The plane finally landed on American soil. I thought I would be happy but to be quite honest, the commotion that Kevin had created over my sudden need to keep my eyes closed caused more attention than I had yet to experience singing infront of a sold out stadium!
"Nicky, sit tight until I tell you when to get up," Kevin breathed into my ear.
"I told you I can walk....I just need some help is all," I protested through gritted teeth.
God, why did the old man have to treat me like I was a baby sometimes?
"We're not going to go over this again."
Judging by the angry tone in Kevin's voice I was not to question him anymore over the subject.
"Sir...would you like help assisting your friend into the wheel chair?"
That woman's voice sounded really pretty. As soon as I opened my eyes to look at her, I had to close them again. Why the heck am I still so dizzy?
"Still feeling dizzy Nick?"
I nodded yes ever-so-slightly to Brian. I didn't dare want to make the dizziness even worse if that were possible.
"Just relax, we'll be getting you off this plane in a few minutes," Brian replied in a soft voice.
I could hear the sound of the wheel chair being brought down the aisle toward where I was sitting. This was beyond embarrassing! I felt like such a big baby. Why couldn't I have lied and not told them I was dizzy? I could have faked it.....after all I was an actor before I ever became a singer....that part I had in Edward Scissorhands? Classic acting....sure I was only sliding on a slip n'slide and the stupid editors cut that scene but then I was playing on the swing set...now that was acting...I had to act happy even though I really wanted to go have ice cream at the time like I had been promised by my mom after I was done with my scene instead of being near that booger eating moron that was on the swings....
"Nick?"
Oops! Zoned out......
"Huh?"
"I need you to get up slowly and I'll guide you into the wheel chair," Kevin said as he placed a firm grip on my upper arm.
Why did he have to announce to me that I was getting into a wheel chair? Couldn't he say that he was going to be helping me into my new seat? I'd prefer to hear that instead of hearing the word wheel chair.
"Nick, did you hear what I said?"
...and I zoned out again!
"Yeah I heard you! I'm just a little dizzy....not deaf!"
"Shh....don't bite my head off," Kevin reprimanded.
"Well it's just getting a little old when you keep repeating yourself," I defended.
"When you zone out we're not sure if you heard us," AJ rasped from across the aisle.
"We'll be waiting for you in the lobby," Kevin informed the others as he helped me sit.
"Can't they go with us?" I whined.
"No Nick, they wait their turn to get off the plane," the old man informed me in his 'Authorative Kevin Richardson' voice.
He sucked.
"Let's just hope no one notices us," he muttered.
Like no one is going to notice an eight foot tall guy pushing a seventeen year old in a wheel chair that has no obvious handicaps? R-i-i-i-ght!...and the Easter Bunny hops through all the backyards on Easter Sunday hiding those foil wrapped eggs in houses all over the world.
"How are you doing?"
"Could you just walk a little slower? Even though I have my eyes closed you're making it worse by how fast you're pushing this thing," I mumbled.
'You can tell I'm walking fast?"
"The wind still whooshes in my ears."
Is whoosh really a word?
Kevin slowed his steps. "Sorry little man, I'll walk a little slower."
Okay I kinda regretted making that complaint because all I could think of now was a long assed line of people behind Kevin as we walked down the hall from the plane to the lobby.
"I don't want to hold people up....just go ahead and walk like you were."
"There's no one behind us."
Great...now we are going to look really stupid. There will be people waiting in the lobby for family members and Kev will be the first face they see pushing me! This will look gay! To make things worse - I started feeling sick to my stomach.
"Um Kev?"
No answer.....did I lose him...
"Kevin?"
"We're almost in the lobby and I can stop the wheel chair Nick."
"I think I'm gonna be sick.....are we near a bathroom?"
"What do you mean sick?"
How many ways can you define sick?
"Like get me to the bathroom or I'm gonna throw up on the floor? Does that make it any clearer to you?"
Scratch my first complaint of Kevin pushing the wheel chair too fast....I could swear I just got whiplash when he stepped his speed up.
"Where the hell are they? Kevin said he'd be waiting in the lobby for us when we got off the plane," AJ muttered as he looked over the lobby for signs of Nick and Kevin.
Brian stepped up on his toes to try and get a better vantage point. "I don't see them either."
"Maybe he said he'd wait for us in the lobby of our connecting flight," AJ decided as he started to head off toward the the new lobby. He was stopped by Howie's hand on his arm.
"Sit tight....Kevin said to wait."
AJ jerked his arm out of Howie's grasp. "He said he'd be waiting in the lobby for us....he ain't in this lobby so you know it's in the connecting flight lobby dumbass."
"If we leave we'll miss them," Brian said with a shake of his head.
"They are flying on the same plane, bonehead. How would we miss them?"
AJ folded his arms across his chest. "I still think he said we were to meet them in the connecting flight lobby."
"You didn't hear that because I heard exactly what Kevin said and he said to stay put when we get off the plane! Now stay put!" the Latino said in as harsh of a voice he could muster.
"There they are!" Brian said as he pointed in the direction of the restrooms.
"Kaos doesn't look so good," AJ commented.
"That kid is as white as a sheet," Howie said as he started toward the older Kentuckian.
"D....Kevin said to stay put!" AJ said in a mocking voice. "Besides...he wants us to come to him, dumbass."
Dodging the other pedestrians, the trio made their way across the crowded lobby toward the restrooms where Kevin and Nick waited.
"Nick doesn't look so great," Brian said.
"Nicky isn't doing well," Kevin replied. "He just got sick....I've decided we're not getting on the next flight. He needs to be taken to the hospital and taken care of."
I kept my head down as I listened to Kevin speak to the others. Normally I would have protested the thought of going to the hospital but as horrible as I was feeling, a hospital didn't sound like such a bad idea after all.
"Maybe he should go by ambulance."
Dizzy or not, I opened my eyes and looked up at Howie.
"No! No ambulance!" I closed my eyes for a moment and then opened them again. "Just take me....please don't leave me."
Kevin squatted down beside the chair. "Are you feeling better?"
Normally I would lie but I felt like crap...the worst I've ever felt in my life that I remember.
"No...just don't leave me."
The old man patted me on the leg. "Nicky we won't leave you."
"But you wanted an ambulance and no one would be with me if you did that. Just take me to the hospital....please?"
Kevin sighed. "Okay...okay....we'll call a cab and go with you."
I know that Kevin felt bad about siding with me but it made me feel a little better knowing they weren't going to stick me in a creepy ambulance and having people poke me with needles! Something about being stuck with needles bugs me but not as much as the thought of being stuck with needles while driving 90 miles an hour down a road just didn't seem right.
"Thanks."
With that decided, I closed my eyes. I was dizzy the entire time I was pleading my case but I had to state my case and I couldn't do that with my eyes closed. As long as I don't throw up again, I should be okay.
"Kevin....could you walk a little slower?"
Hopefully I'll be okay.