"Okay Kaos if you do that one more time you're off the bus," Kevin complained as he pinched his nose. The smell eminating in the bus was bad and each of the guys were starting to choke and gag.
"What the hell did you eat?" AJ muttered as he stood up, trying to get a window cracked open. "I have to get some air!"
"Canīt you go to the bathroom or something?" Howie said with disgust.
"Yeah and stay there like for the rest of the trip," AJ grinned.
With a pale expression on his face Nick moaned, "I canīt help it. My stomach hurts so bad." He was seated on the seat, legs pulled up towards his stomach and he was drawing in a sketch book. It was hard to concentrait since he was constantly wracked with spasms. "Besides if I donīt get this out I will end up even sicker." He groaned.
"So true, but would you kindly spread your fumes somewhere else," Kevin said as he fanned with his magazine infront of him, "you know we are on this small bus and that you have to take into consideration." īThere was no anger in his voice, more tiredness.
"Yup like go to the bathroom!" Howie tried to breath through his nose, closed mouth.
"You smell like a fuckin' sewer," AJ grimaced as he held up his T-shirt over his nose, "What do you have down your pipes Carter?"
"Awww come on, itīs just natural," Nick blushed, "besides Brian isnīt complaining."
"That is beacuse he has a COLD!" AJ whined. "God, I never thought I would wish for a stuffy nose. But I do now."
"Okay that's enough," Brian chuckled as he blew his nose. Turning to the miserable teen he whispered with concern, "You havenīt eaten too much again, have you?" He was referring to the McDonald's incident two days earlier.
"NO!" 'God, what did they think of him. Fact was that he hadnīt eaten anything for the whole day and still felt full like he had eaten a dinner course. Another groan escaped his lips. The pain was bad and he had a hard time concentrating on something beside the gurgle in his stomach. On top of everything a headache was pounding in his head.
"You feel sick?"
A short nod.
"You had that "bug" pretty bad for two days now, maybe you should go and see a doctor."
At the word doctor being mentioned Nick shook his head, "Nah Iīll be fine." There was no way that he was going to do that. Besides then the doctor would complain that he was overweight, that he was sure of, and that was NOT something that he wanted to hear.
"You have to be fit for the upcoming tour next week," Johnny stated. No doubt only caring about the money and not about the guys health.
"Yeah I know...ouch.." he groaned as another cramp wracked his body.
"FRACK!" Brian laughed, "that one was nasty, almost peeled off the paint from the wall." The rest of the guys laughed too, as they were pinching their noses.
"Hahhaaa, very funny," Nick grimaced, as he shifted position on the seat. Another spasm shot through him and he groaned, folding over in half. This time there were no sick comments.
"You okay?" Brian asked worried as he placed a hand on his friend's neck. With a frown he noticed that it was warm, "You have a fever?"
"I..do..donīt kn..knoooow," Nick groaned in response as his intestines were tying themselves into a knot.
"Kev," Brian continued, "I think there must be something seriously wrong with him. Iīve never seen Nick have such a bad stomach ache. Maybe we should take him to a hospital." There was genuine concern in his voice.
"Really?" Now the older man came up to see what could be wrong with their youngest member. As he felt the forehead he concluded, "Yup, youīre sick!" There were sighs. "B'rok is right, we should take you to the hospital."
"For a bad case of gas?" Johhny sneered, "That is out of the question. We have to get to New York by tomorrow morning to do a tv-show and we are already late on schedule. Besides Fatima is meeting you guys up there since she wanna practice the moves."
A unison groan was heard in the bus.
Ignoring this Johnny turned to Nick, "There is nothing wrong with you, son, is there?"
The only answer the teen gave was a moan as a bad spasm surged through the stomach. Then came the consequences.
"NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKK!"
"Gross, Why did you have to do THAT?"
"Get some air!"
"Open the door!"
"Throw him off!"
All concern for Nick's health were forgotten as he was rudely pushed aside.
"D'," Brian said as he walked over to his friend that was watching a video alone in the dark. Kevin was upfront talking to the driver and AJ was in his bunk, calling his girlfriend. Nick had gone to bed finally fallen asleep despite having a terrible stomach ache.
"Yeah?" The Latino looked up. "Youīre up this late?" He sounded surprised. Brian was usually a person that went to sleep pretty early.
"Aha..couldnīt sleep. Eh..Howie?"
"Mhm..hey come and sit down and watch this. This western is pretty good."
"Okay," Brian sat down heavily, "D'?" He asked after a while, moisturing his lips as he was about to spill something, but didnīt know where to begin.
"Yeah what is it?" He glanced over at Brian.
"Have you noticed anything strange about Nick lately?" There was nervousness in the Kentuckian's voice.
Howie jerked, "Eh..what do you mean?"
"Like..like if he is depressed or something?"
"Depressed Nick?..nooo," Howie shook his head.
"Okay," Brian was silent again. "Maybe it is just because he isnīt feeling well then." There was no way he knew how to approach Howie saying that he thought that Nick had some kind of eating disorder. Bingeing like he had done the other day couldnīt be normal. No wonder that his stomach was messed up.
"Aha..probably," Howie had his concerns too, but he wasnīt one to say anything before he was absolutely sure that something could be wrong.
"You think that this touring is taking too hard a toll on Nick?" Brian asked after awhile of silence.
"Maybe. I think it takes a toll on all of us. But Iīm pretty sure that he will make it. Nicky is strong." Pushing the pause button on the controller he turned his head, "Youīre worried about him?"
"I donīt know," Brian answered truthfully, "Sometimes I get such a bad feeling when it comes to him, you know. Like if he is walking on a very thin line and could fall over if he wouldnīt be careful. "There was genuine concern in the Kentuckian's voice.
Raising his eyebrows Howie looked at him. Brian rarely talked so open with him about things like this. Fact was that Brian was often very closed about his feelings and not as open as people got the impression that he was. He had a warm heart and Howie admired how well he could handle Nick in every stuation. Everybody thought that Kevin was the designated leader, but Howie had opinion about this. Brian, not making much noise was usually the one that spoke when there were something sensitive and hard that had to be done.
"Iīm sure that Nicky can handle it," Howie smiled, reassuring his younger friend. "By the way how are you holding up?"
"What do you mean?" Brian frowned.
"You know with the upcoming surgery and all." Brian was not talking very much about the procedure and Howie got a feeling that he was scared out of his witts and by not talking he wouldnīt have to encounter his fear.
"Iīm fine." The Kentuckian was very fast with his answer as he stretched his arms and yawned widely, "Íīm tired and I think I turn to bed now."
"Okay," Howie didnīt press any further. When Brian wanted to talk he would talk.
"'Night then D' and sleep tight."
"'Night," Howie pressed the play button as he watched his friend disappeared towards the bunks.
