Chapter 70:
Team Effort
AJ watched with concern as Kevin glumly
sat down next to him, the tall singer rubbing his forehead tiredly. He gladly
accepted the offered drink from their flight attendant, downing it in one gulp,
then reached out to snag AJ's rum and coke.
"That bad, huh?" asked AJ
sympathetically.
Kevin shrugged. "I suppose it could
have been worse, but I'm not sure how," he admitted. "Kristin wasn't
too happy with me when I told her I'm wasn't coming home, especially when I
said I couldn't tell her why."
AJ sighed. He figured as much. All four
had individually called their families to tell them they weren't coming home
and each had received pretty much the same friction as Kevin.
"Well, tough shit," spat out
Nick, who was now sitting next to Kevin. "She'll live. Brian might
not."
Kevin glanced at him, pissed. "I know
that! I'm just telling you what happened…" he began, then stopped, his
irritation fading away as he observed Nick. As hard as AJ's startling news was
to everyone, it seemed to hit Nick the hardest. Kevin could see the worried
lines etched in his young face, the anxious and troubled look that had settled
into his posture and eyes. If they were going to be of any help to Brian, Kevin
knew that he and the rest of the guys would have to work together as a team.
"Nick, I'm sorry. This whole thing
with Brian is just so…hard for me to handle. I feel like I'm in a bad dream, ya
know?"
Nick sighed, rubbing his hands dejectedly
through his hair. "Yeah, me too. God, Kevin, I just can't stop thinking
about the all stuff I did to Brian!" Nick's voice started to tremble,
recalling the unpleasant incidents. "All those horrible things I said to
him… " his voice faded away, too emotional to continue.
Howie grabbed Nick's arm to get his
attention. "Nick! We all did it. We all gave him grief. You're not
the only one, remember? I have to live with what I did to Brian just as much as
you, AJ, and Kevin do!"
Nick sighed, letting out a harsh breath of
acceptance. "Yeah, but…"
"No buts!" argued Howie.
"We've got to make the best of it and move on, try to forget it, because
right now Brian needs our help, not our sympathy!"
AJ nodded at Howie and reached over to lay
a reassuring hand on Nick's shoulder. "Nick. This is tearing me up inside
too, more than you'll ever know. But I want to help Brian and we," he
gestured to Howie and Kevin, " need your help or we're not gonna make
it."
AJ saw the weary but calm acceptance in
Nick's eyes. "You're right. Sorry, guys."
Kevin sighed and gave Nick a reassuring
smile. Nick smiled tentatively back.
"Okay. What should we do first? Where
should we go? Who do we talk to?"
"Whoa, whoa, slow down!" said
AJ. He looked at Howie and Kevin, who were smiling slightly at Nick's
eagerness. "Well?" AJ questioned his friends. "Any ideas?"
"I suppose we could start at
Backstreet Management. Check up on Xavier's records. See what we can
find," Howie offered.
Kevin nodded. "Good idea." He
leaned back into his seat, frowning. "Management is in downtown
Nick shrugged, looking at the others.
"Beats me. I've never been there."
"Me neither," admitted Kevin.
"But I guess it's as good a place to start as any." Kevin turned to
AJ. "Looks like we all are gonna be bunking at your house, okay
Bone?"
"Sure, no problem. Sorta like old
times, huh?" All four thought back to when they had housed together.
"But without Brian," spoke Nick
gloomily.
"Nick!" threatened Kevin, Howie,
and AJ simultaneously, giving him a warning look.
"Yeah, yeah, okay," replied Nick
defensively. "I'm sorry, but I just can't help thinking about Brian."
Howie, AJ, and Kevin nodded. It consumed
their thought too, only they weren't as verbal as Nick.
Nick shifted agitatedly in his seat,
unable to remain silent, his distress still eating away at him. "I mean,
what is he doing now? Where is he? Is he okay?"
AJ heard the soft dings on the intercom
indicating the pilot's warning that they were about to land. AJ motioned to the
others to buckle in, filled with determination as he looked into his friend's
troubled blue eyes.
"That's what we're gonna find out,
Nick."
***