"The boy came in here, high as a kite, in the middle of the night talking some bullshit that you and me, Brian," Bruce looked at the men on the bed, "were fucking each other."
"What?" Brian shouted in suprise. What had Nick been thinking?
" It has to be some misunderstanding." Kevin came always up with a logical explanation to everything.
" No, I tell you that boy is in for some serious trouble. I think he is using coke'" Bruce sighed deeply.
Coke! The word hit Brian like a bullet.
" Yes, that or pot, whichever I think that he needs some serious help."
" What gives you the right to say this?" Brian fumed.
"Calm down, cuz. Iīm sure that there are some reasons for Nick to be in Bruce's room in the middle of the night and it doesnīt have to be about drugs." Kevin was doing his best to calm down Brian who looked like he was on the verge of an nervous breakdown. Still he didnīt believe his own words.
Brian felt Nicks forehead. "Shit!" he called out getting the other men's attention.
" What?" The two men stared at Brian who said in an nervous tone " Nick is burning up."
Then there was action. Kevin felt the boys forehead just to state the same. " Bruce, the boy is sick," he said as calmly as he could. " Do you have an fever theromometer around?"
Bruce grunted then he walked to the bathroom, rumaged through his things and came out after a second, thermometer in hand.
As they waited for the thermometer to beep, there was silence in the room. Brian hoped, no prayed, that Nick's delerious state was because of that he was sick and not doing drugs. If it had been the latter he didnīt know how he would react to such news. The thermometer beeped and Nick moved around restlessly in bed, Brian snapped it as fast as he could and read the sign, his face turning pale.
"Itīs 104.8!" he said slowly, reading the figures over again.
" Shit!" Kevin yelped. Even Bruce looked stunned and Brian could have swore that the manager's face softened a bit when he looked at the sick singer.
" No wonder that he is delerious," Brian said stroking Nicks hair once again.
" We have to get his fever down, this can be serious," Kevin was going into his Super Kevin mode again and his mind was working out strategies.
" Here," Bruce had been in the bathroom, wetting a towel and he handed it to Brian. The PR manager wasnīt without heart and he felt concerned when he heard the state that Nick was in. Still he didnīt believe that Nick was clean without using any illegal substance, but he had been in for quite a suprise when the boy had such a high fever. Nick moaned, but showed no signs of waking up.
" Did the doctor just say that he had the strep throat?" Brian questioned doubtly.
" Yes, I told you that didnīt I?" Kevin felt a bit annoyed that Brian questioned his story. He didnīt like it when people didnīt believe in him.
" I just think that he is way too sick for that," Brian mumbled while putting the towel on Nicks forehead.
" Sick or not, I'll help you guys get the boy over to his room since I wanna have a few hours eyes shut before the show is on again." Bruce had enough of acting like the helpful samarian for one night.
" We canīt move Nick!"
" Yes you can, watch me," Bruce started to drag Nick who groaned, not wanting to be moved.
" Okay, okay..letīs do this together." Kevin grabbed one arm under Nick and Bruce the other. They more or less dragged Nick into an upright position.
" This guy weighs a ton," Bruce growled as he did his best to hold the boy up.
Brian glared at the manager. There was never an occasion where Bruce lacked out talking about Nick's weight. Not even when he was so out of it that hecouldnīt stand up by his own.
Nick murmured something in his sleep and his head rolled, back and forth.
" Come on Nick," Kevin whispered in the sick mans ear.
Nick looked so out of it and sweat ran down his forehead and back. Then they more or less carried the boy down the hall to his room and put him into bed.
The next time Nick decided to wake up it was morning. He tried to open his eyes, but they felt heavy as lead. It was so hard to focus on anything and even if he lay down vertigo was so bad that he wanted to cry outloud. He must had said something as a hand was at his side, stroking his cheek, in an instant.
Too weak to do anything he just lay there listening to the soothing voice that kept saying that he would be just fine. He had difficulty in making out who it was, but the sweet smell told him that it had to be Brian. Brian had a smell that he could recognize miles away and it made him safe.
Once again he made an effort to open his eyes, but to no avail. They were glued and he felt himself sink back into oblivion again.
Brian sighed. He had been at Nick's side all morning, not even wanting to leave him to go to the bathroom. Kevin had left after they had dragged Nick back to his bed but Brian had refused to go. Nick needed him.
He couldnīt remember the time when he has seen Nick this bad. His friend picked up bugs very easily so there had been several occasions during the years. Yet Nick always had the energy to smile even when he was as sick as a dog. This time the fever was constantly high and Brian feared that there might be more than simply a virus.
The swollness around Nick's neck hadnīt lessened and the way he was trashing about Brian knew that he was in pain. His pale feature had been replaced by a red glow on his cheeks. Not the healthy red color that came with outdoors activities. No, the one that came with high fever.
Brian wet another washcloth, trying to cool down the fever, but Nick was as hot as ever. A short knock on the door caught his attention. With a sigh Brian opened up to see his wife standing there, concern glistering in her eyes.
" Hello Honey, how is he?" she asked quietly, as she was let in through the door.
Brian shook his head slowly. There was not much to say and Leighanne looked at the sleeping figure on bed, laying her hand on the sick boys forehead, frowning. "Has he woken up yet?"
" No."
"Brian, go and get some sleep. You need it. I can sit here and watch over Nick." Leighanne gave her husband a short squeeze in his hand, letting him know how much she loved him.
Once again Brian responded with a short shake on his head. " No, I better be here when he wakes up."
" Brian, I know, but you have to do an interview today and you really need the sleep."
Fortunatly for the boys they had a day off, or as off as it could be. That meant no concert until the next day. Still they had to make some public apperances as well as an interview with the press and a photo shoot. Leighanne watched her husband in the corner of her eye. He had dark bags under his eyes and had a tired appearance. A deep wrinkle on the forehead was plastered there all the time and the eyes showed so much concern.
Brian was the nicest person she had ever met. He had the rare combination of caring about others and understanding them as well as getting along with all people. Brian had also a fantastic sense of humor. He could be mature at one time, acting as a child the next. Maybe it was the unpredictable side in him that had him getting along so well with Nick. Leighanne knew that Nick needed Brian, but she also knew that Brian needed Nick to be a whole person.
Brian yawned. It was getting harder and harder to keep his eyes open and Leighanne had been right. He needed to sleep. He had never been a person that could be up all night and he had to have his beauty sleep or else he would be a grouch.