Despite his protests to go back to the hospital and be with his brother, Howie took Aaron back to the house.
"You know it would be rude not to be at the house when your mom gets there," Howie stated as he steered Nick's green Durango through the gated entrance.
Aaron stared out the window. "She'll get over it."
"C'mon AC, you have to put the effort into this for Nick. He's taking the visit surprizingly well."
"Probably the meds, I bet he don't even realize what he said," Aaron smirked, not turning his attention to the Latino. "How long do you think people are gonna be hanging out by the driveway? This is just so weird with him being sick and people being out there holding vigils and shit."
Howie ignored the teen's cuss words as he pulled the truck off to the side, underneath the basketball hoop. "Don't know I guess people feel like they have to do something and this is their best way of showing it."
Once the truck stopped, Aaron wasted no time in opening the door and stepping out into the sweltering Florida heat. "Looks like she hasn't gotten here yet," he muttered as he noted the vehicles in the garage.
"I'm sure she'll be here pretty soon. Kevin said her flight was getting in around 6:30 or so," Howie replied, glancing at his watch. "Maybe the flight got delayed, it's almost 8:30."
Aaron called back over his shoulder. "Probably....don't know and I really don't care."
Howie shook his head as he followed the brown eyed teen into the house through the garage entrance. "You really shouldn't talk like that about anyone. I realize you're not getting along with your mother right now but some day she'll be gone and you'll regret the things you've said. Don't live your life making mistakes and alienating yourself from your friends and family. I wish I could take back all the nasty things I've ever said in my life."
Aaron hopped onto the kitchen counter. "You said nasty things Howie?" his voice was filled with sarcasm. "I would have guessed AJ before I would even dare think that you would say something hurtful."
Howie playfully punched the young man on the shoulder. "Yeah it's true, but I've grown up and I think it would be a good time for you to start doing the same....if not for yourself, at least do it for Nick. He's made a quick turn around when it comes to his relationship with her."
"Whoa......whoa....who are you talking about now?" AJ rasped as he entered the kitchen, the faint scent of cigarettes clung to his body.
Aaron rolled his eyes. "Nick and mom."
AJ reached into the fridge and pulled out a bottled water, holding it up and looking at Aaron, grabbing another bottle when the teen indicated he wanted one as well, tossing the bottle to the teen. "Nick is having a relationship with his mom?"
"Jay! that's how rumors get started dumbass," Howie admonished.
Aaron laughed as he unscrewed the cap. "Nah, Nick is starting to get that holy roller attitude with ma and it was kinda freaking me out and now I've got Howie lecturing on how I need to be nicer to my mother."
AJ clamped a hand on the young teen's forearm. "As much as I hate to do this, I agree with D. You really should be nice to your mom. She brought you into this world and by God she can take you out. The wrath of Jane Carter is something that no man on Earth would ever want to endure. She seriously freaks me out and I'm not joking kiddo."
The threesome froze in the kitchen when they heard the distinctive sound of the garage door closing.
"Crap," Aaron breathed.
"Fuck," AJ rasped.
Howie stared at the closed door leading to the garage. "Kevin and Jane."
Before Jane even set foot in the house, her complaints could be heard by the trio in the kitchen.
".....and that man was just rude the way he cut you off in traffic Kevin. I'm surprised we weren't in an accident and taken to the hospital," Jane complained.
Kevin and Jane appeared in the doorway; humidity doing a number on her dark hair; Kevin carrying a sheepish grin on his face.
AJ immediately approached Jane, arms wide open. "Hey Jane long time no see," he said with a cheeky grin.
It was evident that Jane Carter was reluctant to accept a hug from AJ but she obliged. "It's been a hectic few months."
Aaron rolled his eyes as he heard his mother's excuses for not being with Nick during the times a guy needs his mom. "Yeah real busy time there ma."
Jane pulled herself out of AJ's embrace. "Aaron! Do you know how worried I was when we couldn't find you?"
"Did I miss one your planned interviews with some God awful teenie mag?" Aaron spat.
"Aaron Charles Carter!" Jane scolded.
"I don't care ma.....I've stopped caring right now for the time being."
Tears sprung into the older woman's eyes. "Aaron you don't mean that!"
Aaron gritted his teeth. "Don't you think there's other things out there that are more important that concerts, interviews and kissing up to crowds?'
"What are you talking about?" Jane questioned.
"You are a piece of work! Nick saw it years ago but I was too dumb to see it until now......"
"Nick was always in his own little world," Jane defended.
"Because you put him there!"
Howie, Kevin and AJ listened helplessly to the verbal tennis match that was going on between Aaron and his mother. Howie felt the anguish the teen was feeling and felt it was best to stay out of the family argument.
"I have done nothing but put you kids first," Jane sobbed. "You would be nothing if I hadn't put your lives ahead of mine!"
"Spare me," Aaron growled, jumping down from the counter.
AJ finally had enough of watching the verbal bashing from the sidelines. "Jane, you need to get your head out of your ass. Can't you see what you're doing to AC? You'd did a number on Nick for years and you succeeded in pushing him away from you, you're doing the same to that boy over there!"
Jane's mouth dropped open. "How dare you say that to me!"
"Can you get off your fucking high horse for a minute and listen to what we're saying? It has always been about you and what they can do for you! Jesus, you're worse than what fatass Lou Pearlman could have ever had been to Nicky. You succeeded in pushing Bob away from you and Nick and now it looks like Aaron is heading in that direction. Look at all the trouble the girls have gotten into over the past year. It's because of you and how you're screwing this family up! Do you want to spend the rest of your life alone? Think before you speak woman!"
With Jane a sobbing mess, it was Kevin Richardson that intervened. "AJ! Shut your mouth! This is a family conversation and they don't need your two cents put into it. You're making it worse--"
Aaron interrupted. "Actually Kevin, Jay seems to be getting through to that cold hearted bitch. Let him keep it up."
Howie shot a glare at Aaron. "Aaron that isn't called for!"
Aaron turned to leave. "I'm outta here!"
Howie grabbed the teen's arm. "You are staying here and you will finish this discussion."
Aaron chuckled sarcastically. "A discussion is when two people are talking rationally. I'm rational, mother dear isn't therefore this would not be a discussion."
"Aaron," Jane sobbed. "I try to be a good mother to you kids."
"Then why don't you start acting like one? Why do you think this family is so fucked up? I'm not talking about Nick getting cancer either. It's fucked up because of the drugs and alcohol......did you know that I smoke pot? I've done it for years," Aaron said proudly. "The old man started me up on that one so you can't blame Nick. It's been our escape from all the bullshit thats been laid on us since day one. Nick smoked cigarettes...pot.....drank....hell he's done it all and I'm not too damn far behind him."
"Thats not true," Jane whispered.
"Bullshit! Ask Nick when you see him....he'll tell you!"
"Aaron," Kevin boomed. "You leave the rest of the family out of this, this is between you and your mom."
Jane looked up to her young son, mascara smeared down her cheeks. "What do you want me to do to make this better?"
"I want you to stop making promises you can't keep. I want you to put the damn business on hold and treat us like family instead of dollar signs," Aaron growled, quietly adding, "I want you to be with Nick and spend some time with him while you can."
"Then I need to go up to see him now," Jane stated softly.
Kevin Richardson shook his head. "Not tonight, it's late. It will be better in the morning."
Dr. Andersen quietly entered the isolation room. She was not gowned up like the visitors in the past had been and the smile on her face would have lit the signs on Broadway. Looking down at her young patient, she couldn't help but continue to smile, he was snoring softly; television was on, but the volume had been muted. She looked up at the various IV soloutions that hung on the pole next to his bed. She decided that she was particularly pleased with herself this morning. She had once again pulled her patient out of the woods with the setback that Nick had encountered. The last blood test that was done was still lousy by medical standards, but the cultures showed that the sepsis had finally left his system.
Dr. Andersen had only been in the room for a few moments when her pager left off a signal, tearing Nick away from his dreams. Looking down at the device, she shut it off and did not act upon the number that appeared - the call was personal so it could wait.
The woman smiled warmly. "Good morning, Nickolas."
Nick rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Dr. Andersen?" he croaked hoarsly. He eyed his doctor suspiciously. "How come you're not gowned up?" After he uttered his question, he could feel his heart fluttering in his chest, fearing the worst since she wasn't taking the isolation precautions.
"I have some good news to tell you this morning Nickolas......we got rid of the sepsis so we don't have to keep you in isolation and you will be moved this morning to a private room in another wing of the hospital." She waited for her patient to comprehend her statement before continuing. "I also got the results back from your brother's testing as a marrow donor and he matched so close you would have thought we were testing you and not him...it was pretty uncanny."
Nick couldn't hide his enthusasiam. He smiled widely. "He did?"
"Yes he did, I still have to call him this morning to tell him, but we are not finished with testing your brother or you for that matter," the doctor warned.
Nick groaned. "More tests? Like what kind of tests are you talking about?"
"For your brother it will consists of more simple blood tests to make sure he is 100% in good health, no diseases and that he has specific antigens in his blood to show that his immunities are there."
Nick let out a sigh of relief that it wouldn't be a painful testing procedure for Aaron. He narrowed his eyes at Dr. Andersen. "Okay, what kind of tests are you talking about for me now?"
Dr. Andersen patted her patient on the shoulder. "Ah, we have to check for organ functions, blood tests, respiratory, cardiology, nutrition and psychological tests."
His eyes widened. "Psychological tests? Do you think I'm nuts?"
The woman shook her head. "No you're not crazy Nickolas, it is just protocal when you have this done. You will be seen by several different specialists before you get clearance to start the transplantation."
"Okay.....so since I'm a little closer to doing this, can you tell me how they get the marrow from Aaron? If you told me once before, I'm sorry but I kinda forget things lately."
Dr. Andersen smiled at her patient. "Nikolas, you don't have to apologize. I don't think I've explained the harvesting procedure to you yet. Once Aaron passes all the tests, we will have him come in and be prepped for surgery. This is a surgical procedure and he will be put under anestetic in the operating room so he won't feel any pain when he is under. We draw the bone marrow out with a long needle that we put into his hips. Once the harvest is done he will be in recovery for about an hour and given pain medications and discharged home."
"The day we start doing the testing on you," she continued, "it will be labeled as day minus eleven but considering that you already have a central line and a port, we will more than likely label you as a minus five and the day of the marrow transplant will be day zero and each day after that will be one...two...three and so on."
Nick ran a hand across his face in a tired gesture. "I thought it was going to be slap the marrow in and see what happens. This sounds too complicated."
Dr. Andersen looked at her patient with a serious expression. "I've always told you that good things do not come easy for anyone or anything, especially when cancer is involved."
Smoothing the blankets on his chest Nick nodded in agreement.
"Do you feel up to trying some clear liquids this morning?"
Nick thought for a moment. "Yeah I guess I could give it a shot I do feel sorta hungry this morning," he admitted.
"Good, I'll have your nurse order a tray. Do you have any questions?"
He shook his head. "I think you've covered everything......so you'll be telling Aaron this morning about this?"
Dr. Andersen glanced at the clock on the wall. "I'll tell him after 9, it seems to be a more civil time of the morning."
Nick rolled his eyes, smiling. "If you're thinking about waiting until Aaron is up for the day I'd wait until 1 O'clock, but yeah, I guess I see what you're thinking."
Dr. Andersen smiled back. "I'll check back with you this afternoon once you get settled in your new room."
With that, Dr. Andersen left Nick alone to think about the events that would change his and Aaron's lives.
