Nick felt a warm tingling sensation on his ears. Slowly he opened his eyes and realized that the blinds were open. "Good morning," Lela said. He turned to her voice, she was sitting , her arms wrapped around her knees. She was dressed in a cute outfit, a white tube top, a red hooded tank top over top of it, and short tight white shorts.
Nick stretched and tried to sit up. "Ouch," he recoiled and grabbed his stomach.
"Are you okay!" Lela rushed towards him.
"Yeah I'm fine. Just my stomach". Nick knew he wasn't 'Fine'. But what else could he say? He could still feel blood seeping out of the hole. And the sheet was already mostly soaked. Everything sounded like an echo. And everything moved in slow motion.
Lela looked deep into his blue eyes. If she didn't pull away soon, she'd be lost. "I'm going to talk to Robin, you need a doctor,".
Nick gave her pleading eyes, but didn't object.
Lela went to the linking doors and called Shawn and Lance into the room. Then she left to Robin's 'Office'.
Nick watched as Shawn walked to his side. He felt like he could hear his own breathing and heart beat. Slowly he laid down and closed his eyes. "Nick?" Shawn's voice sounded far away. But he opened his eyes, and looked over. Everything was slowly getting dark.
Shawn didn't know what to do. Nick looked like he was dying. His face was pale, he was shaking slightly. His breathing was shallow and he was sweating.
"Robin," Lela pleaded. "How can you get a ransom for him if he is dead?".
Robin was silent for a few minutes. "We can't risk being caught," she whined. "He needs to be alive, but he is slowly bleeding to death. Please Robin,".
Robin looked thoughtful. Lela closed her eyes and tired to erase the image of Nick dying.
"All right, I'll get someone,".
Lela smiled. Robin stood up. "Please hurry," Lela asked, Robin walked out the door rolling her eyes. Lela followed her and quickly made her way to the room.
Lela walked into the room. Shawn was yelling at Nick and Lance stood back the color from his face draining. Nick's face was covered in sweat, his hair was soaked. He was breathing fast and looked like he was gasping. He gripped at the sheets. His face was pale and pasty. Lela's heart just about stopped. She couldn't move, all she could do was watch. "Nick, come on buddy! Don't do this! Wake up, it's not time,". Shawn had tears falling down his cheeks.
Lela walked over to his side. She stroked his hair, and talking soothingly to him. "Nick, hey come on you know it's not your time yet. Wake up. Calm down, quiet now,".
Nick calmed down, his breathing settled, and he opened his eyes. Still they looked kind of glassy. "Robin is getting a doctor," she whispered. She put a hand on his chest.
"But it's time. Nathan said it's time," he whispered back. His voice was so low she could hear Lance and Shawn's sobs. She looked at her watch, it had been about an hour since Robin left. As if on cue, Robin walked in with an old man, gagged and bound. She pushed him on the floor.
"Get it over with!" she yelled slamming the door.
Lance ran to his side and pulled off the gag, then untied the rope. "Thank you," the man said. He looked at Nick and was shocked. "My name is Jim Kelly,". He picked up his leather bag, the kind they used for house calls in the old days, and walked over to Nick. "Good thing I came when I did. Another 20 minutes and this young man would be dead,". Carefully the white haired man pulled the cloth away from Nick's stomach. Nick closed his eyes. In the end Nick had 17 stitches.
"Thank you so much," Lela said gratefully. She took Doctor Kelly to Lance and Shawn's room. He would stay with them. Then she made her way back to Nick's room, she watched Lance leave, but then turned to face Shawn. "How is he?" she asked.
Shawn looked at his shoes. "Not to good. Jim says he'd be lucky if he made it through the night,". She hugged Shawn tightly and watched him leave. She turned slowly to face Nick, his breathing was regular, and some color had come back to his cheeks. Lela slowly walked to the bed.
"Lela, come here please," Nick whispered. He sounded so small and innocent. "Make the hurting stop. I never knew pain like this one,". He opened his eyes.
"Yes its gonna hurt silly, but it will go away,". She took his hand.
"No not that, I can't even feel the pain in my stomach, with the pain in my heart,". He looked directly into her eyes. "What hurts is the fact that I love you, but I can't ever be with you,".
Lela was speechless.
"Please stay with me," he whispered, opening his arms.
Like a robot, Lela lowered herself into them, carefully watching his stomach. He was warm and made her felt safe. How could she be falling in love with this guy. After she had promised never to love again. Not after Kevin. Not after he died. Well she loved Nick , and she loved the way she needed him and he needed her. She closed her eyes. But they snapped open a few minutes later after Nick turned her so she was facing him. He was propped up on his elbow, and looked a lot better. It was dark out, she wondered how long she was asleep.
"You are so pretty, even when you sleep,". He brushed some of her hair behind her ears.
"No I'm not," she blushed.
"Yes you are," he argued.
"No I'm-".
Nick put him lips over hers, it seemed to of stopped her arguing. He kissed her passionately. He pulled back when he realized she was crying. "Did I hurt you? Are you okay?" He held her tightly.
"No - no nothing like that. I was just thinking, about Kevin, my ex- he died, and I made a promise to myself I would never fall in love again. But I did...".
Nick smiled and laid his head in her lap. "I remember Michelle. She was my ex girlfriend. We were driving home after her sister's funeral and I hit something and lost control, I spun right into the railing of the bridge. We were hanging there by the back tires or something, and I jumped out, reached for Michelle , but the car had already fell,". "Tisk tisk, humming bird, how could you be so insensitive. You promised,". A deep voice sounded at the entrance of the door. Startled Lela looked up.
"Kevin!" she yelled.
"Michelle?" Nick asked almost breathlessly.
"Yes sugar bear its me," A tall oriental girl walked into view.
"B-but I seen the car fall, I heard you scream, I was there when they pulled your body out of the water," Nick stuttered.
"Yes Sweets but remember my sister Lisa the one that was viciously murder the night before? The murder I plotted so greatly on my alcoholic father. Well her dead body was with Kevin, waiting safely underneath the water. I climbed out when the car sank and was out of your view. Then we placed Lisa into my seat, and swam away." Michelle smiled.
"Why are you doing this?" Lela pleaded.
"Well pumpkin its simple." Kevin said waving a knife around in the air, "This is Carmen, my beautiful knife, and we are just some sick deluded people that enjoy killing," Kevin explained.
Michelle laughed. But in a psychotic way. They were losing their minds or were they already lost?
Then suddenly they stopped. And stared. Get Deanna and Lance," Kevin snapped his fingers and a girl was brought in. Her hair was long, about to her waist and it was pulled up in a pony tail. She had on knee high white socks and black heeled shoes. A dark blue skirt, and a dark blue sweater. On the left side of the sweater it read Paris Academy, USA High.
Lance was drug into the room. "Deanna!" he yelled attempting to get to her. Two large men held him back. Lance studied her face, on her exposed skin there were whip lashes. "D, are you okay?" he whispered. She tried to mumble but the thick gray tape kept that from happening.
"What do you want with her?" he asked the psychotic mad man.
"Cooperation," Kevin said simply. He took a handful of her hair and pulled her to her feet. He took his knife 'Carmen' and cut some of her hair letting it fall to the floor.
"No trying to escape, no trying to die, nothing. And now will you cooperate?" Kevin asked Lance, letting the blade sit on Deanna's throat.
"Yes! Please, please let her go," Lance asked in great sobs.
"Um... no". With that he slit her throat and let her body drop to the floor. Lance screamed but struggled from the men's grips. He stomped into his room. Kevin laughed and picked up Deanna's leg, pulling her out of the room. When she was out of sight, he returned.
"So who is first?" he asked. Lela looked at him as he began towards Nick.
"No Kevin please , he can't even defend himself. Please!" she begged.
"Does he mean that much pumpkin? Do you love him," he asked, not facing her.
"Yes Kevin,".
Kevin sighed. "I shall let him live," and with that he left the room.
"Is it true," Nick asked quietly. As Lela began to face him, Kevin barged back in.
"I changed my mind sweetpea,". He ran up to Nick and place his knife on Nick's arm. "Do you still love her," he asked harshly.
"Yes, even if I die, yes I love her," Nick said with all confendaince.
" Wrong answer,". Kevin pushed the knife into Nick's arms and began to pull. Nick didn't resist, Nick wanted Kevin to know he wasn't afraid of him. Kevin stopped and released Nick's bloody arm. " Tough guy, maybe you will live... maybe,". He began to walk out of the door.
"Kevin," he called.
Kevin faced him.
"If you let Lance, Shawn, the doctor and Lela go free, I will willingly let you kill me,". He stood up slowly.
"Nick!" Lela protested.
"No Nick, I'm your brother, I will die with you," Shawn said just now entering the picture.
"You get us for free, if you let them go,".
Kevin looked at the two. "Deal, you get one phone call and a night to say goodbye,". Kevin agreed and left.
"How did you know?" Nick asked. "I knew because the night you disappeared , mom called," Nick smiled.
" Nick why did you do that. Now your going to die!" Lela cried. Shawn nodded and smiled leaving the two alone.
"It hurts to love you Lela, but it would hurt more to lose you to death," Nick whispered. He took her hands in his and kissed her palms. Then her wrists.
"Nick..." she whispered.
" Excuse me?" someone asked. Nick sighed and looked at Shawn.
"Are we seriously going to live and die without knowing each other?" Shawn asked, Lela stood up and kissed Nick. But then walked to Shawn's room.
Shawn sat down and helped Nick sit up. "What's there to know?" Nick asked wincing in pain.
"About other brothers and sisters, mom and dad? Everything,". "Oh well, we have three sisters and three brothers, well we had three brothers, one recently died. Six year old Nathan. BJ is the oldest girl, Then Leslie. Aaron is the oldest boy, and he and Angel are twins. Then came Nathan, and lastly David. Dad is an accountant (AN* I don't know what his dad really is!) and mom she is a writer. I miss them both so much." Nick said with a tear rolling down the side of his face.
Shawn smiled and hugged him. "So do I,"