Chapter 22
(Brian's Point of View)
"Brian?" Croaked Nick suddenly. He had been resting for the past few minutes, visiting hours were in another 15 minutes and the rest of the guys were coming in to see him.
"Yeah Buddy?" I asked him concerned.
"Can I have a drink? Water or something, my throat is so dry and scratchy."
"Sure Nicky, water shouldn't hurt." I stood up and walked over to where his water pitcher was sitting and put some in the plastic cup with a straw. I held it to his lips, "Now drink very slowly, okay? Only a few sips." He obliged, gingerly allowing the water to slip down his throat. We had to do this while he was laying down as he was too dizzy to sit up, even when I raised the bed. He couldn't watch the TV that was in the room because it hurt his head too much, he could barley keep his eyes open. All I had been doing was singing to him and trying as hard as I could to keep him comfortable. I took away the cup and placed my palm against his forehead. I sighed, still hot. The doctors still had no idea what was wrong with him. They had performed a second ultrasound which Nick had slept through, and all they could figure was that he had some form of virus in him judging by his high fever and swollen lymph nodes. Other then that, they didn't know why he was throwing up so badly or why this fever wouldn't go down. They had called specialists in every area and we were waiting for them to come in and examine him. The last doctor had given Nick antibiotics through IV to help lower the fever and fight the infection in his body, but then had to start him on other medicine that helped his nausea as he had thrown it up. He was a mess, I was hoping the others could cheer him up a bit.
As I was putting back the water I heard a familiar voice, "Hey Nicky-Nick! How you doin?" AJ entered the room and ran over to Nick giving him a huge hug.
"Hey Jay." Whispered Nick, opening his eyes. "Hey Kev, Hey Howie." The other two gave him hugs as well before settling into the uncomfortable plastic chairs I had spent the last few hours sitting in. AJ perched on Nick's bed.
"Look what Howie and me got for you!" Exclaimed AJ as they dropped a stuffed turtle on Nick's bed. Nick smiled.
"A turtle! Cool!" Howie looked up.
"We tried to find a ninja turtle because we know you like them but they were all out." He said apologetically.
"It's okay, my pretty doctor's name is Dr. Turtle and I don't need a ninja turtle, I have my own living one in Kevin!" Kevin blushed.
"Can it Nick." AJ burst out laughing.
"Oh c'mon Kev, you know you loved that job!" He said mockingly.
"I HATED that job Alexander, now drop it." He said warningly. AJ, Howie, Nick and I all started hysterically laughing. Kevin rolled his eyes at us. "How you feeling Nicky?"
"He slept through the ultrasound and he threw up all the barium and antibiotics they gave him." I answered for Nick. Howie frowned looking at Nick.
"His fever still high?" He asked.
"104 last time they checked, they gave him new medicine to try and lower it."
"104? Jeez Nick." AJ whispered. Kevin questioned Nick further.
"How was the other testing?" Nick tried to sit up and failed, flopping his head back.
"Horrible, this huge guy was mean and he took away my bear and then he couldn't find my veins to inject the dye and he hurt my arm so bad." Nick sobbed.
"Who the hell was this guy?" Kevin said angrily, examining Nick's bruised arm.
"I dunno, but I didn't like him, and then I came back in here and I threw up all of the barium on the floor, and myself and it was awful!" Nick finished, pretty much in tears. Howie gave him a hug.
"Don't cry Nicky, we're all here now with you and we won't leave you, someone will always stay from now on." Nick hugged Howie back tightly.
"It hurts Howie, it hurts bad!" He sobbed into his chest.
"I know buddy, I know, but they'll make you all better, don't worry." Kevin joined in rubbing Nick's back. "Don't cry Nick. Look I brought you something!" Kev said putting a small Winnie the Pooh bear on Nick's bed.
"Pooh bear!" Exclaimed Nick hugging it to him with his turtle. AJ picked it up and put it on the turtle's back, making Pooh ride the turtle.
"C'mon Pooh, lets get it on!" Said AJ in an over exaggerated sweet voice. "Let me just take my shell off and get into something a little more comfortable!" Howie, Nick and I all began to laugh, but Kevin sent AJ a look.
"Lower your voice AJ, we're in a hospital!" No really Kevin? AJ glared at him.
"I was just trying to make him laugh!" He exclaimed.
"Well, don't use animal porn!"
"Why? It worked!" I jumped in.
"Guys, enough, you're gonna get us kicked out of here." I said laughing. AJ stuck his tongue out at Kevin, Real mature, and turned on the TV. Howie grabbed the remote away.
"Oh no you don't. We are not watching whatever the hell it is you watch in here." He told him. AJ grabbed it back.
"They probably don't get that stuff in here! You need to pay for that!" Oh Lord. please forgive my friend AJ, and don't punish him too badly in life. He finally settled on a baseball game, as it was the only thing other than news that was on. I looked down at Nick who had his eyes closed as Kevin ran his fingers through his sweaty hair. I looked at Kevin.
"He's scared Kev, real scared, and I am too." I admitted.
"I know Brian, but lets hope they figure out what it is before they put him through anymore tests." He said, as he continued to rub Nick's head.
"I don't think he can handle much more, he's so weak." I said in tears. Kevin remained calm, but I knew he was scared as well.
"All we can do is be here for him Brian, and hope they fix it soon." I sighed, taking a seat next to AJ. I knew Kev was right, but I hated to see Nick suffer. I placed his Pooh bear next to his sleeping body and watched him rest. I said another prayer to God that Nick would be better soon. real soon.