The guys were in New York City, scheduled to perform the next day for the Christmas concert Z100 was throwing. It was the last performance they were scheduled to do before they would get to go home to their families for Christmas. Today, though, they were taking a little side trip to Erik’s house to get some good old home cooking and to hang out and relax. Erik drove slowly down the road, the road slick and wet because of snow. “I can’t wait to get home.” Erik exclaimed, as they got closer to his place. “We know Erik,” Dan laughed. As they turned down Erik’s street, a car came flying down the road. The driver of the car lost control and slammed into the van the guys were in. The van was forced forward into a spin and it started to flip over. As it was upside down, it continued to slide until it hit a telephone pole and came to a stop. Erik’s last thought before he blacked out was a quick prayer to God to keep the guys safe and to let them live.
Erik heard voices and he slowly opened his eyes. At first everything was blurry but after a minute, everything was pretty clear to him. As he looked over to the source of the voices, he saw Ashley, Jacob, Trevor and his mother. He tried to speak but couldn’t because there was a tube down his throat. “Its good to see you back with us EME,” Ashley smiled. “Yeah, man, you gave us all a scare at the beginning.” Trevor added. Erik gave them a weak nod as he looked at them. Ashley’s right arm was in a cast and it was strapped to his body. Jacob was seated in a wheelchair and he sat there in quite a stiff looking position. Trevor was on crutches with his entire right leg encased in a cast. Erik wondered where Dan was and how badly he was hurt. He even wondered about how bad his own injuries were.
A couple of days later, Erik was able to sit up and didn’t have the breathing tube down his throat anymore. At the moment, Erik’s voice was a bit messed up and it was very soft and quiet compared to his normal gruff and raspy voice. He had found out about his injuries, which were numerous. He had suffered a minor concussion, which led to him being out of it for about 3 days. He had broken a few ribs, one of which had punctured one of his lungs and had required surgery, which caused the need for the tube down his throat. He still had a bit of trouble breathing, but that was mainly due to his broken ribs and the fact that he was still quite weak. The lower halves of both of his legs were in cast from being crushed a tiny bit. Ashley had told Erik of his injuries as well. Ashley had broken his right arm and collarbone as well as dislocating his right shoulder. Jacob was stuck sitting in a wheelchair in that stiff position because the impact of the accident had hurt his back and had to have surgery on his back to repair the damage. Most of his upper torso was immobilized by being strapped into a big, bulky brace. Trevor’s leg had been crushed when the side of the van crumpled in from the impact. Still no one had said anything about how Dan was.
Erik was slowly gaining his strength back. Before they knew it, he was moved from the ICU to a private room. His voice had returned to somewhat like it had been before. As the days passed, Erik continued to wonder about Dan, even when he was going through his various sessions. As Erik sat on his bed, flipping through the TV channels, there was a knock on his door. “Come in,” Erik called. “Hey Erik,” Ashley greeted as he entered. “Oh hey Ash, what’s up?” Erik asked as the younger man entered the room. “I came to talk to you about Dan since you’ve been wondering about him.” Ashley spoke. “Well, is he ok?” Erik asked. “Ok is a relative term Erik. If you mean is he alive by is he ok, then the answer is yes.” Ashley said. “Ashley just tell me already.” Erik said. “He’s alive and awake but at the moment things aren’t too good. The doctors think that he might be paralyzed from the waist down. Not only that, but he is also suffering from amnesia. He doesn’t remember anyone or anything at the moment. The doctors think that it is just a temporary thing because he took a pretty good blow to the head but that they aren’t certain. Other than that, he is just fine.” Ashley said with a straight face. “Are you serious?” Erik asked as the tears threatened to fall from his eyes. Ashley just nodded and Erik began to cry even harder. Ashley walked over to Erik and carefully wrapped his good arm around Erik, giving the crying man a soft hug. Before long, Erik was asleep, exhausted from crying. Ashley wiped away a few stray tears before he left.
Another week passed and by then Erik had most of his strength back. He still had one IV in his arm but other than that he was doing quite well. As Erik scribbled some ideas down in a notebook, there was a knock on the door. “Come in” he called. “Hey EME,” a voice greeted him as the person entered. “Oh hey Jake,” Erik said without looking up. “How are you doing?” Jacob asked. “I’m doing pretty good. I’m still in a lot of pain but I’m getting used to it and it is lessening day by day. What about you?” Erik replied. “I’m doing pretty good. I think I’m finally going to get to leave the hospital soon.” Jacob said happily. Erik closed the notebook and set the pen down. Then he looked up and over to Jacob. “You are up and walking?!” Erik said in shock. “Yeah, the doctors thought it would be a good idea for me to get up and walk since my back is starting to heal pretty well. I still have to deal with this bulky back brace, but its ok.” Jacob stated. “That is great to hear. Anything new about Dan?” Erik asked. “He’s starting to gain the feeling back in the lower half of his body but there is no change when it comes to how bad his amnesia is.” Jacob sighed. “Well at least there is some good news,” Erik stated as he ran a hand through his shaggy hair. “What were you writing before I came in?” Jacob asked. “Oh just writing some song ideas down.” Erik replied. “Oh really? Anything good come out of what you are writing?” Jacob asked. “I don’t know, its all very rough. Depending on how I work and change them, there maybe at least one decent song in there,” Erik stated. “That’s cool man. I have some ideas in my head but right now, moving my arms a lot bothers me because of this brace and everything.” Jacob said. “Well, if you say it, I could write it down for you.” Erik replied. “Would you?” Jacob asked excitedly. “Yeah man, I’d love to write it down for you.” Erik smiled. “Thanks man,” Jacob grinned. “No problem.” Erik said as he grabbed the notebook and opened it to a fresh page before picking up the pen. Jacob recited the lines and Erik wrote them down as quickly and neatly as possible. When Jacob finished reciting the lines, Erik passed him the notebook. Jacob looked it over and smiled as he read it before giving Erik the notebook back. Erik read over it and grinned. “I think you have a hit here man” Erik smiled. “Me too” Jacob grinned.
Three weeks after the accident, Jacob was moved from the hospital to the rehab center nearby. The doctors said that they felt that his back had healed to the point where he could start light rehab for his back. Erik was doing pretty well as well. He was off the IV finally and he was able to help the nurses a bit when they came to take him for therapy or various procedures. He was gaining a lot of upper body strength, which he would need for quite awhile. He would be stuck with both of his legs in cast for anywhere between the next 1-5 weeks yet and he was already anxious to get them off so that he could start therapy and be able to walk again. Erik was already looking forward to performing again but the group’s future was unknown at the moment considering all of their injuries. Heck, Dan’s entire future was uncertain since he still couldn’t remember anything. He was slowly starting to gain the rest of his feeling back and was starting to work towards walking again. The rest of the guys wouldn’t be able to perform for a while but they would be able to in time. Erik had been to see Dan a couple of times and he looked pretty good despite having amnesia. Every time he left Dan’s room, Erik couldn’t help but let a few tears slip from his eyes. He wished that Dan would start remembering things soon because they all needed the old Dan back.
Six weeks after the accident, things were looking quite good for the guys. Ashley had just gotten the cast on his arm off, but he still had to keep his arm strapped to his body because his collarbone had not totally healed yet. His shoulder was almost back to normal and as soon as his collarbone fully healed, he would be starting physical therapy. Erik had gotten his casts off the week before and a week prior to that, he had been moved to the same rehab center that Jacob was at. Trevor was still dealing with a cast on his leg, which he was stuck with for at least two more weeks. Dan seemed to be slowly regaining his memory. He was starting to remember his close friends and family as well as the guys. He was able to walk a bit, but he required the aid of crutches at the moment because his once strong, agile legs were quite weak but he was slowly gaining the strength back. Things finally seemed to be looking up for the guys.
Two months after the accident, things were getting a lot better for all of the guys. Ashley had finally gotten the ok to start physical therapy to start rebuilding the strength in his arm and shoulder. He knew it would be painful but his first day nearly killed him. Erik was to the point where he could stand and walk a bit with the aid of crutches, but it would be a while before he would be able to stand, walk, run, and even dance like he used to. Jacob was almost all the way back to normal and he would only need at most three more weeks of physical therapy before he would be done with it. Trevor had finally gotten his cast off and had started physical therapy. It was quite painful for him but luckily, he seemed to have a high threshold of pain and it didn’t seem to bother him all that much. Dan’s memory was still returning. He could remember a few of their songs, but not many yet. The guys weren’t too worried at the moment. Dan’s walking ability was slowly improving as well and he didn’t have to rely on the crutches as much. The guys in general had started to work on their singing again to get their voices in tune and shape after not having sung in two months. On their first attempt, after they had warmed up their voices, they didn’t sound too bad. After a couple of times, they sounded pretty close to back to normal.
Six months after the accident, the guys had all pretty much recovered from the accident. They had started rehearsing again and their weaknesses showed through, but it was not their fault. They all had minor weaknesses since the accident. Erik was working to regain his strength and stamina but he could get through almost an entire rehearsal without being too exhausted to continue. Ashley still had a pretty big problem with his arm and shoulder, but it was slowly getting better. Trevor had minor weakness in his right leg and he wore ankle and knee supports. Jacob was doing quite well and only had minor twinges of pain but they only came one in a great while so it didn’t really bother him all that much. Dan had regained all of the strength in his legs. He could remember most of the songs and only screwed up once in a while. The dances, on the other hand, were taking him quite a while to relearn and remember because his memory was still a bit affected. Of course, considering the circumstances, they were doing quite well. Rehearsals were scheduled at precise times with scheduled breaks set into the rehearsal times. The rehearsals were going well but it would probably be at least a couple of more months before the guys would be ready to set foot on a stage again.
Exactly one year to the day of the accident, the guys were scheduled to do their first concert, a Christmas show of their own no less, to signal their return to performing. This time, they were doing a show in Orlando and a hired driver drove them to the venue in a van. The guys ran through a short set for sound check before getting cleaned up a little for meet n greets. All of the guys were wearing jeans, t-shirts, and sandals. Trevor’s ankle support was visible but he didn’t care. He wore a KMT sweatband on his head. Ashley had an Old Navy Bucket Hat on his head. Jacob, Dan, and Erik all had bandanas on their heads, hiding their messy hair. The guys waited till they were given the cue to enter the room.
During the meet n greet, the guys answered a lot of questions, the majority about what had happened. They ended up crying a bit too because they were still dealing with it a year after it had happened. While they were signing autographs, the guys gave many hugs and received numerous gifts from their fans. As Ashley signed an autograph, he looked at how bad his signature looked and was shocked. He couldn’t believe how much his writing had been affected by the accident. As the line of fans slowly dwindled down, the guys started to get quite nervous about performing in a few hours. They were afraid that their singing or their dancing would be bad and they were a bit afraid of what their fans would think.
After the meet n greet, the guys went back to get changed and ready for the show. They all changed into their first outfits and then got their hair and make-up done. As soon as they were all done getting ready, they regrouped in a room that had been set-aside as a quiet room for them. The guys sat in quiet revelation, waiting to pray and then go on. Jacob sat in a chair with his head down, his dreads hiding his face and rubbing his rosary beads. Ashley sat in a corner of the room, quietly strumming his guitar. Erik sat in another chair causally reading a book of poetry. Dan and Trevor sat on opposite ends of the couch, just sitting there not saying or doing anything. They were all trying to keep their minds off how nervous they really were about doing this show. A knock came on the door, giving them their notice that it was time for them to pray and then take their places. Ashley took his guitar back over to where it belonged so he would be able to find it during the show. He adjusted the splint brace on his wrist before joining the guys in the circle for prayer. Jacob led the group in a quick prayer before they headed off and took their places.
The guys heard their opening start to play down. They made their entrance and began singing “All For Love”. As they got half way through the song, their nervousness started to die down a bit. After a few songs, the guys didn’t feel nervous anymore. They were on very high endorphin rushes that they just went with the flow and enjoyed the show. During “We Fit Together”, the guys made a couple of mistakes in both their singing and their choreography but it wasn’t too major. Ashley stood and watched the crowd while Trevor talked. Ashley saw various signs, including ones that read “Woof Woof from the Road Dogs”, “Kisses from KMT”, “DOT Loves U Guys”, and “U R All Angels from Midwest Angel Girls”. Ashley just had to smile with all the love they were getting from the people in the crowd.
When they came back on for their encore, they did their usual songs. After they did their usual songs, instead of leaving the stage like they normal did, they spoke. “Guys, I know that the show is normally over by now but we decided to add one more song into the line-up after all that we’ve been through” Ashley spoke as he took a seat at the piano that had been brought out. He stretched out his stiff fingers and adjusted the splint brace on his wrist. He then started the introduction into “One Heart” and then went into the song. As they sang the song, each of the guys started to tear up as did many of the fans in the audience. By the end of the song, the guys’ cheeks were tear stained. Ashley played the ending to the song and then stood up with the rest of the guys as the band continued to play their parts over and over. “Thank you for coming guys. We are glad you guys came tonight and got to share in this.” Jacob spoke as he wiped away a few tears. “We are so glad to be back. We had a fun time and we hope you did too.” Ashley grinned as he rubbed one of his eyes. “Thanks for all of you love and support over the past year. We really appreciate it.” Erik said before giving a small bark into the microphone. “What a difference a year makes. I am glad we are all still here and nearly a hundred percent healthy.” Trevor smiled. “I just have to thank everyone including the guys for being so understanding and patient over the past year. I still have to take things one-step at a time and learn everything I forgot again but I’m getting close to remembering it all now. I am glad to be able to be doing this again. Thanks for sharing in this every special moment with us.” Dan spoke before the five guys joined hands and took a few bows. After they bowed at center one more time, the guys left the stage and went back to their dressing rooms. Trevor plopped down on the couch and stretching out his aching right leg. Erik laid down on another couch, resting and catching his breath. The show had really exhausted him. Ashley had down and propped his sore arm onto a pillow and tried to relax to ease the pounding pain in his arm. Jacob laid down on his stomach so that it would ease the pressure on his back. Dan lounged in a chair and closed his eyes, mentally and physically exhausted from all that they had done today. Luckily for the guys, they were headed back home tonight. In a couple of days, they were going back to their families for Christmas but would see each other on New Year’s Eve.
All of the guys were glad to get some quality time with their families. Ashley got to spend some much needed time back home in Redding, CA with his mom and step-dad. It felt so good for him to be back in his hometown, where everything he loved was. Trevor was glad to be back home in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, where all of his family was. He was glad to see everyone especially his mother and siblings. Jacob was so happy to see the familiar sights of L.A. and San Diego again. He realized just how much he missed the sereneness of home. He missed his home, his family, and his Janie. Dan went back to Twinsburg to see his family and Cindy and to have a traditional Miller family Christmas. Erik was both excited and scared to be going back to New York. He was excited because he was going to be with his family but he was scared considering the events that happened there. Especially considering what they had been through in the past year alone in New York.
For all five guys, Christmas came and went way too fast. They all returned the day before New Year’s Eve, carrying many bags, including bags that held wrapped gifts for each of the guys. After the guys had put everything into their rooms, they regrouped in the living room to exchange Christmas gifts. As they opened gifts, they shared stories of what they did at home. They laughed and joked and just had a fun time. After they finished opening the gifts, they all went out to get a few things for the New Year’s Eve celebration that they were throwing at their place tomorrow night. It wasn’t going to be a big affair, just them and a few close friends.
The next night, instead of the traditional kisses at midnight, the guys shared a toast with all of their friends there. Jacob passed out the glasses of champagne to everyone in the room with 2 minutes left to go till it was officially midnight where they were. As the time ticked down to 15 seconds, everyone in the house carried on the traditional countdown to the New Year. As it hit zero, everyone made a whole bunch of noise and celebrated. As everyone quieted down, Jacob stood up. “I’d like to propose a toast. To all of us, that this new year will bring us much joy, pride, and happiness. Let this year be filled with nothing but good things for all of us.” He spoke “Hear, Hear” Everyone said before taking a sip. “Let us move on from our troubles and continue to strive for the best as we continue this period of recovery.” Dan spoke. “Hear, Hear” everyone agreed, taking another sip. “Let us take everything in stride and use it in positive forms to make ourselves better people.” Erik stated. “Hear, Hear” everyone replied, taking another sip. “Let us appreciate the people we are around more. We never know when we will lose someone we are close to.” Trevor added. “Hear, Hear.” Everyone approved, taking another sip. “Let us take time out everyday to appreciate everything we have, especially our personal talents and natural abilities that we take for granted because we never know if we’ll lose something we do all the time. Take time to enjoy the fact that we are all alive and can do what we want when we want.” Ashley finished. “Hear, Hear” everyone agreed as they sipped their champagne. The rest of the night was pretty much nice and quiet with them drinking and enjoying the fact that they were alive and doing well considering what had happened a little over a year ago. No matter where their lives would take them in the future, they would never totally forget what happened in December of 2001.
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