*~*Nick's P.O.V.*~*
"Shit!" She's in trouble. Florida Key Motel. I had to get there. I walked to the edge of the stage. "Guys, Katie's in trouble." I recieved a chorus of "What?'s" and "Huh?'s" AJ said "What, isn't she at school???" "No, you dumbass. Her parents picked her up from school." "Shit. Thats not good, is it?" "AJ, has the dye finally gone to your brain? Stop acting like a blonde." "Nick, do you realize what you just said?" "Yes, I do! I just dissed myself. Now will all of you shits get off your asses and help me?" "Where is she?" "That sleezy hotel in the Keys. Ya know, the Florida Key Motel." Then Brian said" Ewww. That place is filthy! Lets get her out of there." We all piled into a van and headed for the long drive to the motel.
Later at the Motel
I walked up to the lady at the desk, pretending to be a tenant. "Hi, Ma'am. I was wondering... Could I possibly get a laundry cart? I'm here with a big group of Boy Scouts, and they have a ton of laundry." "Sure, sir. One moment" She wheeled a cart out of a closet and said "Just drop it off right over there when your done." "Oh, miss, one more question... A friend of mine may be staying here too, could you check for me?" "Sure, hun. Whats his... her... their name?" "Schwartz." "Oh, I think that they're saying here. Let me check." She looked at a book behind the desk, and said "Yeah, they're in room 214." "Thanks!" I said, and ran off to the elevator with the guys.
Katie's P.O.V.
I regained consiousness when I heard someone knocking on the door. I opened one eye and looked around. No one was here. But I couldn't answer the door. I ws supposed to me tied to the headboard And now my ankles were tied together too. I wasn't sure, my face was too numb, but I thought I was gagged too. Then I heard a voice say "Room Service!" Shit! If they didn't get a reply, they'd just come right in! I couldn't say anything, though. I shifted over a little to get more comfortable, and winced in pain. I closed my eyes and leaned my head on my shoulder just as the door swung slowly. "Shit!"
Nick's P.O.V.
"Shit! Guys! She's in here! Look! Roll in the cart." Oh, Lord. She was passed out, gagged, and tied to a bed. And she was covered in bruises and cuts. God, how could I have been so stupid? They rolled the cart in right next to the bed and I sat down right next to her. When I started to until her ankles, she started to kick at me. I motioned for Kevin to work on the rope, and I moved up next to her head and started saying "Katie, its ok. It's just me, Nick. I'm here now." While I was speaking to her, I started untieing her hands. When Kevin untied her ankles, we carefully lifted her into the cart. I carefully untied the gag and put a sheet over her. AJ and Howie went downstairs to move the van over closer to the side door, away from the front desk. Slowly, We rolled the cart out the door and slammed it shut. Then we rolled it into the elevator. We rolled the cart right up to the trunk door of the van, and carefully lifted her into the back. I rolled the cart back to the desk, and then climbed in the back with Katie and rested her head in my lap. The next thing I knew we were at the hospital. I could hardly move as the doctors took her away.
Later, in the waiting room
Brian's P.O.V.
Watching Nick pace back and forth was getting annoying. What was taking them so long? Nick would never forgive himself if something serious happened to Katie. He thought it was all his fault. We'd been waiting for an hour or so. AJ was dozing on a chair, Howie had a date, so he left to get ready. Kevin went to pray in the hospital church. After what seemed forever, it was actually only five minutes, the doctor came out. "Mr. Carter, Mr. Littrell. Can I speak with you for a few minutes?"
Nick's P.O.V.
We walked into a small conference room and the doctors asked us to sit down. "Your friend, Ms. Schwartz. Do you know what happened to her?" I looked down. "No, Not absolutely." "Do you have any idea?" I hated lying. "No, all I know is thatshe called us from a pay phone and asked us to come get her. We found her passed out in some bushes" "If you know anything, you have to inform me. With injuries this serious, something must have happened." My voice grew shaky, "What kind of injuries?" "Six broken ribs, half of her body covered in bruises, severe cuts on the back of her head. It would seem that she hit her head on a sharp corner. There are also burns on her wrists and ankles, as if she was tied with ropes. Her leg is fractured in 2 places. Her arm is fractured as well. She has scars on her arms, face, and neck. So, if you know something, I'd suggest you tell now, so we can do something before it's too late." "What... would... too late be??" "Best case situation, paralysis. Worst case, death." Under my breath, I muttered "Oh, god."
Then Brian looked up. "I know Nick promised Katie he wouldn't tell. But I never make promises like that. Katie's father abuses her. Her mother is too drunk all the time to do anything. She was staying with us for a while, but this morning, she left for school, and apparently, her parents picked her up." I had my head down on the table by this time. The doctor looked at me. "Do you know how long this had been going on?" "I'm not exactly sure, but I have a feeling it started more than seven years ago, when we were in sixth grade. If.. If you.. uh.. talk to her friend, Stephanie, maybe she can tell you. But how is Katie right now? Is she awake?" "I'm afraid not. Do you know Ms. Schwartz's friends phone number?" I nodded. "I'll call her"
"Hey Steph... Katie can't talk right now.... No, we're at Orlando Hospital (A.N. I don't know if there really is an Orlando Hospital, but, hey, this is a fan fic, andthing can happen).... We're all ok, it's Katie... No, her dad... Yeah.... She's pretty bad off... It's not your fault, it's mine. I let her leave.... She's not awake.... The doctor needs you to come down to answer some questions... Yeah.... OK.... See you in a little while... Bye." I looked up at the doctor. "Can I go in and see her now? Her friend will be here in a half hour." The doctor pointed me in the direction of the room. (Authors Note: I lost touch with the creative side of myself when I wrote this part, so if it seems totally sappy like alot of those lovey-dovey fan fic's, This is your warning) I sat down in the chair right next to her and held the hand of the arm that wasn't broken. I read somewhere that hearing someone you're close to would help in this situation, and I thought 'What the hell! It woked for that dude that was in a coma for 3 years, why wont it work for me?' I tried to remember what her favorite song was, what did she listen to when she was upset?? Ah Ha!!! And (AN Isn't this perfect) I knew all the words! Why wouldn't I, after all, it is my solo. I softly started singing to her:
Open Up, Your heart to me
And say whats on your mind,
I know that we have been through so much pain,
But I still need you in my life,
This time...
I need you tonight,
I need you right now,
I know deep within my heart,
It doesn't matter if its wrong or right,
I really need you tonight...
I figured out,
What to say to you,
Sometimes, the words, they come out so wrong,
Always they do,
And I know in time you will understand,
That what we have,
Is so right,
This time...
I need you tonight,
I need you right now,
I know deep within my heart,
It doesn't matter if its wrong or right,
All those endless times
we tried to make it
last forever more...
And, Baby, I know I need you,
I know deep within my heart,
It doesn't matter if its wrong or right,
I need you, oh I need you baby,
No it doesn't matter if its wrong or right,
All I know is, baby,
I really need you tonight.
Nothing. She didn't move. It didn't work. I put my head down on the bed next to her and said "I'm so sorry. God, I'm so so sorry. I promised you I wouldn't let him hurt you again, and I didn't keep that promise. I couldn't keep my promise about not telling anyone, though. If Bri and me didn't tell, you'd die. Steph's in there right now pretty much telling the docs your life story. Just please wake up. I don't know how I'd live if you'd die. It would be all my fault. Please... just.. please wake up." Tears were falling down my cheeks. This was rare, considering I wouldn't cry in public.
Then, as if some sort of miricle, she squeezed my hand. Really really hard. Then she said "Do ya think I could get some pain killer's here? Your voice is nice and all, but it doesn't help a broken bone." I looked up. "Katie! Your awake!!! Oh my god! Brian!! Get the doctor!! Hury up!!" "Nickolai, stop yelling. I have a pounding headache."
