"Th...that's Brian?" he asks, trying to control his tears. Arlene sadly nods.
"The doctor said that his chances of surviving are.....are not good. It's a miracle he's even alive right now since the bullet..."
"Bullet?!" Nick cries out, interrupting her. "He was shot?!"
"Yes..."
By this time, the tears were pouring out of her eyes. "Brian and I were arguing...and then all of a sudden he shouted for me to watch out......and then he jumped in front of me just when a shot was fired..."
Nick feels as if he had been shot himself as Arlene continues. "He...he saved me......he saved me......when it should have been me! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!" she screams as she starts to sob.
Priscilla quickly hugs her, trying to comfort her. "Nick, I'm going to take her outside and walk her around a bit."
"Ok," Nick says, staring in disbelief at his friend.
Before they leave, Priscilla goes over to him and squeezes his hand. Nick turns to look at her and she gives him a sympathetic smile. He smiles reassuringly and squeezes back, then turns back around. "Come on, Arlene," she softly says to her, who is now sobbing quietly. Nick hears their discussion as they leave.
"It was my fault..." Arlene murmurs.
"No, it wasn't..."
Finally, Nick is left alone with Brian. I can't believe this is happening, he thinks to himself. "Brian?" he shakingly says. "Can you hear me, buddy? It's me, Nick, though I'm probably the last person you want to see right now." He forces out a laugh, then continues. "A....about what I said to you yesterday, I....I just wanna say that I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I said that about you." The tears start streaming down his cheeks. "Brian, you're my friend, my best friend....my brother. You can't quit on me now!" He then automatically grabs Brian's hand. "Frick, you have got to wake up. Too many people here love you too much to let you go. Do something that will tell me you're going to be alright. Squeeze my hand, groan, blink, anything, just don't lie there like if you were already...dead," he says rapidly. He holds back a sob and waits patiently for him to react. The only sound he hears is the heart monitor beeping slowly. Please Brian.....do something.... Suddenly, the heart monitor stops beeping and a steady rhythm takes it's place. "NOOOOOOO!" Nick screams. He grabs Brian's lifeless shoulders and starts shaking him. "No! Brian, don't do this!"
Two doctors immediately appear, followed by Priscilla and Arlene. "Nick, what's wrong?!" she asks in concern.
"He.........he..........he's gone..." he manages to choke out, walking away in defeat.
"What?! No, Brian! Don't leave me!" Arlene tries to go to him, but one of the doctors holds her back.
"Miss, please stay back," he tells her.
"But he's my boyfriend!"
"I know, we're trying everything we can to save him, but you have to help us by cooperating. Please stay back."
"But..."
"Come on, Arlene. Let's stay out of their way," Priscilla calmly says.
Arlene tearfully follows her to where Nick is. They see him sitting hunched over on a chair with his hands covering his face, his body racking in sobs. Priscilla quietly goes over to him and gingerly touches his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Nick..." she utters softly to him. He uncovers his face and and looks at her with a tear-streaked face. "I can't believe he's gone..." Fresh tears invade him and he places his head on Priscilla's chest, sobbing. She protectingly embraces him, tears stinging her eyes, while Arlene cries softly to herself next to them. A couple of minutes later, the doctors emerge. The group looks up and await for them to tell them what they already know...
The group looks at him in shock. "Um, did I hear right? He.....he's alive?" Arlene finally asks.
"Yes," the doctor answers.
"But how? His heart had stopped beating..." Nick asks, wiping his tears away.
"I know, and we tried everything we could, but nothing worked. So as we were about to inform you of his death, the heart monitor starting beeping again. When we checked him, we saw that his heart had started and he was breathing again. And miraculously, he is now awake and appears to be fine, just a bit weak and exhausted. He'll still need to go to the hospital, but I'm sure he'll make a full recovery."
"Oh my God, I can't believe it," Nick says somewhat in a daze.
"Can we see him?" Priscilla asks hopefully.
"Of course," the doctor replies.
They quickly go over there and find Brian still lying in bed with his eyes closed. For a split second, they think that the doctor has lied to them. But then Brian starts to stir and he finally opens his eyes. When he sees them, he manages to make a small smile. Arlene stifles down a sob as she kneels down next to him. "Baby......oh my God......you really are alive," she says, her eyes filling with tears. Brian slowly moves his hand towards hers and softly holds it.
"I.....I couldn't leave you......not now," he softly says.
"I was so scared. Why did you do that? That bullet was meant for me." "Because I love you, I'd do anything for you, and I think I just proved it...." he replies, smiling.
"I love you too..." she replies happily. "I'm just so happy that you're ok."
"Me too..." Nick adds softly. Brian notices that he is standing off to one side, as if he were afraid to get closer. "What are you doing over there? I'm not contagious or anything. Come over here," he says, motioning with his hand. Nick walks slowly towards him. They both stare at each other in silence. "Listen, I..." they both start at the same time, breaking the silence.
They smile and Brian tells Nick to go first. "Ok, um....look, about what I said to you yesteday...."
"I know, it's ok."
"No, it's not. I'm sorry for blowing up like that. I should have never said that. I was just so sick of you complaining all the time, but..."
"Nick, i-t-'s o-k," Brian slowly articulates, smiling.
Nick lowers his head and chuckles softly. But when he looks up again, his eyes are filled with tears.
"What's wrong?" Brian asks in concern.
"Nothin', I'm just glad that you made it. You're my best friend, Frick, but I think of you as the older brother I never had...I love you, man..."
"I love you too, little bro," Brian replies as they embrace.
"Awwwwwwwww," Priscilla and Arlene suddenly say. Brian and Nick both realize that they weren't alone and blush out of embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, we just couldn't resist," Priscilla says, smiling.
"You should have seen yourselves, it was the cutest thing," Arlene adds.
"Yeah, well, that's what we're here for, to entertain you," Nick says as he sits down next to Brian on the bed.
"And you do it so well too," Priscilla says with a devilish grin as she approaches him.
"Please spare me the details, I do not want to know!" Arlene jokingly replies.
"You and me both," adds Brian. They all laugh as Priscilla plops down on Nick's lap.
"Man, it's been a long time since I had a good laugh," she exclaims.
"I know what you mean. After all that's happened, we could use a vacation from this vacation," says Arlene.
"Well, it better not involve any more ships because after this one I for one am not going to ride one for a very long time," Nick says.
"Ditto," Brian adds. The girls nod their heads in agreement.
"By the way, Brian, I'm also glad to know that you're ok," Priscilla sincerely tells him as she holds his hand.
"Thanks, that means a lot to me," he replies.
"Don't mention it, you're a really great guy. Arlene and I are real lucky to have finally met you two."
"No, I think I speak for both me and Nick that WE are the lucky ones..."
he warmly says to them.
"He's right, you know..." Nick says softly to Priscilla before giving her a kiss. Brian and Arlene stare in amusement at their little make-out session for awhile.
"You know," Brian finally says to Arlene. "That kinda looks like fun. Wanna try it?"
"Can you handle it? I don't wanna hurt you,"
"I think I can manage the strength for this," he replies with a smile.
"In that case..." She leans over and their lips lock together for a long time...
"Yes! We have finally reached land!" Nick cries out excitedly.
"You sound as if it's been years since we set foot on land," Priscilla says with a laugh.
"That's what it feels like to me," he replies.
"You said it," Arlene agrees.
"I'd enjoy it more if I weren't on this stupid wheelchair!" complains Brian.
"Don't be such a baby! If you want to get better, you do as the doctor says and stay in this wheelchair!" Arlene cries out in a motherly tone. He then just crosses his arms and pouts.
"You know? I wonder if the rest of the guys have heard about this..." Nick suddenly says.
"Uh, sweetie? I think by the looks of things down below, there is no way that they haven't heard about this, unless they've been in a coma or something," Priscilla replies with a smile. Brian lets out a laugh, but immediately groans as he feels a sharp pain in his wound. "Ow! That hurt," he groans.
"Poor baby. Hey, the ship is almost empty. I think it's time for us to leave. Let's go guys," says Arlene.
"Ok, um, are you ready to go down?" Nick asks Brian. He lets out a big sigh, then nods.
"Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go."
Among all the reporters, camera crew, policemen, and people, AJ, Kevin, and Howie, who are in disguise, are standing near the area where all the people from the ship are coming down. They are looking all around to see if they spot their two friends.
"Damn, where could they be? They should have gotten down by now," AJ exclaims impatiently.
"Relax, bro. They're probably still up there. I doubt they'd be the first ones to get off," says Howie.
"But the ramp ain't so full anymore. Where the hell are they?! What if..."
"Don't even think about it until we're absolutely sure!" snaps Kevin. He immediately realizes what he did and sighs. "I'm sorry, AJ, I'm just feeling really stressed out about this whole situation."
"No problem, man," he replies, patting him on the shoulder. "You're not the only one." While the three guys are talking among themselves, they don't notice the two familiar faces going down the ramp.
As soon as the four friends reach the bottom of the ramp, a herd of reporters stick microphones and cameras in their faces while shooting off their nosy questions.... mainly to Brian and Nick.
"What happened to you, Mr. Littrel?"
"How do you feel about all this?"
"Who are these two girls, your girlfriends?"
"How did you escape?"
As they keep barking out questions to them, Nick notices Brian looks uncomfortable. Yeah, I know how you feel. This is too much, I can't take this... "Um, listen, I'd like to answer your questions, but Brian here needs to get to a hospital as soon as possible, so if you could please let us through..."
The reporters reluctantly step aside so that they can get through, but that doesn't stop the cameras from flashing at their every step. At one point, Brian flashes Nick a grateful smile. As they walk slowly farther away from the crowd, Priscilla notices three guys up ahead dressed in trenchcoats and matching hats and sunglasses looking all around the place. Hmm, I wonder if they're looking for somebody. Not really knowing why, she keeps staring at them. Wait a minute, I've seen them before. But who... Suddenly, it hits her. "Oh my God..." she utters, not realizing she said it outloud.
"What is it?" Nick asks, looking at her curiously.
"I think I just saw AJ, Kevin, and Howie."
"What?! Where?"
"Over there," she replies, pointing straight ahead.
As Nick looks over to where she is pointing, his eyes widen in astonishment. "It is them! Hey guys!" he cries out excitedly.
The four friends see Howie look towards them and hear him cry out, "Guys, it's Nick!" They immediately run over to them and let out a whoop of joy when they also spot Brian. Tears of relief trickle down their faces as they hug their two friends.
"We're so freakin' happy to see you guys!" AJ cries out.
"You have no idea how happy we are to see you!" Nick exclaims happily.
"Brian, you ok?" Kevin asks in concern.
"Yeah, don't worry, I'll be fine," Brian reassures his concerned cousin.
"What about you, Nick?" asks Howie.
"I'm ok too," he replies as he gives him a hug. Just then Howie notices the two girls watching them. "Uh, guys, I think some fans may have recognized us."
Nick looks over to where he's looking and laughs. "Well, actually, they're with us."
"Oh, friends of yours?"
"You could say that..." Brian answers mischievously. He then silently signals for Arlene to come over. The three guys give him a curious look as they see the redhead walk over to him. "Guys, this is Arlene.........my girlfriend." For a split second, there is silence.
"Damn, boy, you work fast!" AJ suddenly exclaims.
They all laugh and the boys immediately go over to Arlene and shake her hand. "Hey Arlene, nice to meet you," they all say.
"It's nice to meet you guys too," she replies happily. "And guys?" They see Nick walks over towards the other girl and takes her hand. "This is Priscilla, MY girlfriend," he states happily.
"Looks like you guys have been busy," mentions Kevin with a smile as he shakes her hand. "Nice to meet you," he adds.
"Hey, nice to meet you too," she replies. AJ and Howie also shake hands with her. After awhile of chatting, Arlene timidly says, "Uh, guys? I'd love to stay here and chat the night away, but there is a matter of getting Brian to the hospital to have his wound checked out..."
"Oh yeah! Sorry, Bri, I kinda forgot..." Nick sheepishly says.
"That's right, forget about me like that, see if I care," Brian says as he pretends to look hurt.
"Awww," Arlene exclaims as she leans over and gives him a passionate kiss. "Feel better now?"
"Oh yeah, a WHOLE lot better."
"Does this mean I have to give you a kiss too?" AJ asks jokingly.
"Uh, that's ok, I forgive you," Brian quickly replies. They all laugh as they start walking towards an ambulance nearby so they could take him to the hospital.
Part Seven
Back to the T Index
Back to the Hosted Stories Page
Back to the Main Page
