Chapter
34
“How the hell did you let this happen Robert?”
Jane was screaming at Bob in the hospital lobby. She slapped his chest hard and
continued to pace the room.
“Well you can’t blame this entirely on
me! When were you going to tell me you had already sent him to this
psychiatrist and this psychiatrist had my son on drugs?!”
“Well gee Bob, you never asked!”
“Listen, would you two just shut up,”
Howie spoke forcefully, “Nick’s still in the emergency room and he needs all of
us out here praying for him ok?”
“Oh, look it’s Howard Dorough trying
to give us advice... You know you cannot talk down to us. You were horrible to
him on tour. You snubbed him, you ignored him...” Jane was beginning.
“Just like you did! And you’re his
damn mother!” Brian spat, “My mother would never treat me in that way.”
“Do look like freakin’ Jackie Littrell
Brian. Do I look like the perfect mother? Maybe I could be more like your
mother Brian, if I didn’t have a personality! Or maybe if I didn’t have a
husband who dropped his pants for any who....”
“I love Abby!” Bob burst out, “Jane, I
fell out of love with you!”
“Well you just could have said it Bob,
you didn’t have to SHOW me! Or your children! That day Nick came home so upset,
so upset he was sick to his stomach, and he tried to tell me... and I slapped
him, Bob, I slapped him. And he had told me the truth. He never lied to me. You
sat and looked my child, all my children in the eyes, me in the eyes, and
lied... lied about your fidelity to me. What did I do that was so wrong Bob?
What? Why did you fall out of love with me? Am I too old now? Do you not find
me attractive anymore?”
“I married you cause you were pregnant
Jane, got that. Over the years I grew fond of the mother of my children...
but when Abby came along. She’s true love Jane, and I couldn’t let that pass
me by Jane. I wouldn’t blame you if you had found it too...”
“But I did find it Bob! I found it in
you! Or rather I thought I had found it in you!” Jane said softly, tears
beginning to spill down her cheeks. Leslie and BJ sat behind their
mother, neither one dry eyed.
“How could you do that to Mom, Dad,
how could you?” Leslie asked coldly, “How could you do that to us?”
“I had to do what was right for me,”
Bob said, “Why should I be miserable for the rest of my life for a mistake I
made...”
“How can you call us making love a
mistake Bob! How can you say us making a baby a mistake? That’s just like
saying Nick’s a mistake. One you wished you never made cause it brings you
misery. I’m sorry I made you miserable Bob, I’m so sorry. But I want you to
know that you could have left me at anytime. Told me how you felt before I grew
too attached to you Bob. Tell me, did you love Nick when he was born? Did
you want him?”
“Yes, of course I loved my son. That’s
why I stayed Jane, to see him grow.”
“But you told him he was a mistake. A
horrible mistake you wished you could take back,” BJ said flatly.
Jane gasped, and reared away from the
man she no longer knew, and had shared a bed with for 20 years, “You... you
said that to my son? You told him... Oh God Bob, how could you? How could
you?!!” She began to scream and beat at Bob, striking anything on his body she
could get her fists in contact with.
“Ahem,” uniformed security guards were
entering the room. Kevin and AJ stood to pull Jane away from Bob. She broke
down sobbing onto AJ’s shoulder, “My husband never loved me... how could I have
made such a mistake... I’m so stupid.”
Brian glared at Bob from AJ’s
side as he consoled Jane Carter. He actually felt sorry for the woman.
She may not have been a model mother, but at least she had tried. She was
wrong in her attempts, but she had tried. And Bob’s deception was just
too much for Brian to stomach. He felt ill as he thought about the man who
could lie in a bed next to a woman he did not love and lie... How could he say
he loved her? How could he say Nick was a mistake?
“Excuse me?” A doctor was standing in
the middle of the chaos of security, Backstreet Boys, and Carters trying to
make his voice heard.
Kevin turned to address him, “Hi, how
is he? Is he ok?”
“Who are you sir?” the doctor quizzed
him first.
“I’m his brother,” Kevin said, “Is my
baby brother ok?”
The doctor blinked, clearly not seeing
the family resemblance in Kevin’s features, “His brother?”
“Yeah, I am too,” Brian stepped
forward.
“Me too,” Howie said, “Now how is he?”
“I’m not quite sure I understand...”
“He’s my son,” Bob Carter pushed his
way to the doctor, “I’m his father.”
“And are all of these, your sons?” the
doctor looked around at the Boys who stared seriously at him.
“No, I mean he thinks of them as his
brothers.. But there’s no blood. Now I’m his father...”
“No you’re not,” Jane spoke icily from
AJ’s shoulder, “You’re not anyone’s father.” She pulled away from AJ and
approached the confused doctor, “I’m his mother. May I see him?” She wiped the
tears from her eyes and tried to straighten herself up.
“Any more relatives?” the doctor asked
raising his eyebrows.
Leslie and BJ waved sheepishly. They
jumped up to join the crowd around the doctor, “We’re his sisters.”
The doctor blinked, “Oookay... The
patient, Nickolas, is stable at the moment. His body is very dehydrated
and underweight for a man his height and age. Nickolas shows signs of
having anorexia nervosa. Rare in males, but it happens. There were
also signs of some drug abuse.”
Jane gasped at the drug abuse
and Leslie took her hand.
“We know Doctor,” Brian said, “He’s
been staying with us, trying to get better... but some things happened to upset
him.”
The doctor nodded, “He’s on an IV
right now feeding him fluid intravenously. He’s still asleep, but he
should wake up momentarily, if you would like to visit him you may.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Jane was nodding her
head.
“Limited to one at a time,” the doctor
warned, “And if there are any altercations all of you will be thrown out
and denied access to the patient until further notice.”
“Yes sir.”
“Angel you have to get here.
Just charge the ticket to Mom’s account,” Aaron was begging his twin
sister. Angel was uncaring as she giggled loudly at what one of her
friends was saying to her. “What was that again Aaron... Jilly, no! Pass
me that shade. What time are they coming? I hope you invited David, he’s cute.”
“Angel will you just listen to me!
Nick is in the hospital!” Aaron was practically yelling into BJ’s cell phone.
“Nick’s what... Jilly!”
“He’s sick Angel. He may die!”
“Huh? They’re on their way!
Listen Aaron I have to go,” Angel was saying, “Um... tell Nick I said hi! Bye!”
The line disconnected leaving Aaron with a dial tone... A dial tone...
“That’s it,” Jane was pacing the
living room, every once in a while looking at her watch, “That girl is out of
this house! She’s been late for the last time!” Jane punched in the code for
the alarm and retreated to her bedroom, never seeing Aaron sitting in the
darkened hallway beside the front door. He stood up slowly and went for
the phone. He dialed BJ’s cell phone number and listened to it ring. He had to
tell her to get home, Mom really meant business this time. “Hello?” a
male’s voice answered.
“Who? Is BJ there?” Aaron asked
desperately.
“BJ? Bobbie? Yeah, yeah she’s
dancin’ man,” the voice laughed.
“Can you get her? Tell her it’s
Aaron,” Aaron said hopefully.
“No can do bud, she’s a dancin’
machine,” the low voice chuckled, “But I can take a message to her.. Who’s this
again?”
“Aaron, her little brother. Tell her
she has to come home.. Now.”
“Sure, I’ll tell her, now why don’t
you get to bed kid, ain’t it past your bed time?” the voice chuckled and then
Aaron heard the dial tone.
“Well it’s past BJ’s bed time too...”
Aaron muttered. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He watched to
see who it was coming down. “Oh shit..” Aaron heard his brother’s voice
laugh as he tripped on the last step, “When’d that get there?”
“Nick!”
“AAAAHHH!” Nick yelped jumping into
the couch and nearly falling over, “Aaron, what are you doing down here?”
“Trying to get a hold of BJ, where are
you going?” Aaron stared at Nick. His face was flushed and he looked rather
wild, “I’m meeting Mandy at her hotel. We’re going out.”
“Are you ok?” Aaron stared at Nick.
Nick’s eyes seemed cloudy and he had trouble focusing on Aaron for more than a
few seconds, his eyes kept roaming over to other things.
“I’m good bro, and I’m out, I’ll see
ya,” Nick smiled and patted Aaron’s shoulder.
“Nick!” Aaron caught Nick’s arm as he
tried to get by him.
“Whaa?”
“Find BJ while you’re out there, can
you do that? Tell her to get home. Mom’s not playing, she really will kick her
out of the house,” Aaron shuddered at the thought.
Nick frowned, “Yeah, whatever, if I
see her. But BJ’s all grown up Aaron she can decide what she wants. Besides, if
she gets the boot she’s always got Florida. See ya later kid.” With that
Nick punched in the alarm code and left out the front door.
Aaron watched him leave, concerned
about his brother driving. Aaron knew what wasted was, and that’s what his
brother was. But he never recalled seeing his brother drink. He
curled up on the couch holding the phone in his lap, forever ready for a phone
call, from anyone. He fell asleep still holding the phone.
He was startled awake. He gazed at the
wall clock 4:56... He rubbed his eyes, BJ’s had it. The alarm was turned
off and Aaron could hear voices. He saw a flash of long brown hair. Brown
hair? He saw a flash of blond. BJ. He shook himself awake and began
stumbling his way through the dark to the quiet commotion being made.
Aaron’s eyes widened as he saw BJ swaying slightly on her feet halfway
supporting Nick who was draped over her shoulder. Nick’s girlfriend Mandy
was on the other side helping to hold Nick up, “We gotta get him to bed.”
“What happened?” Aaron asked staring.
Both girls jumped, “Aaron! What are you doing up?”
“Waiting for you,” Aaron said.
He gently raised his brother’s drooping head. His face was pale and
drawn, “What happened?”
“He had too much to drink,” Mandy said
gruffly, “Help us get him to his room.”
“Ok,” Aaron said, moving behind Nick
to take on some of his body weight when, “Well, well, well, Miss Bobbie Jean
Carter... What in the hell? Nick?”
“Not Nick... Batman,” Nick uttered in
a drowsy voice.
“He wasn’t feeling so well Mrs.
Carter,” Mandy said, “We went out, and ran into BJ..”
“I know where BJ hangs out, and I hate
to think that you would take my son there! I knew you were no good!” Jane spat
at Mandy, “I want you out!”
“Mom, Mandy took such good care of
Nick. He took her there Mom, but she kept him from...”
“Bobbie Jean, I will talk with you in
the morning. Amanda Williford you are to set my son in that chair there, and
you are to leave my house, and my son alone, for good!”
Mandy’s eyes widened incredulously,
“You can’t...”
“I can,” Jane said venomously, “Now
get out before I call the police!”
“Nicky, I have to go for a...”
“Put him down!” Jane charged forward
and grabbed Nick under the arms. She then took on his full weight by herself
and guided him to a chair. Nick slumped in the chair, his neck tilting back his
head hanging over the back of the chair.
“Nicky, I have to go..” Mandy began
again.
“GET OUT YOU TRAMP!” Jane screamed
rushing at Mandy and shoving her back, she went for the phone.
“I am so sorry Mandy,” BJ was
saying, “but you’d better go.”
Mandy’s eyes were red from tears and
hurt, “Take care of him BJ, please...”
BJ nodded taking Mandy’s hands and
squeezing them, “I will.”
“And take care of yourself as well.”
“I will, I promise,” BJ nodded she
watched sadly as Mandy left. Aaron stared at the scene confused, what had just
passed between the two women? Aaron didn’t know, but whatever it was had
changed BJ. Changed her for the better. BJ went straight to Nick and
leaned his head forward. She righted him in the chair and then stood him up.
“Bobbie Jean...”
“I’m taking him to bed Mother,” BJ
said simply, “and then I’m going to bed. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
Jane stared, her mouth nearly scraping
the kitchen floor, “You bet we’ll talk,” she uttered. She looked at Aaron, “Go
to bed.”
Aaron nodded, but remained where he
was. He stayed there for the remainder of the night. Never sleeping...
Someone had to watch out for this family, and that someone would have to be
him...
“If you would like to make a call...”
Aaron turned off the phone at the sound of the operator. “Someone has to watch
out for this family,” he said weakly, “But why does that someone have to be me?
I’m only 12...” He slid down the wall he was leaning against, letting his
sister’s phone clatter to the floor, “I’m only 12...”
***
