Chapter 5

Brian’s point of view

I walked into Nick’s ward carrying a coffee and some sandwiches I bought from a machine down the corridor. I knew how much he avoided hospital food. I didn’t blame him either.

Howie: You can get sandwiches from a machine?

Other: *shrug*

"Yo Nicky!" I alerted. "I got you some breakfast!"

I tossed the plastic box containing the sandwiches at him and handed him the coffee.

"Bri, you are a mind reader!" Nick declared as he dug into his food.

I watched him and grinned, "Boy, your hungry! I’ve seen starving lions with less appetite than you!" I joked.

AJ: So true…

Nick: Hey!

He just grinned, then took a swig of his coffee. "So how long do I have left in this prison?"

I looked at my watch, "Still got till 10 o clock tonight. 14 and a half hours then you’re a free man!"

Brian: Ten o’clock at night? Why are they making him wait that long?

Nick: Stupid doctor.

"Darn," he complained.

I chuckled and stood up to leave.

Nick’s point of view

"Wait a sec, Rok!" I called to Brian.

He turned and looked back at me.

"I was wondering, what do we do about the media?" I asked.

Kevin: Ahh, I wondered when that was going to come up.

Brian thought for a second, "Do you think we should tell them what happened with your eyes?"

"Well, it would just make them harder to get rid of if we did. Besides, it was just a mistake!" I stated.

"Yeah, good point. I’ll tell the others." Brian said, and headed for the door.

Howie: So much with being honest with our fans.

It then hit me. What about the stranger, in my room, last night? I had put off mentioning it to the others for some reason. What if it was important? Perhaps I should mention it? Maybe I should try and track them down to find out who they are.

Kevin: How would he do that? He didn’t see them, and he doesn’t know the girl’s name, just that Tohja guy or thing or whatever she had with her.

"Erm..Brian?" I called.

"Mmm?" he replied as he glanced over his shoulder.

I though for a bit longer. Perhaps they didn’t want to be identified.

I hesitated, "Um, nothing."

He just shrugged and walked off.

I didn’t have to mention it. I had my eyesight back. Even though they were my closest friends, they didn’t have to know.

LATER THAT DAY, 10:00pm

Kevin’s point of view

"Yo Nicky!" I called. "Time to go!"

Nick sat up, and a wide smile spread across his face, "Finally!"

"Get your stuff and check out at reception. And meet us by the back entrance. There’s an entire film crew of the media outside the main entrance," I instructed.

Kevin: I doubt it’s gonna be that easy. If there’s a back entrance, the media will find it.

Nick eagerly packed away his things, if not a little messily.

Brian: *sarcastically* Nick? Messy? No…

But I didn’t like hospitals either. Who did?

Kevin: *shudders* So true…

I headed for the back entrance and joined the others to wait for Nick. When he did arrive, we got into the security van and left to our hotel.

AJ: The media must be really stupid in this story, or the back entrance is really well-concealed.

Nick’s point of view

I got out of the security van and felt the cool air brush my face. The sky was getting darker, and I looked up at it to see if any stars were out. No sooner than I had raised my head, Howie walked into my back.

"Woah!" he blurted out in surprise. "What’s holding you up, Nick?"

"Nothing," I murmured, walking inside.

When I got my room, I dropped my bags

on the floor and headed for the window. I loved the night sky. I became lost in my thoughts until Brian poked his head around my door, "You OK, Frack?"

"Don’t you ever knock?" I complained, turning to him.

"Oh, sorry," he laughed, stepping inside. "So what ya doin’?"

"Nothing," I told him, looking at the sky again. "I’ve just realised how much I’ve taken sight for granted."

"Well, they always say you don’t realise that until you lose it," he told me. He came and joined me by the window.

"It’s just hard to believe I almost lost it," I claimed quietly.

AJ: Aww, this is a tender moment. *pretends to wipe tear from eye*

We stood in silence for a few minutes. Brian broke the silence.

"You do know we’re on tour in a couple of months, Frack."

Kevin: Oh yay, another tour. All we do is tour in most of these fanfics.

Brian: That’s okay, as long as we don’t get some slutty girl group to open for us, and then we’re forced to go out with them all. *shudders*

AJ: Hey, I like the slutty girl groups!

"Yeah," I confirmed. "Good job it’s not a couple of weeks!"

Brian raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

I looked to him, "Well, you arm has to get better, don’t it?"

"I guess," he grinned as he turned to leave.

I resumed my stargazing. I was trying to get my life back to normal, but even though it seemed the diagnosis of my blindness was a simple mistake, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the stranger in my room the previous night was responsible in some way. And that this girl was the one that gave me back my vision.

Brian: Well, gee, ya think?

AJ: Don’t mind Nick, Bri. He’s not quite as insightful as the rest of us.

Nick: Insightful?

AJ: Never mind, Nick.

Confused and still very tired, I left my stuff to unpack in the morning, and went straight to bed.

AJ: Confused? Nick? That’s a new one.

Nick: Hey!