"How about something to drink?" Howie suggested. "Or some food maybe?" Howie approached the vending machine and began searching in his pockets for some change.
"They got any morphine in there?" Nick laughed.
"Be serious, man. You really should have some food. They got turkey sandwiches, tuna, or ham. What do you think?"
"I think I'll pass, but get me a Dr. Pepper, dude." Nick gazed down the hall and saw Stephanie get off the elevator. She approached the two of them. She looked very stern. She looked as though she was trying to be strong for everyone else, but she was really about to break down on the inside. She said nothing to the two guys. She just gazed at the vending machines for a moment and finally put some coins in the drink machine. She reached down and grabbed her Mountain Dew, opened it, and then gazed up at Nick.
"I hate hospitals," She said. "They give me the creeps. How could Leah do this to herself? Do you know?" Nick said nothing. "I don't want to be selfish, but I'm sick and tired of going to the hospital to see my little sister. When we were little she got all the attention because she had the heart problem. But she loved to dance, and she was determined to keep dancing. Sometimes she'd get injured in dance, but I don't think injuries even bothered her. She'd always get candy and presents. There were so many times when I thought about just getting hurt on purpose just so that I could get a little of that attention."
"You said she had heart problems?" Nick said.
"Yeah. Did she not tell you?"
"No, no she didn't."
"It's not something that she's very proud of. She didn't want people to treat her differently. But her problems have been kept under control for the past few years, but this doesn't really help matters."
Nick walked over to the elevators. When the doors opened Nick stepped onto the elevator. He was full of so many emotions now. He was very sad and upset about the condition of his girlfriend, and now he knew about her ealier problems, and although he felt very sad about it, he also felt angry. How could Leah keep things from him? He truly loved her, and he could not believe that she would keep something from him that was as important as this.
Brian sat upstairs in the waiting room, staring at the dots on the ceiling. Thoughts of Leah ran through his head. Everyone thought she was pretty; Brian agreed. He remembered thinking she looked so beautiful when she was in all the beauty walks at school, and when Leah chose him to be her escort when she was crowned homecoming queen, he had felt so proud. But the times where he thought she looked the best, were the times when she'd tie her hair back in a ponytail and wear no makeup, and she'd be wearing clothes that were to be worn around the house only or clothes she'd work out in. And he loved the way she looked when she'd put on one of his shirts, which was way too big for her.
Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted. "Hey mister!" Brian heard a little girl's voice and looked down to see a little girl who looked to be about seven years old, staring at him. "Are you a Backstreet Boy?" She asked innocently.
"Yeah, I am," Brian answered. He then managed to smile through his tears at the little girl.
"You look sad. Are you sick?"
"No, I'm visiting a friend. You're not sick, are ya?"
"I'm waiting for my mommy and daddy. They came to see my sissy. She had an accident in her car with her boyfriend."
"Oh, I'm sorry honey."
"I'm okay. I just hope she is. Could you read me a book?"
"Yeah, I could." Brian smiled, and picked up the little girl, setting her in his lap. He reached for a children's book on the table in front of him, and opened the book to page one and began reading to her.
Nick came into Leah's room. Her mom sat in a chair by her side. She looked up at Nick. "She's very strong, but she doesn't look very strong right now. She was going to be a star." She got up from her chair. "I'll leave you alone with her for a moment. I'm going to get a glass of water."
Leah's mom left the room, and Nick walked over the other side of Leah's bed. Leah's mom was right. She didn't look strong. Nick leaned down and kissed her cheek. "They say that if you talk to an unconscious person, she may not wake up, but she knows you're there." Nick took Leah's hand in his and sat down in the chair beside her bed. "Leah, I love you, and I need you. I need you to hang on, because I don't know that I can make it without you. My whole world could crash down, but I'd be alright as long as I had you, but if I don't have you, then the world just may as well crash down." He kissed her hand, and tears came to his eyes. He got up from the chair and leaned down to kiss her cheek again. "You can't die on me; not yet. We've still got a lot of things to do together. There are so many things that we haven't done yet, so many places that we haven't gone to." The door opened, and Stephanie came in.
Nick looked down at Leah with a look of sorrow. "I love you. Goodnight." He kissed her forehead and walked passed Stephanie.
"Everyone loves you Lee," Stephanie said.
Nick walked briskly down the hall. He was looking for Brian. He had to speak to him about Leah. If and when Leah made it out, Nick wanted Leah to marry him, but he knew that he could not marry Leah, unless he had Brian's blessing. He came into the waiting room and saw Brian reading to the little girl who was now asleep in his lap. Suddenly Nick felt like beating himself up. He was so worried about where he stood with Leah, and deep down he knew that she may not even make it. Rather than worrying about some battle over Leah that he and Brian may have to go through, he should be more worried about her health. He was worried about her, but there was also a small part of him that was more worried about himself. He was worried about how he would feel without her in his life. He was worried about how her condition and possible death could affect him. Nick now realized that he was being selfish.