Chapter 34
“Three million dollars Bren,” Brody was laughing as
he recounted the money, “We’re rich!”
Brendon frowned, “Not yet.... not as rich as we
should be.”
Brody made a face behind Brendon’s back.. Sometimes
Brendon really could be a sour grape. He
turned to watch Kenyon cleaning his gun and staring off into space, “So Kenyon,
what do you think of the three-million dollars. Is it enough for you?”
Kenyon blinked and snapped back into reality,
“Huh? The three mill? Well hell yeah. I’ve never seen that much
money in one place, except on television. I mean we could divide it up a
million for each of us and...”
He shut up as he caught Brendon’s cold gaze on him,
“You’re starting to remind me of someone Kenyon... Do you want to know who you
remind me of?”
Kenyon blinked back a look of confusion, “Who?”
“Zalia,” Brendon smiled slowly, “and we all know what
I did with Zalia.” He fingered his gun,
“I’m going to bed gentlemen...” He smiled in a sly way letting his cohorts know
that he wouldn’t be going to bed alone. He disappeared from the kitchen leaving
Kenyon and Brody to stare.
“Sometimes I really hate that guy,” Kenyon remarked
flatly. He went back to cleaning his
gun. He stopped after a few moments to
look up into Brody’s questioning brown eyes, “You don’t like Bren?”
Kenyon scratched behind his ear and kept his gaze on
Brody steady, “I work with him Brody, that’s all.... cause in my personal
opinion, he’s nuts, and he may get us all killed.”
Brody smiled broadly, “It adds to the excitement....”
his smiled faded, “But I really do think we have enough money now. We can just get out, and leave those guys
downstairs for the FBI...”
“Brendon will never go for that,” Kenyon said
dismissing the idea, he raised his cloth yet again ready to get back to work,
but Brody grabbed his wrist and held it tight, “Who ever said Brendon would
have to know?”
The brown eyes belonging to Brody silently met up
with the one blue eye and one green eye belonging to Kenyon. A mutual understanding seemed to pass between
them at that moment. Brody’s grip on
Kenyon’s wrist became more of a business handshake. Words went unspoken.
Kenyon nodded briefly after a few moments of silence, as did Brody. Then Kenyon went back to cleaning his gun,
leaving Brody to stare off into space.
“No one has been down here all day,” Howie was biting
his nails, “What do you think they’re doing?”
Kevin looked up at Howie slowly. He was making sure AJ was tucked in. The kid had a rough night ahead of him. Kevin had gotten him to force down a few
tylenol but after an hour or two they came up, along with the water, and
anything else in his stomach. Kevin
sighed as he felt his forehead realizing that the heat was increasing, “I don’t
know Howie. Maybe they’re negotiating
some more...”
“Or maybe they abandoned us,” Howie said, “Maybe they
took the three million and split. If
that’s the case then we should go upstairs and bang on the door as loud as we
can... draw attention to ourselves.”
“Howie... that is the stupidest thing I’ve...”
“Well you come up with something Kev! I’m sick of
sitting here in the dark not knowing what’s happening... My mind starts
dreaming up all sorts of alternate realities...”
“It’s called imagination Howie!” AJ muttered from
beneath a pillow. Kevin shot him a look
which was useless because AJ’s eyes were hidden so he couldn’t see it.
“Alex, sleep,” Kevin ordered.
“Yes sir,” AJ remarked in a low voice. He moaned a little and settled back
down.
Howie sighed, “I’m sorry for being such a jerk Kev,
but... I hate not knowing.”
Kevin nodded understanding what he was saying
perfectly. He, Howie, and AJ were in a
small circle. AJ sleeping with his head
close to Kevin’s thigh. Kevin rubbed
AJ’s back gently, hoping that would ease him into a deeper sleep. Something occurred to him. He scanned the dim room for his small cousin
who was nowhere to be seen.
“Where’s Bri?” Kevin suddenly asked, he realized that
he hadn’t seen Brian for hours, not since after Nick left... Howie looked puzzled, “Well it’s not like he
left. He’s here.”
“Bri?” Kevin called, he was soft just in case Brian
had maybe fallen asleep somewhere. The
soft lighting of the basement vaguely caught sight of the small man with curly
brown hair lying on his side staring off into space. He was curled in a fetal position hugging his knees to his chest.
Kevin wanted to get up, but he was afraid to disturb
AJ. He had fallen asleep and Kevin
didn’t want to wake him. Howie instead
got up and made his way over to Brian.
“Bri?
Brian?” Howie went to speak to
Brian. He sat down beside him and
touched his shoulders lightly, “Man, you’re cold.”
No answer from Brian.
“Brian, what’s wrong? Are you scared about getting out of here?” Howie stared into
Brian’s vacant blue eyes, “Worried about Nicky?” No spark, no energy... “Brian?” Howie gave Brian’s face a soft
pat and felt the cool clamminess of his skin.
“Ke...Kevin, something’s wrong with Bri. He’s not talking to me.”
“He’s depressed,” Kevin said looking over to his
cousin who lie still.
“But Kev he’s...”
“Let him be, he’ll come around,” Kevin said flatly,
then shushed him as AJ muttered something and rolled over in his sleep. Kevin readjusted his blankets and shot a
glare at Howie, “Brian’s fine, D. Don’t
worry about him.”
“I have WHAT?” Nick was in outrage. Jane tried to calm him, she kept smoothing
his hair back and whispering things to him, but it was no use, “But I... How
can I... It’s impossible, isn’t it? I mean, don’t you have to be born with some
kind of defect... Nobody I know in our family...”
“Nickolas, asthma has become a very common diagnosis
with smog and air pollution as it is now, and it is treatable...”
“Yeah, but not curable. How the hell did this
happen?” Nick was muttering, “What did I do wrong?”
“Nickolas, there is nothing that you have done wrong.
It’s the changing of the seasons, your allergic responses, and your lack of...”
“What makes you think that I have... have that
a-thing?” Nick wasn’t listening to a word the doctor said.
“Nick, the doctor is trying to explain to you,” Jane
said with a little reprimand.
Nick pouted and turned his full attention to the
doctor, “Remember that little tube we had you blow into while we monitored your
oxygen levels. That’s called a
spirometer.”
“So?”
“Well it measures your airflow... As you know during
an attack your air passageways are blocked and...”
“I don’t care how it happens, I want to know how I
got it, and how I can get rid of it!” Nick said gripping the pillow from the
bed, wanting so desperately to just hurl it across the room. To break something. It wasn’t fair!
“Nickolas, it happens. And we have recorded a prescription for you that should help
control the attacks...”
“Oh God...” Nick was sniffling putting his head in
his hands.
“But you’ll be happy to know that with your health
and previous records you may only exhibit asthma symptoms in extreme situations
like now. I have reason to believe that
it is seasonal. You’re tired, it’s severe allergy season for you, and your
immune system is weakened, also the weather outside isn’t...” the doctor
trailed off when he realized that Nick wasn’t listening to him. He simply sat
like an oversized child on the starch white bed in t-shirt and jeans with his
knees bent toward his chest. He would
be leaving the hospital that day and escorted to the hotel his family was
staying at. The doctor decided that he
would give Nick his diagnosis along with his medication.
“I put you on two different antibiotics to clear up
the rest of the ear and sinus infections and bronchitis. You’ll be happy to
know that you’re almost in the clear for those. I also gave you a prescription for a bronchodilator,
theophylline, and a corticosteroid. They should come with instructions. You’ll
still have to have the routine allergy shots you’ve been taking, but you’re off
penicillin as of today,” the doctor was checking things to say off his list, “I
know you’re anxious to get out of here, so I will suggest that once you get
home go see your regular doctor and have some food allergy test done, food is
one of the common triggers...”
Nick sat listening glumly, while his mother looked
ready to whip out a pad and paper and take notes on everything the doctor was
saying. What was he saying? Nick looked again at the doctors slow moving
mouth, “...should try to keep him indoors as much as possible, until...”
“....monitor.... stress levels.... calm....”
Nick had gotten used to hearing the telegraphic
speech patterns. It didn’t bother him
much at all that he didn’t know what was going on over his head. None of the information was anything he liked
or wanted to hear anyway.
“....have a good day Mrs. Carter. You should feel better in a few days
Nickolas, you have a good day too....”
“Thank you doctor,” Jane said smiling gratefully at
the doctor and shaking his hand. Nick
grumbled something and followed suit after his mother. Once outside the room
Jane turned on Nick, “Nickolas, must you have been so rude? I know I taught you better manners than
that! And were you even listening?- Do
you think that doctor was talking for his
health?” Nick was rolling his eyes, and his father came to join
them immediately reprimanding Nick for his lack of respect, “Nickolas, don’t
roll your eyes while your mother is speaking.”
Jane raised her gaze to meet Nick’s eyes, “Nickolas
your attitude today stinks!”
“Well how would you feel?” Nick exploded, “First it
was just allergies, you know nothing serious, now they tell me I have a
freakin’ disability!”
“Nick,
it’s not a disability,” Bob interrupted.
“You know too!” Nick looked incredulous, “This is a
load of bullshit! When was anyone gonna
tell me about this... Damn it!”
“Nick calm down,” Jane said taking his arm, “You’re
going to give yourself a...”
“Don’t say IT!” Nick covered his ears, “I don’t have
asthma!”
“Nick, you’re wheezing,” Bob observed.
“Kiss my....” Nick began but was cut off as a flash
bulb went off in his face. “What
the...”
“Nick Carter, how does it...” the male reporter was
cut off as he was snatched off the ground by two bodyguards and hustled towards
an elevator. How had he gotten up?
Nick stared off after the reporter with a confused
frown. “? Nick?... Nicky?”
Nick finally turned to stare at his parents.
“Here,” Jane handed him a few sheets of paper, “You
have to sign these, then we can go pick up your medicine and get back to the
hotel.”
Nick groaned and almost ripped up the papers right
then if that would postpone his having to go down to the pharmacy and pick up a
prescription for.... for asthma medication.
Nick Carter, the asthmatic performer.... What a title. He was already
dubbed as a pansy for being a Backstreet Boy, now he would be a nerdy
pansy! What next? Are they going to
discover he has astigmatism and slap him in some coke bottle glasses?
“Stupid ass doctors don’t know what
they’re...Oof!” Nick was rebounded off
a body. He looked to see his younger
brother’s surprised face.
“Nick! Good to see you up and around! How are you feeling, I mean now that...”
Nick’s heated glare
silenced him. He shrank back as Nick
stormed on down the hall, a
body guard following him
at a safe distance.
“Dang....” Aaron muttered glancing after him, his
twin joined him, “Well, he’s in a good mood!”
“Yeah, a great one...”