It was written into our thick and confusing contract that while we were on tour it was mandatory that we spend at least two hours, prior to each concert, at the venue making sure that the lighting and sound were okay. And that our choreography didn’t require any alterations in order to accommodate the different sizes of the stages at each stop along the tour.
Sitting slumped in the back of the van, the black t-shirt over my head I closed my eyes and tried to stop my tired head from aching.
“Hey do you want some aspirin?” Sitting down beside me Howie tugged the shirt off of my head and kicked his feet up on the seat in front of him.
“All I want to do is sleep.” I moaned grabbing the t-shirt back and dropping it over my head.
“Damn A.J. really hit you hard last night.” He tapped on my eye through the t-shirt. “It’s going to take a lot of makeup to cover it up before the show.”
“No way am I going to let anybody cover it up.” I mumbled from beneath the shirt. “I think it makes me look tough.”
“So are you going to tell me what the hell you three did last night after Kevin and I went to sleep?” Howie yanked the shirt off of my head as he looked over at A.J. and Brian who were scattered on different rows, both of them looking as tired and worn out as I felt.
“D, seriously, you don’t even wanna know?” Holding out my hand he shook three aspirin into it, and handed me a water bottle with a laugh.
“You’re probably right Nick…..you’re probably right.” Slapping me on the leg he stood up and headed back to his seat as we came to a slow stop in front of the concert hall just before 9:00 a.m.
* * *
“Hellooooooooo. Earth to Brian.” Walking across the stage Kevin slapped Brian on the arm with a smile making him jump. “That’s the fifth time you’ve missed that step are you okay?” Watching them from the front of the stage I could see Brian wince as he grabbed for his arm.
It was more then a little obvious to everybody that something was wrong with him as they watched him stagger around the stage, a confused look on his face, sweat dotting his upper lip as he tried to keep up with our moves.
“This is lame. I don’t get why we have to practice anyway?” He shouted as Kevin handed him a towel.
“We practice so that we look polished.” As Kevin spoke Howie dropped a calming hand on Brian’s shoulder.
“We do the same damn thing almost every night. If we don’t have it by now we’re never going to have it?” Tossing the towel across the stage Brian shook Howie’s arm off of his shoulder as he stormed across the stage, stopping only for a brief moment to puke all over his shoes.
Trying not to laugh I sat down on the edge of the stage as Kevin ran to Brian’s side swarming around him like some freaking mother hen. Throwing up again Brian pushed Kevin away and stumbled off backstage.
“What the hell is his problem?” Turning and walking towards me, arms swinging authoritatively at his sides Kevin signaled for Trent to go and find somebody to mop up Brian’s puke.
“What did you guy’s do last night?” Squatting down he cupped a hand beneath my chin locking eyes with me.
“Are you listening to me?” His grip on my chin tightened.
“Huh?” I finally answered with a straight face.
“You’re a shit do you know that?” Pressing his fingers into my flesh I felt like he was going to snap my jaw but I refused to back down.
“A.J. get over here.” Kevin barked out the order over his shoulder. A.J. walked slowly across the stage wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
“What?”
“Are you going to tell me what happened last night while I was sleeping?”
“Yeah right like you were really sleeping.” I laughed poking my finger into one of the purple hickeys on his collarbone.
“Shut up Nick, that bruise is from when I fell-”
“On what, that German’s chicks lips?” A.J. grinned, squatting down beside Kevin our eyes connecting over the big guy’s shoulder. “You’re not fooling anybody lover boy.” A.J. imitated Kevin’s intense gaze making me laugh.
“A.J.!”
“Look Kev we were all sound asleep in our rooms. Besides, I don’t know what you think would possibly happen with watchdog Trent on patrol.” Trent was walking back down the aisle to the front of the stage as A.J. spoke. “He was outside of our door all night. Isn’t that right Trent?” Throwing the question out to Trent Kevin looked away from me to Trent waiting for his answer.
“Follow my lead.” A.J. mouthed the words to me nodding his head as I wildly shook mine.
“Oh really?” Smiling Kevin jerked me up to a standing position by my chin, a move I had only seen done in the WWF.
“Shit Kev I don’t think a jaw is meant to bend that way.” I said through clenched teeth as he dragged me in Trent’s direction.
“So Trent I understand that you were on patrol all night. Keeping a close watch over these little shits huh?”
“Yeah. They were in their room all night. I made sure of it.”
“I see. Well if that’s the case then why did this little shit.” He jerked my chin pulling me in closer to Trent. “Knock on my door twice while you were sound asleep on your chair in the hall?”
“You knocked on Kevin’s door?” A.J. moaned slapping his forehead as he stood up. “Jesus Nick, you’re such an idiot.”
“ I was looking for you guys…….” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.
“Oh really……is that so?” Kevin asked his grip on my chin loosening as he reached out for A.J. dragging him in closer by the front of shirt. “And why would Nick be looking for you guys if you were sound asleep in your room.”
* * *
Dragging the both of us by the hair, Howie and Trent close on our heels, Kevin proceeded to make his way down the long hallway eventually stopping in front of the bathroom door.
“A.J. knock on the door.” He barked out the orders still holding tightly to our hair. Rapping his fist on the door three times A.J. stopped.
“What now?” Kicking the door open Kevin proceeded to drag us inside in search of Brian.
“Okay Bri where are you?” Kicking open each door as we walked down the row of six stalls it was reminding me of some sort of Terminator movie or something, where Kevin was the big bad machine out for blood.
“Brian.” It turned out we didn’t need to look any further as we heard the sound of retching and the flush of a toilet. Walking ahead of us Howie stopped in front of the last stall and slowly opened the unlatched door.
“Brian are you okay?” He asked as Kevin dragged A.J. and me to the door releasing his tight grip on our hair.
“Holy shit.” Kevin muttered moving Howie out of the way as he walked into the stall and knelt down.
Rubbing my scalp I glanced down swallowing hard at the sight of Brian slouched down on the floor his head resting against the wall. His face gray his eyes red, the front of his yellow long sleeve t-shirt covered with vomit.
“Kev,” He muttered grabbing onto his right arm. “My arm hurts.”
“Why would your arm hurt?”
“Because…..because I had…..an accident.” Brian’s heavy lidded eyes shifted up to A.J. unspoken words passing between them.
“What kind of accident Bri?” Howie knelt down wiping the perspiration from Brian’s forehead with his hand.
“I think…..” Brian paused, his eyes drifting from A.J.’s , glazing over with a faraway look. “I think I need a doctor.” He whispered rocking his head back and forth across the wall as Kevin grabbed onto his shirtsleeve tugging it up to expose his upper arm.
“Oh shit.” A.J. elbowed me in the side both of our jaws dropping at the sight of Brian’s arm, swollen with two intense crimson streaks slashing up the inside of his forearm like some sort of roadmap which lead straight to the bulging red jagged stitches on his upper arm.
“Brian what the hell happened?” Kevin’s eyebrows tipped inward with concern as Howie leaned in to inspect the wound.
“What do you think D?” Kevin deferred to Howie for backup on the situation.
“It’s infected.” Howie pushed at the skin around the wound. “You better call a doctor.”
“Okay I’m taking him back to the hotel.” Dragging Brian to his feet Kevin slung him easily over his broad shoulder without missing a beat. “Trent if you could call ahead and have them get me a doctor please.” Trent nodded as Kevin plowed past A.J. and I backing us up into the bathroom wall.
“Kevin can we come with you?” A.J.’s voice had softened from its usual sarcastic tone.
Kevin didn’t answer.
“Kev?” I tried again, the both of us following behind him as he walked quickly down the hall Brian dangling limply over his back.
“I can hear the both of you. I’m just so over the top pissed off right now I have decided to pretend that neither one of you exist.” He snapped turning left.
“But-“
“Nick.” I felt Howie’s hand on my shoulder slowing my pace. “Just let him go okay.” A.J. and I both stopped walking. Watching Kevin disappear through a set of heavy black metal doors that slammed shut behind him.