Swollen Issues - Chapter 15
"Whoa there, easy Nick," Kevin encouraged as he lofted one of Nick's arms across a
shoulder. AJ rushed up to help steady Nick on the other side.
"Didn't know when to quit, did you?" AJ asked, a smirk on his face.
"Oh god," Nick slurred, "are those real?"
Kevin and AJ looked in the direction that Nick was shakily pointing towards. They were
hoping it was a picture of a snow capped mountain, but it wasn't snowcapped and it
clearly wasn't a mountain, it was the not-so-very-well containted breasts of a waitress.
He giggled as his feet slid out from under him. "Can I touch them?"
"NICK!" Kevin whispered sternly into Nick's left ear. Nick stiffened at attention
and then burst into a fit of uncontrolled laughter.
"I...have...something...that...would..go...nice...with..those," Nick remarked, taking deep
breaths between every word.
Ignoring his coments, Kevin and AJ half dragged, half carried a stumbling Nick out the
front door of the bar towards the awaiting black limo.
"Sonofabitch, can't these animals give us a break?" AJ hissed when they were met at the
door with a sea of flashing lights, compliments of the paparazzi, camped outside the front
entrance.
Security encircled the three men, but there still was a gap in the front that they were
unable to cover allowing the press an ample opportunity to capture the photos they
desired of Nick is his worst possible state.
"I don't feel good," Nick mumbled.
"Well, you shouldn't now should you?" Kevin hissed.
"I've think I've got things straightened out at the bar," Howie informed as he met up with
the guys.
"It's about time, I was beginning to wonder if you got some free drinks or something. You
seemed to have found it pretty damn funny getting Nick drunk on his ass," AJ spat
through clenched teeth.
"Wait a minute! I didn't have anything to do with this!" Howie defended.
"Guys, I don't feel so good," Nick mumbled again, but this time he was ignored by Kevin,
AJ and Howie.
Leaning over Nick, Kevin cast a stone-eyed glare towards Howie. "Well, you took it upon
yourself to invite Nick to the bar, what the hell are we supposed to think?"
Feeling the familiar nauseated feeling in the pit of his stomach that he had become
accustomed to for the past week, Nick pulled away from AJ and Kevin, clamping a hand
across his mouth, eyes darting, looking for a corner, a trash can or a bush to throw up in,
on or behind.
Nick made it about four steps before his legs betrayed him, having him fall onto his hands
and knees right in front of a group of young fans. As one of the girls made an attempt to
touch Nick, one of the men from security stepped in between his charge and the fan.
"I would advise you not to do that," he stated sternly, an eyebrow arched.
Looking up towards the sea of fans and the man from security, Nick managed a slight
smile before his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed.
This time it was BSB security that grabbed Nick under the arms and ran him towards the
limo that already had Howie, Kevin, AJ and Brian seated inside, waiting for Nick. After
the brief moment of unconsciousness, Nick awoke revitalized, still drunk, but more alert
than he had been before he collapsed.
"Just look at him," AJ muttered. "You are shit faced Carter, I don't think I was ever that
bad."
"That's only because you were too drunk to remember, AJ," Howie came to Nick's
defense.
Brian shifted in his seat, nervously looking at his best friend. Nick's head kept bobbing up
and down, he was clearly walking the thin line from consciousness to unconsciousness. "I
don't like this, I'm worried about alcohol poisoning."
"Don't be such a worrier, all the kid needs is to puke his guts out, drink a pot of strong
black coffee and he'll be good to go. I know what he needs," AJ replied, pumping his chest
out.
"Well, you better hope that's what he needs cause we're at the hall for the banquet," Kevin
quietly observed.
Chapter 16