Balancing the shopping bags on her hip and arm, Jane Carter fumbled with the keys to unlock the front door of the house she shared with her son Aaron his twin sister Angel. The rest of the family had been torn apart months ago and Jane blamed it on Bob's new marriage. Lesley had moved out and was living with her current boyfriend in an apartment several hundred miles away and BJ had lived in New York City for a number of years and she rarely called or came home to visit.
The moment she unlocked the door she was immediately greeted by several dogs and one fat Persian cat.
"Guys....let me get in the door!" she huffed as she kicked the door closed with her foot. She barely got into the foyer of the California mansion when the phone started ringing. "Aaron! can you get that, my hands are full.......Aaron?!....Angel?...oh for the love of God," she muttered as she snatched the phone from its cradle and sank down on the white leather couch with the bags falling on the floor. "Hello?"
"Hi mom, its Aaron."
"Where the hell are you? I just walked in the door and you've already went somewhere? I thought I told you that you needed to work in the soundroom on your new album.....are you in there?"
"Ma--"
"Aaron Charles Carter you better be---" Jane interrupted.
Aaron broke into his mother's ranting. "Ma, I'm in Florida with Nick."
"What did you just say?"
"I said I'm in Florida with Nick."
"I heard what you said--"
"Then why did you ask me to repeat it?"
"Don't you dare get fresh with me young man!" Jane snapped, running a hand across her forehead. "Who got you the tickets? Was it Bob?"
"Dad didn't buy me the tickets ma, I did it myself and hopped on the first flight out to Florida," Aaron replied.
"So you and Stan are in Florida?"
Aaron shook his head. "No, I flew here by myself."
"You went without your bodyguard? Aaron how many times do I have to tell you that when you go out without protection you put yourself at risk...."
"Ma.....ma..." Aaron repeated trying to get his mothers attention during her ranting. "Ma, don't you want to know why I'm down here?"
As AJ McLean stood next to the young teen, he clenched his jaw as he smoked a cigarette, fighting the urge to grab the phone out of his hands. He shot Aaron a few dirty looks and rolled his eyes as he listened to the young man's side of the conversation.
"If you stop yelling at me ma, I'll tell you why I'm here," Aaron calmly stated. Apparantly it worked and Jane Carter was finally silent. "Nick asked AJ to call me, he needed to see me."
Jane let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, is that all? So you'll be taking the next flight back to Cali to work on your album now?"
Aaron's heart dropped in his chest.
It was always about work with that woman. Why didn't she realize that the world didn't revolve around making money?
"Ma, Nick needs me......he asked for me because he needs me."
"You could have just called him, Nick knows you're busy sweetie," Jane replied.
"No mom it's more serious.....he needs me. I need you to fax permission to be tested to be a bone marrow donor."
Jane sat for a moment, dumbstruck. "He needs you to do what?"
"I want to be tested to be a bone marrow donor for Nick and I need you to fax permission so I can be tested."
With the last sentence that was uttered on Aaron's end of the conversation, AJ snatched the cell phone away from Aaron.
"Listen Jane, your son is dying, he needs a bone marrow transplant and if you got your fucking high ass down to Florida you might see him before he dies!"
Aaron's eyes grew wide when he was confronted with the reality of Nick's situation. He knew that Nick was dying but hearing it come from someone else made it more of a reality for him for some reason. Miles away, Jane Carter was confronted with the grim reality.
"How dare you say that to me!"
"Pull the fucking rod out of your ass, get up off that fucking couch and get a fucking pen and a fucking piece of paper and write down this fax number and write down your fucking permisson for Aaron," AJ snarled.
Tears welled up in Jane's eyes. "C-can I talk to Nick?"
"No you cannot talk to Nick, he's in fucking isolation! You'd fucking know that if you fucking cared---"
"I DO CARE!" Jane yelled back.
"Then fucking be a mother for him and fax that permisson slip and get off your fucking ass and fly down here to see your dying son."
"Whats the number I have to fax this to?" Jane asked with a shaky breath.
"You better not be lying to me," AJ threatened.
"I'm not lying to you, I'll do anything for Nick."
"You swear?"
"I'm his mother goddamn it. Of course I wouldn't lie about this," Jane stated crisply.
"813-941-6988, repeat it back to me," AJ growled.
"813-942---"
"813-941-6988, goddamn it.....we're talking about your kids life it would seem that you'd get this right!"
Jane burst into tears. "813-941-6988."
"Do I need to tell you what to write on the letter?"
"I think I can figure what to put on that," Jane replied quietly. "Can I talk to Aaron again?"
"I don't think he wants to talk to you right now Jane, he's an emotional wreck. Why don't you fly your fat ass down to Florida and be a mother for once. I will let the nurses know that you are faxing the slip right now." Without waiting for a response, AJ snapped the flip phone closed, muttering, "She's a piece of work."
"You were right," Howie sighed as he entered the kitchen. "Jay took Nick's car."
"I wish he'd be a little more responsible and let someone know where he was going or even better let someone know he was leaving," Kevin muttered. "I guess we might as well head on up to--"
Kevin was cut short by the ringing of the telephone. Everytime Nick's home phone would ring, his heart would take a leap, fearful that it would be the hospital with bad news.
"You get it," the Latino suggested as he locked eyes with Kevin.
"Hello?"
"Who is this?" a female voice questioned.
Kevin sighed, he hated playing guessing games on the phone more than anything, especially since the caller id indicated unknown caller "Who do you want?"
"This is Nick's mom, Jane, who is this?"
Kevin looked at Howie as he raised his eyebrows. "Oh....hi Jane, this is Kevin." Howie copied Kevin's expression when he realized who was calling.
"Um I just got a call from AJ, is he there?"
"Nope, not here....."
"Is Aaron there? Neither one of them are answering their cell phones," Jane explained.
"I'm guessing AJ is at the hospital with Nick, not sure, but I think thats a safe assumption. I don't have a clue about Aaron, did he book his flight out yet?"
"Aaron is with AJ....the reason I called is that I wanted to let AJ know that I faxed the papers to the fax number he gave me and I've booked a flight out this afternoon to come to Florida and I should be arriving at six thirty."
Kevin raked a hand through his hair. "Do you mind if I ask what papers you faxed to AJ?"
"Permission for Aaron to be tested for a bone marrow donor for Nicky," Jane replied in a tearful voice. AJ told me how bad Nicky has gotten and I know I've been a bad mother and I should have come down sooner....."
"Jane, don't beat yourself up over the past, at least you're coming down now so thats a good start," Kevin consoled. "Would you like someone to pick you up at the airport?"
"Could you? I hate to be a bother..."
"It won't be a problem, we'd be more than happy to meet you," Kevin said.
"Thanks.....um, if it won't be a problem and Kevin?"
"Yes?"
"Make sure its not AJ, I don't think I'm up to seeing him just yet."
Kevin furrowed his brow. "Okay, I'll be there at 6:30."
"Thank you, goodbye."
"Bye." Kevin clicked the cordless phone off setting the receiver back into the cradle. "That was an interesting conversation."
Howie pushed himself back from the kitchen table, making his way over toward the coffee pot. "Okay I got that it was Jane so I'm guessing AJ talked to her?"
"Yeah Jay talked to her. Nick is going to be pissed when he finds out. He didn't want anyone to know about this situation."
"Whoa...whoa, wait, did you say something a fax to AJ? What did Bone want faxed?"
"She said permission for Aaron to be tested as a possible bone marrow donor."
"So then AJ told Jane everything?"
"Evidently...that little shit let the cat out of the bag and I know damn well Nick will be giving Bone hell to pay when he finds this out."
"I'm sure Nick will be forgiving," Howie replied quietly. "He's gotten pretty mellow with his temper lately."
Kevin sighed. "Yeah I suppose you're right. I suppose we better get up to the hospital to see Nick and God forbid, if we need to, soothe any arguments that may be happening when Nick discovers what has happened with his mom."
