Chapter 15
The
operating room was small and drafty. My body trembled as Dr. Layne placed a
clear mask over my lips.
"Relax,
Nick, and breathe deeply. Count backwards from a 100."
"100,
99, 98," I began to remember something......there was
yelling....."97, 96"....someone trying to stop them......"95,
94"....two others sat in the corner dumbfounded...."93, 92, 91"
My eyes shut.
Kevin
sipped his coffee as he looked around the waiting room. Howie looked up from
his newspaper. "What are you thinking about?"
"Oh,
something stupid." He paused. "Hey, Howie, do you remember that fight
Rok and I had? It was a couple of months before his surgery."
Howie
frowned. "Yes, sadly, I do. Why?"
"Remember
how it started?"
"Yeah,
we were all sitting in your hotel room. You and I were playing Scrabble while
Nick and AJ played Nintendo".......
"AJ,
you're cheating!" Nick whined.
AJ
rolled his eyes. "Nick, putting the game on pause so I can take a piss is
not cheating."
"What
kinda' word is THAT?" Kevin shouted.
"It's
Spanish."
"Howie,
using Spanish words isn't fair!"
"Oh,
please, Kevin, you're beginning to sound like Nick."
Brian
burst through the door. His eyes red and puffy, his face pale and his
expression fearful. Kevin's joking manner disappeared. "What's
wrong?"
"Bad
news, that's all."
Nick
turned off his Nintendo. "How bad?"
"Nothing
you should worry about, Frack."
Howie
spoke gently. "Brian, you know we all worry, so you might as well tell
us."
Brian
took a seat. "I had to see a cardiologist today, and he made a very big
suggestion."
"How
big?" Kevin pressed.
"Surgery."
"Surgery?"
Nick gasped. "No! That can't be right!"
AJ
placed his hand on the young man's shoulder. "Let him finish."
"The
murmur has grown and they want to go in to correct the damage."
Nick
became hysterical. "They're wrong!"
"Relax,
Kaos," Howie whispered.
"NO!"
"Damnit,
Nick, shut up!" Kevin hollered.
"Kev,
there's no reason to treat him like that! He's a 17-year-old kid!"
"He's
old enough to understand!"
"No,
he's not!"
AJ
stood. "I can't take this shit!"
Kevin
shot him an evil glare. "Sit your ass down! You're not going
anywhere!"
Brian
rolled his eyes. "Would you lay off? I'm the sick one, and I'm more
rational than you!"
"You're
not thinking logically! This could be a life or death situation."
"Life
or death," Nick repeated as he sobbed.
AJ
pulled him into a tight hug. "Deep breathes, Nicky, you're gonna'
hyperventlate."
Kevin
lessened his tone. "When's the surgery?"
"It's
been rescheduled twice."
"Twice?"
Howie questioned.
"Yep.
due to touring and stuff."
"I
don't care about touring or anything less!" Kevin fumed.
"But---"
"If
you need surgery everything could be postponed."
"I
don't wanna' do that, Kev."
"Brian,
quit being stupid."
"Don't
call me stupid!"
"Stop
fighting!" Nick cried.
Howie
stepped bewteen the two. "ENOUGH!" He shook his head. "Bri,
you're only making yourself worse. And Kev you're pushing him along the way.
Not to mention you've given Nicky a breakdown!"
They
turned to see Nick shaking in AJ's grasp. The two cousins walked away in
silence......
A
lot changed that day. Two cousins declared war against each other, a
gentle-soul took a stand and a rebel reached out to a friend in need.
Even
more changed as the future came and went. After learning he had unknowingly
developed another hole in his heart; Brian went through a change of heart. If
anyone he knew was troubled he immediately wanted them to seek medical aid.
Kevin,
however, after seeing the anger in Brian's eyes began to back off, not forcing
the group into anything until it was absolutely necessary.
***
