Part 241
As usual, during ‘The Call’ after the Boys rose out of the stage wearing their choir robes, Becca’s favorite part, Raoul took Sarah to the ‘underworld’ to wait for Howie. As the song ended, Sarah heard him, ‘You don’t gotta leave but…I gotta go’ and started laughing. He was so damn cute when he did that and she loved him that much more.
Howie was always the last one off the stage and he knew Sarah was waiting for him. The guys knew too and purposely took their time slowing Howie down.
"Damnit, Nick! Get YOUR BLONDE ASS OUT OF THE WAY!" growled Howie.
"Slow down, D," teased Brian. "Where’s the fire?"
"Standing over there," remarked Alex pointing to Sarah. "D, at least wait until you get in the limo before you jump your wife."
Howie pushed by them all to see Sarah waiting for him. She was in his arms in a flash and the two held each other tight.
"GOOD GOD! The temperature just rose ten degrees," cracked Alex.
Turning in Howie’s arms, Sarah grinned, "MOST DEFINITELY…and I intend for it to get even hotter before the night is over."
Kevin grinned, "Why don’t you come back out with us, Sarah…for the encore?"
Sarah had begun to feel the effects of no sleep plus the emotional roller coaster ride she’d been on. Now she shook her head, "No, not this time. I’ll wait right here."
Howie pleaded, "Angel, please…I want you with me."
Sarah wasn’t up for arguing with Howie and she didn’t want to be out of his arms or far from his side. Quietly she agreed and holding Howie’s hand, followed them back onstage.
The encore was ‘Drowning’ and Sarah’s heart melted remembering the first time she’d ever heard them perform it for her. It had been her wedding day and she had cried then. Now, as Howie stared into her eyes, she knew she’d never make it through this night without crying again.
It was as Nick was singing his part and Sarah saw his tears that she realized that she hadn’t seen Becca at all. She knew that Becca had been staying backstage rather than in the pits during the shows the closer she got to her due date. Then it dawned on her that she hadn’t seen Denise either. She began to wonder what was going on and was getting a little concerned.
With the show over, the guys were whisked away to their dressing rooms. Sarah went with Howie and as she was headed in the door, she spotted Nick being rushed out to a waiting limo by Eddie.
"D, what’s going on? Where’s Becca?"
"She’s pretty sick, Angel. Last night, when we got the word that you were on that plane, she had a major panic attack. Kevin called the hotel doctor and he admitted her to the hospital."
Sarah gasped in horror. "Oh god, Howie! Is she okay?"
"I don’t know, Sarah," said Howie as he started undressing. Kicking off his shoes, Howie went on, "Nick barely made it for sound checks, didn’t speak to any of us, and then rushed back to the hospital. He came back here just in time for the show. The best I can make out is they are trying to get her blood pressure stabilized."
"Was she alone?" asked Sarah in a whisper suddenly terrified for her best friend.
"No, Angel. Denise stayed with her while Nick was with us."
"I need to go see her. She’ll calm down once she knows I’m here."
Pulling his shirts over his head, Howie said, "Let me get a quick shower, Angel, and then we’ll let the others know. I expect they’ll want to go too."
Sarah ran her hands across his chest. "Thank you."
Howie brushed her hair back, "No need to thank me. I was worried too…just a little preoccupied."
"I can’t understand why," teased Sarah. "I’m gonna go change back into my clothes while you shower."
"You could join me, you know," said Howie sexily as he pulled her to him in a tight embrace, his bare chest pressing against her.
Sarah moaned softly, "We need to check on Becca….then we can head to the hotel. I really need to feel your arms holding me, D."
"I need you too," breathed Howie as he kissed her tenderly.
*****************
In the car, Sarah snuggled next to Howie wanting to have his arms tight around her, scared of what she’d find at the hospital but relieved to finally be in Howie’s arms. She put her hand on his and began playing with his wedding band.
"Howie, did you ever give up?" she asked softly.
"Deep in my heart, no. But my head kept telling me I was a fool to believe you were okay. Sarah, I’ve NEVER been as scared of my future as I was when they told me that you were on that plane. I prayed for a sign, any sign, that you were alive."
"I couldn’t sleep last night. All I could think about was what you were going through, D."
Howie kissed the top of her head as she ran her hand across his stomach. Softly, he asked, "Angel, why did they say you were on that plane if you weren’t?"
"Danny took my stuff with him and checked me in and Raoul too."
"What happened to make you miss the flight? I know you said morning sickness but…"
Sarah laughed remembering that morning. "YOUR little bundles of joy decided to play hell with me again. First we were late getting to the airport because I was in the bathroom throwing up and then…" and Sarah went on to explain what she had gone through while in Boston.
As she talked, Howie rubbed her stomach easing the fluttering of the babies and Sarah began to relax. She told him the babies had been moving quite a bit intensifying the nausea.
When she finished telling him about what had happened, Sarah said as the tears began to fall, "Howie, I was so scared. I knew I was okay but last night, as I sat out on the balcony of the hotel room, I thought about all that we would have lost if I had been on that plane. I was scared of what you were going through, what Jesse was feeling and what she was gonna go through, and I’m scared now of what’s gonna happen to Becca and Nick if this causes her to lose the baby. I’ll never forgive myself."
Howie put his hand under her chin lifting it to look her in the eyes, "Sarah, it wasn’t your fault. I know you did you very best to get word to me. And there’s no reason to be scared anymore. We’re together and I promise, we’ll NEVER be apart again. When we get to the hospital, I’ll call to see if Chelsea got them a way up here."
With his index finger, Howie flicked the tears away as Sarah said, "I need to be in your arms, Howie. I need to make love with you."
Howie pulled her to him and whispered in her ear, "Soon, Angel. As soon as we check on Becca, I’ll take you back to the hotel and we’ll make love and we’ll fall asleep in each other’s arms."