Nick watched as a nurse injected a clear medication into a port on his IV line. "There, this should help you rest lad.....you should have told someone sooner that you were having troubles," the woman stated as she finished up with the injection.
As Nick started opening his mouth to object to the statement, Pearlman was quick to again squeeze the young man's shoulder. The manager waited for the nurse to leave the room before he spoke.
"I told them you wanted something to make you sleep," Pearlman explained. "It would be best that you're asleep in case the guys drop in unexpectidly."
"They don't bother me," Nick replied.
"Yes but you need your rest and they will leave you alone if you're sleeping."
"But I really wasn't tired."
Lou patted the young man's shoulder in a soft gesture. "Nonsense boy." He paused for a moment as he noticed that Nick's eyelids were starting to droop. "I wanted to tell you that when you do see them and if they ask about this photo shoot we had today that you don't know what they are talking about. Remember, you don't know what they are talking about and you will keep on saying that if....." he squeezed Nick's shoulder for emphasis, "if you know what's good for you."
Nick managed a slight nod before he fell into the drug induced sleep.
"That's it Nicky, go to sleep," Pearlman growled with a smug grin on his face.
"Can't you make this cab go a little faster?" Kevin spat at the driver as they slowed for a red light.
"Sir, I am going as fast as I am allowed to by law," the cabbie replied in a calm voice.
Kevin squeezed his eyes shut, trying to push aside the anger that was rising. "I need to get to the hospital and I'm in a hurry."
"Dude," AJ rasped from the back seat. "Calm down, he'll get us there as soon as he can."
Brian leaned forward from his seat, placing a hand behind the passenger seat. "Take it easy Kev, I'm sure we'll catch Lou red handed."
"And the cab driver said he's going as fast as he can," Howie added.
The rest of the ride to the hospital was in silence; the driver following every possible law that had ever been created in England or the rest of the country for that matter - much to Kevin's dismay. As the cab pulled into the circular entryway of the hospital, and slowed to make a stop, Kevin jumped from the moving vehicle and bolted toward the revolving front doors.
The driver slammed on his breaks after Kevin leaped from the car, shaking his head as he watched the tall man sprint toward the doors. "You yanks are always in such a hurry!"
"He has a bladder disorder," AJ gnauffed.
Howie's eyes widened in shock. "AJ!"
Brian quickly handed the driver £15. "Sorry about my cousin, he's just a little worried," Brian explained as he exited the cab.
The rest of the men met up with an adgitated Kevin at the elevators. They could tell by his mannerisms that he was clearly not in the mood to talk to anyone at the moment. The others made eye silent eye contact and shrugging of shoulders as their gaze went from Kevin to one another. Tired of the thick silence, AJ spoke.
"What do you think you're gonna say when you get to Nicky's room?"
Kevin only shook his head as a response with a glare directed at the rebel as the elevator stopped on the wanted floor.
"I hate to be on the receiving end of this," AJ muttered as he watched Kevin race out of the elevator.
Brian nodded his head in agreement. "I've never seen Kevin this pissed."
The trio followed Kevin toward the room, lagging a few steps behind, not wanting to get in the older man's way. AJ had a hard time controlling the smirk on his face as he thought about what was going to happen to Lou Pearlman as they neared the room.
"Lou is gonna get it this time," he mumbled.
The anger that had been building up inside of Kevin Richardson quickly dissipated when he stood in the threshold of Nick's room. He was shocked to see that Pearlman and the camera crews were gone and it was only Nick that was inside the sick room. Entering the room, he tugged a hand through his hair. "Fuck," he mutted.
"Where the hell is everyone?" AJ rapsed as he looked around the room.
"Looks like he closed up shop pretty gosh darn quick," Brian surmised.
AJ reached out and smacked Brian on the shoulder. "No shit Sherlock."
Brian jerked away from the tattooed rebel, rubbing his shoulder. "OUCH! What did you hit me for?"
"Sh-h-h-h, Nicky's sleeping," Howie admonished.
Kevin dropped the sleeping boy's hand back onto the bed. "I doubt he would wake up anyway, he's snowed."
Brian looked at his cousin dumbfounded. "Huh?"
"He's pretty medicated," Kevin replied.
"But didn't we just see him on tv less than an hour ago," Brian asked.
"Yeah, live?" AJ added.
Kevin sighed as he looked down at his sleeping brother. "It looked like it was live, maybe it wasn't, I don't know what to think anymore."
"Wouldn't the staff know if this just happened?" Howie questioned. "I could go out and ask one of the nurses."
"As much as I'd like to talk to Nick to find out what happened, I guess we just have to wait," Kevin replied as he pulled a chair up next to the bed.
"I'm going to go down and ask the nurses," Howie stated as he made his way toward the door.
"I'll go with you," AJ said as he followed the Latino out of the room.
Brian quietly approached Nick. He brushed the bangs away from Nick's eyes, grinning when Nick let out a soft moan when he was touched. "That poor kid has been through hell the past couple of days."
Kevin nodded as he stared at his young brother. "Hell and beyond thanks to fucking Pearlman."
"We'll get to the bottom of this once Nicky wakes up," Brian stated.
AJ and Howie re-entered the room, puzzled expressions on their faces. Kevin looked up at the two.
"His nurse didn't know shit about what we saw," AJ muttered. Howie threw his friend a dark look. "Well, she didn't!" he defended.
"We talked to two of the nurses at the desk and neither of them saw Lou or anyone come into NIck's room this morning," Howie explained.
"Maybe that wasn't a live feed," Brian wondered.
"It sure as hell looked live to me," AJ spat. "We could call MTV and find out."
"Or we can wait until Nick wakes up before me call someone and make total fools of ourselves," Kevin snapped as he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ward off the impending migraine he was getting from the stress.
"Yeah that sounds like a better idea," Brian agreed.
"Suck up," AJ hissed.
"No, I think that sounds like a good idea," Howie replied, taking a seat in the corner of the room.
AJ shoved his hands in his front pockets. "I'm gonna go have a smoke."
"Don't you dare call anyone!" Kevin called out as AJ was leaving the room. "D, go out there with him and make sure he doesn't pull something stupid."
Hours had passed with the men sitting around the hospital room watching Nick's nurses come and go and Nick not waking up. AJ had spent the majority of the time leaning by the large window, tossing his lighter in the air and catching it much to the dismay of the rest of the group. "This is definately getting pretty boring," he muttered.
"How much longer is Kaos gonna sleep?" Brian wondered.
Kevin glanced at his watch. "Well, we've been here for probably three hours. I guess it depends on what they gave him. How would I know? Do I look like a doctor?"
"Lets go down to the cafeteria and get some coffee or something to eat," Howie suggested.
"Sounds like a good idea to me," AJ agreed.
Kevin remained sitting.
"Train? Aren't you gonna go down with us for a sandwich or something?" Brian asked.
"I'm fine."
"Dude, it's not like he's gonna go anywhere," AJ remarked.
Kevin waved the group away. "Just go do your thing, I'm fine."
Once the men had left, Kevin stood up and adjusted the blankets on his brother, hoping that maybe it would stimulate Nick into waking. A few moments later a young girl entered the room carrying a tray. Her face grew a shade of red when her eyes made contact with Kevin's.
"Hello," she said quietly.
Kevin smiled at the young girl. "Hi, what's that you've got?"
"It's his dinner tray," she replied as she set it on the bedstand. "Looks like he's sleeping."
Kevin nodded as he stretched his arms out. "Yeah for a few hours."
"Well I'd tell you that you can eat this if he didn't wake up, but I don't think you'd like jello and clear soup."
Kevin chuckled softly. "No thats not on my list of favorite foods. I'll pass."
After the girl left the room, a nurse entered the room with a fresh IV bag.
"You guys must have given him a lot to have him sleep this long."
"Well his friend said he was upset and needed to be calmed down earlier so I suppose he would be sleeping for a while," the nurse stated as she hung the bag on the IV pole.
Kevin stared at the woman. "A friend? Do you know who that was?"
The woman shook her head negatively. "I don't know who he was, I've seen him a few times."
"Was he an older, fat man? Really big and sweaty looking?"
The nurse nodded. "Yes, that would describe him."
"Why was Nick upset?"
"I have no idea, I just remember we had to call the doctor for the order for the sedation. The man left soon after the medication was given."
"Were there other people that were with him?"
"All I remember is that man, I don't recall anything else," the nurse replied quickly.
"No television cameras or reporters?"
The nurse shook her head in digust. "I don't know what you're talking about. You Americans think everyone wants to see you. I think you're being a bit paranoid."
Kevin stood up. "I don't think I'm being paranoid, I saw Nick on television this morning from this room! I know someone had to have seen something!"
"I didn't see anything like you're talking about, now if you don't mind, I have other patients to attend to."
"Could you at least tell me your name?"
"Stella......Stella Fitzpatrick," she snapped as she hurried out of the room.
"Shit!" Kevin hissed as he paced the room. Hearing Nick stir, he stopped and turned around to find that his baby brother had finally woken up from the drug induced slumber. "Nicky.....its good to see you awake."
Nick gingerly rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Huh?"
"You've been out for the past three hours."
"I have?" he croaked.
Kevin nodded. "I have to ask you something."
Nick's clear blue eyes locked with Kevin's emerald greens. "About what?"
"What exactly did Lou do to you this morning?"