Minutes seemed like hours to Kevin as he waited for a nurse to come to the waiting room to let someone know that Nick was out of recovery and back into a room. It didn't help matters that his skull was pounding, no doubt a tension headache that won't be going away until their tour was over.
"Mr. Richardson? Nickolas is in his room now. You may go visit him if you'd like."
Kevin looked up at the matronly nurse that stood in front of him. Blinking his eyes several times to clear the cobwebs from his brain, he slowly stood up.
"Thanks, what room?"
"He's down the hall third door on the left, room seven ten."
"Thanks." Kevin thought about waking the others but opted to let them sleep. It had been a rough day and he decided that at least someone should get some rest.
Upon entering Nick's room, he found the young teen resting in the hospital bed; his cheeks flushed with fever; assorted IV fluids hanging on the pole beside the bed. Moving a chair from the corner of the room, Kevin positioned it next to Nick's bed. The movement aparantly woke Nick as he started to stir and softly moan. Kevin lightly rubbed the uncovered hand.
"Hey little man, its over," he soothed.
Nick's eyes fluttered open; a look of confusion etched on his face.
"You're in the hospital, you had appendicitis," Kevin filled in.
Nick furrowed his brow for a moment and then softly responded with, "Oh." He licked his parched lips. "I'm thirsty."
Kevin took the cup of ice chips that was on the night stand and scooped a small amount onto a plastic spoon. "Here."
Nick eagerly took the offered ice, letting the tiny chips melt on his tongue. "More," he mumbled.
Spooning more ice to his young brother, Kevin looked into Nick's glassy blue eyes. "How are you feeling?"
Nick thought for a moment as he let the ice chips melt. "Tired," he admitted. Tears started to well up in his eyes. "Kev, I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
"I got us in trouble again," he tearfully whispered.
"Awe, little man, you didn't get us in trouble. This was something you couldn't help," Kevin replied, rubbing the ailing teen's shoulder.
"I'm one big fuck up."
"Watch the language," Kevin admonished.
Nick closed his eyes for a moment. No matter what the situation was, Kevin was constantly on guard for proper language and manners. Nick smiled at the thought.
Kevin noticed the faint grin. "You must be feeling better."
Nick opened his eyes again. The medications they gave him after surgery were slowly starting to wear off and his stomach was starting to feel achy. "I hurt."
"Do you want me to get your nurse to get you something for pain?"
Nick nodded.
"Okay I'll get the nurse and you better rest because you've been through quite a bit and you need to get well."
"Hey Kev?" Nick called out, stopping his older brother.
Kevin stopped at the door and turned.
"How long am I going to be in here?"
Kevin shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure, a few days maybe? It all depends."
"So when I get out of here we can go back to work?"
Kevin Richardson sighed. "Don't worry about that right now, just rest up so you can get better."
"Kev?"
Once again, Kevin stopped in the door, his posture stiffened.
"I love you."
Kevin turned around to face his band brother. "I love you too Nick, get some sleep." Without saying anything further, he left the room to talk to Nick's nurse.
"Richardson! Where the hell are you? Do you know what time it is? Do you remember you have a promo set up to do? Do you remember you are under contract for everything you do?"
Kevin pulled the phone away from his ear as Lou Pearlman continued with his verbal beating.
"Lou.....LOU!" Kevin tried to interrupt the obese manager's tantrum but was unsuccessful. He decided it would be best to wait until he finished yelling before he spoke again. The rest of the band members minus Nick were gathered by the phone; AJ anxious to grab the phone and 'take care of fat ass,' as he suggested. After several minutes of yelling, Pearlman was finally silent. Kevin wondered if the old man had finally given himself a heart attack.
"Richardson?"
Nope.
"Can I tell you why we're not at the hotel?"
"I've been waiting to hear!"
"You've been running your mouth off," Kevin growled, mentally slapping himself when he realized he was lowering himself to Lou Pearlman's level.
"YOU DO NOT TALK TO ME THAT WAY RICHARDSON!"
"Nick's in the hospital---"
"CARTER IS WHERE?!?" Pearlman interrupted.
"Nick is at Cromwell Hospital in London---"
"TELL CARTER TO GET OFF HIS FAT ASS AND GET BACK TO THE HOTEL....ALL OF YOU!"
"Lou, you're not listening to me. Nick is IN the hospital. He has been admitted to the hospital," Kevin calmly replied.
"NONSENSE!"
"He's very--"
AJ grabbed the phone from Kevin.
"Listen dickhead, Nick is sick and he's in the hospital!"
Glaring at AJ, Kevin grabbed the phone back from the tattooed rebel's hand. "Like I was trying to tell you, Nick is very sick. His appendix ruptured and they had to take it out and he's got a bad infection from the appendix--"
"If he was this bad off, why wasn't I told?"
"We tried to tell you he was sick several times but you just blew us off. We had no other choice," Kevin explained.
"That Carter kid is sick all the damned time, why should I believe you every time he complains?"
"I agree, Nick usually picks up bugs pretty easily, but this is completely different Lou," Kevin relied.
"Well time is money, get him dressed and get back to the hotel--"
"He can't just jump out of bed! He's had major surgery less than five hours ago! I can't believe you'd expect him to get up and run to your beckon call! He will do what the doctor tells him to do, I'm fighting you on this one," Kevin snarled.
"I'll come up and see for myself then," Pearlman spat.
"Not today, he needs to rest," Kevin growled.
"I can do what I want, you know I'm guardian over that kid while we're overseas and you went over my head Richardson. There will be hell to pay when the boys parents find out about this," Lou threatened.
"They already know and Jane gave permission. I'm done having this conversation. When you decide to be mature about this, come see me, I'll be back at the hotel trying to get some sleep." With that said, Kevin slammed the receiver back onto the cradle; running a weary hand across his face.
Brian rubbed his cousin's back. "I don't think I would have been as good as you were with handling Mr. Pearlman."
Kevin groaned. "I swear that man is going to make me grow old in a hurry."
"You handled yourself pretty good," Howie agreed.
"Well I would have set the old bastard straight," AJ muttered.
"You would have made the situation worse!" Kevin snapped.
AJ shook his head in digust. "He is one total dickhead and I don't think we have to put up with his stupidity."
Kevin looked at the rebel singer. "We are under a contract with fatass so we have to listen to him until I figure a way out of his grip."
"If he tries to pull anymore shit with Nick, I'll figure a way out," AJ smugly replied.
"Did you want me to call Mrs. Carter and tell her how Nick is doing?" Brian offered.
Kevin shook his head. "That bitch can wait until after we get some sleep."
Nick stirred from a restless sleep as his day nurse entered the room.
"Nickolas, good to see you're awake, it's time to get you up."
Nick's eyes widened in horror at the thought of standing up. Pain was radiating in his stomach, it felt like the doctors hands were still inside, rummaging through his intestines. "Please....can I wait and do it later?" he begged.
The stout nurse shook her head. "No, the sooner you get up the better you'll feel."
"Isn't it bad to do this so soon?" Nick croaked.
"Are you in the medical field?"
Nick shook his head.
"Okay then, lets have you sit up."
"I don't want to stand up," Nick protested.
The nurse snickered as she shook her head. "I wasn't planning on having you stand, lad, doctor wants you to at least sit up. You don't want to get blood clots, do you?"
Relief washed over Nick when the woman clarified that she only wanted him to sit up; a task that seemed easy enough.
Taking his arm, the nurse urged for him to move slowly.
As soon as Nick attempted to move, firey pain raced through his abdomen. Drawing a quick breath in, he cried out in pain.
"I know son, it hurts but the more you do this, the easier it will be for you," the nurse assured.
Sweat beaded up on his forehead as was strongly guided into a half sitting-half laying position. "C-can we stop here?" Nick panted.
"I guess thats good enough for now," the nurse agreed as she pushed the button to raise the head of the bed to support Nick's back. "I'll have you lay back just a bit here. We can't have you laying flat in your bed all day. Your muscles will get cramped."
At that point, Nick didn't care he just wanted to be left alone.
"Did you need me to fetch you anything?"
Nick tossed the woman a pleading look. "Pain pills?"
"I think it might be too early to give you more but I'll check."
"Bitch from hell," Nick mumbled miserably as he watched the woman leave the room. Closing his eyes for a moment as he waited for the nurse to return, he was shocked when he opened them. Standing in the doorway as big as life was the one person he dreaded the most.
Lou Pearlman.