As Brian opened the bathroom door he glanced over at Nick’s closed bedroom door situated on the opposite side of the hallway. He hadn´t seen his friend since he came home from the hospital and when they had arrived he got only a quick sight of him before Nick slammed his door shut. It had been awful quiet from his room the whole afternoon, no sounds at all. His friend hadn´t even left the room for a bathroom visit. He hoped that everything was okay and he was praying that Nick was asleep. He had looked exhausted and last nights ordeal as well as the recent outburst was starting to take it´s toll.
Rapping gently on the door he called out, " Nick! Nick open up!"
No answer. Not that he had expected any, knowing that his friend was stubborness impersonated. " Frack? You´re awake?" Pressing his ear against the door he tried to detect if there were any sounds.
Total silence.
Making a final attempt to get the attention he knocked a bit harder, " Come on. I know that you´re there. Answer me so I know that you´re ok."
Still no answer.
Fine! If Nick wanted to be that stubborn, Brian wouldn´t press on. Before going back to the living room he said, " Ok I´ll leave you alone, but you let me know if there is anything you need,ok?" He stopped, " And..Frack..I´m sorry." His voice cracked over the last words. He knew that he had done wrong when he against Nicks will had told the guys about the cancer. But when they had encountered him openly he had a hard time hiding the "secet". Brian had never been good at lying. To tell the truth it felt good to have someone to share this burden with- someone that he knew cared and loved Nick deep in their hearts. Like brothers.
Even if no one had spoken about Nick and the cancer he still knew that they cared and was very shocked, trying to deal with it in their own way.
When he returned to the livingroom where Kevin and Leighanne sat and watched a football game, the darkhaired man looked up, " Did you talk with Nick?"
Brian shook his head as he sat down heavily in an armchair, rubbing his temples trying to fend off an escalating headache. Things were starting to catch up with him and he silently wondered whenever this nightmare would be just a memory.
" You have a headache, hon?" Leighanne asked as she lay her hand on her husbands arm.
Ignoring her queastion he continued with a sigh, " I wish that Nick wasn´t so stubborn."
" No reply then?" Kevin asked.
" No," Brian felt tired all of a sudden. Much too tired and old for someone that were in there prime of their life
" Well you know," Kevin sad comfortingly, " That is our Kaos. Always making a scene,being a bit stubborn." He bit his lip as he had uttered the last word. They had a bad habit of nagging and blaming the younger man whenever something went wrong. It wasn´t meant to hurt, it was something that went way back when they were younger and Nick often messed up things. Never thinking that it could have hurt their friend comments, that were not always so nice, were said. It had become more of a rule than an exception. Part of it was true, it wasn´t for nothing that his nickname was Kaos. But alot of it was because Nick had been very young when he started this business and they had needed someone to blame.
A loud shrill sounded through the room, disturbing their thoughts. Brians cellphone gave away and angry signal. Picking it up the Kentuckian got a pre notion who it could be; Howie! He and AJ had been away since dinnertime and that was a few hours back. Now they were worried that something might have happend.
" Brian." The line was weak and he could barely make out what the person said on the other end since people and music was in the background.
" Rok?" He heard the latino call out, trying to outvoice the noise in the background.
" Yes?" It was something in his friends that made him prick up his attention. " Is Bone there?" He could have sworn that he heard Aj´s voice through the crowd.
There were a deep sigh, " Unfortunatly." The words said it all.
"What happend? Where is he?" Raising his voice.
"AJ is here, but..but.um," Howie had a hard time saying the words out loud.
"WHAT? What is it?" Now Brian sensed that something was seriously wrong. Howie was never that low. Kevin and Leighanne had rushed towards him too and they were all waiting with anticipation to what could have happened. Kevin was trying to take the cell away from him so he could get first hand information. Irritated, Brian shied away, it was hard enough to hear what Howie said without having Kevin breathing down his neck.
Although the connection was weak,Brian could make out the words whiskey, drunk and car. When it dawned on him that AJ was shitfaced and that they needed to come and get him, he felt depressed.
Their friend had a relapse due to the stress he was undergoing. He had started to drink again. How many more trials were they having to go through? WHY?
He sighed, " Ok D' what bar are you in?" He waved towards Leigh to get out a pen and paper, and when she came back he scribbled down the name and adress. In the corner of his eye he saw Kevins expression as the word bar had been mentioned. It was pained
" Tell D' that we´re on our way," Kevin said, already grabbing the keys to Nicks car. " Come on, lets go." He urged his friend to hurry up. They had to get to AJ before the press got a wift off this. They had been snooping aorund them like blood hounds lately. Spreading break up rumours. It would hurt them if it came out that AJ had a breakdown and finding out about Nicks disease would be a total disaster.
" We are on our way," Brian ended and hung up the phone. Kevin grabbed his arm, " What? Is AJ on a drinking binge again?"
Brian nodded.
" Dammit, didn´t D' make it there on time?"
Out in his bedroom Nick peaked out of the window, watching the two men leave his house, getting into his car and driving away. Leighanne was nowhere in sight. According to his calculations he would hopefully be alone in the house, which was good since he wouldn´t have to deal with anyone. Fact was that he didn´t have the strength to meet any of his friends. He was also in a desperate need to use the bathroom and he thanked his lucky star that his stomach had been fairly calm, mainly beacuse he had nothing to eat for a long time. He felt actually a bit hungry.
The door squeeked as he opened it,
looking outside. No sound was heard so Nick decided the coast was clear.
'God, he thought as he walked silently over to the bathroom, I am acting like a burgular in
my own home.' As soon as he had done his business his stomach growled with hunger and
he decided to search through his kitchen for something edible.
As he opened his refrigerator, he found out that it was packed with food. If this had been a
year ago his stomach would have jumped for joy. Now all it felt was queasy. Picking up a orange juice carton he took a large gulp from it, just to be met with a burning sensation seconds later. The acid in the juice met with his throat blisters made his throat and mouth burn like hell. He cried out in pain " FUCK!" Bending over the sink he spat out the liquid. Tears were forming in his eyes as it burned like fire. As he rinsed his mouth out with cold water he felt a hand on his shoulder and heard a soft
"Nick?"
"Shiiiiit!" The jump he made was straight up as he got scared out of his witts. The carton
he held in his hand fell into the sink. He turned around, just to be met with Leighanne’s
concerned blue eyes.
"Damn, you scared me," he lashed out, a little harsher that he had meant to.
"Oh I´m sorry," she said gently, "I didn’t mean to." " S´okey." Leighanne picked up the juice carton in a swift move and placed it in the refrigerator, " How are you feeling?" she asked.
He shrugged, "Okay I guess and a bit hungry." Rubbing his stomach he made a point.
"You want me to make you some soup?"
" Nah, I´m fine..I´ll just grab some cereals." He sat down heavily on the barstool, leaning his head in his hands.
" You´re sure? Brian loves my chicken soup. Ever tasted it?" She smiled to him as she sat down on the opposite side of the small counter.
" No, I´m fine," he grinned, " Cereals will be fine,thanks." Leighanne could be such a chicken mom and he could just picture how protective the two of them would be like parents. " By the way, how are you doing?" He pointed at her growing stomach.
" Oh that," She stroked her stomach, smiling, " I think I felt the first kick the other day. Brian went totally crazy." She chuckled at the memory, " He is pretty sure that this will be a NBA basketball player."
" Yeah, that is Rok." Nick smiled, " By the way were are they?"
Leighannes smile froze, " Eh..uh..what do you mean?"
" I saw they left," He motioned with his head towards the window.You know where they went?"
" Eh..yes..to do some errands, they said they would be back pretty soon though." She shifted nervously in her chair as she watched the blonde stiftle a yawn. There were no need to upset Nick even further so therefore she decided against telling him about AJ´s relapse. Being the sensitive soul that Nick were he would only blame himself.
" Ok," Nick stretched his limbs as he got up from the chair, " I´m all knackered. I think I go and rest for a bit." He yawned widely.
" You don´t want anything to eat?" The surprise in Leighannes voice was evident.
" No," he shook his head, regretting it as a dizziness suddenly overfloaded him. The food that had seemed so apetizing seconds ago made him feel quasy right now. It was like this with cancer, one minute hungry, the next throwing up and then hungry.
And like that the pain continued..endlessly!
