In Sickness & In Health, Pt. 5<bR><bR>

Laura watched helplessly as Nick sobbed, his shoulders beginning to shake with the force of his emotions.  She was just about to try to comfort him when the door swung open again and there stood Howie, AJ, and Brian.  "Hey Frack!  How you feelin..." Brian's voice trailed off as he realized what was going on.  Catching Laura's eye he immediately backed out of the room, forcing Howie and AJ, both of whom stood behind hi, to back up as well. "What the hell?" snorted AJ, "What was that all about?"  Brian looked stricken, "Guys...Nick...he was, well he was upset."  "What do you mean upset?" AJ responded, still annoyed with Brian.  Howie smacked AJ upside the head, "Nicky was crying..." he said quietly as AJ's eyes widened first at the slap and then at Howie's words.  AJ looked in turn at each of them, "No shit?  Oh man..."<bR><bR>

Back inside Nick's room Laura handed Nick Kleenex as he tried to regain his composure.  "Sorry," he whispered when he could speak again, "I...I...just lost it a bit there."  Laura looked at him, a frown on her face, "Why are you apologizing?  The best thing you can possibly do is to let your feelings out...I've been there, I know.  Your friends are back, do you think you can handle seeing them?"  Nick sighed rubbing his reddened eyes tiredly, "If I don't they're gonna worry even more so I'd better..."  Laura frowned again, making a mental note to talk to Nick about what he had just said a little later, then she walked out into the hallway and let Nick's friends in.  Nick looked at the three of them, "Geez guys, why so solemn?" he asked, "It's not like I'm dying or anything!  By the way," he said, looking around, "Where's Kevin?"  Brian and Howie shot each other a look while AJ told Nick that Kevin would be by later in the day.<bR><bR>

Later that week<bR><bR>

Nick and Laura had become very close, spending almost their entire days together.  She seemed to be the only one with whom he was comfortable expressing his true feelings and his pain, even though she kept trying to convince him that it wasn't his responsibility to make everyone else feel better.  Nick felt better and better as the days went by, although Laura warned him that he would feel lousy again after the next chemo treatment. The one thing that seemed to have Nick the most upset was the fact that Kevin had not come to see him since Nick had told him and the others about his illness.  Laura and the other Boys had watched Nick try to hide his disappointment when Kevin failed to accompany the others to see him.  Laura had just come back from lunch and was surprised to see Nick sitting at the window of his room, sketchbook in front of him.  "Nick?" she asked, and then her heart broke as she saw the saddest expression on his face.  "Do you think Kev thinks I'm gonna die?" he asked from out of nowhere. "Wh...what?  Nick what are you talking about?"  Nick sighed heavily, and she could hear from the tremor in his voice that he was close to breaking down again, "It's just that he won't come and see me, hell he barely even wants to talk to me on the phone, it...it's like he's written me off already..." Nick finished, choking back a sob.  Laura's heart turned over and wordlessly she gathered Nick into her arms, rocking him as he cried once again the silent tears that he held back from everyone but her.<bR><bR>

Laura had already talked to Brian and the others about Kevin's behavior. It was clear that Brian was just as puzzled as she was, the only explanation he had been able to give was that since Kevin's father had died from cancer this was probably bringing up some really bad memories for him. Frustrated and worried for Nick, she decided to find out for herself what the problem was, waiting until the Boys were visiting Nick again in the hopes of catching Kevin alone.<bR><bR>  

At Kevin's House<bR><bR>

Kevin swung open the door to greet Laura, recognizing her from the description he had gotten from AJ and the others.  He was just about to ask her what she was doing there when she pushed him out of the way, entered the living room and then, with eyes blazing in anger, began to tell him exactly why she had come.  "What the hell is your problem?  Why haven't you come to see Nick even once?!!!!" she yelled, a little taken aback herself at the depths of her anger.  Kevin looked at her in shock, the other guys had given him a hard time but eventually backed off, Laura, on the other hand, was clearly not about to back off.  Kevin opened his mouth to speak and was interrupted when Laura looked at him, tears rolling down her face, and said, "Don't you know that Nick thinks you think he's going to die? And he thinks that you don't care that much if he does..."  She stoppedtalking as she saw the horrified expression on Kevin's face.<bR><bR>

In Sickness & In Health, Pt. 6<bR><bR>

"Oh god..." Kevin collapsed heavily onto the couch, his head in his hands, "Oh god," he said again, "I...uh...I can't stand to see him go through this...I just can't.  I've never gotten over losing my dad, I can't handle the thought of losing..." he stopped, too choked up by emotion to continue. Laura stayed silent, this time watching Kevin's tears as they rolled down his handsome face.  "I spent a month by my father's side watching him die...it was the hardest thing I ever did...watching him slip away like that...he was in so much pain and he just wasted away..."  "But Kevin," Laura said as gently as he could, "Nick's prognosis is excellent...the doctors really think that after the chemo he'll go into remission.  Nick is NOT going to die."   Kevin looked up at her, his vision still blurred by his tears, "I want to believe that, I really do...he's only 19..." "Kevin," Laura said, this time an edge coming into her voice, "I'm sorry you lost your father but right now the only thing that matters to me is Nick.  The fact that you don't want to see him is taking a toll on him--he needs every ounce of energy and strength that he has to fight his illness. You are being incredibly selfish, trying to protect yourself when Nick needs your support!!!"  Kevin looked at her in shock, not expecting her outburst, "God, I didn't think..."  "That's exactly right, you didn't think!!" she yelled, finally losing control, "You didn't think that Nick would notice you weren't coming to visit!  You didn't think that maybe he could use his big brother's support!  All you did was think about yourself and your feelings and to hell with Nick!!" Laura burst into tears and sagged against the wall, sobbing, barely feeling Kevin's strong arms reach around her and pull her into a hug.  She cried into his chest for a long time, finally pulling away when her sobs subsided and looking at him in embarrassment, "I've ruined your shirt..."  He looked at her, something glinting in his green eyes, "You've got it bad for Nicky don't you?" he asked.  Laura sighed, wiping her face with her sleeve, "They encourage us to develop relationships with our buddies, to get close, but I didn't expect to find myself caring so much about him so quickly.  There's just something about him...I don't even know when it happened but it did..." Kevin smiled, "Well, Nick has a way of doing that to people, he may drive you crazy, he may irritate the hell out of you, but somehow or another you end up really caring about him.  If it's okay with you I'd like to come back to the hospital with you and try and explain things to him."<bR><bR>

Two months later<bR><bR>

Nick grinned happily as he looked out at the ocean from the back deck of his beach house.  "Penny for your thoughts?" Laura asked, coming up behind him.  "Hmmm?  I was just thinking how good it is to feel the sun on my face again.  There were times I didn't think I'd ever get well enough to leave that place!"  Laura smiled, loving the look of happiness on Nick's face, "Well, your cell counts all look good--the remission seems to have taken hold.  Now we just have to get some color back in your face and some meat on those bones of yours."  "Oh, so you think I'm pale and bony?" he asked, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her close.  Laura tilted her head back and laughed, "Yes, but I still think you're adorable!"  Nick smiled and brought his face close to hers, "I never would have made it through the last few weeks without you.  You know that don't you?" he whispered.  Laura smiled again, raising her arms and running her hands through his hair, which miraculously had been unaffected by the chemo, "You keep telling me that so I guess I do know..." she teased.  Nick's face took on a serious expression and he bent his head, his lips claiming hers.  When they pulled apart both of them were breathless, and Nick's face wore a sexy smirk.  He brushed his lips against her and then began tracing a path down her cheek and along her jaw line and neck to her shoulder, pushing aside the strap of her tank top to suck on the end of her collarbone.  Laura moaned, her hands still entangled in Nick's hair, enjoying the feel of his mouth against her skin.  Nick was about to pull her strap down even further when the doorbell rang.  "Shit!" Nick muttered under his breath, "Whoever it is has lousy timing!"  Laura laughed, pulling her strap back onto her shoulder, she knew exactly who it was--Nick's friends and food for a little surprise welcome home party they'd been planning since the chemo had ended.<bR><bR>

A few weeks later<bR><bR>

Nick and Laura had been officially dating for several weeks now, and she was practically living with him instead of spending time at the apartment she shared with a friend from High School.  Despite the closeness of their relationship they had yet to make love, both of them wanting to be more secure in the relationship before taking that important step.  Laura was continuing her work at the hospital, spending several hours there a day and then rushing home to be with Nick, enjoying the last few weeks of relaxation they had ahead before his schedule picked up again and she started college.  Nick continued to regain his strength, and was looking forward to beginning rehearsals for their upcoming tour.<bR><bR>

At the hospital<bR><bR>

"Laura, I've been looking for you!" Dr. Clark called out to her in the hallway.  Laura looked down at the floor and then at him, "I know...I guess I've been avoiding you..."  Dr. Clark frowned and decided to change the subject for a minute, "How's Nick doing?"  A smile broke across Laura's face, "He's wonderful..."  Dr. Clark sighed and decided he had to say what needed to be said, "Laura, we really do need to talk.  Let's go to my office."<bR><bR>

At Nick's house<bR><bR>

Nick was surprised to see Laura already home and waiting for him.  He'd been out with Brian and AJ but had cut things short wanting to get home and make dinner for Laura.  She'd been looking a little tired lately and he thought maybe she was working too hard.  She'd recently begun working with younger children, and it seemed to be taking a toll on her.  As he walked into the house he smiled at the candles all over the living and dining room, the incredible scent of vanilla filling the air.  "Hey babe!" he called as he walked into the kitchen and planted a kiss on the back of Laura's neck, "I was hoping to surprise you with dinner tonight!"  She turned in his arms to kiss him, "Well, I guess you'll have to get here a little earlier next time!"  Dinner was forgotten as Nick pulled her close and kissed her, enjoying her passionate responses to him."  She looked him deeply in the eyes, "What do you think about forgetting dinner and heading straight to dessert?" she asked seductively.  Nick's eyes widened, "Are you sure?" he asked.  She simply smiled and took his hand. leading him into the bedroom.<bR><bR>

They made love twice that night, the first time purely passionately, the longing of the past few months taking over, the second time tenderly, taking the time to completely explore each other's bodies.  Their last words to each other that night were the whispered I love you's before they fell asleep in each other's arms.  Nick slept late into the next morning, waking only when he reached for her and realized she wasn't there.  Pulling on his boxers he called her name, and he headed into the kitchen to see if she was there.  He was greeted with an envelope with his name on it lying on the kitchen counter.  Smiling, he pulled up a stool and opened the envelope, pulling out the letter inside and beginning to read.  Moments later the letter dropped from his fingers as his face turned pale.  "She's gone..." he whispered.<bR><bR>




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