Chapter
9
Nick lay in the uncomfortable hospital bed, listening to
the constant beep of his heart through the heart monitor. For the first time in
the two days he had been in the hospital, he was alone. He didn’t want to be
alone, yet he felt bad asking his friends and family to stay with him. He knew
he was putting them through so much stress already. A knock on the door
interrupted his lonely thoughts. Due to the neck brace that encircled his neck,
he was unable to look towards the door.
”Come in…” He whispered.
Brian’s face soon came into view. “Up for a visitor?”
”Yeah,”
“So… how are you feeling?” He asked, pulling a chair up
beside the bed.
“Pretty good right now… besides being tangled up in all this
crap. They gave me drugs,” Nick said, a small smile appearing on his face.
“That’s good… in it’s own way,”
”How’s Meggie? Seriously… how is she?”
“I think she’s holding up ok,” Brian lied. “It’s hard on
her, but she’s doing ok.”
”Bri?”
”Yeah?”
“How long do I have?”
“What?” He asked, slightly panic stricken.
“I’m not stupid… I know I’m dying. And I overheard Dr.
Tinoil talking to a nurse. How long?”
”I…don’t know…he didn’t say.”
”What did he say? Tell me, Brian, please. I need to know… I
have a right to know,”
Brian sighed, knowing Nick was right, but hated to have to
tell him.
“He told your mom… to begin making funeral arrangements…
because he doesn’t think you have much longer. He said your kidneys are failing
now, then your heart will… and they can’t keep you alive on the bypass
machine.”
Tears glistened in Nick’s eyes as he studied Brian’s face.
“Thank you,”
“You’re welcome,”
“Hey B… would you do me a favor?”
”Sure,”
“Would you turn the radio on? It’s on the side of the
bedrail, but I can’t reach it,”
Brian leaned over the side of the bed and looked up and
down the rail for the radio button. He found it, and pressed it. Music came
through small speakers in the bed.
“Thanks… it was getting too quiet and depressing in here,”
~The Next Afternoon; 2:30P.M.~
Brian and the other four guys sat in the waiting room of
the I.C.U., in complete silence. The rest of Nick’s family had arrived only a
little while ago, and they were now in with Nick. Only moments ago, Nick had
slipped into a coma, before getting to even see his father and other three
siblings.
Meggie quietly slipped into the waiting room and sat down
beside Howie. To them, it was no longer a time to hope for him to survive… it
was now a waiting game. Howie pulled Meggie into a hug and held her, as silent
tears slid down her cheeks.
After a few minutes, Nick’s siblings entered the room, and
greeted the other guys with hugs. Aaron sat down beside Meggie and dug into his
pocket.
“Meggie… Nick had been planning this months ago… and left
this with me, so he wouldn’t lose it… and when I got to talk to him on the
phone last night… he asked me to give this to you, when I saw you again,” Aaron
said, tears filling his brown eyes. He pulled a small black, velvet box from
his hand and put it into Meggie’s hands. With shaking hands, she opened it,
revealing a simple gold ring with a medium-sized diamond in the middle. She
took it out of the box and read the inscription on the inside , which said
“Love you Meg.”
“And…. he…um.. said he was sorry he couldn’t be here to get
to marry you, because he loved you more than anything.”
Meggie pulled Aaron into a hug, and whispered thank you, as
everyone else in the room wiped their tears away.
“Brian?” A voice from the hallway called. Dr. Tinoil
appeared and motioned for him to come forward.
”I need to talk to you in private…” He said, turning the
corner. Brian followed then stopped.
“Because Nick slipped into the coma… and will never awaken,
Mr. and Mrs. Carter have decided to unhook his ventilator, so he won’t be
suffering. His siblings already said their goodbyes, the Carters wanted you and
the rest of the guys, including Meggie, to be in there with him.”
“Ok,” Brian choked, holding his tears back. “I’ll go get
the others…”
“Alright. We’ll wait for you.”
Brian wiped his face with the back of his hand as he went
into the waiting room.
“Uh… guys? Meggie? Come here…”
Obediently, they followed Brian further down the hall then
stopped so he could explain everything.
“Ohmygod,” Meggie sobbed, her knees becoming weak.
”Man… I knew it was coming… but not so fast…” AJ said.
Together, as they always were, they walked into the room. Nick lay on the bed,
looking asleep, except for the tubes and monitors that surrounded his body.
As they began their goodbyes, Brian sat in the back of the
room, waiting for the others. Nick’s radio still played, just the way it had
when he was awake. Suddenly, a song came on the radio, that shocked Brian. It
hadn’t been played for almost two years, and suddenly, it was playing as if it
were just for Nick. He listened intently, then the real emotions he had been
holding in for the past few days, let loose, as the chorus came on.
Goodbye my friend
I know you're gone, you said you're gone
But I can still feel you here
It's not the end
Gotta keep it strong
Before the pain turns into fear
The other guys finished their goodbyes, and then it was
Meggie’s turn.
Meggie sat down next to Nick and took a hold of his hand,
ring on finger. She wiped her tears away, only to find more coming. "Oh,
Nicky, what is there to say? They say that people in comas can hear everything
you say, and you know me, Mrs. Wannabe Doctor. All I have to say, is that I
love you so much. I know we didn't say it too much but Nick, you are my life.
Aaron gave me the ring. I love you so much, and I do. . Wait for me ok?"
Meggie gently kissed Nicks lips and stood up sobbing. Jane took her in her arms
to cry with her.
Then Brian went up. Unashamed of his tears, he let them
fall. He took Nick’s hand into his, and said the bedtime prayer, but changed
the words a little, to fit the situation, yet still pray for Nick.
Now I lay you down to sleep,
I pray Thee Lord you soul to keep.
If you should die before you wake,
I pray Thee Lord your soul to take.
“Nick… buddy… though you aren’t here, I know you can hear
me, somewhere. The world, my life, everyone’s life, will never be the same.
Though you were my younger brother, you put such a huge impact on my life, and
I will never EVER forget you. I love you, man. Behave up there… don’t go around
chasing Meg look-a-likes, and save some girls for me. See you later, Frack…”
Brian squeezed Nick’s hand once last time, then slowly
backed away from the bed. Dr. Tinoil neared the bed, passing them all. He
turned the ventilator machine off, by the click of a switch. That’s all it took
to end Nick’s life. One button. Then he untapped the criss-cross medical tape
from Nick’s mouth, and gently pulled the ventilator tube out.
Everyone sucked their breath in, and watched Nick’s chest
rise and fall, while listening to the heart monitor.
Beep…beep…beep……
The End
***
Check out the sequel, Faithfully
