Chapter 15
"I'm baaack!" Kevin sang as he returned with the needed items from the store.
"I WANT OATMEAL!" Brian demanded grabbing the brown paper sacks from Kevin's grasp ripping them to shreads.
"Whoa, take it easy, Rok!" Kevin gasped putting a hand on his shoulder.
Brian clutched the oatmeal protectively. "Step away from the oatmeal!"
"Hey, it's just oatmeal, cuz."
"It's a sweet piece of heaven in a box! Now step away! Don't make me get physical!" he yelled breathing deeply. "It's mine! Mine I tell you! I won't share!"
"Just calm down. You're acting like a moron."
Brian's eyes widened. "Calm? I have a million little red itching dots all of over my body and you want calm?!"
"Um, I think you have chicken pox on your brain, Brian."
"Crazy? You think I'm crazy? Yeah, that's what they all say! But I'll show them, I'll show them! Just wait you'll be sorry, when I become Oatmeal Man and rule the world!" Brian cried running into the bathroom locking the door behind him.
Kevin shook his head. "I really need to take that boy's temperature, his brain is fried."
He bent over picking up the shreaded paper and scattered items. "Damn lunatic," he muttered standing. He glanced around the cabin. Where was everybody?
"Anybody home?" he called.
"Oooh," someone moaned from the small living room. With a heavy sigh Kevin entered. AJ lay on the couch sprawled in various directions holding his head in agony. "Kevin?" he whispered.
"Yeah, AJ?"
He lifted his hand beaconing Kevin toward him. "Come closer."
Kevin rolled his eyes. "AJ, this isn't the Godfather."
"You had to ruin the moment," AJ huffed.
"What did you want?"
"You know how I like to be left alone and hide my personal illnesses?"
"Yeah....."
"To hell with it! My head is pounding and I want my mommy!"
"Aw, come on, be a good sport! And whatever you do stay sane, I beg of you. Oatmeal's not worth it!"
AJ squinted. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Kevin shook his head. "You don't wanna' know. Could I get you anything?"
"How about Kristin? Your girlfriend's pretty hot, Kev! I'm sure she could cure what ails me! And now with your little partner being out of training due to injury-"
"SHUT UP, AJ!"
AJ smiled sheepishly. "Um, a glass of water and some more wood for the fire?"
"Fine."
Kevin walked back into the kitchen hearing Brian singing God's praises to his oatmeal bath in gratitude. He sighed. "He's such a zealot for God and oatmeal." Kevin paused remembering Brian was bathing in 'Quaker Oats' perhaps in was fitting.
"Kevin! Water!" AJ pleaded. "And a blanket!"
"Yes, AJ," Kevin groaned as he limped to the faucet his injury annoying him.
"Kevin!" AJ moaned.
"What?"
"Can someone die of the chicken pox?"
"Not people your age, AJ."
"Are you sure?"
"AJ, the only way someone could die of chicken pox as a teenager is by annoying someone so terribly that they were murdered!"
"What's the possibility of that happening?"
Kevin shoved the glass into his hand. "High."
AJ sipped his water. "Blanket?"
"I'm going, I'm going," Kevin grumbled limping away.
"Hey, Kev, your partner still outta' whack?" AJ smirked.
"I thought you were suppose to be sick?"
"I am!" he whined adding a cough for effect.
"Yeah right," Kevin moaned grabbing a blanket tossing it to the teen.
AJ pouted. "Aren't you going to tuck me in?"
"Not on your life." Kevin plopped down in one of the empty chairs. "Where's Howie?"
"In bed."
Kevin paled. "Is he sick?"
"No, just tired."
"After dealing with you three, it's understandable."
"What about you, Kevin? If I recall correctly someone was a bit grumpy when his buddy got injured."
"Humph!" Kevin snorted lifting his nose in the air.
AJ stared at him.
"What?!" the older singer asked in exasperation.
"You said you'd put more wood on the fire." The rebel glance at the hazy patch of red. "I don't see anymore wood on the fire."
Kevin crossed his arms. "Keep staring long enough and then, you'll go blind and it won't matter!"
"But I'm cold!" he shivered.
"Oh, fine! I'll go get you some firewood! Even if I'm in pain!"
AJ grinned contently. "Thanks, Crutchy."
"Don't call me that!" Kevin hissed grabbing his coat.
"Okay, Pumpkin."
"Don't call me that either!"
AJ rolled his eyes. "Well, what should I call you?"
"An indentured servant!" Kevin griped walking into the cold outdoors.
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"Cold, freezing, I'm in snowball hell," Kevin grumbled as he chopped and collected the wood with his raw hands. "Damn disease, I should've kept my mask and lysol," he growled shoving the door open.
His eyes narrowed into mean slits as he gazed at AJ. "Just what do you think you're doing?"
AJ tossed his blanket over his shoulder. "I'm gonna' go bunk with Howie, you can have the couch back."
Kevin snarled. "I got that wood for no reason?!"
AJ paused. "Yeah, basically."
"ARGHHH!!!!!!" Kevin screamed tossing the wood into the flames.
"Calm down, Kevy," Brian sighed as he sat down by the fire drying his fire.
Kevin rolled his eyes. "Oh, you're one to talk Oatmeal Man!"
"So sue me, I had one psyhotic moment."
The men were distracted as they heard a soft moaning coming from Nick's room.
"Great, King Barfy is awake," Kevin groaned making his way toward the bedroom Brian following.
"What's wrong, buddy?" Brian whispered taking a seat on the bed.
"My stomach hurts."
Kevin panicked. "Are you gonna' be sick?"
"No."
Brian patted his back. "It's probably hunger pains. You wanna' try some soup?"
The small blonde wrinkled his nose hugging the bunny that slept in his arms. "Not that stuff Kevin bought, or I know I'll be sick again."
Kevin crossed his arms. "I got the Campbells this time."
"Okay, then I'll eat," Nick obliged.
"I'll go make you some," Brian volunteered.
"Take it easy on the oatmeal," Kevin warned.
"Shut up."
Nick turned to Kevin. "Hey, Kevin, is not wrong to eat Quaker Oats if your not a Quaker?"
Kevin put a hand to the boy's forehead. "Your fever just fried any working cells you had left."
"I'm baaack!" sang a raspy voice.
"I thought you were going to bed, AJ?" Kevin mumbled.
"Howie's snoring was keeping me awake, so, I wanted to come see Nicky!"
"Why so you can scare me again?" Nick pouted.
"No, I came to sing to you!"
Kevin massaged his temples. "This should be good."
AJ cleared his throat. "City sidewalks....busy sidewalks....filled with crackheads and whores...In the air there's a smoke cloud of pot....People gas-passing...Children laughing....Getting glare after glare.....And on every street corner you hear....Whore for sale!....Whore for sale!...It's Christmas time in the ghetto!-"
"Enough!" Kevin hollered in misery.
Brian returned carrying Nick's soup. "That was the most unholy thing I have ever heard!"
"Thanks!" AJ beamed with pride. He fidgeted. "Man, I gotta' piss! I'll be right back!"
"Take your time," Kevin begged.
"Okay, take a bite, Nicky," Brian pleaded holding the spoon to his lips.
The child shook his head.
"Please?"
Another negative nod.
"Nick..." Kevin warned.
Nick dropped his jaw obdentiently. He grimaced.
"What is it?" Brian whispered.
Suddenly, Nick spit out the soup gasping. "It burned so bad! Those pox are awful!"
"Nick!" Kevin shouted.
Nick looked up to see he had spit the food into Kevin's face. "Oops?"
Kevin cleaned off his face in a huff. "Could this get any worse?"
"AHHHHHHHH!" a voice cried brusting into the room.
Brian stood. "What's wrong, AJ? You look like you've seen a ghost!"
"Worse!" AJ gasped falling to his knees.
"What?"
"Those pox are all over my manhood! I'm going to be useless and deformed like Kevin!" he sobbed.
Kevin stood marching to the door.
"Where are you going?" Brian called running after him.
"Outside!" he hissed clutching his coat.
"You'll get pnemonia, Kev!"
Kevin smiled. "Pnemonia! Yes! Brian you're a genius! If I get pnemonia I won't have to be here! I'll be stuck in a hospital without any of you!" he exclaimed throwing the coat aside rushing into the cold.
Brian shook his head. "This coming from the guy that made fun of Oatmeal Man?"