Chapter
46
Harold
Littrell sat in the waiting room waiting anxiously for permission to visit his
son. The past few hours, no days, had been a living hell for him and his
family. He remembered the feelings of shock and fear that enveloped him when
his oldest son had told him and his wife the condition of his youngest child,
his baby. Now he sat in a simply decorated waiting room waiting to hear if his
youngest child would live and continue his life, or die and join his brother in
heaven. He felt his throat close up when he thought about his oldest son, who
was now probably watching down on them from heaven. It seemed that in just one
fraction of a second, his first-born was taken away from his life without
warning, leaving a void that will never be filled. He smiled inwardly as he
remembered the times that had made his son’s time on Earth special. Memories of
when he was born, to his first day of kindergarten, to high school graduation
floated through his mind. He sat back and let the memories wash over him, both
good and bad.
***
“Harold,
Harold?” Jackie said as she shook her husband’s shoulder gently, yet
persistently. She sighed as she realized she wasn’t getting his attention and
sank down into her chair defeated.
“Why Lord,
why?” she silently asked. In just a day, she had lost her first-born child and
stood a good chance at losing her youngest, something that no parent should
ever face. As she gazed at her husband she realized that he must be doing the
same she was doing, remembering the times they had with their children years
ago, the times she wished she could go back and relive again if it meant a few
more precious moments with her children. She sighed again and waited as the
minutes ticked by, waiting for any news on her son.
***
Nick shifted
uneasily in his wheelchair and he watched Brian’s parents sadly. Even though no
one blamed him he knew it was his entire fault. He just had a feeling
deep inside that all the tragedy that had happened, actually was his fault and
he followed this feeling, not believing the things people said that implied it
wasn’t his fault. He clutched the armrests of the wheelchair tightly as Dr.
Adele gravely entered the waiting room and cleared his throat. He watched
Brian’s parents and realized that they had been so lost in their thoughts and
grief, that they didn’t realize that the doctor had entered the room. He
watched as the doctor approached the two grieving parents and quietly announced
his presence.
“May we see
him now?” Brian’s mother quietly asked.
The doctor
smiled before answering and nodded his head. “Yes ma’am you may, the anesthesia
should be worn off by now so he should be awake in about 15 minutes at the most”
he said as he looked at his watch.
“Oh thank you
so much, doctor,” she exclaimed as she got up from her seat and took her
husband’s hand in hers. “Come on honey. Let’s go see Brian”, she said to her
husband as she walked out of the room, behind the doctor. The door shut behind
them, leaving everyone left in the room wondering what Brian’s condition was.
***
“Hey Nick, you
want to go check out the gift shop downstairs with us?” AJ asked as he knelt in
front of Nick.
When he
received no response he lifted Nick’s chin up and looked him right in the eyes,
hoping to get his point across. “Nicky, I know you have heard this plenty of
times, but hearing it once more won’t hurt. What has happened is NOT
your fault, you hear me?”
Nick nodded
solemnly and looked as his other two band mates, who by that time had also
gathered around his wheelchair. “Yeah let’s go check out the gift shop,” he
said halfheartedly as his friends pushed his wheelchair and IV stand down the
hall towards the elevator.
A few minutes
later Nick and his three friends were in the almost empty hospital gift shop.
He was looking at magazine covers looking for anything that caught his eye and
reached for one magazine and gasped loudly. All three of his friends rushed
over thinking he was in pain or had hurt himself and they all cursed under
their breath. There in Nick’s shaking hands was a national tabloid, which
contained a recent picture of the group and a recent picture of Brian’s family
with the bold words that screamed out “Backstreet Boy at Fault for Death of
Band Mate's Brother. More on page 37.”