A stunned AJ McLean kneeled beside the blond, staring at his lifeless body. It took the rebel singer a few moments before his adrenaline-filled body kicked into action.
”Everyone move away and let him get some air!”
Gasps and whispers came from the crowd of fans as they dutifully stepped away from AJ’s flailing arms and stern, yet worried glare. Within minutes Johnny Wright had picked his way through the crowd with Kevin in tow.
“What the hell is going on with Nick?” the manager said in an authorative voice.
AJ glared at the manager knowing that the voice held anything but compassion and total concern for his fallen brother. Looking toward Kevin, AJ replied, “I think something is seriously wrong with Nick....you should have seen his face before he went down!”
Kevin pushed his way to the baby of the group, placing gentle hand on the young man’s forehead. Instead of shying away from the touch, Nick whimpered. “You feel like you’re burning up kiddo,” Kevin whispered.
Nick stared into Kevin’s sharp green eyes with confusion. “What happened?”
“Dude you fainted,” AJ said in a whisper as he leaned closer to the teen.
Nick’s eyes grew wide when he realized what he had been doing.
“How about you get up so we can get onto the next stop, we have a schedule to keep,” Johnny advised.
AJ jerked at the older man’s insentivity to Nick’s situation. “Johnny, did you forget that Kaos just fainted a few minutes ago? I really doubt that he is up to being moved anywhere right now except to a couch!”
The embarrassement from the crowd having their eyes trained on him laying on the floor and the fact that Johnny, AJ and Kevin were having it out at his expense, prompted Nick to try end the scene and get up
“Nicky! Stay down!” Howie’s voice carried over AJ and Johnny’s heated conversation.
“Just lay still Nick,” Brian coached with a hand on Nick’s shoulder.
Nick pushed Brian’s hand away. “No I’m fine...just help me up.”
It wasn’t until Brian and Howie got Nick into a sitting position did Nick fully remember and realize why he had fainted and found himself laying on the record store lobby floor.
”OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
Instantly Nick folded over, gasping for air.
“This don’t look good,” AJ snapped as he motioned for the crowd to step away once again.
Howie was quick to rub the small of his little brother’s back. “Nicky is it your belly?”
Tears instantly streamed down Nick’s cheeks as he vigorously shook his head yes.
“Carter is probably faking this, he’s probably got low blood sugar again,” Johhny muttered. “Someone get the kid a candybar, you know he eats like a pig and skipping breakfast this morning didn’t help him.”
This time Kevin finally had gotten fed up with the way management was treating the young man. “Did you ever stop to think that maybe it was something a little more serious than skipping breakfast? Nick is a human being, not a machine! Don’t you realize that it could be something serious?”
“Oh so you think you’re a doctor now Richardson?”
“Not a doctor Johnny, but I am a little more knowledgeable with stomach pain and Nick’s symptoms.”
Johnny Wright pasted a sarcastic smile on his face. “How so?”
“I don’t know but I really think he could have some really bad flu bug or something!”
“I’m okay,” he weakly protested.
“Let’s get you to a hospital and have the doctor tell us that,” Brian replied in a soothing voice.
“Can someone call an ambulance?” AJ asked.
Always worried about the budget, Johnny shook his head. “Carter doesn’t need to go in an ambulance, let’s just load him up into the van.”
Nick kept shaking his head as the reality of the situation sunk in:
Hospital......tests......doctors.......needles......
He wanted to be home in Florida and for some unexplainable reason he wanted to be with his mom!
This had to be bad!
Johnny pushed his way out of the surrounding crowd and started pacing the floor, rubbing a hand across his forehead. After a few minutes of pacing and hearing the commotion of the young fans that were hovering around their fallen idol, he stopped his frantic pace.
“C’mon boys, lets load Carter into the van.”
’Did he just say load’ Nick wondered as he whimpered quietly in pain. ‘Am I some fucking farm animal being sent out to slaughter?’
“I really don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
’Thank God for Howie Dorough!’ Nick sighed.
“Look we don’t have a choice!”
“I’m fine, someone just help me up,” Nick protested.
“He needs to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance to get checked out Johnny!” Kevin spat as he moved over toward the manager; a menacing look in his eyes.
“Okay no one help me up,” the ailing teen grumbled as he tried to position his body. He quickly gasped when one of the moves caused pain to tear through his lower abdomen.
While the manager argued with the other bandmembers about Nick’s predicament, some of the teenaged fans helped him get onto his feet.
Brian caught the sight of Nick out the corner of his eye. ”Nick! Don’t stand up!”
The black manager smiled at the pale, sweaty-faced blond. “See Carter’s fine now.”
“He’s far from fine, dickhead,” AJ rasped. “Look at him, he’s hunched over worse than my Nanna and she’s got arthritis in her back!”
Clenching his teeth, Nick tried to paste a smile on his face. “Let’s just get back to the hotel.”
“Okay Nick, you look for shit and Johnny is thinking with his head up his ass....as usual,” AJ stated as he tossed a glare in the manager’s direction.
“He really should be taken by ambulance,” an older woman stated from the crowd.
“Yes, I just don’t understand how crazy those Yanks are sometimes,” a man uttered with disgust in his voice.
Wiping the sweat away from his eyes, Nick looked uneasily at the large crowd. “I’m sorry for causing such a fuss, but honestly, all I need is to go back to the hotel and lay down and rest so I will be ready to do the show tonight.”
“See.....Carter knows exactly what his body needs and that’s rest,” Wright agreed with the young singer.
Upon hearing the dark manager agreeing with Nick needed rest, Brian arched an eyebrow in question.
“There’s something y’all don’t hear every day.....Johnny Wright agreeing with Nick Carter!” AJ cackled.
Taking a few faltering steps toward the wanted exit, Nick did as much as he could do to control his labored breathing.
Brian and Kevin quickly moved to Nick’s side, each taking an arm to help the young man out to the awaiting beige colored van. “Do you really think its not that serious.......think about it, you passed out!” Brian said as he helped the blond singer into the van.
“You’re making a big deal out of this,” Nick protested as he gingerly hoisted his body onto a seat. “It was hot in there and I was nervous so I fainted, no big deal.”
Once everyone was inside the van, Nick fidgeted in his seat when he felt his bandmate’s eyes staring at him. “I’ll be fine, I just need to lay down,” Nick assured quickly.
“Looks like you got a heck of a goose egg on your forehead,” Brian stated as he raised a hand toward Nick’s face.
Dipping his head away from the Kentuckian’s hand, the young teen scowled, “Goose egg?”
“Yeah....a knot....”
Reaching up to his forehead, Nick’s hand lightly brushed the rasied bump on his forehead, wincing. “Oh you mean lump on my head.”
“Yeah that, a goose egg,” Brian corrected.
“Carter’s got a fricken bump on his forehead dumbass.....I swear you hillbillies have stupid sayings,” AJ rasped.
Johnny Wright turned his body around to look at Nick’s face. “Oh that’s wonderful,” he muttered. “We have that photo shoot this afternoon and Carter has-----”
“That’s all you care about is money,” Kevin interrupted, “something serious is wrong with him and all you’re worrying about is money!”
“Jeeze Nicky, you really must have landed hard......your bottom lip is really fat,” Howie said as he looked at the young teen, concern in his brown eyes.
Nick self consciously raised a hand to his mouth. “Yeah I guess I did.”
Leaning his body into the seat, Nick did his best to cry out in pain whenever the van hit a bump in the road; sweat pouring down his face. His stomach was doing flip-flops and although he tried his best, Nick couldn’t find a comfortable position in the seat.
‘God why can’t this ride end?’ Nick moaned mentally, closing his eyes.
Within a few minutes, the van came to a quick stop outside of a large movie theatre.
“Why are we stopping here?” Kevin demanded.
“It’s on the agenda, Richardson,” Johnny quickly replied as he unfastened his seatbelt and opened the van door.
“You told us we were going back to the hotel,” Nick whimpered.
The normally quiet Latino spoke out, “Yeah, I think Nicky needs to be laying quiet.”
“Nick will be laying quiet, you four, however, will be working, now get out of the van before Lou comes out!”
Groaning, the older four of the group dutifully exited the van, patting Nick lightly as they passed the sick blond. After the boys assembled, Johnny Wright stuck his head inside the van.
“I’m going in with the rest of them to talk with Lou, when I’m finished I’ll come back out and have you taken back with me to the hotel.”
Wrapping his arms across his stomach, Nick nodded slightly as he closed his eyes. He wished he was laying down in bed, but most of all, he wished he was laying in his bed at home being cared for by his mom.
Her soothing touch.......
Warm blankets.......
The fresh scent of the fabric softener she used on his sheets......
The way she rubbed his back when he felt sick......
”Carter! This isn’t a picnic! You have a job to do!” Lou Pearlman wheezed as he flung the side door open to the van.
Nick’s eyes sprung open as he was broadsided by the obese manager’s words.
“B-but I-I don’t f-feel g-good,” he stammered in defense.
“Nonesense, just because you can’t shit doesn’t mean you get off of work....what the hell did you do to your lip?”
“I just told you Lou, Nick fainted at the record store,” Johnny Wright stepped up to the young man’s defense. “He’s got a huge bump on his forehead too from falling.”
Pearlman studied the teenager, brushing the strands of hair away from Nick’s forehead to inspect the bump. He shook his head in disgust before he turned back to the black manager. “I thought you were getting bullshitted by Carter, but I guess what you’re telling me is true then. There is no way someone would fake fainting and get bumped on the head and mouth in the process-----”
“Exactly,” Wright agreed.
Straightening his sportsjacket around his bulky waist, Lou stepped back from the van. “I guess you can go back to the hotel, but I want to make it clear that you rest and I don’t want to hear about you playing video games, do you understand me, Carter?”
“I doubt playing Nintendo is on Nick’s mind at the moment,” Johnny concluded.