There was a fierce pounding in his heart and he could feel his mouth getting dry when dread welled up inside him. The phone was ringing but there was no one on the other line to pick it up. He could feel cold sweat breaking out on his forehead as he awaited for his wife to answer the phone. After ten rings he put the phone down with a shaky hand.
Why wasnīt she answering?
Checking his watch he noticed that it was long after midnight and there was no way that she would be anywhere but at home since he knew that she was ordered to rest. Even if she was alseep her mother was staying there and would pick up the phone. But no calls had been coming through. A bad feeling made it hard to breath and almost like in slow motion he pressed the buttons to Leighanne's parent's. They lived in Atlanta too so he prayed that if she had gone to the hospital that they had gone there with her. His only conclusion was that something had happened with the baby and he cursed himself for not being there for her. What kind of a husband was he that wasnīt there for his wife when she was giving birth to their first born?
Once again several rings were getting through but no one answered and he was just about to hang up when a sleepy male voice answered on the other end. It was his father in law Joe.
"Is Leighanne with you?" There was anxiousness in his voice as he more or less stuttered the words.
"Brian? " A susprised voice said, "Brian is that you?"
He nodded stupidly, "Yes. I tried to call Leigh at home but she wasnīt answering and now Iīm afraid that something has happened. Is she allright? Is she at the hospital? Is everything fine with the baby?" The questions were many and he spilled them as fast as he could like he was afraid that if he dragged them out, the answers would come out negative.
"Calm down son..youīre talking to fast. I canīt understand what youīre saying." The older man sounded a bit annoyed over getting woken up in the middle of the night.
"Iīm sorry but I gotta know. Is she doing allright?"
"Yes, Donna had some business to tend to at the Church Charity so we decied that it was better for Leigh to spend her time here, especially with her condition."
"Oh..That is good," Brian said, breathing with relief. Before he had a chance to continue the older man asked, "You want me to wake her up for you?"
"No..No...let her sleep" Brian shook his head, "Just tell her that Iīve called and that I will call her in the morning instead.
"Iīll do that." Strangely his father in law sounded a bit cold as he added, "How is that young man, that youīre visiting?"
"You mean Nick?" Brian tried to act as casual as possible. "Oh..he is doing so much better." He could hear himself lying, not telling the truth, but it was like if he continued to act like nothing was wrong maybe his prayer that Nick would be well again would come through.
"That is good news. Now that he is doing better I hope that youīre thinking of coming back home again." There was a hint of sarcasm in the older man's tone and this surprised Brian greatly. His relation with his father in law had always been very good..but it was like something had changed.
"Yes, I just want to make sure that he is perfectly stable before I leave.."
"I thought you said that he was doing better," Joe interupted him, a bit irritated. " Brian, I hope that you know what youīre doing and that youīre making the right choice." There was almost like a threat in his tone, "I really think that you should come home . Leigh and the baby need you."
"I know..believe me..I know," Brian said sadly, feeling his stomach constrict. He felt really torn about what he would do since one part wanted to be with his wife and the other wanted him to, no needed him to be there for Nick. If it wasnīt for the fact that he kept having a bad feeling over his "little brothers" condition he would be already back with his wife in Atlanta. But something..someone told him to hold on. Not to leave his friend...yet.
When Brian didnīt respond at once Joe continue, "I really hope that youīre considering to come back home since my daughter needs you and if youīre not..well then you have made your choice. And it isnīt my daughter and her baby!" The words were harsh and cold which surprised the younger man greatly.
"Are you saying that I donīt care for my wife?" He was doing his best to make his voice as steady as possible.
"I didnīt say that," his father in law said, sounding like heīd regretted his words. "Iīm just stating that your wife needs you."
"I know and so does my friend." He didnīt know if it was beacuse of the hectic day where heīd nearly lost his brother or the fact that it was very late but he suddenly felt all fed up with the whole situation. "Listen. I have to get going but tell Leighanne that I have called and that I will call her tomorrow. Okay?"
There was a brief silence before the older man added, "Iīll do that...but donīt you forget who means the most to you..."
Brian did his best to stay calm but inside he was very angryand had to put a lid on his temper. " Just tell her that I love her." With that they said goodbye and hung up. Long after his father in law had left he was standing there with the lure in his hand. Had he been imagining things or had Mr. Wallace told him to make a choice? Choose who he would support? Even if it hurt his heart greatly and he loved them both the choice was simple who he would choose.....
Leighanne.
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A low buzzing sound cut throuch his dreams and slowly Nick started to wake up to reality. Opening his eyes his first impression was that the vision was fuzzy around the edges but also that his chest hurt something fierce when he tried to breath. Coughing he tried to clear his lungs out but whatever was isnide off them didnīt disappear and he found himself breathing hard to get any oxygene into his lungs.
"Dad?"
Instantly the older man beside his side got his attention. "What is it son? Are you in any pain? You want me to call for a nurse?"
Nick shook his head, "No." Then he added with a bit of an apology, "I guess I fell asleep when Brian was here. Do you know where he went?" Another wet cough wracked his body as he desperatly fought to get up the phlegm that coated his lungs.
"Yes, he had to go and make a phone call to Leighanne and the others are fast asleep in the waiting room. Nick itīs in the middle of the night and you should sleep too."
"I know but I canīt." He could hear himself whining, "It hurts too much."
"Hurts?" His father sounded concerned, "What hurts? Is it your stomach? Lungs? What? Tell me Nick..do you feel sick?" The small touch of nervousness in his father's voice had him smile reassuringly towards the older man, "No itīs nothing. Itīs just this damned cough that is making itself known."
His father frowned but Nick continued, "Itīs just my lungs..Dr. Andersen told me that I might be a bit sore after the ordeal I had went through before and sheīll give me something for it later on."
"I really hope that is all," his dad said not totally convinced over Nick's own diagnosis.
"Well it is..donīt worry just give me something for me to suck on..something cold."
"Huh? You wanīt what?" His dad sounded so confused that Nick had to chuckle.
"Donīt worry dad Iīm talking about the icecubes."
"Oh," The older man's shoulder sagged visibly as he relaxed. Picking up the bowl of ice cubes from the icebucket and then spooning up one small ice cube he said, "Ok..here you go!"
Nick felt like being fed and he would have objected if it didnīt feel so damned good as the cold ice soothed his sore throat. It wasnīt the first time that his throat was this sore and for some strange reason ice cubes always seemed to serve a purpose, especially if heīd been running a fever like now.
Upon seeing the greatful look on his son's face Bob smiled, "Iīll take it that you liked it."
"Mmmmm," Nick nodded, "This is waaay better than getting laid..or at least it's about the same." He stopped himself short when he noticed what heīd been saying but Bob was laughing loudly.
"I can tell youīre getting better again," the older man said with a large grin, "Sex jokes are never far behind when youīre in good health." That was true. Nick and AJ..yes all of the guys were never late in telling a joke to each other and for some strange yet highly natural reason sex always seemed to be high on the list.
Nick could only nod. He didnīt want to spoil the good moment he had with his dad by saying that his chest really hurt and he could do with some pain relivers. It felt like something was trying it hardest to work itself up his lungs, making him want to cough all the time. He did his best to stiffle the coughs since they threatened to errupt like an volcano and there would be no telling what would happen next. Beside he didnīt want to make his dad more upset than was necessary.
Meanwhile Bob continued to tell him that heīd been really through the wringer. "You really gave us quite a scare there for a while. Did you know that you were so bad off that you almost left us? Your heart stopped twice."
"Mmmm..I know." He didnīt want to talk since too much strenous pressure on his vocal chords would only serve that he would start coughing even more. Upon noticing his dads sad _expression he had to do something about the situation and added with a forced chuckle, "But hell Iīm still here ainīt I and Iīm not planning to go anywhere but home when they see fit to let me."
The words most have given his dad some strength. "Yes Nick you sure are and you know son when I think of everything youīve been going through lately and surviving Iīm starting to think that there is a big chance that you will walk away from all of this in good health again."
Nick nodded but he himself wasnīt as sure. Maybe it was beacuse of the pain that surged through his lungs or maybe it was beacuse there was a feeling that told him that his odds were not that good, especially since it felt like his lungs would collapse at any given second. The strange feeling was starting to come back again and he had to swallow several times to fend it off but the urge to cough made it unbearable. This kind of action didnīt go unnoticed from his dad's hawk eyes.
"What is it? Do you feel sick? Do you want me to get someone?" Instinctively his dad reached for the basin on the bedstand but Nick managed to catch his hand before that and shook his head a distinct NO. The questions were too many and he felt too weak to answer any of them. He tried his best to stiffle the coughs that threatned to overtake his body but it was futile and only served to prolonge the suffering and soon he broke out in a disasterous coughing fit.
In slow motion Bob witnessed his son once again batteling for his life and the more he coughed the more blue his lips became and soon he was literally choking. "Dammit Nick come on breathe!" He yelled as he slapped the young man in his back in a desperate effort to help whatever was stuck in his lungs to clear up. This hurt so much and all Nick wanted to do was to yell for him to stop and back off so he could get some air and breathe again, but nothing like that happened. Instead the wet coughs wracked his body and he could feel the air around him getting harder and harder to breathe in. It was all like a nightmare and he could feel himself close to panic.
"Da..dad..he...help," he called out, tugging at his throat with his hand. "Help meee!"
Upon seeing his oldest son in so much pain Bob didnīt know what to do and in mere despair pressed the signal button and within seconds, but what felt like an eternity, two nurses entered the room in a hurry. Instantly they caught hold of the situation and they patted him on his back to lessen the large blob of phlegm that was stuck in his lungs.
"Thatīs it Nick, get it all up. Yes..keep on coughing in that way," the elderly nurse mumbled over and over again as she kept making smooth circular moves on his back.
Tears ran down his face as he tried to breath but phlegm made it impossible and for a moment he could feel himself blacking out. Nick cried and coughed and cried and coughed. Thick phlegm came up but he was too weak to make any notice over what was really happening. The voices around him buzzed like honey bees and for a moment he thought he was a goner. Then he felt something sting in his arm and a warm sensation came through his body. The wracking coughs finally subsided and soon he could feel his whole body relax and he sank into a warm oblivion.
When the bouts had been at its worst Bob had just stood there watching, not being able to do anything to comfort his sick son and now when Nick appeared to be sound asleep he felt as exhausted as if heīd been the one coughing so much. Wiping his own forehead he watched in silence the two nurses doing their work. "I thought he was doing better,Whatīs causing this? Will he be ok?"
"Yes hopefully this is a result after the infection heīs suffering from and once it clears up, heīll be fi..I mean heīll be better again." Upon noticing the mans frown when the word fine was nearly spilled she quickly changed the version. Somehow telling the dad to a young patient batteling his life in the later stages of cancer that he would be fine AGAIN sounded very wrong. "The reason why he is having such bad coughing bouts is beacuse his body is still weak from the previous ordeal and there is much muscus in his lungs that needs to be cleared off. I gave him an injection so he could breathe better and for now weīll see if this is enough."
Bob frowned, "For now? What do you mean by this? You think that heīll experience more attacks of this kind?"
"Hopefully not but as long as his lungs are coated with pleghm he needs to get it out off his system and unfortunatly the only way he can do this is to cough it all up. Since his lungs were very much infected it can take a long time before they are healed properly." The older nurse explained briefly before adding, "Heīs stable for now but just to be on the safe side weīre going to talk with the doctor in charge to make sure that nothing else happens."
Walking up to Nick he placed his large hand on his sons cheek. He withdraw it very quickly since his son was once again burning up with fever. The nurses noticed this and was just about to ask what was wrong when he said with fright in his voice, "Heīs hot. Burning up with fever." Turning to the personel he asked, "Shouldnīt his fever be better by now?"
"Normally yes, but the chemotherapy he received earlier has weakened his system very much and then it can take time to build it up again. We are giving him penicillin and hopefully itīll do the trick."
Nodding Bob was about to say something when the older nurse interrupted him, "Mr. Carter Nick needs to rest to gain his strength back and so do you. Your son will be asleep for a while and meanwhile Iīll suggest that you go home, eat something and then take a few hours of sleep."
"No..No I canīt do that. My son needs me!"
"Your son needs you to stay healthy! There isnīt any help for him if you get sick too so please go back and try to get some sleep. If there are any changes weīll give a call."
Bob shook his head stubbornly, "No..I said no didnīt I? There is no way I can rest when my son is being this sick. He needs me by his side and Iīm sticking here in case something happens."
"Well itīs your call but at least take a few hours of rest in the waiting room." This was an offer that Bob couldnīt object since to tell the truth he was actually very exhausted. With a firm hand the dark nurse grabbed him by his arm and lead him out to the corriodor, "Donīt you worry weīll take good care of your son and like I said if there are any changes whatsoever weīll inform you."
"Oh Ok then.." Reluctantly he let himself get persuaded and with that walked into the waiting room where the rest of the men were sleeping. With a deep sigh he sank down onto a chair, craddling his head in his hands like in defeat.
Brian who was the most easiest to wake up in the group opened his eyes when he heard someone entering the room. Notcing that it was Nick's dad his stomach clenched for fear. The older man looked very tired as well as his posture showed genuine despair.
"Howīs Nick doing?"
At first there were no response but when Brian pressed on the question again he told about Nicks condition and about the bout heīd been experiencing. This was met by a loud gasp from the rest of the men whoīd woken up. The shook that their "little brother" once again battled his health caught them by surprise. Especially Brian who had earlier called and booked a flight back home to Leighanne. Now there wsa serious regret over his action and there were too many dark clouds in sky to be sure that nothing bad would happen.
"His cough was so bad that I honestly thought I would loose him," Bob said in the end off telling his story. These words hit all of the guys hard and for a moment they looked close to the breaking point. It didnīt help matters that there was suddenly a call from Nick's room and before they knew what hit them several personel rushed into his room. The five men watched the scenario unfold infront of them at the same time as many thoughts swirled inside their brain.
But it was when one of the nurses rushed out to get a special device that it dawned upon them what was happening to their friend....Code Blue.
