Chapter 33
"Nick, are you ready to hear the results?" Dr.Turtle
asked, stressing each syllable in hope of keeping my wandering attention.
I opened my eyes again and again, struggling to maintain clear vision.
"I...I don't know."
"Frack?" Brian whispered from the back of
the small room. "Frack, what's going on?"
My head spun and I was so cold. "I-"
Everything was slowly becoming black.
"NICK!" my father shouted, grasping my arm. "NICK, STAY WITH
ME!"
My body went limp and my eyes closed. But nothing was black, now everything was
bright white.
******************************
"Mmmmm......" I moaned as I opened my eyes.
"Good morning, son," an elderly lady greeted me, dressed in a white
uniform.
I squinted reading her nametag
She shook her head. "No, I'm a new volunteer here at the hospital, I was
coming in to deliver these flowers," she stated, pointing to the roses
sitting across from me.
"Oh, thank you. Do you know where my family is?"
"They all went to get something to eat."
I sat up. "They all just left me?"
"No, honey, they just needed a little break. They would never leave
you."
I sighed. "Now, if only I knew if I wouldn't be leaving them."
She sat down beside my bed. "Why would you think that?"
"I've been so sick. What if I die? What if I'm not ready? I don't want to
die!"
"Sometimes, that's not our choice. It's God's."
"God?" I scoffed. "Does he really exist?"
"Oh, yes," she assured me. She studied me carefully. "Maybe you
already have proof..."
I shrugged. "The scariest thing happened earlier.
I was feeling so sleepy, so weak and when I shut my eyes, I didn't see black
anymore. All I could see was this bright white light and then, I don't know
what happened."
She squeezed my hand. "I don't think it's important for you to know what
happened, but to focus on what you do know."
"Like what?"
*********************************
"Not my time, not my time...."
"Nick....Nick, wake up."
My eyes sprang open.
"Hey, buddy. It's about time you woke up."
I yawned. "Brian?"
He nodded. "Yep, it's me, kid."
I glanced around the room to see my dad asleep in the chair beside my bed.
"Where is everyone?"
"Kevin was released a few minutes ago, so Howie and AJ took him down to
the cafeteria to make sure he eats and rests."
"He's okay?"
"Sure is. It's you we were all afraid for. Man, you gave us quite a scare
last night. I was so afraid. The doctor came to read your results and you kinda' passed out, I guess. But you didn't wake up right
away, it's like you were asleep, almost in a trance."
"I was?"
"Yeah, you were burning up with fever and the doctors were afraid you
weren't going to make it and then-"
"Then, what?"
"Then, you just snapped out of it. The fever broke."
"I'm okay?" I whispered.
"Yes! The test results were fine! And your temperature is finally
normal."
"But what was wrong with me, Bri?"
He stroked my hair. "The doctors still don't know. It's another one of
those medical mysteries. Dr.Turtle claimed you making
it through the night was God's miracle, not
hers'."
"God does exist.
Brian raised an eyebrow. "
"You know, the volunteer that came in the white
outfit from earlier. She brought me the roses by the bed." I paused,
remembering. "Oh, of course you don't know. You and everyone were getting
something to eat."
Brian immediately felt my forehead. "Maybe you are still sick."
"No, no, I feel fine. I was just telling you she brought in the
roses."
His eyes scanned the room. "What roses?"
I turned my head to show him. "Right there- where are they?"
I saw the roses had been replaced by a angel figurine.
Brian lifted it in his hands. "Is this what you mean?"
I shook my head as he set it back down. "No, I'm telling you she-"
"Whoa, whoa, slow down. You might be getting better, but your body is
still weak, no use wearing yourself out. And it's probably normal for you to be
so confused at first."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Maybe you were dreaming."
"No, I don't remember anything like a dream. I remember the doctor talking
about test results, then I blacked out. But when my
eyes shut, I saw a bright white light."
He paled. "You did?"
I nodded. "Yeah." I stared at him. "Are
you okay? You look scared."
"No, it's just-just-"
"Just what?" I questioned, pleading for an answer.
He spoke quietly. "That's what happened to me, Nick...When I was little
and the doctors thought I was gone. That's what I saw. You were that close to
dying..."
I smiled lightly. "But I didn't."
"Thank God," he breathed.
I stretched my arms, thankful to perform the motion without pain shooting
through my limbs. "Maybe now things will get back to normal."
He ruffled my hair. "Maybe, but it won't happen all at once. It might take
a little while for you to bounce back. You might not realize how sick you
were."
I ran a hand over my stomach. "Believe me I know. This feels kinda' weird, huh? It's almost like I'm going through what
you went through. Once we finally got you back, I got sick. Like Frick like Frack....."
Brian looked up at me. "I only wish you would've told me. Then, maybe
things wouldn't have been so bad for you."
"I doubt that. That's as likely as me being able to fix your heart."
He smiled. "You help my heart everyday, buddy. Just by
being my friend and being who you are."
"Likewise, Frick."
He extended his hand to me. "No more secrets?"
I accepted his handshake. "No more secrets. My best
friends for infinity and beyond." I took a deep breath. "When
do you think we'll get to perform again? I feel bad for the fans and everything."
"Don't be sad. They all understand, all anyone
has wanted throughout all of this is for you to get better."
I grinned. "Think we should sing 'Pooh Corner' when I'm back on
tour?"
He chuckled. "Kev knows the words..maybe we could dress him up like Eeyore, they have similar personalities."
I nodded. "Or Rabbit, another self-proclaimed
know-it-all."
"It good to have you back, Nick. I don't know what I'd do without
you," he whispered, hugging me tightly.
I hugged him with all my might. "Same here. Who
else could help me annoy the guys?"
"Oh I dunno....AJ does a pretty good job,"
he stated, pulling away. "But your coming back will be worse than mine.
You'll have both me, Kevin and Howie mothering you."
I cringed. "You all make uglyass moms. At least
I'll have AJ to keep things normal."
Brian shook his head. "I cannot believe I just heard AJ's
name and the word 'normal' in the same sentence."
I glanced down at a piece of paper sticking out of his pocket. "What's
that?" I asked, gesturing toward it.
"Oh, that," he placed it in his palm. "It's an obituary."
I gasped. "You guys had already written my obituary!"
"No, no, no," he assured me. "I met this older gentleman
yesterday in the chapel when I was praying for you. And his wife had passed
away...Yet, somehow he gave me so much faith and hope. I wanted this just to
remember him and the memory of the wife. And to remember how
precious everything is in general."
"May I see?"
He handed it over.
I glanced at the picture and name my heart racing. "B-Brian?"
I stammered, the paper falling from my trembling hands.
"What, Nick? Are you okay?!"
I grabbed the angel sitting at my bedside as I spoke. "That's her! The
lady I saw! That's her!" I pointed at the name. "
Brian shook his head. "I can't believe it...."
I saw a tag hanging around the angel's neck. I flipped it over reading the
message.
To:Nick,
Here's to 'TIME'....
Love:Regina
I passed the angel to Brian, my hands still shaking in disbelief.
He grinned. "Time.....Hey, that gives me an idea
for our comeback show."