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“Excuse me! Could you possibly help me?” A frantic Nick questioned the nurse in front on him
“What do you need?” She irately replied looking down at her clip board.
“I need Anne Johnson’s room number. She checked in late last night.”
“I’m sorry, but she isn’t to be disturbed at the moment.”
“Listen to me! I am her boyfriend and just flew in from Arizona to see her! You have to let in!” Nick pleaded.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
Nick slowly let his hands sink into his pockets. Why did hospitals have to be so annoying? They were this bad with Brian if not worse.
“Wait! I have one more question.” Nick called again.
“Yes?” the nurse said looking up.
“What were the regulations for Anne? Why can’t she be disturbed?”
“Two reasons. She’s asleep and she’s well known. You have to know one of the people who brought her here to see her, sir. You know how celebrity things go.”
“Thanks, and yes I definitely do.”
“Oh, Nick honey! You made it!” Mrs. Carter called to her son where he entered the waiting room. “Have you seen Anne?”
“No! The wouldn’t let me.” He pointed towards the hallway. “Could you take me to her? I’m so worried about her.” Nick sobbed holding back the tears that tried to spill down his cheeks.
“It’s okay, Nick. She’s better than she was last night.”
“What is wrong with her?”
“Appendicitis.”
“What? So she’s had surgery and I wasn’t here to be with her?”
“Nick! It’s not your fault!” His mom tried to comfort. It didn’t help Nick/
“Man! These are the times when I really hate my job!”
“Don’t say that sweetie! She’s okay, so there is nothing to worry about.”
“She might not be the next time.”
“Mrs. Carter. You can go see her now.” A nurse called from the doorway.
“Nick, you go. She’s just now waking up from surgery and I’m sure you’re the one she wants the most now.” Mrs. Carter smiled pushing her son to follow the nurse.
Silently, Nick followed, anxious to hold Anne and make sure she’s okay.
“Here you are son.” The nurse directed.
“Thanks.” Nick swallowed. Slowly he opened the door as he peered around the corner. “Annie?” he softly called.
“ Nicky? Is that you?” I croaked through my sore and dry throat.
“Yeah baby. I’m here.” Nick sighed grabbing my hand. I felt as he massaged me fingers.
“Could you do something for me?”
“Anything.”
“Crawl up here and hold me.” Nick let go of my hand and slid up on the bed beside me. He circled his arms around me. “Careful.” I winced as his hands pushed in on my side.
“Sorry,” Nick murmured.
“It’s okay.” I sighed cuddling up against his chest. “Nick?”
“Yeah baby?”
“I was so scared.” I cried quietly into his shirt.
“Shhh. It’s okay, Anne. I’m here now and I can be as long as you want me to be.”
“Okay.” I smiled and soon fell asleep, tired from the surgery.
“Afternoon, sunshine!” Nick smiled down at me.
“How long did I sleep?” I yawned.
“About an hour. I dozed on and off with ya.”
“Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
“Oh gosh this hurts!” I moaned clutching my side. I never was very tolerant of pain.
“Do you need me to go get a nurse! I’ll go right….”
“Nick, calm down. It’s not that bad. The doctor said is would be like this. Just stay here with me…..for now.” I pleaded grasping his hands.
“I will, don’t worry. I’ll always be here.” He comforted placing his other hand over mine.
As it was getting close to five that night, Nick’s cell phone rang for the first time.
“Hello?” he answered.
“Hey Frack! Are you coming tonight?” Kevin asked from the other end.
“I don’t think so. Anne needs me here with her. I have to stay.”
“Okay. I understand. How is Anne?”
“Pretty good. She had to have surgery.”
“Gosh!”
“Tell me about it!”
“I gotta go. You’ll be here tomorrow, right?”
“Count on it.”
“Good!” Kevin finished then hung up.
“Where are you not going?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Nick sighed. He knew that if I knew he had a concert I’d make him go. We continued to talk for a good many hours. I glanced over the clock and realized it was 8 o’clock.
“Carter! I can’t believe how irresponsible you are!” I yelled at him.
It caught him off guard. His eyes showed pure shock. “What!?” He questioned nervously.
“You have a concert tonight! Why aren’t you there?”
“I need to stay here with you.”
“No you don’t! You need to go and catch a plane back to Arizona and not let those poor girls suffer from not seeing you!”
“But, Anne!”
“No buts! I’ll always be here! This is their one night they get to see you! They even paid to see you! Get your butt going towards that airport!”
“No Anne!”
“Ya know. I have the power to say I don’t want visitors the rest of the night.” I threatened.
“You wouldn’t do that!”
“Try me!” I challenged.
Nick quickly gave in when he saw the look in my eye. That’s when he knows not to mess with me.
“Fine! I’ll go!”
“Good boy. I’ll see you soon.”
“Hello Phoenix! How’s it going over here?” AJ yelled into his microphone. “It’s great to be with all of you sexy ladies tonight! I guess I’ll just have to move here next year! You guys rock! I don’t think you could scream any louder.”
A wave of screams echoed all the more.
“Wow! You guys can get louder!” AJ laughed. “Well, I’ll be back in a minute. Brian wants to talk to all you! Bye!” AJ waved as he sunk down through the stage.
Screams vibrated off the walls.
“Hello Phoenix! It’s B-rok. Although I hate to tell you some bad news, but you might have already noticed, that Nick couldn’t make it tonight. Something happened last night that he had to be at and couldn’t avoid. He sends his best wishes to you guys….”
“In person!” Nick finished for Brian.
“Yo dude! You made it!” Brian laughed giving him a high five.
The fans went wild as Nick just stood there.”
“What made you come?”
“My girlfriend. She told me I had to come. For you guys out there who don’t know, she went into the hospital last night for surgery. I was going to stay the whole day with her, but she said I had to come see all of you lovely ladies!”
That comment made the audience go nuts!
“Oh, one last thing! I’m engaged!”
The screams were the loudest Nick had ever heard. Some were of joy, others of sadness and some even of anger.
“Whatcha think?” Nick asked knowing the answer would be more screams. Nick stood and looked over the whole crowd, not saying anything.
“Congratulations Nick!” A group of fans on the front row called.
Nick looked over at Brian as he slowly bent down on one knee. “Thanks, that really means a lot.”
They bust out in giggles as their guy stood back up.
“Let’s get this party started again! No more sappy announcements! You got that Frack?” AJ yelled as he and the other two joined the two already on stage.
“So, it’s known now, huh?” I confirmed with Nick the next morning on the phone.
“Yupe! Happy or mad?” Nick questioned.
“A little of both I guess you could say. It’s time everyone knows, but it’s going to make school harder for me.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s no problem. I’m a tough girl!” I laughed.
“When do you get out of the hospital?”
“In just a little while. They said everything is perfectly fine. I can also go to school tomorrow. It winds up I won’t miss a day. Just as we had planned.”
“Good. When will I see you again?”
“That reminds me. My Senior prom is in a few weeks. Would you take me?” I hoped, holding my breath.
“Yes! What day is that on?”
“The 15th of May.”
Nick looked over at the Calendar on the bus wall. “You’re in luck! Nothing that day. I’ll make sure it stays that way. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
I smiled even though he couldn’t see me, “Thanks Nick! Thank you so much!”