Chapter
28 – Finding
The Way
Kevin
hopped into Nick’s room and found him sitting on his bed staring out the
window, his bad knee bent awkwardly in front of him. He looked as if he’d lost
his best friend in the world. In a way, he had.
“They
found him,” Kevin said, startling him. When the words sank in Nick’s blue eyes
widened, and filled with hope.
“Really?
He’s ok?”
“He’s
ok,” Kevin said with a smile. “Howie found him asleep on the couch at his
apartment. They’re going to be here in a little while.”
Nick’s
smile faded. “They are?” he whispered. “What should I do?”
“Give
him a few minutes. Steer clear of him for a little while, and when he feels
more comfortable, go talk to him.”
“How in
the world would he ever forgive me?” Nick asked, looking away.
“What
kind of a question is that? He’s Brian. He’s a sucker like that.” Kevin reached
up and lightly smacked the back of Nick’s head. “Quit feeling sorry for
yourself. That’s all you’ve done. Get off your ass and do something, for
heaven’s sake. You’re starting to get on my nerves.”
“Sorry,”
Nick said sarcastically, allowing a smile to escape. “Wouldn’t want the gimp to
come whoop my ass or anything.”
“Hey,”
Kevin warned him. “You are just as much of a gimp as I am, so watch your mouth,
Blondie.” Kevin made as if he was about
to attack, but Nick threw up a hand.
“Surgery!”
he yelled. “You tackle me and I swear to God, Kevin!”
Kevin
grinned. “Excuses, excuses. Consider yourself lucky. But you’d better get that
knee of yours working pretty quick, because as soon as this rod comes out and I
am free to walk around, you’re going to want to be able to run.”
Nick
sobered. “Are you scared?” he asked. “About surgery?”
“Yeah,
I am, a little. Funny, isn’t it? It’s no big deal, especially considering all
of the other stuff they’ve already done to me.”
“I
would be scared.”
“That’s
because you’re a chicken shit.”
“Dude,
you are dead. Do you hear me? I am so coming after you in your
sleep.”
“Too
bad I’d hear you clunking around a mile away.”
“Just
you wait.”
Kevin
chuckled. Someone knocked on the doorframe, and they looked up to see A.J.
poking his head in the door.
“Yo,”
he said. “They’re here. Just FYI.”
“Thanks
Bone,” Kevin said. He looked at Nick. “You stay here, I’m gonna go see how he’s
doing, ok?”
Nick
nodded, biting his lip. It was time to face the consequences.
* *
*
Brian
looked a little nervous standing in the lobby. A.J. sauntered in to greet him,
followed shortly by Kevin. Howie was off speaking to one of the PTs.
“B-Rok,
what up?” A.J. said.
“Hey
man,” Brian said, cracking a smile.
“Nice
of you to decide to wander back our way.”
“My
pleasure. Somebody had to be around to keep their eye on you.”
A.J.
sniffled loudly, and wailed. “It is so good to be loved!”
Kevin
rolled his eyes and reached out with one arm to shove him out of the way. A.J.
turned his nose up indignantly.
“Better
be thankful that I’m too nice to hit a guy with crutches.”
Kevin
ignored him. “Come here, Brian, lemme look at you. I need to make sure that a
night in old San Antionio didn’t leave any permanent damage.”
“Kevin,
do not parent me,” Brian said warningly, his eyes smiling. “I’ll break your
other leg.”
“Did
you know that is an actual event here?” Howie asked, coming up behind them.
“What?”
“A
Night in Old San Antonio. I read about it in a tour book I picked up. It’s some
big fiesta. It sounds great.”
All
three stared at him.
“What?”
Howie exclaimed.
“Latin
Lover,” A.J. said.
Howie
grinned.
“He’s
really going at it today. We had breakfast tacos this morning,” Brian remarked.
“Oh,
dude,” A.J. said suddenly. “You have got to check this out. While we were
waiting for the Lone Ranger to come back, Kevin and I did some serious work
yesterday. You have to hear it.”
“Oh
yeah?” Howie asked. “Let us have it.”
A.J.
glanced over at Kevin.
“Why
don’t we go sit down first,” Kevin said dryly. “Maybe y’all don’t have
crutches, but I do.”
“Oh
yeah,” A.J. said bashfully, forgetting in his sudden excitement. They headed
over to a set of chairs and sat down.
“Ready?”
A.J. asked anxiously.
“As
I’ll ever be,” Kevin said. He tried to look relaxed, but Brian and Howie saw
through it.
“Ain’t
nobody else but you…” A.J. chanted in his low, mysterious voice. Kevin drew
in a deep breath and closed his eyes.
“There
is nobody who can make me cry. Nobody else can do it, nobody but you. Nobody
but you.”
Howie
and Brian were grinning, and added their voices where it was necessary. Kevin
sang the song with feeling, and only stumbled over the lyrics a few times.
“Somebody
tell me ‘cause I can’t eat or sleep when you’re not close to my body you’re a
bittersweet delight, come and help me through the night…”
When he
was finished, A.J. was grinning from ear-to-ear, and patted him non-too gently
on the back. Kevin grimaced, but returned the smile. “A.J.’s been helping me
out with that the past few days,” he said sheepishly.
“So
that’s where you two kept disappearing to,” Howie said with a laugh.
“Hell
yeah,” A.J. said, tipping his hat down on his forehead, still wearing the grin.
“That
was great, Kev,” Brian congratulated him. “Really great. We’ll be back at it in
no time.”
“And
that’s the way I like it!” A.J. belted at the top of his lungs while beating
the tune out on his thighs.
Howie
made a face and stuck his finger in his ear and twisted it around. “Ow,” he
said, glancing sideways at A.J, who stuck his tongue out at him. A voice from
the doorway caught their attention.
“Was
that Kevin I just heard?” An incredulous Nick was standing there, lounging on
his crutches. He stopped short when his eyes met with Brian. He immediately
looked away and examined the floor with great interest.
Brian
shifted uncomfortably in his chair, and said nothing. He looked ready to get up
and leave again, but Howie caught his attention and shook his head. Kevin gazed
imploringly at Nick, silently asking him to get on with it. No one said a word.
Nick opened his mouth to speak, but then lost his nerve. He turned around and
left.
“Son of
a bitch,” Kevin swore. “I am gonna kill that kid.” He grabbed his crutches and
swung off after him.
“You
ok, Rok?” Howie asked.
“Yeah,”
Brian managed to say. “Fine. Couldn’t be better.”
“Well,
you have to admit it was kinda funny watching them chase each other out of here
on crutches.”
Brian
forced a laugh. “I guess it was.”
“He’ll
come around. He felt terrible Brian, you know that.”
“Do I?”
he spat.
“Yes,
you do.”
Brian
sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Here I claim to have found healing, and at
the first test…”
“Give
it time. Just stay positive. It won’t happen overnight.”
“Damn,”
Brian said with a wry smile.
* *
*
Kevin
threw open the door to Nick’s room with a bang and shoved his way in, his face
a mask of fury. “Damn it Nick! That was inexcusable. Do not put him
through any more than you already have!”
“I’m
sorry!” he cried.
“Why
the hell are you telling me that? He’s the one who needs to hear it!”
“I
know, I know.”
“So get
the hell out there and say it.”
Nick
jumped at tone of Kevin’s voice. He had never heard him so angry and upset.
“It’s not that easy,” he said weakly.
Kevin
glared at him for a few seconds and then whirled around, almost fell when his
body didn’t quite follow him, and slammed the door with a vengeance on his way
out. He sat down in a chair in the hallway and placed his head in his hands.