Meggie wiped off Austin's chin after giving him some baby Tylenol. She carried him into his room and slowly laid him down, knowing he would wake up. To her surprise he stuck his thumb into his mouth and fell asleep. She sighed in relief. She kissed his warm head and walked downstairs.
She collapsed on the couch next to Nick who was staring down at one of his daughter’s old baby blankets. She saw the sadness in his eyes and sympathetically put her hand on his shoulder. Meggie sat back on the couch and looked around the living room she had just recently cleaned and sighed.
"Nicky... would you pick up Austin's blanket for me?" She asked, pointing to a blanket near him.
Nick rolled his eyes, got up and grabbed the blanket forming it into a ball, then threw it at his wife. "You don't do anything around here." He said.
"Excuse me??" She said standing up.
"You heard me." He said walking into the kitchen.
"I am so sick of you not doing anything around this d*mn house. I know we just lost our daughter but she was mine too! I have taken care of Austin since he's gotten sick and I’ve cooked and cleaned. Don't you dare tell me I don't do anything around here!"
Meggie went upstairs and got some of her clothes and shoved them into a duffel bag. She went into Austin's room, trying not to wake him, and grabbed some of his stuff and slowly picked him up. Austin whined, laying his head on her shoulder.
She walked downstairs and grabbed her keys as Nick watched her from the doorway of the kitchen.
He rolled his eyes again. "Where are you going?"
"Why does it matter?"
"Because you’re taking my son."
"When was the last time you spent over twenty minutes with him?"
Nick said nothing.
"That's what I thought." she said walking out the door.
“D*mnit!” Nick swore as the door slammed behind her. He watched his wife buckle Austin into the back of her car, then got in the driver’s seat. The car started, and she drove away. He picked up a fake plant that sat on the desk in the foyer, and threw it across the room. It hit the wall in the living room with a thud, as the vase broke into thousands of tiny pieces. The soil left a dirty spot on the wall, and then piled onto the floor. He locked the front door then went upstairs to the master bedroom. As he entered, he was hit with the smell of Meggie. She always smelled so good… like coconuts. Tears burned his eyes as he realized what he had down. He shut the bedroom door and went downstairs to the guestroom. He lay across the bed, letting his tears fall freely. He soon had cried himself to sleep, and the only sound in the house was the rain pelting the windows.
~ One Week Later ~
“Nick? Meggie? Hello? Anyone home?” Brian asked, shutting and locking the door behind him. He had tried to call Nick’s house for the past week, but received no answer. Nick hadn’t even called him. His eyes widened as he entered the kitchen. The floor was covered in the Pugs droppings, as dog food lay all over the floor near the fridge. The living room and foyer were rather clean, besides a broken vase laying on the floor in the living room. He stepped over odds and ends as he walked upstairs. Everything remained untouched, except the master bedroom door was closed. He opened it to find it empty of anyone.
“Hello? Nick? Meggie?”
The nursery was also empty, looking as if it hadn’t been used for a while.
Becoming a little nervous, he ran downstairs to the guest room and bathroom. He stopped short, seeing Nick lying on the bed, dead asleep.
“Nick?” Brian asked, shaking him.
He mumbled something incoherently and turned over.
“Nick… wake up!” He said rather loudly.
Nick opened his eyes, confused at what he saw.
“Brian?”
“Yeah… what happened, Nick? Where’s Meggie?”
“She left,” Nick said closing his eyes again.
“Stay awake. Why’d she leave?”
“I don’t remember,”
“Do you remember when she left?”
“No,”
“Jeez Nick…” Brian said, getting a good look. He smelled as if he hadn’t taken a shower in a few days… his hair was oily and stringy, and he needed to shave badly. He was also fairly pale and looked frail. “When is the last time you ate?”
”Uh… I don’t know,” He said, trying to go back to sleep.
“D*mnit Nick stay awake!”
“I don’t need you here… go away,”
“Nick if you don’t get up out of this bed right now, I’m going to call an ambulance.”
He sighed as he tried to sit up. As he began to stand up, his legs weakened and he fell to the floor.
“Nick… why did you do this to yourself?” Brian asked sadly, walking towards the phone.
“No.. Bri… please. No ambulance…please...”
“Fine… but you’re going to the hospital. You look like your ready to drop dead.”
”I wish I could,”
“Don’t you EVER say that again Nick! You DON’T want to be dead!”
“Why not? Sounds better than living here… at least I’d be with Maddie.”
“Nick… you have a whole life to live down here before you go see her. Your wife and son NEED you. Madison was taken from you for a reason. If God wanted you there, then he would have already taken you,”
Nick shrugged, leaning back against the bed.
“C’mon. Let’s go,” Brian said, helping him up. He put Nick’s arm around his neck and let him lean on him all the way out to the car. He helped him into the passenger seat then buckled the seatbelt around Nick.
“So why do we have to go there?” Nick mumbled as Brian started the car.
“Because you’re dehydrated, probably haven’t eaten since the day Meggie left, and you already have health risks.”
“Health risk? Why?”
“You had cancer, Nick! You’re immune system still isn’t functioning as well as a regular immune system does.”
“Oh,” He replied, feeling slightly guilty.
“Nick… why did Meggie leave? Don’t you remember anything?”
“I told her she wasn’t doing anything around the house,”
“She left just because you said that?”
“I yelled at her…”
“Has she been doing anything around the house?”
Nick hesitated before nodding. “She’s been cooking and cleaning… and she’s been taking care of Austin since he got the flu.”
“And you told her she wasn’t doing anything… when it was really you?”
“I was just angry… Brian my little girl was taken from me… and I still haven’t gotten over it.”
“Nick, you’re never going to get over it. But Madison was Meggie’s little girl too, and she’s had to go on with her life, because you haven’t been there to help her. Life goes on after someone dies. It doesn’t stop for anyone. It just keeps going… so you have to too.” Brian said, pulling his car into the hospital parking lot. He found a parking spot, and pulled into it.
“Wait until I get over there,” Brian said, as Nick was trying to get out of the car.
“Why?”
“Because I really don’t feel like watching you get stitches today, too.” He sighed, getting out. He locked his door and went around to the other side and helped Nick out. Once there were inside, Brian helped Nick sit down in a chair then he went over to the desk and filled out the necessary papers.
“I hate hospitals,” Nick muttered as Brian sat down beside him.
“So do I.”
They only had to wait a few more minutes, before a nurse came out to get Nick. Brian helped him stand up, then let Nick lean against him once again, as they walked down the ward to the curtained off area the nurse had led them to.
“So, what seems to be the problem?” The nurse asked, closing the curtain around him.
Nick shrugged and looked at Brian.
“He can hardly move by himself… I found him in his house asleep on the bed. The house is a mess… and he doesn’t remember the last time he ate.”
“You don’t remember?” She asked curiously.
“No.” He replied.
She wrote something down in her chart before taking his vitals.
“The doctor will be in with you shortly,” She said politely as she left.
~ Two Hours Later ~
“Brian?” A familiar voice asked.
Brian looked up from the tile floor he had been staring at, to see Dr. Torday.
Brian stood up as the doctor entered the waiting room.
“The E.R. doctor on call paged me when he saw my name on his chart. Do you know what exactly happened to Nick?”
”No… he wouldn’t tell me much. He said Meggie had left him after a fight… so this probably has something to do with that…”
“That probably did it,” He sighed.
“So… what’s wrong with him?”
“Well, he’s dehydrated and probably hasn’t eaten in at least three days, so his iron and vitamins are way down in the dumps. I’m going to admit him so I can hydrate him and hopefully get some food down him. But, as you know, his immune system isn’t at it’s greatest, so we’re going to keep an eye for an infection, since he hasn’t been staying healthy. I’m also going to have a psychiatrist come in and talk to him tomorrow when he’s feeling better.”
Brian nodded, not surprised at all.
“They’re just moving him up into a private room right now, so you’re welcome to go on up and see him. Room nine oh three,”
“Thank you,” He said, walking down the hallway towards the elevators. He rode silently to the ninth floor, and then strode off, looking for Nick’s room. He found it rather quickly, and entered just as a nurse was setting up an I.V.
“What’s that for?” Nick asked as he watched the nurse hang up a bag of clear liquid.
“To re-hydrate you,” She said, pulling a syringe from her tray.
He flinched as she inserted the needle into the back of his hand. She used medical tape to attach the needle and the tubing to his arm.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” She said, pushing the cart out of the room.
“Do you want me to call anyone?” Brian asked, sitting down beside the bed where Nick lay.
“There’s no one to call,” Nick said softly, letting his eyes wander away from Brian.
“You have any idea where Meggie went?”
“No… I called her parents and they say she’s not there… and I called all her friends and she’s not there.”
The door reopened, interrupting their conversation. The nurse walked in pushing a heart monitor on another cart.
“I don’t plan on dying any time soon,” Nick joked as she neared the bed.
“Just a precaution… and we need to monitor your heart rate since you have a high risk of infection or viruses. Now just lay back and relax for a minute,” She said as she pulled the hospital gown down from his chest. She pulled the backing off of the heart monitor pads and stuck then onto certain spots on his chest. When she finished, she turned the monitor on to reveal a squiggly green line. She flicked another switch, and it began to beep.
“There, all done. If you need anything, just press the button the railing of your bed. My name is Amy by the way… and I’ll be here until ten oh clock tonight.”
“Ok… thanks,” Nick said as she left. He sighed as he leaned against the pillow.
“Bri… can I ask you something?”
“Sure,”
“Why do people do stupid things?”
“I don’t know… everyone makes mistakes,”
“Yeah…but I made a big one. I didn’t mean to yell at her… I didn’t realize how I was acting the past month until that argument. Brian I haven’t spent more than fifteen minutes with my OWN son since Madison died.”
“Do you want me to try to get a hold of her?”
“If you could…” He said quietly.
“Ok… I’m going to head on home anyways and let you get some rest. Call me if you need anything… I’ll be back up here tomorrow,”
“Thank you, Bri… for everything.”
“No problem… you know I’ll always help you when you need it.”
Nick closed his eyes as Brian shut the door. He reopened them and turned off the light that hung above his bed. He lay awake for a while longer, watching headlights cross over the suspension bridge that was across the river.
He woke several hours later, covered in cold perspiration. His throat was throbbing, as was his head. He threw off the covers, too hot to leave them on. A few minutes later, he pulled them back up. He reached out and pressed the call button, and realized his hand was shaking. A few seconds later, a nurse walked into the room.
She turned on the overhead light as she saw Nick moving around in bed.
”I don’t feel so good…” Nick moaned, his voice raspy from his scratchy throat.
The nurse pulled a thermometer from the drawer beside his bed and inserted it into his ear.
“I’ll be right back,” She said as she ran from the room. She returned seconds later, a doctor in tow.
~ An Hour Later; With Brian ~
“Mr. Littrell?” An older man asked, dressed in scrubs, as he walked into the waiting room on Nick’s floor.
“Yes,” Brian said standing up.
“My name is Dr. Wiley… I was in charge of Nick’s case tonight. Nick has caught an infection, which is rather dangerous in his condition, as you know. We’re going to move him down to isolation in Intensive Care. We’re also giving him antibiotics to bring down his fever and try to get rid of the infection.”
“And… what if the antibiotic doesn’t work?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” He said. “Nick will be in room four oh seven when they move him.”
“Thanks,” Brian replied. He slumped down in the overly stuffed chair and peered out the window. Thoughts of the past three years passed through his head. Tears stung his eyes as he realized how much his best friend had been through. Cancer… marriage… a family… getting sick again...and then Madison dying... now his wife had left him and had no idea what was going on. Brian tried to shake the thoughts from his head as he stood up and headed towards the elevator. As he reached the cafeteria and got himself some coffee…he debated over whether or not to call the rest of the guys. He didn’t want Nick to be mad at him... but was it wrong for them NOT to know their friend was in the hospital?
He sat down in the corner of the cafeteria, not wanting any fans to recognize him… though the cafeteria was rather empty at three o’ clock in the morning. He sighed, watching the steam rise from the top of the mug.
“Brian?” A female voiced asked, startling him.
He looked up to see a familiar face. It was Kari Winston. She was their stylist on their first US tour back in early 1998.
“Kari… jeez… hi,” He said, slightly surprised from seeing her. She was dressed in a light blue nurse’s outfit that was decorated with tiny animals.
“What are you doing here?”
“Uh… long story,” He said. “Want to sit down?”
“Sure,” She sat down across from him in the booth and set her bottle of Coca Cola on the table.
“So how have you been?” Brian asked.
“Great… I just got back from Kenya, Africa two weeks ago.”
“Kenya?”
“Yeah… after I left the tour, I went to medical school and got my nursing license. Then I went over to Africa on a special trip with the hospital… to help some of the under-privileged tribes. I was there for three years… and just got back.”
“Wow,”
“So tell me, Bri… why are you sitting in a hospital cafeteria at three in the morning?”
“Nick’s sick again..”
“Again? What happened?”
“You have a few minutes?”
She nodded, waiting for him to continue.
“About three years ago, Nick was diagnosed with cancer. A few months later, while in remission, he caught bronchitis, then pneumonia. He was supposed to die… but something happened… maybe a miracle... and he lived. Few months later he got married… then they had twins. But then they found a mass in Nick’s chest so he had to have radiation treatment. After a few weeks, they removed it and everything was well. We finally went back on tour, but Nick’s daughter, Madison, got sick one night. The next morning she wouldn’t wake up so they took her to the emergency room. She ended up having diabetes and was in a coma from it. Then she died a week or so later from her circulatory system collapsing. It was real rough on Nick and his wife Meggie… but Nick didn’t really realize how hard it was on Meggie… and they got into a pretty big argument last week and she left him. I found him yesterday… the house and him were a mess so I brought him in here. They were re-hydrating him… but I guess he already had an infection… now he’s on his way to isolation in Intensive Care and I have no idea how to get a hold of his wife.”
Kari’s eyes were wide in shock as Brian finished.
“I didn’t know about any of this… oh my god…”
The two sat and talked for about twenty more minutes, then Kari had to go back to work.
“What area do you work in?” Brian asked, as he walked her to the elevator.
“Pediatric oncology,” She replied. “I get off in a few hours… I might come up to see Nick… are you still going to be here?”
“Probably… I think I’m going to call the other guys and somehow try to get a hold of Meggie.”
“Good luck,” She said as she stepped off onto her floor.
”Thanks,” He smiled. He watched her until the doors closed, blocking his view. He soon arrived on the fourth floor and went searching for Nick’s room. A nurse was outside the room, making notes on his chart.
“Is he asleep?” Brian asked.
“No, wide awake actually. If you want to go in, you’ll have to garb up,” She said, pointing to a shelf full of green scrubs.
“Ok,”
Brian went over to the shelf and got what he needed. Before going in, he tied the mask around the back of his head. He turned the doorknob quietly and walked in. A rerun of McGyver played on the TV, but Nick’s eyes focused on the wall.
“Hey,” Brian said as the door shut.
Nick turned his head towards the door and saw Brian.
”Hi,” He replied quietly, his voice scratchy still.
“I’m going to call the guys in the morning… ok?”
He nodded in reply. “Have you found Meggie yet?”
“I haven’t even had a chance to start looking. I went home and went to bed… then you had to pull this one and I’m back,” Brian said. Nick could see the small crinkles by his eyes, as Brian smiled. The mask covered almost his whole face, but you could always tell when he smiled. His eyes usually lit up, too.
“Hey… remember Kari from the first US tour?”
Nick thought for a minute before nodding his head.
“She’s working here at the hospital. I saw her down in the cafeteria. She said she might be up to see you in the morning after her shift.”
“Ok,”
“Well, I’m going to get out of here and let you get some rest. Do you know where I can find all of Meggie’s friends and family phone numbers?”
“She’s got an address book at home… it’s in the desk in the foyer… the big drawer in the middle.”
“Ok… if you need anything… call my cell phone. And get some sleep,”
“Thanks, Bri,” Nick said as Brian left. The door shut, and the room was quiet again, with the exception of the heart monitor’s constant beeping and now the “Star Spangled Banner” playing on TV, signaling that the station was going off air. He sighed as he turned the television off. He turned off the overhead light and lay the bed down. Trying to ignore the light seeping through the curtains that covered the large glass window, he closed his eyes. Finally, darkness enveloped him into a fitful sleep.
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