The blond cab driver looked in his rearview mirror at the three lanky looking young men; pressed against each other from the bulk of the black man that was sitting next to the door. He then turned his attention to the front seat, feeling the warmth of the young teenager that was radiating from his body.
"So you guys tourist or something?" he asked in a thick British accent. "My name is Amos.....Amos Chesterfield."
Kevin sighed quietly, he wasn't interested in exchanging pleasantries with the cabbie, he had far too much on his mind.
"Where did you say you wanted to go to again?"
'This guy must have rocks in his head,' Kevin thought dismally. He leaned forward over Nick, glaring at the cabbie. "I said take us to the nearest emergency room!"
Amos gripped the steering wheel firmly. "Oh yeah, that's what you said, I remember now." He glanced over at the young boy slumped in the seat next to him. "So you the one thats not feeling so great?"
"Just drive, okay?" Kevin asked through gritted teeth.
"Flu, eh? Ya know that's going around right now...this is the cold and flu season...."
"Shut the fuck up and drive faster, asshole," AJ hissed from the backseat.
Amos took his foot off the gas pedal. "Hey no need to use abusive language in here, I was just making small talk."
"Could you drive a little faster, please?" Brian asked quietly.
Amos nodded as he jerked the wheel. "Oops, almost hit that poor little squirrel."
Nick cried out in pain from the sudden movement of the vehicle.
"Take it easy, wouldja?" AJ muttered.
Amos nudged his passenger. "Sorry there chap." Nick cried out when the man's elbow pressed against his side.
"Could you please be a little more careful?" Kevin asked.
"Yeah, sorry.....um do you know for sure where I need to go, I'm pretty new to London, I was raised south of here and I'm really not too up on the territory."
Howie let out an exasperated sigh. "You gotta be kidding!"
"I'll just radio the office, I'm sure they can steer me in the right direction," Amos quickly added, sending the taxi sailing toward a huge pothole.
Kevin tightened his grip on the dashboard, trying his best not to fall into Nick. "Can you watch where you're driving!?"
"Take a left here!" Rich yelled out from the backseat. "Sharp left NOW!"
Amos jerked the wheel, causing the cab to careen over the curb, bouncing the occupants inside. "Sorry fellas but he said sharp left."
The tears slid down Nick's cheeks, unchecked. The pain in his stomach grew worse with every turn the cabbie took. Not only was hurting, he was going from a cold sweat to shivering to clawing at his shirt because he felt like he was burning up.
Kevin could see the tears staining the young man's cheek. "How you doing Nick?"
"I-I feel like I'm gonna puke," Nick mumbled.
Kevin jerked. "Howie.....bucket!"
The Latino quickly handed the small wastebasket from the hotel over the front seat. In a sweeping motion, Nick put his face into the basket, dry heaving immediately.
Awww shit, no puking in the cab...I just got this detailed," Amos muttered.
"He can't help it and I'm sure your driving didn't do much for this either," Kevin defended.
"S-sorry," Nick gasped.
Kevin patted the teen's leg in a protective manner. "Shhhh, Nick, it's not your fault...." His soft spoken manner quickly changed. "Hey didn't you say we were close to the damn hospital?"
"Yeah, what the fuck is taking so damn long?" AJ added.
Amos fumbled with his two way radio. "I didn't say how close we are cause I don't know exactly where we are...."
"YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE?!?!?" This time it was Brian that called out. "Man, he needs to get to the hospital A.S.A.P.!"
With the receiver in his left hand, Amos rubbed the sweat off his forehead. "I-I know....I'm sorry....um, yeah Westshire.....they said Westshire and Packard.....now where is Packard..."
"We're on Packard," Howie calmly stated. "I'll keep an eye out for Westshire."
"What kind of fricken dumbass do they give a hacker's license..." AJ mumbled, looking out the window for the wanted street.
The cabbie slammed on the brakes, jarring the occupants forward. Wordlessly, Amos jammed the transmission into reverse and threw an arm over the backseat, across the ailing boy's shoulder. Stomping on the accelerator, the cab sped backwards, fishtailing on the slick road.
"Slow down! You're gonna get us killed!" the bodyguard ordered.
The threatening tone of the bodyguard's voice startled the driver and he instantly lifted his foot off the gas pedal. "Um, I saw the hospital.....we passed the street!"
Howie narrowed his eyes as he looked at the street sign. "This isn't Westshire, this is Coventon."
Amos slammed on the brakes once again causing the cab to come to a screeching stop and Nick to yell out in pain. "Sorry kid," he apologized quickly as he put the engine into drive. "This is the street, this street I know like the back of my hand!"
Nick decided he couldn't stand the pain anylonger and started sobbing and moaning, causing the driver to panic.
"Kid, you gonna be okay?"
Kevin clenched his jaw. "Like I've been telling you, he needs to get to an emergency room!"
Brian reached over the front seat to rub his best friend's shoulder. "Hold on Nicky, we'll get there pretty soon."
As Nick stared ahead, he noticed that the street lights left an earie glow on the slick pavement. The pain he was feeling in his stomach was making his head spin. Quickly, he closed his eyes, biting his lower lip trying to ward the ill feelings away.
Kevin Richardson noticed the young man's posture. "Hold on little man," he whispered into his ear. He noticed Nick nodding his head ever-so-slightly. "Just hang in there buddy."
Kevin's voice seemed to drift in and out and it sounded thick to Nick, slow as if in slow motion. He felt weird; his brain slipping into overdrive trying to place when he had felt that way before. He suddenly remembered when that was - it was at that record store and he fainted! "Um....Kev...."
His voice was so soft and low, he doubted that the tall Kentuckian heard him. Licking his lips, he tried to clear his throat but that only succeeded in sending more pain through his body.
"Kev...I think I'm gonna..." Before Nick could finish his sentance he did a repeat performance of what happened at the record store. Darkness enveloped him as his body slumped over against Kevin.
Adrenialine raced through the tall man's bloodstream when he realized that the teen had fainted - AGAIN. Lightly slapping Nick's face, Kevin kept yelling at him over and over to wake up. This had Howie, AJ and Brian leaning forward to see what was happening with their band brother.
"Is he alright?" Brian cried out.
"What's wrong with him?"
"I don't know Howie, do I look like a freaken doc?" AJ snarled at the Latino's question.
Kevin tugged a hand through his hair. "Jesus.....can't you get this going any faster?"
The cabbie flinched when Kevin shouted. "God he's not gonna die on us, is he?"
"DON'T TALK LIKE THAT! HE'S NOT GOING TO DIE!" Kevin snapped. He calmed himself down by stroking the sweat-soaked hair away from Nick's forehead. "C'mon Nick, please snap out of it."
"We're here!" Amos announced as he jerked the vehicle into the carport next to the emergency entrance.
With the taxi barely to a halt, the passenger and back seat doors swung open. Kevin quickly reached back into the cab, mentally trying to figure how he would be able to lift Nick's dead weight out of the car.
The bodyguard tapped Kevin on the shoulder. "Sir, let me get him."
Kevin stepped aside, watching helplessly as the burly bodyguard reached in and effortlessly pulled the young teenager from the car. The sight of the sweaty, ghost white complexion of the teen, made Kevin's heart quicken. He was scared for his young brother and was beginning to doubt if this had been a good call not phoning an ambulance.
The quick movements of the bodyguard had the rest of the group rushing behind the man as he carried Nick through the automatic sliding glass doors.
"WE NEED HELP!"
A young doctor was standing at the nurses desk when the group raced in. Grabbing his stethoscope, he pulled it around his neck and rushed over to the young man that was carried in. He instantly lifted one of Nick's eyelids.
"Trauma three," he barked as he started off down the corridor.