" You want to see him, Nick?" Brian asked.

" Yeah."

Brian pushed Nick down the hall to the nursery. Brian mouthed " Littrell" in the window to the nurse. She went over and picked up a baby. She showed him through the window. Nick smiled. " He is cute. You do know that he's gonna look like you, Brian." Nick said.

" Yeah, I know." Brian said, smiling.

" All the fans are gonna be going nuts."

" Yep."

" When he gets older, he'll have a bunch of girlfriends."

" Yep."

" He and Denise will be fighting."

" Oh, can't wait for that." Brian laughed. " Let's go."

" Okay."

They went back to Leigh's room. Kevin was talking to Leigh. Denise was gone somewhere. " Kevin, Leigh, where's Denise?" Brian asked.

" She's on the phone, I don't know who she's talking to." Kevin said.

" Okay."

" Brian! You're a daddy!" AJ said bursting in the door. " Here, have a sucker." Aj handed him a sucker.

Brian laughed. " Thanks. I was already a daddy."

" But you made this baby."

" True."

Aj smiled. " Naughty boy, you. So, where's the little bundle of joy at?"

" You can see him soon. They're bringing him in a few minutes. Just be patient. Where's D?"

" Eh, I think he got lost on the elevator."

" How can you get lost on an elevator?"

" I don't know!"

" Then, how did he get lost?"

" He got off at the wrong floor. I said that it was the wrong floor, but he got off anyway. He's smart, he should be here soon."

A nurse came in the room holding Nickolas. " Excuse me."

Brian pulled Nick out of the way as she walked in and handed the baby to Leighanne. The nurse walked out of the room.

Everyone thought the baby was cute. Brian was standing next to Leigh with a big smile on his face. Kevin got to hold baby Nick. " He looks like you did when you were born, Brian." Kevin commented.

" Is that a good thing?" Brian asked half laughing.

" Yeah, you were a cute baby."

" Thank you."

" Well, Nick, you are one lucky baby."

" Why, thank you." Nick said, jokingly.

" Not you!"

" Can I hold him?" Nick asked.

" Sure, buddy." Brian said taking the baby out of Kevin's arms. He gently handed him to Nick.

" Hey, little guy. You're cute." Nick rocked the baby in his arms. The baby fell asleep. Nick gave the baby back to Brian, who gave the baby to Leighanne.

Denise walked in the door. " Hey."

" Where have you been?" Aj asked.

" I went for a walk."

" I thought you were on the phone." Kevin said.

" I was, then I went for a walk."

" Where?"

" Around the hospital."

" Oh."

Denise yawned. " Tired?" Brian asked.

" Yeah."

" Well, you've had a busy day today. Do you want to go home?"

" No, I can stay."

" Okay."

After twenty minutes, Denise was leaning against the wall, sleeping. Kevin grabbed her and took her out to the waiting room. He laid her on the couch and sat down. He picked up a magazine and read an article on the BSB. He didn't know why they were in there, it was an old magazine. " Kevin! Hey!" Howie said running toward Kevin.

" Hey, D. where'd you end up getting lost at?" Kevin asked

" I don't know. Um, ICU I think. Where's the other guys?"

" In there. Go ahead and say hi."

" Aren't you coming?"

" I already went in there. I think I'll sit here with Denise for a while."

" Okay." Howie went into Leigh's room. " Hey."

" Howie!" Nick said.

" Hey, man."

" I heard you got lost."

" AJ, big mouth. In ICU."

" Hey, Howie, come over and say hi to little Nick." Leighanne said.

Howie walked over to Leigh's bed. She was holding the baby. " Hey there. My, you're cute."

" Yeah, he is, isn't he."

" Why did you guys decide to name him Nick?"

" D, must we explain everything to you?" Brian asked. " Well, we decided today, after he was born. Since Nick was in the hospital, dying, we decided to name him Nick."

" Oh."

" Where's Denise?"

" Out there with Kevin, sleeping."

" Oh, okay."

After a few months, Denise got used to having Nick around and her baby brother around. At first, it was hard. She was waking up every time he cried, feeding him his bottle, changing him, she basically did everything to help her parents.

Brian and Leigh liked having Nick around. He helped with everything. Brian, at one point, did not trust him anymore. He made the decision for him to live permanently with him. Nick was okay with it.

Brian had to make sure Nick took the right amount of pills at the right time, with the right food or drink. Nick liked his wheelchair, but when he had to be taken off it, he complained. Brian made a deal with him. If Nick ever got tired, or wasn't dancing or anything, and wasn't going downstairs, he could use it.

One day, Denise, Nick, and little Nick were in the same room. Nick and Denise were talking. " Denise, I never got to thank you for saving me that day." Nick said.

" It's okay. Just don't do it again, it hurts to see people in the hospital, dying. Especially someone you know and are really close to you." Denise said rocking on the rocker in little Nick's room.

" I know. When Brian was having surgery, I was sad to see him there. I hated to see that. Some people aren't so lucky sometimes."

" Yeah, I guess. It's not his fault he was born with a hole in his heart. It's not anyone's fault I guess. I don't know why I have a hole. All I know is that I want it fixed."

" Why? Are you having trouble with it?"

" Yes, I can't breathe sometimes, run, or even sing anymore."

" Do you think it'll help you?"

" I don't know. I'm sure it will."

" If you want, I can pay for the surgery."

" What?"

" I'll pay for it."

" No, Nick, you don't have to."

" I want to help you get better."

" Why all of a sudden?"

" I don't know. I want to help you. Please!"

" Okay, but you have to ask them. I don't know how they'll react."

Nick got out of the wheelchair, and went downstairs. " Brian, Leigh, can I talk to you?"

Brian and Leigh came in the room. " What is it, Nick?" Brian asked.

" Y'all know about Denise's heart problems, right?"

" Yeah, I do."

" She wants to have surgery to get it fixed."

" What?" Leigh asked in surprise.

" She said she's sick of the crap she has to go through. Being out of breath when running and singing, and sometimes she can't even breathe when she's just sitting down."

" Nick, how do you know this? Why didn't she tell us?"

" I don't know. She just told me. Maybe she was afraid of how you'd react."

" Denise! Get down here!" Brian yelled.

Denise came flying down the stairs. " Hey, the baby was just put to sleep, what?" Denise said.

" You want to have surgery?"

" Yeah, I do. If you don't want me to, I'm fine with that."

" No, if you want to, fine. It's your health. You do understand this will cost a bunch of money. We're talking thousands of dollars."

" I said, I'd pay for it." Nick said.

" No, you don't have to. We're his parents, we should have to pay for it."

" I want to pay for at least half of it, then."

" Okay, fine, whatever floats your boat."

" Denise, honey, are you sure you want to go through this?" Leighanne asked.

" Yes, mom. I don't want to have to suffer anymore."

" Okay, then, I guess we should set you up an appointment and get you to a cardiologist and see what he has to say."

" Yeah."

Leigh smiled at Denise. She gave her daughter a big hug. " I'll go find a doctor, then I'll set up an appointment." Brian said.

After a few days, Denise was in the doctor's office, having an ultrasound on her heart. " Hmm, well, I see you have the hole still, and it's leaking, and I understand you want it fixed." Dr. Corozon said.

" Yes." Denise replied.

" Are your parents notified of this decision you made?"

" Yes, I have told them."

" Well, if you want it fixed really badly, we can do it as late as next week, or as early as tomorrow. Or, if you want, anytime in between."

" Can I talk with my parents before we make this decision?"

" Yeah, I'll leave you all alone."

" Denise, honey, do you want to pick when you want the surgery?" Brian asked.

" I want it as soon as possible."

" You want it tomorrow?"

" Yeah, I guess."

" Well, I guess it's settled. Tomorrow it is." Everyone left the room and went in the doctor's private office.

" Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Littrell. Have y'all made you decision yet?" Dr. Corozon asked.

" Yes, she wants the surgery tomorrow." Brian said.

" Well," Dr. Corozon wrote down the appointment in his book. " We can have it at night. Is 7:30 okay, with y'all?"

" Fine by me." Leigh said.

" Me too." Brian said.

" Okay, Denise is gonna have to take a really good shower, and make sure she uses a lot of soap. We will give her a shower before the surgery, but we want her to have one the night before."

" Okay."

" I believe that's all. You can go."

Brian and Leigh walked out of the office, to the waiting room. Nick and Denise were in there talking. Brian signaled for them to come. " Denise, you have to have the surgery at night, and you have to take a shower with lots of soap." Brian said.

" Okay." Denise said.

>>>>> 

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