After breakfast, Aaron purchased a copy of the Orlando Sentinal and a large coffee and made his way back into Nick's room. Nick opened his eyes as soon as Aaron crested the doorway.
"Back already?"
"Already? I was gone for over an hour," Aaron replied as he sat down.
"So what was good in the cafeteria?"
"Nothing.....I grabbed a breakfast sandwich at Subway."
"You drove to Subway after I told you how much trouble you'd get---"
"The Subway downstairs on the first floor in the food court Nick," Aaron interrupted.
"Oh."
"Oh," Aaron echoed as he started pawing through the sections of the paper. "Want a section?"
Nick held his hand out, "Yeah....sports."
Sighing dramatically as he pulled the wanted section out for his brother, the teen grinned as he handed the paper to Nick. "I was hoping you'd ask for the fashion section."
"I'll read the sports section to you....there's probably some big words in there," Nick teased.
"Ha...ha....you're a funny guy," the young teen replied dryly as he reached for the cup of coffee. Pulling the tab back from the lid, Aaron cautiously sipped the hot beverage.
It didn't take long for the aroma of coffee to hit Nick's nostrils. He immediately held a hand up to his mouth. "Air.....c-could you?"
Aaron looked up from the paper and instantly noticed the distressed look on his brother's face. "Are you gonna get sick?"
Not trusting his stomach, Nick shook his head as he gestured to the cup. ".....that."
Aaron looked down at the white cup, confusion etched on his face. "You want some coffee?"
His mouth was filling with saliva as he tried to will the nausea away. Swallowing hard, he croaked out, "....the smell....get rid of it!"
The young teen's eyes widened and he quickly jumped up from the seat and hurried over to the sink and quickly poured the contents down the drain. "Nick, I'm sorry....I didn't think that you'd----"
"S'kay, the chemo has screwed me up, I'm okay now."
Aaron's heart dropped. He felt bad that he made Nick feel sick. "You always drank coffee...."
"And I will again but not for awhile I suppose," he reassured.
The brothers locked eyes when they heard a distinctive clicking of high heels on the linoleum flooring out in the hall.
"Shit....it came..." Aaron whispered. Nick rolled his eyes.
"Aaron Charles Carter! What were you thinking when you got up and took your brother's car?" Jane Carter demanded as soon as she entered the room. She set her heavy purse ontop of Nick's bed with a dramatic thud. Nick winced as the bag smacked his shin. "And how dare you hang up on me?!"
Aaron didn't reply as he kept his eyes set on the newspaper. Jane Carter reached out and grabbed the paper from her son's hands.
The dark haired woman bent over and put her face inches from the young boy's as she demanded in a shrill voice, "I expect you to give me some respect when I'm talking to you and look at me!"
"Ma.....everythings fine....me and Airhead were just visiting," Nick said.
Oh my God....Nick...," the woman cried after she finally looked at her ailing son. "Your face....your so.....your face.....
"Yeah I know, it's pretty fat....just some fluid retention that will go away in a bit," Nick casually replied.
Jane shook her head as she sighed. "I don't know about that doctor......"
"Ma, we've already been through this.....this is just things that happen with the meds they've been giving me to get me ready for the BMT."
Blinking away the tears that pooled in her eyes, Jane finally directed her attention back toward her younger son. "You're not getting out of this young man! You need to look at me when I talk to you....show me some respect!"
"Ma.....it's okay, he's just uncomfortable with you going nuts on him in front of me," Nick defended.
"You keep out of this! This is between your brother and me," Jane hissed.
Nick rubbed his forehead with his middle finger and Aaron smirked as he watched the gesture. Jane finally threw her hands up in the air.
"I give up on the both of you....and Nickolas you're being a bad influence when you do that....I saw it and I know what you were doing!"
"What? my forehead itched," Nick replied innocently.
Jane dropped the subject and set into her mothering mode, adjusting the blankets on Nick's bed. "Aaron you aren't due to be here until this afternoon. I don't know what your rush to sneak out this morning was all about."
Nick's eyes widened. "This afternoon?"
"Yeah, they want me to check in this afternoon so they can give me some of the last shots here before surgery in the morning," Aaron replied casually.
"Shots?" Nick questioned.
"Yup, they've been having me go to the doctor's office and getting a shot every other day for the past week, something about building up T cells for you or something like that," he replied quietly.
Nick blew his breath out. "Wow....I didn't know you had been doing that."
Aaron shrugged his shoulders. "Wasn't really that big of a deal."
"But you hate getting shots. You've always been a wuss about needles."
"Aaron is a big boy," Jane defended, ignoring the eye roll from the young blonde after she made her statement. "We're all doing what we can to help you baby."
Nick groaned mentally.
"I'm going to go down and get a cup of coffee, do you want anything baby?"
"Don't come back with the coffee," Aaron piped up. "The smell makes Nick sick."
"Phufft.....don't be silly," Jane huffed as she pulled her coin purse out of the large leather hand bag.
"He's serious ma," Nick agreed. "I thought I was gonna lose it when he pulled the lid off his coffee this morning--"
Jane narrowed her eyes at the youngest Carter. "You were drinking coffee AC? I've told you it will stunt your growth!"
"Geeze...it was only coffee, it's not like I was drinking beer or something, don't get postal over it," Aaron replied.
"How about you come with me downstairs then? God knows I can't trust you for two seconds."
"Go alone, I wanna stay here with Nick."
"No, you're coming with me," Jane insisted as she tugged at Aaron's arm.
"You realize she's not gonna give up, go on, I'll be fine," Nick urged.
"You'd think that you'd let me stay since I haven't been allowed to see Nick for almost three weeks," Aaron sputtered.
"Well twenty minutes or so won't kill you then, will it?" Jane snapped.
Aaron looked back at Nick while he was being ushered out of the room. Nick flashed a toothy smile back as he waved.
"Okay Aaron, you'll be taken down to the holding area tomorrow morning at 7:30 and I'll talk to you again before they take you into the operating room. I'll be giving you the anesthetic through your IV and it will put you to sleep so you won't feel a thing. The procedure will take roughly forty-five minutes give or take and then you'll be taken back into recovery for an hour and then back up to your room," the doctor stated in a mono toned voice. He looked over at Jane and then back at Aaron. "Do you have any questions?"
"Do you know when my brother will get the bone marrow?"
"Generally they deliver that within two hours after they filter it and run a few quick tests."
"Does he have to have surgery to get this....how does he get this?"
"Didn't they tell you this already?"
"I forgot," he admitted quietly.
The doctor grinned. "That's okay, you can't be expected to hang on all the medical mumbo jumbo. Your brother will get your bone marrow through an IV. It takes about an hour and that's it."
Aaron's eyes widened. "Only an hour? Then he'll be okay?"
"That would be a question for his doctor," the man replied quickly. "Now, if you don't have any other questions, I'll see you in the morning." With that, the man left the room.
Jane clicked her porcelain nails together as she examined them. "Well that man has the personality of a wet mop."
Aaron stared at his mother with a sullen expression. "He's a doctor not a public speaker."
Jane flicked her hands in the air. "Whatever....he just seems weird."
"Anyone that wasn't hand picked by you is weird," Aaron grumbled as he pulled his legs into the bed.
"Hey tator tot..." AJ rasped as he entered the room.
"Hey!" Aaron replied with a grin.
"Why aren't you with Nick?" Jane questioned as she watched the rebel saunter into the room.
"They let Kaos take a shower and I thought it would be a good time to check on the kid."
"Why do you people always insist on nicknames?" Jane muttered as she shook her head.
'Why do you always insist on being such a bitch?' AJ mentally wondered. Forcing a smile on his face, he ignored the older woman's remark. "So are you all set for the big event tomorrow?"
"I'm scared as hell," Aaron admitted. "What if this doesn't work?"
AJ reached down and gave the young blonde's foot a hard squeeze. "It will work, you gotta have faith and I ain't religious but I think the dude upstairs will help your brother on this one."
Jane sighed. "The dude upstairs? Honestly......." Grabbing her purse, she stood up. "I'm going upstairs to check on your brother and get something to eat."
"Why don't you go home and get some sleep, Jane?" AJ suggested.
Jane scoffed at the thought. "And leave my babies? Absolutely not!"
Aaron exchanged a glance with the tattooed rebel.
"I'm planning on spending the night in Aaron's room......one of the nurses should be bringing a cot down anytime." Not waiting for a reply, Jane left the room.
"Fucking great," Aaron moaned.
AJ winked. "Gotta love moms."
Aaron pulled at the top of the blankets as he gritted his teeth. "God why does she treat me like I'm a baby? I fricken fifteen for cryin' out loud almost sixteen?"
"Sorry dude."
"Oh thanks Bone, thanks for the sympathy," the blonde sighed.
"Just try and go to sleep before she gets back," AJ suggested. "I'm leaving for a smoke anyway so seriously if I were you, I'd either try to go to sleep or just fake sleep so she'll leave your ass alone." He reached down and gave the teenager a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. "Take care and I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah....good night."
"Good night, kiddo."
Fluffing his pillow into a comfortable angle, Aaron tried to do what AJ suggested and closed his eyes.
"Good morning."
Aaron's eyes fluttered open to see a young nurse standing beside his bed. "Morning," he mumbled sleepily as he stretched his arms over his head.
"They will be taking you down for surgery in an hour. You need to hop into the shower and use this special soap," the woman stated as she gestured to the white packet of anti-bacterial liquid soap. "You'll find a toothbrush, toothpaste and a comb in this bag too. I laid a fresh gown on the table and they will want you to have only that on and you can put these foot slippers on.....no underwear."
Aaron could feel the heat rise to his cheeks when the young nurse mentioned about the underwear situation. "Uh, okay thanks."
As he got up out of bed, he glanced over to the guest cot. Judging by the rumbled blankets, his mother had slept in it but was now was no where to be found. He decided that she went down for coffee or to bother Nick. After taking his shower and brushing his teeth, Aaron walked out of the bathroom, toweling his hair dry. He jumped when he realized he wasn't alone in the room.
"Jesus AJ you scared the shit outta me!"
"Good morning to you too."
"Sorry, I wasn't expecting to see you here," Aaron apologized as he climbed back into the hospital bed.
"Well Jane was upstairs nagging about something and I bailed on your bro."
"Bet he's happy you did that," Aaron smirked.
AJ shrugged his shoulders in reply. "I'm sure she'll be showing up any minute down here."
"Well I'm hoping they take me before she comes back."
"Aaron, I need you to take these for me," the nurse that entered the room stated as she pulled a tiny zip lock-like baggie from a clipboard.
Aaron looked at the white capsule and an orange-yellowish liquid that was in a small, clear plastic cup. He obediently offered his hand for the nurse to drop the contents of the first baggie into his hand.
"This one is vallium," she stated as she handed him a small cup of water.
AJ chuckled at the mention of the drug. "Good stuff kid."
Tossing the pill into his mouth, Aaron savored the miniscule amount of water that was offered to take the pill with. He gagged for a moment, wondering if he was going to throw the pill back up.
"Easy there, you alright?" the nurse asked as she lightly patted her patient on his back.
"Yeah, for a moment I thought I was gonna throw it up," he groaned hoarsely.
"Okay this other stuff," she said as she gave Aaron the orangish liquid, "is to help neutrilize the stomach acids."
Aaron drank the small amount of liquid quickly, screwing his face up when the taste hit his tongue. "Oh.....gawd....gross."
"Yeah, not a very pleasant taste, sorry.....transportation will be here to get you in a few, your mother already went over the consent forms."
"Peachy," Aaron mumbled.
After fifteen minutes had passed AJ started grinning at the mini-version of Nick. "You look so damn funny.....hell I haven't seen anyone look so goddamned stoned since Munich in '97."
Aaron gave a lopsided smile at the rebel. "What happened in Munich?"
"Your brother was wasted out of his mind...damn, you look so much like Nicky it's freaky...."
Aaron's head bobbed and it fell back onto the pillow as he snickered. "Wish I couldof seen that," he croaked.
Jane Carter rushed into the room. "Oh thank God....I was afraid they had taken you down already!"
"They did and I had a ten pound baby boy," Aaron grinned with his eyes closed.
Jane looked at her son and then at AJ.
"They gave him some medication, the boy is flying higher than a kite," AJ informed.
"Oh...." Jane whispered as she smoothed Aaron's bangs from his forehead. "Well honey, Nicky said he's praying for you...."
"Nick? Pray?" Aaron snorted. "That's damn funny...."
"Aaron!" Jane snapped, "don't swear!"
"Chill Jane...it's the drugs talkin," AJ replied with a grin.
Jane went back to smoothing Aaron's hair. "Sorry....I forgot...anyway, he said he's worried about you but you know how Nicky is. He's like me when it comes to people getting hurt for me.....he just feels so bad that you had to do this...."
AJ shook his head as he stared at the woman's back. Jane Carter was a piece of work.
"Hi Aaron, are you ready to hop on the stretcher and go down?" a middle aged man dressed in dark green scrubs questioned as he guided the stretcher into the room.
"Hell yeah," Aaron giggled nervously.
AJ caught Jane's disapproving look and quickly intervened before she could comment. "Drugs Jane...it's the drugs."
Jane and AJ followed Aaron down to the surgical holding area and to AJ's surprize, they allowed him back in the area despite the red sign on the door outlining that only one visitor was allowed with the patient. He stood on the opposite side of the older woman, looking around the dimly lit room with interest.
"This looks way different than what I've seen on ER," he stated quietly. After a few moments of heavy silence, the anesthesologist approached the cart, holding a clipboard in his hands.
"Good morning Aaron, are you all set?"
"Yes," he replied quietly.
The doctor rubbed the young teen's shoulder. "I'll see you in a few minutes, Doctor Heatherinton is here scrubbing up." He paused looking at AJ and then at Jane. "Are there any questions for me, Mr. and Mrs. Carter?"
AJ's eyes widened in horror as soon as he realized the doctor assumed he was married to Jane. "God no! she's not my wife! I'm a friend of Aaron's."
"Oh sorry.....see you in a few then Aaron."
Jane scowled at the rebel as soon as the doctor left. "You didn't have to put it that way!"
"Well I felt I needed to clarify," AJ defended.
Two people dressed in surgical scrubs with masks on their faces approached the bedside. "Okay Aaron, they're ready for you."
Jane quickly bent down and gave Aaron a kiss on the mouth. "Love you honey."
"Love you too," Aaron mechanically replied, eyes tearing up.
"They'll take good care of you, AC.....don't worry," AJ assured as he rubbed the teen's shoulder.
"Wait!" Aaron cried out, holding a hand up. "Jay, could you tell my brother that I love him?"
"He knows that AC, but I'll make sure I go up and tell him."
"Thanks."
With that, Aaron was pushed into the bright operating room.
This was the last hope for his brother. This was the last thing he could do for him.
After this it was now going to be in God's hands.
