Fall From Grace

Chapter 28

By Danielle

don't even think about taking it. Enough people read this that you'll be busted pretty damn quick.

Nick dropped the bag that Kevin had packed for him on the bed and threw it open, looking at what had been carefully folded and packed inside. He pulled out his shirts and pants, his boxers and bag of toiletries. When he had it all laid out on his bed, he noticed that not one item was presentable to go outside in. It was all his grubby, comfy clothes.

In the bottom of the bag there was another bag with a note attached to it.

Nickers,

Yes, I did pack all your grubbies. And I meant to. You are not to step out of Alex's house for any reason. You are to get into those flannel pants and the gray t-shirt, crawl into bed and stay there. You understand me? You've taken care of me 24/7, now take care of yourself.

In the bag I've put something for you. I have one too. Snuggle up close and think of me. I'll be doing the same thing.

But above all, get well. I want you back here beside me as fast as you can.

Love you, Nick.

Bumpkin

Nick threw the clothes into the dresser in "his" room in Alex's place. Actually it was the Richardson-Carter room. The freak had named all of the rooms in the house and this was the one named for him and Kevin. He had said something about using the place as a brothel one day when he was old and gray, and he figured the named rooms would add a touch of class. Nick smiled as he remembered Alex's outrageous story. The boy was truly one of a kind.

He had to admit that the room did remind him of home. He'd conned Sam into decorating it in the same scheme as the beach house with the blues and greens and the wood floor. It was like being home in a way. But it didn’t feel right without Kevin.

God, he missed him so much already.

He changed into the flannel pants and t-shirt as instructed and took the bag with him as he crawled into bed. When he was all tucked inside the blankets, he opened the bag and the smell of Kevin wafted up at him, making him close his eyes and take a deep inhale of it. He reached his hand inside and his eyes burned as a lump suddenly formed in his throat. Despite that, there was a smile on his face. There, folded in his hands, was one of Kevin's shirts, his favorite. Nick remembered seeing it on Kevin this morning when he'd left. He raised it to his face and rubbed his cheek on the soft material, the smell of home filling his senses. A piece of paper fluttered onto his lap and he reached down to pick it up.

Step 1: stuff shirt with pillow.

Step 2: Lay pillow beside you.

Step 3: Lay down with head on shoulder area and arms wrapped securely around pillow.

Step 4: Think of how much I love you.

Step 5: Sleep well, Love.

Repeat as necessary.

Nick folded the note and slipped it under the material of the shirt and smiled as he laid his aching head down and fell asleep.

Alex walked down the hall with the phone plastered to the side of his head, nodding as opened the door, "I know. I will. Yeah, he did look rough. I think most of it was the fact that he was being quarantined here."

Alex stopped in the doorway to the darkened room and smiled. "Yeah, he's out…Yeah, he found it…. He's smiling in his sleep." He nodded into the phone again, not like Kevin could see him, but it was a hard habit to shake. "I will. He knows, but I will. You get some rest too, Kev. Bye."

When he hung up, Alex crept quietly over to Nick's sleeping figure and pulled the blankets up on him, seeing the tears still trapped in his eyelashes as he slept. Alex sighed and sat on the side of the bed and looked down at Nick. Even in sleep he looked like he was tightly controlling himself, not even letting his tears fall.

From the moment the horrible news was out in the open, Nick had been the only one of the five of them to hold it together, to be strong for all of them when it should have been the other way around. Never did a word of complaint or frustration come out of his lips. He knew it had to be hard to watch the love of your life waste away before you, just moving forward towards an end that everyone knew what the result would be, yet there was nothing that could be done to stop it.

He knew that he and Brian and Howie were spared the full brunt of how bad things had gotten with Kevin, just as he knew that Nick saw the full effect of it every day, every time he opened his eyes. The glimpses that Alex had seen were enough to know that there was no way in hell he would be able to be as strong as Nick had been. The glimpse Alex had seen had chilled him to the bone.

He had shown up early, for once in his life, and what he had seen had nearly made him vow to never make that mistake again. He let himself in the beach house and heard the most horrible sounds coming from the kitchen.

For a split second the thought of something sexual going on flittered through his mind, but he discarded it just as quickly. Quietly, he made his way to the kitchen and the sight that greeted him there took his breath away.

Kevin was on the floor, writhing around with a look on his face that chilled Alex. It was pure and excruciating pain. Nick was wrapped around him, hanging on for dear life and reaching for something on the counter, talking to Kevin the entire time.

Nick happened to look up and see Alex standing there, with what he imagined his face looked like the first time he'd seen Kevin be attacked by pain like this.

"Bone, get the silver thing on the counter that looks like a pen. Quick!"

Some part of Alex snapped to attention and took the rest of him over, and he didn't even remember walking to the counter, he was just there. He found what he was looking for and handed it to Nick just as his legs fell out from underneath him and the next thing he knew, he was staring up at the ceiling from the floor, being battered by legs jerking around wildly. He threw his hands in front of his face as he saw a leg coming at him and heard a loud click as Kevin whimpered from the surprise of a needle being driven into his leg.

Alex was too stunned to do anything but lie there on the floor, listening to Nick talk softly to Kevin, soothing him. He felt the rigidity in the legs that pinned him down fade away, but he still stayed there on the floor until a hand came down and moved Kevin's legs and helped him sit up.

He wanted to say something, anything, but the words wouldn't come. Instead he sat there dumbly, his eyes as big as saucers and wasn't able to utter a word.

To his surprise, Nick reached over and grabbed him, sliding him across the kitchen floor so that he could grab both Kevin and Alex in his arms and hugged them both.

Kevin smiled at Alex from where he was leaning against Nick's shoulder, "I'm sorry, Alex. I didn’t mean to…."

Finally Alex's tongue obeyed. "It's ok, Kev. I know you would never do it on purpose." His eyes twinkled as he thought of something to A.J. up the situation. "Personally though, I think this was just your way of ruining my one moment of being the tallest person in the room." He fixed him with a mock glare, "Damn ya!"

Kevin chuckled, "Bone, don't ever change."

Alex grinned at him, "Never. Not the fundamental stuff, anyhow."

Nick mussed Alex's hair, "Thanks, Bone. You came just when I needed you most."

Alex shrugged, "It was nothing, Junior." He sat there, still leaning against Nick, and had a whole new respect for him.

AJ sighed again and came back from his thoughts to see that the tears that had been laying in wait in Nick's lashes had been released. Only one or two, but it was the first time he had seen Nick show anything other than utter control, since the day he broke the news of Kevin to all of them.

He reached over and wiped the tears away from Nick's feverish cheek and ruffled his hair softly, "Junior, let the control slip. You need to let it out. You are headed straight for a breakdown, Buddy. Please, I won't think you are weak. I already know you and Kevin are the strongest people on the face of the earth."

He smoothed the covers down around Nick and walked out of the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

TBC….