had tripped him asked, " You want something else?"
" Nah.." Nick shook his head before yawning loudly, " Iīm fine."
" You sure?" He got a nod back. Howie felt a tad concern. Nick looked much too pale for his own good and the black bags under his eyes revealed that he hadnīt got much sleep the previous days, " Nicky, if you are that tired maybe you should go back to the bunks and get some sleep instead of watching this video." His tone were soft and taking in the pale and tired view of his friend he decided to call it a truce.
" Yeah Kaos..beside this movie is much too scary for you," AJ added from his corner of the room.
Nick glared at the twenty year old, the turned back to the latino who looked really worried, " Nah..Iīm not tired," he stopped to think, " Iīm sorry that you tripped over my legs." His voice was soft and quiet which had them all turning their attention to him.
" You ok?" This time it was Kevin who acted a bit concern, " You donīt have a fever again, do you?"
" No," Nick shook his head, instantly regretting his move since it hurt his head. There were an impending headache coming on bringing with it a bit of nausea too. Noticing that the others didnīt seem to believe him he continued, " Man are we going to talk about my health or are we going to watch the film?"
" Nickys right..plug it in." Howie decided and AJ put the tape in the videorecorder.
" No wait," Kevin said when AJ pressed the start button. " Brians not back from the john yet."
AJ sighed loudly, " Man B'rok better hurry or we wonīt be able to watch this movie before itīs morning."
" Chill out Bone..you sure are aggitated tonight," Kevin said calmly when AJ grumbled something not so nice to the guys. The younger man opened his mouth to say something when Brian came out from the small toilet, jumping down on the couch.
" Ok Iīm ready now we can watch it."
" Good..finally," AJ sighed, turning to Nick he asked, " Youīre not gonna go next or something?"
" Huh?" Nick looked suprised at his friend.
" Good," AJ stated, " If no one have any objections Iīm going to start this baby now." With that he turned on the film. ************************************************************************************************************
Shifting restlessly on the floor Nick was trying to find a comfortable position. It was hard since his back hurt so bad and no matter how he lay he felt like all of his joints were working in overdrive. The headache that had been escalating slowly through out the night was now full blown and if he hadnīt been so tired he would have gone to bed in his bunk. But even the thought of having to get up made him feel even worse. There fore he stayed on the floor even if it wasnīt too nice either. Especially since the bus kept moving making him a bit motionsick as well as making his head jump with every bump that they hit on the road. The guys had to see that he wasnīt comfortable at all yet no one offered him a place on the couch either.
His eyes were starting to get more and more heavy and if it wasnīt for the hard connection against his left side he would have fallen asleep without a twitch. " OUUUUCHHHH!!"
" Fuck Carter...move or I swear that I will step on you," AJ growled, holding his leg, " Man why do you have to lay on the floor?
" Donīt do that. It hurts." Nick held protectivly at his side, " Get off me."
" Then the fuck MOVE!"
Looking up he saw AJ standing bend over him, looking like a gigant and he blinked several times trying to get his bearings, " Uh?"
" I said MOOVE or Iīm going to kick your ass again!"
" AJ!," Kevin barked, " There is no need to sound like that at Nick."
Sounding like an obnoxious teenager the other man said, " Can I help that dumbass legs was in the way? I was just going to get something to drink when this ass," he pointed at the teen, " was taking up all the space." Turning to Nick he continued, " If you were like everyone else and sat on a seat you wouldnīt be stepped upon. Itīs your own damned fault that youīre getting in the battlezone."
" Bite me." Instantly Nick was in the game.
" Idiot," AJ muttered before walking out off the room to get another beer. Kevin gave him a hard glare while Nick nursed his aching side. When AJ came back with a brewster in his hand their was nothing said as he sank down next to Brian, " Hey give me some."
Brian who was busy stuffing his face full with popcorn looked up, " There is no need to sound so tersly." His hand went instantly back to the bowl, grabbing a hand full.
" Yeah and there is no need for you to eat all of the popcorn," looking down into the bowl he muttered, " Man you ate it all!" Picking at the crumbs he grumbled, " You could at least have saved us some."
" Didnīt think you wanted any besides there is plently of chips to eat too." Brian said looking a bit ashamed.
AJ shrugged, " It wasnīt for me. Iīm sure that blondee here would like some too. Right?" When he didnīt get an instant anwer he asked again, " Right dumbass?" With that he nudged Nicks head a bit with his foot. to state his point.
" What?" There were an irritated tone as Nick lifted his head slowly to look at the older man. His head ached even worse than before and talking to Bone was not high on his priority list.
" I asked if you wanted any popcorn. Or chips?" AJ waved with the chips bag infront of Nicks face.
" Oh," The teen responded with laying down his aching head on the floor, " Not hungry." The moment he uttered the words he knew that it was true. His stomach ached and there were an tingling sensation in the back of his throat like he was going to get sick. Swallowing hard he mumbled," Get that bag away from me!"
The action had them all staring at him, " Huh?"
" What? Why are you staring at me? What did I do?" Now Nick was getting more and more irritated. Why did they have to ask like such asses?
" Nothing, just concerned that youīre turning down chips that all," Brian said with a shrug. Looking at Nick he asked, " You sure that youīre ok?"
" Yeah I said so didnīt I?" Nick muttered, feeling like an traitor not saying how bad he really felt. He was sure that if he would even utter one small sign that he was peeing blood they would be all over him. Sending him off to the hospital. He groaned as another wave of pain shot through his back.
" Damn Kaos, get off that floor...this is not a place for you to lay, especially not since you ran a fever yesterday." AJ changed his tone of voice upon hearing Nicks groaning. It was obvious that his friend wasnīt well at all.
" Yes Nick what the hell are you doing down there. Get up before you get even sicker than you are." Kevin was now taking charge off the situation.
" No I wanna stretch out," Nick mumbled hearing how stupid it sounded, yet doing nothing to stopping it. Closing his eyes to block out the light he mumbled, " beside there were not any room for me on the couch."
Upon hearing this Brian instantly moved his legs, even if it was a bit unwillingly, " Here Frack," he said patting on the seat next to him, " Here you can sit."
" No thank you. I wanna lay on the floor."
" Donīt be so stupid," Kevin barked, " Brian told you that you can sit on the couch and the floor is really not a good place for you to sleep on. If youīre that tired maybe you should go to bed."
" No..itīs cool down here, besides Iīm too tired to move."
Upon hearing this Kevin went into some strange doctors mood, " Cool? Are you saying that you are hot? Youīre not running a fever again, are you?" The older man bend down to feel Nicks forehead but the blonde shrugged swiftly away. " Be still will you," he growled trying hard to act out his bedside manner which sucked according to Nicks messures.
" Iīm fine, leave me alone. I just wanna lay on the floor is that some kind of crime or what?"
" No but itīs stupid," Howie filled in, " especially since you had a very high fever yesterday and passed out."
" It was not," Brian interjcted, " Youīre not well and you know it. You havenīt been well at all on this tour."
" Whatever." A pressing matter was making itself known and he knew that he had to get up or there would be an accident. Standing up with lots of effort he caught the others attention once again.
" Where are you going?" Brian asked with concern watching Nicks pale face and the expression in his face that told them that he was not well at all.
This was getting too much. " God! Are you my mother or something?" he snapped. " Canīt I even take a leak by my own, before you start questioning me?" He moved towards the small toilet when AJ stopped him.
" You sure thatīs all you gonna do?"
" What do you mean?"
" You know the number one rule...No shitting on the tour bus!" He grinned.
" I thought that was number two," Brian joked to lighten up the pressed mood that they were all in.
This had the guys laughing, all but Nick who slowly made himself into the toilet. Once he had closed the door and was alone he took care of his little problem. It was esaier said than done since his back and bladder ached so bad that he wanted to crawl into a ball. Outside he could hear the guys laughing and a thought popped up in his mind, and this had the rest of them laughing. Nick looked back at them before walking into the bustoilet to take care of his problem. ' If they only knew,' he thought darkly, wincing, as he watched the water below him turn a deep shade of pink.
