Chapter
25
Brian’s
agonized cries could be heard all the way outside. Nick jerked roughly away
from the cop who had restrained him when Brian had rushed back in. He took off
full flight, determined to get in there.
“Nick!
Come back here!” Howie yelled in a panic.
Nick
paid him no heed. He ran on, reaching the door within a few seconds. He threw
caution to the wind, and burst through the doors, terrified of what he might
find, but at the same time desperate to know.
“Brian?”
his harsh voice echoed throughout the area as he stumbled through the opening.
Two pairs of hands grabbed him roughly and yanked him backwards. He fought
them.
“Brian!”
he shouted again. It took him a moment to focus, and the sight that greeted him
made him sag into the grip of the men holding him. Tears of relief and joy
flowed freely down his face.
Brian
was seated in the middle of the floor, with A.J. against him in a tight
embrace. Behind him lay another corpse. The bullet had not only hit him, it had
been fatal. The drama was over.
Heavy
sobs racked A.J.’s shaking body, and Brian tried to
stifle his own tears as he held on to the younger man with all of his strength.
He looked up to see Nick, and his anguished features softened.
Realizing
that he was not a threat, the cops let Nick go. He pitched forward, but managed
to stay on his feet, and skidded to the ground beside his friend.
Brian
sighed in relief. The extra pair of arms was exactly what A.J. needed. They sat
together for a moment, and then Brian noticed the paramedics that were flooding
the room. Before they reached him, Howie and Kevin darted into the room. Howie
grabbed on to A.J. and refused to let him go.
“Are
you all right?”
A.J.
nodded weakly. Now that he had calmed himself, the inevitable exhaustion had
begun to set in.
“We’re
going to get you out of here and to a hospital, ok?”
“Brian
first. Brian’s hurt.”
“I
know. They’re taking care of him. They’re taking care of both of you. It’s
going to be all right. Got that?”
He
permitted a tiny smile. “I got it.”
Brian
settled gratefully on to the stretcher. The blood loss and the overwhelming
exhaustion that flooded him could not longer be ignored. He gave into it. The
last thing he heard before he passed out was Kevin’s soothing voice.
“You’re
going to be all right cuz. We’ll meet you at the hospital. Everything’s going
to be all right now.”
“We’ve
got him on fluids, and we’ve bandaged the wounds. He’s resting comfortably
now.”
“So
he’s all right?” Nick asked. The urgency in his voice made the doctor smile.
“Yes.
He just needs lots of rest. I’d like to keep him for a night or two for
observation, but physically he’s fine.”
“Physically?”
Kevin asked suspiciously. “What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly
what I said. Physically he’s going to be just fine. I do recommend that you
have him and Mr. McLean see a psychiatrist. They went through a hell of an
ordeal, and it would be beneficial for them to receive some counseling. There’s
no telling what effects a trauma like this might have.”
The
three of them exchanged glances.
“I
see,” Kevin said slowly. “What about A.J.?”
“He
is also resting comfortably. I’m going to keep him overnight, but he can be
released in the morning.”
All
three of them breathed a general sigh of relief.
“I
hate to ask this,” Howie said uncomfortably, “But we really have to know. When
can we get back on tour?”
“Well,
I’d say that the sooner they get back to their normal lives the better. Dancing
for Brian may be difficult, the wound across his back where the bullet grazed
him is going to make him very uncomfortable. I’d say that within a week, unless
their mental condition says otherwise, there is no reason why they can’t get
back on stage.”
“That
means we skip about three shows,” Kevin said with a frown. “We can make those
up. But we’ll only allow them up there if they can handle it.”
“I
think they will. With the three of you to guide them, I’m sure they will be just
fine.”
***
