Don't Wanna Lose you Now
"Alright guys, we're here." said Kevin as they drove up to the front of the cabin. Him and the guys were staying here in South Dakota for a week. They were on their very short vacation and wanted to make the best of it.
"This is going to be so cool!" said Kari. She was with them for the time being.
"I'll say." Nick said as he climbed out of the car. "No fans, no bodyguards, no early wake up times."
"Oh this is heaven." said Brian as he pulled open the trunk and pulled out several backs and stuff. Kari ran up to the front door and found it was unlocked. She went inside.
"Guys! Check this out!" she yelled. Howie ran in with her and the others soon followed.
"I don't know about you guys, but i'm checking out the closet space." said A.j. as he ducked into the nearest bedroom. Kari rolled her eyes. A.j. had more clothing then she did. This place was huge! It was almost bigger than where Nick and Kari lived.
"Claim rooms now or forever hold your peace." joked Brian. He threw his stuff into the room next to the t.v.. room.
"I got this one!" yelled Kari. She always had to have a singles room. She had once walked in on Nick while he was changing, not a pretty sight.
"Time to check out the channels." Nick said as he flopped down onto the couch and grabbed the remote.
"You couch potato." said Kevin. Nick laughed at that and went back to finding a good t.v.. show.
"I don't know about anyone else, but tonight i'm heading for the clubs." said A.j..
"Oh yeah, nothing but dancing and having a good time." said Kevin.
"Well I guess that's official. Who's all coming?" asked Brian. All but Nick and Kari raised their hands.
"Sorry dudes. Me and Mini-me over here are a little to young." said Nick. Kari smacked him in the arm for the Mini-me joke.
"It's o.k. guys. I kind of wanted to stay here tonight." said Kari.
"You both sure?" asked Brian. They both nodded.
"Dude, what time is it?" asked A.j.. Kevin looked down at his watch.
"Almost a quarter after seven. That must have been one long drive." he answered.
"Ooh, that means I gotta go get ready." said A.j. as he walked towards his room. He was always the vanity freak. It takes him over an hour just to get ready for the day.
"I guess the rest of us should do the same." said Brian. They all retreated to their rooms while Nick watched t.v.. and Kari did some web surfing. About an hour and fifteen minutes later all of them were cleaned up and ready for a night on the town.
"Well, we're going to get going. See you two later." said Howie as he walked out the door.
"Brian, wait!" yelled Kari. He turned back around.
"What's up Babydoll?" he asked, using her pet name.
"Listen, be careful out there. There are lots of drunks on the roads on a night like this." she said. Brian put his arm around her shoulders.
"It's alright Babydoll. I know what happened to you was horrible. We'll all be fine. You'll see." he smiled. He kissed her on the cheek and went out the door. He climbed into one of the back seats of the rental car and shut the door. Kari watched as the car pulled away and she waved to them.
"Come on back in sis." said Nick who had come up behind her. "We can do some bonding tonight." he smirked.
"Oh yeah, bond this!" She shoved him backwards and ran for the couch. She then picked up a pillow and smacked him in the head.
"Oh, so you wanna play it that why huh?" he laughed.
"Yep, I want it that way!" she sang. Nick ran at her and grabbed her around the waist. They both plopped down onto the couch.
"Nicky, do you think they'll be o.k.?" she asked him.
"Kari, I think they'll be fine. Nothing has ever happened to them like that." he smiled.
"But it could happen." she said.
"Yes it can, but we don't need to think about that right now. I have one thing you need to think about." he said.
"Yeah, and what's that?" she asked.
"How fast you can run!" he laughed. They both got up from the couch and Nick started to chase her. This was the first time that they had fun together since she first got there. She wished it would never end.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"Man that was fun!" said Brian. They were on their way back from the club.
"Did you see that girl Howie was with? Now that was fine." said A.j.. The car drove on into the night. It was probably a quarter to midnight.
"Did you see me? I was bustin a move on that dance floor." said Brian. A.j. started to laugh at him.
"Really? I thought you were trying to break open your head or something." said Kevin. A.j. started to laugh harder. Brian hit him in the back of the head.
"Hey guys, knock it off." said Howie. He was always a peacemaker.
"Oh sorry D." said Brian. They both sat back in their seats.
"Man, how much longer before we get back to the cabin?" asked A.j.. Howie shrugged. He knew where to go but he just didn't know the time span to get there. Brian looked out the window. He spotted something.
"Howie, do you see that?" he asked. Howie looked over the steering wheel.
"See what?" he asked in confusion.
"There's a light and it looks like its coming this way." he said. Howie sighed.
"Brian, your just tired. Your eyes are playing tricks on you." He laughed.
"Uh, D? If his eyes are playing tricks on him, it got to me to. I can see it." said Kevin.
"Dude, I see it to!" said A.j.. Finally Howie saw it.
"What the heck it that? It doesn't look like a car, it's coming to fast." said Kevin.
"Do you think I should pulled over?" asked Howie.
"Nah, it's probably a street light and it looks to be moving because we're moving." said Brian. But the thing got even closer and was going very fast.
"Guys, that's a car!" yelled Kevin.
"Just let it pass us." said A.j..
"Man, i've never seen a car go that fast in my life!" said Brian. Howie was now griping the wheel tight.
"We're o.k.. As long as we just keep going." he said to himself. Suddenly the car switched lanes and was barreling towards them.
"What the......!" Howie never going to finish what he started saying. The car smashed into them. Someone screamed as the sound of breaking glass and metal awakened the night. Soon all was silent. The dust began to clear away. All was still. Suddenly there was a bit of movement. Brian pulled himself out of the smashed car. He couldn't stand.
"Help!" he yelled. All he heard were echoes. His arms were scratched and his face was cut. He didn't know if the others were alive or worst. Suddenly, he felt something in his pocket. He reached in and pulled out a cell phone. It was a miracle it wasn't broken. He flipped it open and dialed 911.
"911 can we have your emergency?" A woman on the other line said.
"My name is Brian Littrell. There's been an accident and we need help!" he choked out.
"We'll get someone to you Mr. Littrell. We know where you are by your phone. Please stay on the line with us." she said. He began to feel dizzy.
"Please come. There are five hurt, including me. I don't know about the other car." he cried.
"You need to calm down sir, or else you could go into shock." The woman said. He felt even more dizzy. He dropped the phone and passed out on the ground, the dispatcher trying to get him to talk again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~It was 12:30. Nick and Kari were still awake. They were watching this really strange movie on t.v...
"You gettin tired?" asked Nick. Kari shrugged.
"A little, but I want to see the guys when they come back. They never stay at a club this late." she said.
"Karbear, maybe they got tied up in the ladies." smiled Nick. Kari gave a weak smile back. Nick got up from the couch and started to another room.
"Where are you going?" she asked. Nick turned around.
"Bathroom. I never should have drunk those two cans of Dr. Pepper." he said. Kari laughed. As she heard the bathroom door shut, the telephone rang.
"Could you get that Kari?" yelled Nick from the bathroom. Kari was wondering who the heck would be calling this late. She grabbed the cordless and pushed the talk button.
"Hello?" She said. There was a moments pause.
"Yes, is there a Mr. or Ms. Carter" the person asked. Kari could hear things in the background.
"Yes, speaking." she said.
"This is Dr. Armstrong. I don't mean to alarm you Ms. Carter but there's been an accident."
"WHAT!?" she cried.
"What, what happened?" Nick yelled from the bathroom.
"Now, I can't give you many details over the phone but you and Mr. Carter will have to come down."
"Yes, can I please have the location?"
"Yes you may. This is St. Clara hospital in Rapid City." he answered.
"Yes, thank you. We'll be there." she said. She hung the phone.
"NICK!?" she screamed. He came running down the hall.
"What, who was that?" he asked. He could see she was breathing hard.
"There's been an accident. We need to go to St. Clara's hospital right now!' she said. Nick gasped.
"That's in the town the guys were in." he whispered.
"Lets go!" she said. She grabbed both of they're coats. They ran out the door and went to the garage. The owners of the cabin had left the keys to their car and was allowing them to use it. Nick unlocked it and they both climbed in. Kari prayed that this wasn't serious. That everything was o.k.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~They got there in about twenty minutes with how fast Nick was driving. They parked it and ran into the hospital. Kari was almost in tears. They stopped at the first desk they found.
"I'm looking for four men that were involved in and accident earlier." Nick said to the lady.
"Oh, they told me that you would come. Please have a seat. The doctor will be out shortly." she said. Nick nodded and turned back to Kari.
"Better do as they say." he said. They grabbed two seats and sat down. Kari kept putting her had through her hair. Nick grabbed one of her hands to try and calm her.
"What if it's bad Nick? Oh god, I can't lose another one. I just can't." she cried. Nick put his arms around her.
"Shhh, it's alright. Everything going to be alright. They would have told us." he said to her. Suddenly, they heard someone clear their throat. They both looked up to see a man in a white coat.
"Nickolous Carter?" he asked. Nick stood up.
"That's me." he said. The doctor let out a sigh.
"I'm Dr. Phoenix. Your friends have been involved in a very serious accident." he said.
"Oh god." Kari said. Nick touched her arm.
"Not to worry little one. There were no fatalities. You both may come see them." he said.
"That's great." said Nick. He took Kari by the hand and the doctor lead them through some doors into this one area. There were many curtains and many doctors.
"You friends are in here. You can go find them if you like." the doctor said.
"Yes, thank you." said Nick. The doctor left them where they stood. As he swung the doors open, Kari could see someone next to them. He was wearing a cast on his leg.
"Brian!" yelled Kari. He looked up and smiled. Kari rushed up and hugged him.
"Babydoll, you were right, i'm so sorry." he whispered in her ear. She backed up and took a good look at him.
"Wow Brian, you really got banged up." said Nick, seeing the bandages on his arms and face.
"Yeah, but i'll be fine. I'll take you over to the others." he said. They followed Brian to a small curtained off room where they same A.j. and Kevin. Kevin had a cast on his arm and A.j. was getting fixed up around his chest.
"What happened to you?" Kari asked A.j..
"Just a few broken ribs. No, ow, biggy" he said. Kari began to look into the other room.
"What are you doing?" asked Brian
"Where's Howie?" she asked. There was silence. Kevin looked down at his feet.
"Kev, where's Howie?" asked Kevin. Kevin sighed.
"He took most of the force. That's why we aren't that bad. It almost killed us all." he said.
"No! Please no!" cried Kari.
"He's alive, but barely. We'll take you to him." said Kevin. Hopped off of the bed and left the room. The others followed, with Kari and A.j. behind them. His medicine hadn't kicked in so he was in a lot of pain. Kevin pushed the button on the elevator and the doors opened. They let Brian in first and they all walked in.
"Have you seen him yet?" asked Nick.
"No. I'm just going on what they told me." said Kevin. The elevator binged and the doors opened. Once they were off, he lead them to the desk.
"I need the room numbers to Howard Dorough please." A.j. asked the lady. Nick could see him wince in pain.
"Room 356." she said. A.j. thanked her and pointed them in the direction they needed to go. They walked down a long hall Finally they found room 356. There was a guard posted.
"We need to see Howie." Brian said to the guard. Kari looked at the files by the door. She could read survival very slim on the sheets and her heart sank.
"You may go in." the guard said. Nick opened the door and pushed it. Slowly they went in. Kari gasped at the site she saw.
"Howie. What have they done to you?" she whispered. He had wires and tubes coming out of everywhere. There was a whoosh sound of a ventilator next to him and a heart monitor. Nick put one hand over his mouth. The nurse that was in there looked up.
"Oh, you must be his friends. Come right in." she said softly. They all moved around the bed where their fallen comrade lay. Brian took the chair next to it and leaned his crutches on the wall.
"Howard has sustained a head injury. It would have been much worse for you all if it wasn't for your seat belts." she explained.
"Will he be o.k.?" asked Nick. The nurse looked up at him.
"We have him on high alert right now. The first night is going to be crucial if he is to make it." she said. Nick looked down at his little sister, who had tears rolling down her cheeks. She picked up Howie's hand and held it between hers.
"Howie please, if you can hear me, do something." she said in a choked voice. Nothing happened.
"He can't hear you hon. He's in a coma." said the nurse. Kari began to cry harder as the guys looked on.
"Howie, come on. I know you can do it." she said louder.
"Kari, it's not going to work. said Kevin. Suddenly, she felt a hard squeeze on her hand. She looked down and saw his hand grasping hers.
"Well i'll be. He's still in there!" declared Brian who had seen it.
"I don't understand. Usually coma patience are paralyzed." said the nurse. Nick smiled.
"I guess this is a usual patience then. There's a first time for everything you know." he said. The nurse turned to Brian, A.j. and Kevin.
"You three better head back to your home. You need to rest." she said. They all looked at each other.
"Better do as she says." said Kevin. He patted Howie's hand and began to leave the room. Kari helped Brian up out of his chair and handed him the crutches.
"Come on Babydoll, we better go." he said.
"No." she answered. All the guys turned around when hearing this.
"What do you mean no?" asked A.j..
"I don't want to leave Howie here by himself. If he wakes up and doesn't see one of us, he'll think we don't care." she said. The others exchanged glances.
"I don't know, is that allowed?" Nick asked the nurse. She bit her lip.
"Well, we can allow it. As long as she doesn't tamper with the stuff." she said. Kari smiled.
"Alright. Do as the nurses and doctors say, and stay with Howie. He needs everything he can get." said Nick. He motioned his head and soon Kari was alone with Howie and the nurse. She let out a sigh.
"Miss?" she asked. The nurse looked up.
"Do you know what kind of accident it was?" she asked. The nurse looked nervous.
"It was a head on collision with a drunk driver." she said. Kari's heart felt like it was in a vise.
"W, what?" she stammered.
"Some idiot decided to drive on the wrong side of the road while drunk and landed your friends in this hospital. It will be a miracle if this one here lives." she answered. A tear fell from Kari's eye.
"Who was it?" she choked out. The nurse flipped through some charts.
"A man name Sirus Piken." she said. Kari's eyes widened and she began to sob. The nurse rushed over to comfort her.
"Now now, he will be locked away." she whispered. Howie gave a sharp squeeze of Kari's hand.
"You don't understand." she cried.
"Understand what?" asked the nurse.
"Sirus Piken killed my family in another drunk driving accident. That's why i'm with Nick now." she explained. The nurse slowly stood up.
"My god. This is horrible." she said. Kari nodded.
"Can I be alone for a bit?" she whispered. The nurse didn't say anything. She panted her on the shoulder and then left the room. Left Kari with her thoughts.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
*Author's note: I'm going more into depth with the characters right about here. So don't get confused.
"I don't get it. Why can't I open my eyes? I can hear things around me, what happened?" I thought to myself. I could hear the guys around me. I could feel her hand on mine. I could also feel something shoved down my throat.
"Everyone, i'm not dead! I'm still here!" I wanted to shout. I could hear Kari pleading with me to do something. I tried to lift my arm but it wouldn't work. Finally I tried to ball me hand into a fist but was stopped by her hand.
"Well i'll be, he's still in there" I could hear Brian say. Thank god he's o.k.. Oh god, if only I would have listened to him. I could hear the nurse talking to them about leaving.
"No, please don't go!" I screamed in my thoughts. I couldn't bare being here alone.
"I don't want to leave Howie here by himself. If he wakes up and doesn't see one of us, he'll think we don't care." Kari said. Thank god. Once I get out of this i'm going to kiss her everywhere on her face. I could hear them talking again but it was a whisper. I feel very tired now but I must stay awake. I hear crying, what happened? No no! Don't go to sleep Howie, don't go to....
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~I awoke the next morning to see the sun come in through the window. At first I didn't know where I was but when I saw Howie laying there, it all came back in a rush. The car accident, Howie in a coma. I felt as though I was going to cry but nothing came. Suddenly the door opened and a nurse came in.
"Oh, i'm glad to see you're awake. Good morning." she said. I could hear a bit of an accent in her voice. I looked at her name tag and found her name was Toni.
"Morning. Is he going to be o.k.?" I asked right away. Her smile diminished.
"Well, we don't really know at this point hon. He made it through the first night so the rest is just up to Howie." she answered. She began to check all of the equipment and wrote things down.
"Do you think he's awake?" I asked again. The nurse looked at me funny.
"We don't know when he'll wake up, or if ever." she said. I shook my head.
"That's not what I meant. I know he's still in there. I bet he can hear us right now. Like when he squeezed my hand yesterday." I said. I put Howie's hand into mine.
"Mam, a person in a coma cannot feel, hear or do anything. What you felt was nothing. Just your own imagination." she snapped. I could tell she was getting annoyed with me so I stopped talking. She finished up with what ever she was doing and started to leave the room.
"Oh, your friends called this morning. They should be here soon you little questionnaire." she said. Now I know she doesn't like me. She then left the room. I turned my attention once again to Howie. Dear sweet, lovable Howie.
"Hey D! You up?" I said softly. At first nothing happened. I shook his shoulder a bit and he squeezed my hand. I smiled. "Good. Alright, lets see if we can do this. D, I want you to squeeze my hand one for yes and two for no on my questions. You getting this?" He squeezed my hand once.
"Kari, we're here." a soft voice said. I looked up to see my brothers face. The other guys came in after him.
"Oh, hi. You guys doing better this morning?" I asked. Brian plopped down into a chair and set his crutches against the wall.
"Better if you mean in physical pain, no if you mean mental." said Kevin. I could tell that none of them had slept.
"How's he doing?" asked Nick.
"I'm not sure. The nurse lady said that it's all up to Howie now." I answered. Kevin let out a sigh.
"I guess it is. And we'll be here every step of the way." said A.j.. Kari smiled.
"You hear that Howie? We're all here for you. Always have been and always will be." she said.
"Brian, did you get a hold of D.'s parents yet?" asked A.j.. Brian shook his head.
"Nope, they must be out of town or something." he answered. Suddenly the door opened again and that mean nurse came in.
"Oh, I see you all have come. Well don't mind me, i'm just hear to check on things." she said quickly. She soon ducked out of the room. The guys looked at each other.
"Who or what was that?" asked Nick.
"That's Toni. She's Howies nurse and she is very cocky. Like she has some silver spoon jammed up her a..."
"Kari!" snapped Brian. I ducked my head down.
"Sorry." I answered.
"I wish this never happened. If only I would have listened and made Howie pull over." said Kevin. I put a hand on his good shoulder.
"It's alright Kevy. It's not your fault. The guy was drunk and there is nothing we can do about it." I said. He looked down at me.
"Drunk? I didn't know the dude was drunk! I thought they said he fell asleep at the wheel." he said. My eyes got wide.
"Who told you that?" I asked. He thought for a moment.
"That nurse that came in. I remember seeing her last night and I asked her who did it. She didn't tell me who but she told me it was an overly tired driver." he explained.
"Well it wasn't. Now one of our best friends and bandmates is hurt badly and we don't even know if he's going to make it. I'd beat who ever it was down it I found them and I wasn't on crutches." said Brian.
"I don't get it. Why wouldn't the nurse tell us?" asked Nick. Suddenly, the machines keeping Howie alive began to beep. His body was shaking uncontrollably. The heart monitor was going nuts.
"Howie!!!" I screamed. A.j. and Kevin ran out the door to grab a nurse. Brian gazed as though is eyes wouldn't ever move. I grabbed onto Nick and I cried harder. Kevin and A.j. came back and four nurses ran in. The began to do these things to him to save his life.
"Don't go now D, don't go now." A.j. said over and over. Nick now had tears running down his face. Suddenly everything was silent.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"Hey Toni, looks like you have a new assignment. High profile." Miranda said. I looked up at her.
"Really? How nice." I said with no emotion.
"Yeah, room 356. You better get moving." she said. Before I could answer, she began to work with the files. Her life was always so perfect. If only see knew the secret I was hiding. I grabbed the clipboard and made my way to room 356. I opened the door to find a girl in one of the chairs.
"Oh, i'm glad to see your awake. Good Morning." I said to her. I hate kids. I really do. I began to check out the guy in the coma. Yep, this was the guy alright.
"Do you think he's awake?" she asked me. What an idiot.
"When don't know when he'll wake up or if ever." I answered. This girl is really getting on my nerves. If only she knew my true intentions. She began to say all of these crazy things. While she was, I slowly injected the guys i.v. tube with something special. One that would work. I snapped something back at her and left the room.
"Toni, is everything alright in there?" asked Miranda. If I could, i'd hit her.
"Oh yeah, everything's fine. Looks great." I answered. I ducked into my office and shut the door. Peace and quiet at last. I gazed at my pictures. None of my parents, I hate them to much, but of my boyfriend.
"Toni, you've got rounds in a few minutes." Miranda said outside the door. I cringed. I heard footsteps fading so I knew she left. I returned to my pictures.
"Oh my little Sirus. The lightning doesn't strike twice huh. Well, i'll make sure you never go back to jail. That girl and those men are as good as dead." I whispered. I laughed to myself as I walked out. Instead of doing rounds, I returned to the coma mans room. This time there were four more.
"Oh, I see you all have come. Well don't mind me, i'm just hear to check on things." I said. I ducked out a stood by the door.
"Toni! Get to your rounds right now!" yelled one of the doctors.
"Yes Doctor Phoenix." I answered. I'm out of this job. To many people tell me what to do. The doctor left and I stayed there. Suddenly, I heard a high pitched noise and two of the guys came running out. I snickered to myself.
"You've just sang your last note music man." I whispered. When I saw the other nurses coming, I pretended to be worried. But no, I wasn't. I was just planning on how to croak the others.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~What's going on? Why am I here? And why am I down there? Oh my god, that's it, i'm dead. Wow, that's a lot of people working on me. That accident really banged me up. Send me back, I can't die now! I have to much to live for. My friends, my family, my career. Look at them, look at the others. It will harm them if I go. Especially the little one. Please, it's not my time. Please god no!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~I looked up when a familiar beep came back. I looked up to see the machines working and the nurses had stopped CPR. Kari was still crying into Nick's shirt.
"We brought him back, but barely." said one of them. The other ones began to check the machines and put the seizure on file.
"How could this have happened?" whispered Kari. The nurse knelt down.
"Well, it's either a sign of brain damage or something out of our reach. Either way, we'll find out once the blood work is done." she answered. I breathed a sign of relief.
"Thank you." I said. I might have lost a friend a minute ago. That's what was really getting to me. I also don't know what it would have done to Kari. She has already lost four. She doesn't want to lose another. The nurses left us all standing at the bedside. I didn't know what to think.
"Oh man. I can't believe what just happened." said Brian. He, out of all of us knew what it was like for this. I cleared my throat.
"We need to get to the bottom of the drunk driving thing. And almost losing Howie is getting pretty big." I said. I heard Kari give a heavy sigh.
"It's all his fault. Everything is his fault." she sobbed. I lifted one eyebrow.
"What are you talking about, who's fault?" asked Nick. She let out a cry.
"Sirus Piken. He killed my family and almost killed you. It's all his fault and I wish he was dead!" she yelled. A.j. put a hand over her mouth to quiet her down.
"Well, he won't be out for a long time. We can promise you that." said Brian. Suddenly, Howie's heart machine gave a very quick high pitched beep. We all jumped and looked over. Nothing was wrong.
"See, he heard me. He agrees with me." she cried. Nick pulled her close when the door opened again. This time it was Dr. Phoenix.
"Excuse me, but can I have a word with all of you in the hall for a few minutes?" he asked. I looked at the guys and then nodded. Nick told Kari to stay there and we followed the doctor out to the hall. The door snapped shut.
"Is there something wrong?" asked Brian, who was trying to find a better way to stand with crutches.
"As a matter of fact, there is. The man who hit you last night, Sirus Piken, escaped from his jail cell this morning and is on the loose. Police are sending out search parties right now.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
One week later....I awoke to find myself once again by Howie's side. During the past week, I haven't left this place and I think I beginning to like the smell. Weird huh? Plus the doctors places guards at the entrances of a few doorways. I can't believe they haven't caught him yet.
"Good morning Kari!" Nurse Miranda had just come in.
"Oh, morning." I answered. Ever since Sirus escaped, they switched the nurse for Howie. I'm glad because I didn't like the last on to much. She proceeded to catch the equipment.
"Anything?" I asked. She looked up.
"Well, everything appears to have stayed the same. It's a miracle he's lived this long." she said. I breathed a short sigh of relief.
"You know, he can do something now." I said. She smiled.
"And what's that?" she asked. I got up and took a piece of paper out of the drawers. I then grabbed a pen and placed it into Howie's fingers. I put his hand by the paper.
"Howie, Miranda's here." I whispered. Immediately he began to write. Miranda watched wide eyed as he scrawled out hello. He then stopped.
"That's amazing." she said.
"As soon as we know it, he'll be awake again. And himself. I could hear the sound of his voice...." I stopped. Just the thought of hearing Howie's voice again hurt a bit. Yet I could not cry.
"I know dear. We'll just have to wait and see. Wait and see." she said as she left the room. I could hear a group of people talking outside the room. I knew the voices from somewhere, but where? Suddenly, the door swung open and an older woman stood there.
"My baby! Oh my darling boy!" she said through tears. It was Mrs. Dorough. She went to the side of the bed and held her sons hand. Then she looked up at me.
"Who are you?" she asked softly. Before I could answer Mr. Dorough spoke up.
"Must be one of those fans. Get out of here! Stay away from my son, he doesn't need this right now!" he barked. He grabbed my arm and shoved me out the door.
"Sir, please!" I said. The door closed in my face. I looked up the guard at the door.
"What the heck happened in there?" he asked. I sighed.
"I have no idea." I answered. I began to walk down the hall when I spotted four familiar faces. Well sort of, they all looked tired and sad.
"Oh, hey Kari. Why aren't you back at the room?" Nick asked.
"Howie's parents came. They thought I was a fan so they kicked me out." I explained. Nick looked at the other guys and then snickered a bit.
"I know it's not very funny." he said. He took me by the hand and walked with me down to the room. Right behind us was Kevin and A.j. (Who had fully recovered) and Brian was behind them on his crutches. They stopped outside the door.
"Wait here." he said. He knocked on the door and went in, with the other guys following. I could hear them saying hello and the door snapped shut. I pressed my ear against the door to here some stuff. All I heard was murmuring.
"Oh, there's someone I'd like you to meet." I heard Nick say. The door opened and he motioned me in. Then the Dorough's saw it was me again.
"What's she doing here? Since when did you allow fans in?" snapped Mrs. Dorough. Nick pushed me forward. I cleared my throat.
"Mr. and Mrs. Dorough. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kari Carter." I said. Both of them got a look of shock.
"Oh dear. Your Nick's sister." said Howie's mom. I nodded.
"We're so sorry dear." he apologized.
"No problem." I said. Hopefully, with all of us here, it would be enough to bring our friend back. Even if it takes a million years, we'll get him back. Suddenly, there was a scream outside the door.
"What the..." said Brian and the door burst open. There stood the menacing figure of the security guard. Below him was one of the nurses.
"I'm sorry, I truly am." she said. The guard helped her up.
"What happened?" he asked her.
"I wasn't paying attention when I was walking down the hallway and I tripped over something. I tried to grab the guard but I accidentally grabbed the door handle. Please don't report this." she said. This nurse was awfully familiar.
"We're not. It was just an accident." said Kevin. The nurse breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well i'll be going now." she said. She waved a bit. The door snapped shut again.
"Wait a second, wasn't that Howie's old nurse Toni?" I asked. The guys looked at each other. Then shrugged.
"I thank you all for being supportive, but can we have some time alone with our son?" Mrs. Dorough said gently through tears.
"Yes of course. We'll be at the waiting room down the hall if you need us." said Nick. We all left the room. As we walked down the hall (well, with the exception of Brian) A few things went through my mind. If that nurse had been moved to another building, what the heck was she doing over here?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"What am I going to do? He lived! No one has lived through what I gave him! No one!" I said to myself as I pulled in the parking lot of my apartment. This is terrible, just terrible. I walked up the steps and reached my apartment. Surprisingly the door was open.
"Sirus! I'm home baby!" I called with a cheerful voice. He walked out of the bedroom and smiled. Then scooped me into his arms.
"I missed you darlin'. Any news on those boys I creamed last week?" he said through laughter. My face fell.
"He's still alive. I don't know how but he is." I answered. He set me down.
"What? Impossible! Man, those first four people I bumped off went a lot faster then he is." he grumbled. I put a hand on his cheek.
"Don't worry. He's never going to leave that hospital with a heartbeat as long as i'm there. You are never going to go back to that jail either." I said. He smiled a bit.
"So what do we do now?" he asked.
"We have to get the girl first. She seems to be the only one he will respond to. Once she's gone, he'll want to go with her." I said. Sirus smile grew.
"I like it. I was going to get her after her family but I got caught. Then six months later I learn she was adopted by a famous family." he explained.
"Either way, the girl and the man are dead. And you are mine forever." I said.
"Give me a week or two and that girl will be ancient history. Sure her so called brother will be heartbroken but he'll get over it. So will the rest of that yuppie family. She will be long forgotten." he laughed. Oh yes. An excellent plan. Now all we have to do is carry it out and our lives will be better. As god as my witness, those two are as good as dead.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Why does the good lord punish me so? I have done nothing bad. Why won't he let me wake up from this nightmare and let me see my friends and family? It hurts to here my mothers voice and not be able to see her beautiful face. It hurts that all I can do to talk with them is write on a piece of paper. Kari has been here in this place ever since the accident. Her loyalty should be rewarded by having me back. What do you want from me god? Is it really my time? And if so, why haven't you taken me yet?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"Excuse me, Mr. Mclean?" a nurse asked me. I looked up at her. Man, I always hate being woken up.
"Thats me. Can I help you?" I asked her back. She was holding a file in her hands.
"I have the results of the blood work done on Howard. Are the others around?" she said. I shook my head no.
"They all went to get something to eat. What's going on? Is he o.k.?" I quickly said. The nurse sighed heavily.
"The tests came back positive for chemicals. We aren't really sure what the chemicals were quite yet but we do know they were injected into his body. Howard is lucky to be alive." she said. I fell back into my chair just stunned.
"Oh my god. We could have lost him." I said softly. The nurse put a hand on my shoulder.
"We don't know if any of his functions were effected. We probably won't know until he wakes up. If he wakes up." she said. Before I could say anything, she left. This is bad. This is really bad. How am I going to tell the others? How can I? Who could have done this. I looked up at Howie.
"Dude, why is this happening to you? You were always the good guy." I said. Howie's finger moved. This was the sign that he wanted to write something. I grabbed a pen from the night stand and placed it into his hand. I then moved it to a piece of paper that was already out.
I'm fine. it said. The pen fell from his hand. I sure hope he was right. There was a knock at the door.
"Come in." I said. It was the guys and the midget.
"Hey, how's he doing?" Kari asked. I can't tell her what the nurse said, she'd freak. This is the first day in a while she hasn't cried once.
"Oh, he's great. Well, so to speak." I answered. She took his hand and began to talk to him. I turned to my friends.
"Guys, hallway, now." I said. Brian's eyes lit up a bit.
"Why?" he asked. I didn't answer.
"We'll be back in a minute Karebear." said Kevin. I led them out to the hallway and made sure the door snapped shut.
"The nurse came in with the results of Howie's blood test." I said.
"And?" asked Nick.
"And, they found something in it that normally kills humans. She said he was lucky to be alive." I explained. All of their jaws just dropped.
"Dear god. How?" asked Kevin.
"They said it was injected." I answered. They all looked at each other.
"Did they say who did it?" asked Brian.
"No, but I've got a really bad feeling on who they think did it." I said. They looked at each other again.
"Oh no. We know none of us did it." said Kevin.
"I know, I know. But there is one person they might go after." I motioned to the doorway.
"Kari? They think Kari did it?" Nick said with shock.
"I don't know. All I know is that they are going to blame someone, and Kari has been here none stop." I said. Suddenly, as if on cue or something, two police officers were coming down the hall. They pushed us out of the why and ran into Howie's room. We could hear Kari cry out in shock.
"Stop, what are you doing." Nick asked one of the officers. He turned to him.
"We have a warrant of the arrest of Karoline Carter." he said sternly.
"On what charge?" I yelled.
"Attempt of murder." he answered. The cop stepped aside to let the other one through. I could see Kari in handcuffs with tears streaming down her face.
"I didn't do anything! I didn't do anything!" She was screaming. Nick tried to run to her but was held back.
"Don't take her from me! For the love of god don't take her from me again!" he cried out. I turned back to see the cops turn the corner.
"Don't worry! We'll get you out of this! I promise!" I yelled to her. And she was gone. Nick had fallen to the floor in tears. A nurse that had seen the whole thing was trying to calm him down. Brian was as white as ghost.
"We've lost two of them." Kevin said softly. All I could do was watch, and pray. This can't possibly get any worst, could it?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Two days laterI sat up on the top bunk lost in my thoughts. In these two days, I felt as though my entire world was coming down around me. First Howie, now this. I didn't do anything.
"Hey Carter! Throw me one of your hair bands now!" screamed one of the girls in the cell next to mine. I was silent.
"Do what she's says Carter, or you won't live past lunch!" yelled another girl. I sighed and climbed down. I grabbed the hair band around my wrist and threw it into the next cell. I could tell that the girl had caught it.
"Hey, thanks murderer!" she called back. I cringed at the word murderer. Even these people were judging me and they were the real criminals. Suddenly, the door at the end of the hallway opened.
"Hey warden! Here to get me out of here?" I could hear one of the girls say.
"Not today Charlene. I'm here for miss money." The warden answered. I guess my nickname around here is Miss money because the warden stopped at my cell and unlocked it.
"What's happening?" I asked. The warden pulled me out.
"You have a visitor. Now move!" she snapped. I began to walk down the hallway, past cells with other girls inside. The glared at me.
""Yo, there goes high profile!" yelled one of them. I lowered my head in shame. We left the hall and the warden led me into the visitors room. It was like the ones you see in the movies. A glass window was the thing keeping you from your loved ones. In my heart, that wasn't the only thing keeping me from them. They sat me down in the chair and handed me the phone. I refused to look up. Another report must have come to see me.
"You have twenty minutes." the warden said. I motioned my hand without looking up. I could hear her walk away and the door close. I put the phone to my ear.
"If you want an interview, I have nothing to say but that I am innocent." I said. I was about to pull the phone away from my ear when I heard the voice.
"Kari, I know you didn't do it. You would never hurt Howie." It said. I gasped and looked up to see his face.
"Oh my god, it's you!" I yelled. David just smiled at me.
"Kari, i've missed you so much." He said.
"Oh David. It's great to see you. The first kind face i've seen this whole time." I answered him, nearly in tears.
"I can't believe this is happening to you. I heard about the accident and what happened to Howie."
"You're telling me. I was by his side through most of it. He is making good progress. Not awake, but building up to that."
"I never thought for one second that you would be able to do something like this. You would never harm any of my family. I mean, I would die if any of my family had this happen."
"Yeah, it's pretty tough." I said. Thats when the last thing he said hit me. "Family?" He smiled at me.
"I've been adopted."
"That's great! Who are they?"
"You should know them. I am now David Davenport."
"Krystel and Leo? Thats awesome! It's great to have some good news around here." Although I looked happy, my heart was tight. Here David was with a family and a happy life. While here I am behind bars for something I didn't do with family unable to get here. I started to cry.
"Oh, Kari. Don't cry. I didn't mean to upset you." he said, trying to comfort me.
"No, it's not your fault. I'm just so scared. Not for me, but for Howie. I mean, the real person is still there. They could do something to him and I can't protect him. Life just really sucks. I don't know why the guys haven't come to see me." The words just flew out of my mouth.
"Because they can't." he said. I looked into his eyes.
"What?" I asked.
"They said on the news that they have been held from seeing you because of the charge. Only people that haven't lived with you are allowed to see you at this time." he explained. I was shocked. I had never heard of such a thing. We began to chat for a little while longer when the warden returned. Our time was up. As she began to put the chuffs back on me, I looked to David.
"Please, give them this messege. I'm coming back soon. And tell Howie what has happened to me. He needs to know." I said. David opened his mouth to saying something, but the warden shoved me back into the cell hall.
"Your lucky you have a boyfriend like him." she said. This surprised me because she was usually so mean to me.
"Yes, I guess I am." I answered.
"And I believe you didn't do it. With the way you were talking to that boy, there is no what you can hurt anyone closer than him. Actually, no one at all." she said.
"Thank you." I answered again. Once again, the other real criminals were heckling me from the jail cells.
"Hey Carter, who was that? Your banker?" laughed one of them.
"Pipe down Erin, or you'll be feeling my wrath at meal time!" the warden screamed. We continued on when she spoke up once more. "Oh, and you have a roommate." She then proceeded to unlock the cell and the chuffs. I went inside with no protest. As she was leaving, I looked over at a figure in the lower bunk. I could barely see their face.
"Um, hello." I said. She didn't move. I moved in closer. "Are you alright?" I asked. She turned her head a little bit.
"No. I'm innocent. Now i've been shoved in here, in this rotten place." she said softly. I moved again.
"Well, what are you in for?" I asked again.
"Attempt of murder." she answered. I backed up. Then I remembered that this was the same thing I was in for.
"If you don't mind me asking, who was it?" I said. Her shoulders shook. I could tell she was crying.
"One of my patients. At St. Clara's hospital. This is so stupid! They've already taken his friends little sister in!" she said. I gasped.
"Howie Dorough?" I said. She looked up at me.
"Yes, how did you know?" she asked. Thats when I know that I had seen her before.
"Miss Miranda. It's me! Kari Carter." I said. She had a look of shock on her face.
"I don't believe this. Why us?" she asked.
"I don't know. We'll just have to fight this." I answered. I actually had a sense of happiness. Now I had people to fight with me. Seven on the outside and one on the inside. Hopefully the seven will not be changed to six.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~This is horrible! Why didn't they tell me? Don't they remember that I can hear them? Hello! Howie is still here! I want to wake up now! Oh, wait. I can't talk with all this junk shoved down my throat! I can't even write to much. It was Toni who did it! Wake me up so I can tell you! It was Toni, it was Toni, it was Toni!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*It was morning before I actually thought about what had happened. My best friends sister taken from him for a second time. It felt as though pieces of myself had been ripped in two. I looked slowly around the room. Kevin and A.j. were still asleep next to Howie's bed. Nick on the other hand was not. His eyes were red from crying all night.
"Nick, you o.k.?" I asked as I grabbed my crutches and hobbled over to him. He shook his head.
"We're fighting a battle that never should have happened. First Howie, now Kari. We've almost lost it all." he choked. It's hard to see a friend like this. The last time was when Kari's grandparents tried to take her back. But this is even more serious. I dropped into the seat next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"But we aren't losing. Howie is getting better, look. He doesn't have to use the ventilator anymore." I answered. Nick already knew the nurses had come in.
"But he still hasn't come back. His parents even had to leave because they couldn't take seeing their son like this. People are giving up." he whispered.
"We aren't. We are going to fight this battle till the end." I smiled. I'm not very sure it worked, but he did calm down.
"The second they put a bail on Kari, i'll be down there that very second. She didn't do it Bri, she would never do it." he said. Suddenly, there was a noise from the bed. We both looked up to see Howies hand moving around the table as if he was looking for something.
"The pen!" Nick exclaimed. He got up and pulled a bright orange pen out of his pocket. He then placed it into Howie's hand and put it over the paper. Howie began to write like a fiend. Yet, when we looked at the paper, all we could see was the word no.
"No? No what?" I asked Nick. Thats when we heard someone groan and turned to see Kevin getting up. He looked up at us.
"What's going on?" he asked. I just handed him the paper.
"Howie is trying to tell us something but it isn't making any sense." Nick said. Kevin got this look of dismay on his face.
"Guys, the accident did hit him really hard. I think we have to alert the doctor that he may have some brain damage." he said. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I don't think i've ever been so angry. Before I even knew what I was doing, I pulled myself out of the seat and tried to walk on my casted leg.
"You all may be ready to give up, but i'm not! Howie is trying to say something, and i'm going to believe that! It is not brain damage!" I said in a huff. I guess I was yelling a bit loud because A.j. woke up with a start.
"Brian, it's just something we have to except." Kevin said softly. I could have hit him with one of my crutches if I had them.
"Don't tell me that! Did my parents except it when the doctors said that I was going to die over fifteen years ago? NO! That is the very reason I am standing before you! Everyone said that I would never make it and that my time was short. But I lived! That is why we can't give up! We give up, Howie dies. End of story." I screamed. Nothing else was said. I just grabbed my crutches and left the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Nothing is going as planned but oh well! The girl is out of my way for now. Sirus and I can live in peace for a while. Yet I can't help loathing that man they call Howie. I can't believe they put me back with him.
"Toni, we need you to go to the Dorough room and take some readings. His friends said he was acting funny this morning." said the head nurse. I don't even know why I work here. I hate everyone! But I put a smile on my face and acted like nothing was going on.
"Oh? How so?" I asked with fake curiosity.
"They said he keeps writing the word no and the letters TON. We might have to check to see if he has brain damage from the seizure a few weeks ago." she answered. This caught my attention. Of course the man didn't have brain damage. I have been watching him for weeks! He must know.
"Alright, i'll get right on it." I said. I grabbed a clipboard and began to walk to the room. They still have that blasted guard in front of it. He stopped me when I got there.
"State your purpose." he said. Big, dumb, and stupid.
"I have to run a few tests on Mr. Dorough." I said. He moved to the side and opened the door. As I walked inside, I was pleased to find his friends weren't there. The door snapped shut and I walked over to the bed. I'm surprise they pulled the tubes out. I leaned down close to his face.
"I know you can hear me Howard! I also know that you know that I am behind this all. Lets just say that next time I see your little girl friend. She is as good as dead." I hissed. The heart monitor started beeping faster. His eyebrows moved a bit and so did his fingers as he wrote something. I looked down upon the paper.
"Justice? Have you been saving all of your strength just to write that? You wasted your time. Besides, everyone believes that you are not the same person that you once were. They will just think you have gone nuts." I laughed. I looked at the i.v. tubes that were still in his arm and shook my head.
"Too bad I can't poison you again. They might catch on." I pouted. I then grabbed the clipboard and began to write down fake information. This will keep them off my path. I then started to leave when I noticed his hands were balled up into fists. I couldn't tell if he was angry of frustrated.
"Oh, how hard it must be to hear this, and yet not be able to speak or even open your eyes. What a pity." I said. Of course I don't mean it. I left the room with my fake information. What else can he do to me? Nothing! When the girl posts bail I will be waiting for her as well as death! No one can stop me or Sirus! We are invincible!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~I can't believe what I am hearing! She can't kill Kari, I have to stop her! But how? I can't even open my eyes. Oh God, why have you done this to me? What have I done? Maybe if I write something big, it might scare her. This is going to take a lot out of me. She might mock it now, but she'll see when I wake up! I'm going to get her before she can get Kari! Caroline's spirit lives in her and I know that it is a fighting one! I cannot let Toni win! I WILL LIVE!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~I woke up with a start from a light nap. Something inside of me just felt great strength. I had the most wonderful dream that Howie was yelling that he will live. I wish dreams could really come true. I looked around the tiny cell. I wish it could turn into my real home, with me brothers, sisters, and my parents.
"Hey Kari, are you up?" Miranda said softly. I held onto the top bunk and looked at the second bed below me.
"I am now. I have no idea who could sleep in a place like this." I answered. I could tell Miranda had been crying.
"I hate this place! No one believes that I didn't do it! Why would I hurt someone that I am a huge fan of? I would never hurt him!" she exclaimed. I had never seen this side of her. Suddenly, we all heard the doors at the end of the hallway open. The warden was coming.
"Oh no, what now." I whispered. Once again, the girls down the halls yelled at the warden.
"Hey chief! Who gets out today? It better be me!" shouted one of them. I could hear the warden stop.
"Nope, i'm here for the Carter kid. She gets to take a little field trip." I let out a gasp. I couldn't believe I got to leave this horrible place. The warden finally came to the door and unlocked it.
"I get to go home?" I asked.
"Not quite. You get to go visit your friend in the hospital. They are going to watch how you act around him and record it." she explained. The warden had become very nice to Miranda and me. I'm not really sure why, she just does.
"Anytime out of here is great. I'm ready to go." I said. She spun me around and put the handcuffs on me. As she did so, I could see the sad look on Miranda's face.
"Have a good time. I know Howie will love to hear you again." she said in a whisper.
"I'll be back Miranda. With doing this, i'll find a way to get both of us cleared. I promise." I said. With that, the warden lead me out. This would have to be the happiest day of my life.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~This is perfect, just perfect. With the girl coming to the hospital to see her ickle Howie bowie, the plan cannot fail!
"Hey baby! Are you sure your ready to do this?" Sirus asked me. He had begun to lose his nerve.
"Oh, i've been ready since the day I set eyes on the little beast and her friends. You are not going back to jail! I don't care how many people you killed." I hissed as I loaded the gun and bullets into my handbag.
"Well, what about the gimp?" he asked again.
"One of these bullets are reserved for him too. He knows what has happened, but there is no way he is ever going to tell a single soul. Both of them with be dead before the day is out." I answered. The smile on his face grew. I love the way he smiles when he knows i'm right.
"This will be a glorious day! To think, we will be right by each others side when that gun goes off, ending the life of those people!" he said triumphantly. He then began to pack the disguise he would be wearing in order to get into the hospital. All I need to do is show up for work.
"How about we give a little toast before we go?" I suggested. He nodded and I ran to get the champagne and the glasses. I soon returned to him sitting on the couch. I handed him a glass and popped the cork from the bottle. He looked up at me lovingly as a poured him and myself some. He raised his glass to mine
"To victory and the death of the enemy!" he cheered. I couldn't agree with him more. To victory!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
*Author's note: I'm returned to the style I first started the story with, so don't get confused if no one is talking in the first person.The warden from the jail lead Kari down the hallway to Howie's room. She could see the other four standing outside waiting for her. Suddenly, one looked up and saw her face.
"Kari!" Nick yelled. He ran down the hall and grabbed the girl in a hug before the warden could do anything. Both of them were crying as the others came with them.
"I missed you baby! Oh god, did I miss you." Nick whispered. Each one of the guys took turns hugging the young girl. Yet she couldn't hug back because her hands were still in the cuffs. They were amazed at how she looked. Her hair was dirty and she was wearing one of those orange jumpsuits you see in the movies.
"I can't believe i'm actually here again. It's not the place i'd like to be, but i'll have to take it." she laughed. She couldn't remember the last time she was this happy. The group began to walk down the hall again to Howie's room.
"Things have been strange around here since, you know. Someone keeps making Howie tense up and his heart monitor goes crazy." Brian said as he limped down the hall. Although the cast had been removed and the need for crutches was gone, his leg was still very sore. Kari could see the Kevin's arm was still in the cast.
"But is he alright? Is he getting any better?" she asked. The group stopped and A.j. opened the door.
"You can be the judge of that." he smiled. She walked in with the warden at her side. She was surprised to see that the breathing equipment was gone and that most of the charts were too. Yet, she was sad to see that Howie still hadn't woken up.
"He writes about you everyday. He misses you just as much as we do." Kevin said. Kari made her way around the bed and sat down in the chair right next to Howie's head.
"Howie, it's me." she said softly as she put her hand into his. She felt with squeeze it tight and knew that he was beginning to get some strength back. His heart monitor began to speed up a bit.
"The boy's awake! Thats a good thing." said Brian. Kari tried to grabbed the pen off the table and hand it to Howie, but remembered her hands were still behind her back.
"Um, a little help?" she said. The warden placed the pen into Howie's hand and put it on the paper. Right away, he began to write.
"What does it say?" Nick asked from across the room. Kari looked down at the scrawled writing.
"It says TON." she said with confusion. No one had an answer for what she saw. All of them looked at each other.
"Howie, I don't understand what you mean." she said to him. Suddenly, there was a loud bang outside the doorway like a gunshot. They all turned and looked as the door flew open. It was the nurse Toni with another man. Behind them was the guard from the front. He had been shot.
"Nobody move!" The man yelled. Kari's eyes were wide with fear and everyone was paralyzed. No one dared enter the room. The couple moved farther in.
"We've come for the girl and the man!" Toni screamed. The warden tried to go for her gun, but found that it was gone. Toni laughed at her. "You cow! You had to leave it at the front door because the hospital doesn't allow firearms."
"Please, what do you want?" Nick said in a shaky voice. The man turned and looked at him.
"Those two aren't getting out of this place alive!" he laughed. Toni pulled a gun out of her handbag and pointed it right at Howie.
"No!" Kari screamed. At the very second, the gun went off. It all seemed to move in slow motion. Before anyone could stop her, Kari jumped into the path and the bullet hit her. She fell onto the bed where her friend laid, bleeding. As all of this happened, Howie's eyes popped open to see the girl lying there.
"You missed!" the man yelled. He grabbed the gun from Toni and almost got another one out, if he hadn't dropped the gun. A.j. grabbed the gun and pointed it at the two.
"Go get help!" he yelled. The others ran as fast as they could to get someone that would come in. All the while, Howie watched it all. He was unable to speak, but his actions spoke louder than words. He pulled the girls limp body to him and just held her. He couldn't find where she was bleeding from. His hands became soaked with it, but he didn't care.
"Don't go." he thought in his head. "Please, don't go."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~He stood at the doorway of the room in silence. He was alone, lost in his thoughts. His arms were crossed and his head was down. So much had happened in the room he was standing in.
"One last time" he whispered to himself. He looked up and gazed around the tiny hospital room again. The evidence that something horrible had happened were now all gone.
"So much time." he whispered again. The blood on the sheets and bed was still heavy in his mind. That image was now replaced by clean white sheets and a new mattress. No one else would ever see it. No one would ever know exactly what had gone on. He then closed his eyes as a single tear fell from his left eye.
"Um.. hey." he heard from behind him. He wiped the tear away and spun around to face the person.
"Oh, hi." he said. He knew why they were there. It was time to leave.
"Are you ready to go Howie?" They asked. Howie turned back around and took one last look at the room. He turned back with a smile on his face.
"Yeah. Lets get out of here, Babydoll." he said. Kari smiled at this. She began to wheel herself down the hallway. So many things had happened in such a short amount of time. After being shot, Kari had been knocked out. The bullet had pierced both legs and somehow ended up lodged in one arm. It took a few surgeries but she will be walking again. Sirus and Toni made a run for it and lead the police on a high speed chase. That lead to a shoot out in the end, leaving Sirus dead and Toni thrown in jail. As for the other five, they were slowly returning to normal. The medication shot Howie has been given had no lasting effects and he was expected to be 100% normal after physical therapy. Brian's cast came off and he is doing fine. Him, Nick, A.j. and Kevin will be behind the other two for anything. As for Miranda, she was released from jail and was appointed head nurse.
"Can you hit the button D? I'm a little short here." Kari said as she reached the elevator. Howie pressed the down button and the doors came open. He gently pushed Kari in and pressed the button for the lobby.
"Good-bye forever!" he almost yelled. And it was a very bittersweet good-bye indeed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Later that night, the six were enjoying themselves at a nice restaurant before returning home the next day. They all sat around, telling jokes, and just laughing. Suddenly, Kevin stood up and clicked his fork against his glass.
"I propose a toast." He said.
"Wow Kev, you sound so noble." said Brian. The others snickered while Kevin gave him a dirty look. He then raised his glass.
"To good times." he said. Nick then raised his glass.
"To family." he smiled. A.j. did the same.
"To friends." Brian was next.
"To the fans." Then came Kari.
"To the lord above." finally, it came down to Howie. They all looked at him as he smiled and slowly raised his glass.
"To Life."
THE END.