Five: Darkness, Be My Friend

JANUARY 2001

"Hey, B-Rok you're looking a little worse for wear today" Nick commented as he studied Brian's features. His face was a tint whiter than usual and his lips became almost camouflaged against his skin tone. On top of that, he had deep eye bags circling his normally outstanding crystal blue eyes, now a diluted muddy blue.

"You and Leighanne have a little bit of a restless night huh?" Nick nudged, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Leave him alone Nick… he ain't gunna share his private life with you" AJ commented while he jumped up on a high beam to the dance music playing in the back ground as he watched Brian sit down cautiously on one of the many chairs in large dance studio.

"You sure you're okay?" Kevin asked as he studied he cousin carefully. He had known his cousin for most of his life, minus, four years, and although he could not always tell what was wrong, he knew enough to realise when his cousin needed help.

"I'm fine" Brian answered confidently as he gulped down the remaining water in the plastic bottle and crushed it with his hand just to show exactly how well he was. ""Okay boys, get ready" the Boys dance choreographer, Fatima came in clapping her hands for attention.

The boys took their positions rather grudgingly, especially Nick, renowned for not being a "morning person". Brian took his position with the rest of them, like a little boy in line for playing catch, not wanting to be outdone.

"No sloppy moves today. I want everything from the top, no mistakes, you understand?" Fatima demanded loudly, as she walked to the hi-fi and turned on an older piece of their faster tunes as the boys warm up routine. She passed Brian and paused

"You sure you're feeling up to scratch?" she asked as she noticed his normally blue eyes seemed diluted.

"Of course I am!" Brian snapped, startling Fatima "Why does everyone keep asking me that?" he yelled dramatically throwing his arms into the air.

"Okay Boys, from the top" she said as they took their positions, still watching Brian with caution.

Brian pushed both arms forward, gliding his left foot back and did all of the other things he had practiced so many times before. But his head began to swell and he perspired quickly, as his breathing intensified simultaneously, his heart began to pump louder and more insistent. Finally, with the final stroke of his right leg back, he toppled over backwards, crashing into Kevin.

The light finally gave way and everything suddenly became black.


"Doctor Higgins, how is Brian?" an erratic and mascara smudged Leighanne cried uncontrollably as she clutched the doctor's white coat as soon as came out of the emergency room.

The doctor looked grim as he took off his glasses and spoke "Well, his heart had to work overtime due to strenuous activity, and his murmur has worsened considerably. He's in a stable condition at the moment, but we're not sure for how long. We're sending him to the Intensive Care Unit now."

"Can we see him?" Leighanne quivered, as she wiped her eyes with a simple embroidered handkerchief.

"Only a few at a time" he nodded as he returned to the ward.

Seven faces were stricken with panic as Brian's grim state greeted them in raw reality. Leighanne burst out in a fresh flood of tears, clutching onto Kevin's shoulder for support. Nick was kicking the tile floor with the toe of sneaker, while AJ crouched down on the stained floor down, his right arm propped upon his leg, fingers rubbing his temples furiously.

Howie just looked forlornly out the large hospital window, where white clouds were beginning to cover what was once the blue sky. "Even on a rainy day they tell you the sky is clear" he quoted subconsciously from Brian's own musical genius a few years earlier.

"Leighanne, why don't you go in first?" Howie piped up apprehensively as he stared down at the despairing figures in front of him. Leighanne, whose sniffling had temporarily died down, nodded and went into the lonely white room herself.

 

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