The One

 

By Sarah

 

 

Life was surging beneath her hands—impatiently, she thought.  There was a feeling deep inside her that said today would be the day.  Today she would finally be able to hold and see what she had created in a moment of true love.  Today, she would hold her child.

 

***

 

“Nick, Brian, it’s nice to meet the two of you.” The hospital director was all smiles as she led them down the hallway towards the room where two dozen patients—all children—were waiting.

 

Nick stifled a chuckle as he watched Brian rub his hands together in anticipation.  Brian loved hanging out with kids, especially ones with heart problems.  He could relate to them because he’d been one of them and found little else more rewarding.  Nick, on the other hand, was just happy to get away from the tour for a while.  In his thinking, anything that got him away from the craziness of traveling, rehearsing, and spending time with Kevin peering over his shoulder was worth doing.  If it involved hanging out with kids, all the better.

 

“I believe three of them are undergoing surgery later today, so they will probably be taken away soon,” the director explained as she placed a hand on the doorknob of a room labeled “Large Group Instructional”.  “The rest will be here for the duration of your visit.  Again, I cannot thank you enough for coming in today.  The children have been waiting so anxiously, and this gets their minds off of their illnesses for a little while.”

 

“We’re happy to be here!” Brian assured her.  “I can’t imagine doing anything better.  Thanks for giving us the chance.”

 

The director gave him a smile and pushed open the door.

 

As she entered the room, Nick nudged Brian.  “Suck up.”

 

Brian winked back.  “It never hurts to be nice.”

 

“Nice my…”

 

“Nick!”

 

“Brian!”

 

“Mom, it’s the Backstreet Boys!”

 

The two men grinned at the cheering children around them and mentally rubbed their hands together.  Much better than touring.

 

***

 

Gritting her teeth, she tried to follow the doctor’s directions, trying not to push.  Of course, her baby was ready to pop out into the world and didn’t understand that Mommy was not ready to propel him, or her, out into that world yet.

 

“Just keep breathing, Mrs. Sharpe,” her doctor advised her.  “You’re not close to fully dilated, and I know you’d like nothing more than to be able to push.  That’s only going to cause more pain at the moment.”

 

Remind me again why you’re my doctor, Captain Obvious? But, she nodded.

 

After fifteen minutes of breathing and not pushing, the doctor looked at his charts again and glanced over at his patient.

 

“I think we’re going to have you walk around for a bit.  The walking may help the baby shift into position more.  Besides, it may help the pain subside a bit more quickly.  What do you say? Are you up for a walk?”

 

I don’t want to be here, she wanted to scream.  She wasn’t ready to have a baby, but here she was.  No choice.

 

“I like walking, so yeah.  Why not?”

 

She swung her legs out of the bed and managed to stand.

 

“You can walk anywhere you wish in this hospital,” she was told.  “Take your time, and come back when you feel the baby may be in a better position for you to be able to push him out.  A nurse will find you every so often to make sure you’re doing fine.  Do you understand?”

 

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she nodded and pushed open the door.  “Absolutely.  See you in a few, Doc.”

 

***

 

“I love doing these things,” Nick said enthusiastically as he and Brian left the LGI amidst more cheering and laughs.

 

They’d done something really wonderful, and Nick was feeling really good about it.  He’d made a difference in a little girl’s life.  It didn’t matter that she had leukemia and threw up after every chemotherapy treatment.  She’d found meeting him to be the best thing ever in her life—good enough to forget that she had to undergo chemo in a little while.  How was that not the most amazing thing to discover?

 

“Thanks for allowing us this opportunity again,” Brian told the director, shaking her hand.  “It was a very rewarding experience.”

 

“Thank you for coming,” she replied.  “Any time you’d like to do that again, feel free to call us.  We love to do events that take their minds off the hardships of their lives spent in this hospital.”

 

Bidding her farewell and promising to call if they ever did want to do this type of meeting again, the two men headed off towards the elevator that would take them to the first floor.  Halfway there, Brian stopped.

 

“Hey, Nick.  Can you wait for a sec? I want to run back and find out if this hospital has any Healthy Hearts contacts.  I mean, I could help out some of those kids we just met.  Could you just chill here for a bit, and I’ll be right back?”

 

Nick shrugged.  “Sure.  Why not?”

 

Brian patted his shoulder.  “Thanks, man.  Be back in a bit.”

 

Nick watched him go and turned to find a space to sit.  What he found instead was a young, pregnant woman leaning against a wall, staring out a window at the wide expanse of city that spread out around them.

 

I guess you were lost when I met you

But still there were tears in your eyes

So out of trust and I knew

No more of the mysteries and lies

 

“Excuse me?”

 

She didn’t look up but continued to stare out at the landscape.  Nick watched tears roll down her cheeks as she pressed her hands to her belly and rubbed it gently.

 

“Ma’am? Are you okay?”

 

She turned to him then, and he found himself caught in the gray-green depths of her teary eyes.  And I thought Kevin’s eyes were green, Nick thought for a moment.

 

She blinked and the spell was broken.  “I-I’m fine.  Thank you for asking.”

 

Obviously, she wasn’t fine, and Nick wasn’t about to be convinced that she was okay.  He was in a helpful mood, so he tried again.

 

“Is there anyone you’re waiting for? I can find them for you,” he offered.

 

She shook her head.  “There’s no one.  But, again, thank you for offering.”

 

Rocking back on his heels, he studied her.  Her dark red hair curled over her shoulders, and her tiny, pointed nose was red from her fingers rubbing it.  She sniffed softly, and Nick decided she was his new project.

 

There you were

Wild and free

Reaching out like you’re

Needing me

For a helping hand to make it all right

 

“I’m Nick.” He held out a hand.

 

She stared at his hand for a moment then looked up into his eyes.  “I know,” she said after several moments.

 

His brows lifted.  “Okay, um, are you a fan?”

 

“No.”

 

Tough customer, Nick thought, but he was determined.

 

“So, is this your first kid?” He gestured towards her belly.

 

She nodded.

 

“Uh…how old are you?”

 

She looked at him then and arched a brow.  “Why do you care?”

 

He shrugged.  “Just making conversation.  People do that, you know.”

 

She sighed and rubbed a hand over her the tears on her cheek.  “I’m sorry.  You’re just trying to help, and I’m being difficult.” She held out a hand.  “You’re Nick.  I’m Hannah, and I’m twenty-three years old.  Any other questions?”

 

There was a slight smile on her face, and Nick smiled back, taking her smaller hand in his.

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Hannah.  Even if you’re not a fan.”

 

She laughed a little.  “Well, I guess your ego’s as big as the tabloids make it out to seem, huh?” She grinned at his hurt look and patted his hand.  “Relax, Nick.  I used to be a fan, but I kind of lost track after AJ’s rehab ordeal.”

 

“Oh.”

 

She shook her head.  “No, no.  It wasn’t because of that, it was because I got married and was busy with school and my husband.  But,” she stopped and bent over.

 

“Are you okay?” Nick leaned down to look into her pain-filled eyes.

 

She squeezed her eyes shut, and he heard her mumble numbers.  Her hand was still in his and was shutting off his circulation, Nick was sure.  He wasn’t about to leave her all alone, so he held on. 

 

I am holding you all through the night

I’ll be the one

Who will make all your sorrows all right

I’ll be the light

When you feel like there’s nowhere to run

I’ll be the one

 

After what had to be the longest thirty seconds of his life, she straightened and gave him a small smile.

 

“Junior is freaking impatient to get out into this big, bad world,” she began but was cut off by someone’s voice.

 

“Nick! My goodness, I can’t leave you anywhere without you attracting pretty women, can I?” Brian shook his head as he approached his friend and the pregnant woman next to him.  He smiled at Hannah.  “Hello.”

 

She turned to Nick and pointed at Brian.  “See, now he was my favorite of all five of you.” She looked over at Brian with a smile.  “Hi, Brian.  I’m Hannah.”

 

“Soon to be a mommy, huh?” Brian couldn’t help but think of when he and his wife had been in Hannah’s situation.  Hannah nodded.  “So, are they having you walk around to ease the pains?”

 

She nodded again, surprised.  “How did you…?”

 

“Huh.  For being your favorite, I’m surprised you don’t know my whole life story.” Brian feigned insult.  “My wife and I had a baby boy a couple years ago.  Baylee.”

 

Hannah smiled, seeing the way Brian’s face lit up at the mention of his family.  “That’s great! Congratulations! And…I’m sorry, I stopped keeping up with news of the five of you years ago."

 

Brian pouted.  “Weren’t we pretty enough to keep your attention?”

 

She laughed.  “You were gorgeous.  But, no.  I got busy with planning my wedding, then being married, and going to school.”

 

“So, where’s your husband?” Nick wondered and immediately wished he hadn’t asked when a sad expression settled on her face.

 

Brian took her other hand as they walked down the hall and turned the corner into another one.

 

“It’s okay, Hannah.  You don’t have to tell us,” he said softly. 

 

She shook her head.  “No, it’s okay.  It’s just a little hard still.” She sighed.  “My husband was killed in a car accident in London two months ago.  He was there for business, and he just…” She broke off as another contraction wracked through her.

 

Knowing the way the birthing process worked, Brian helped her squat and pant through the pain.

 

“I think the doctor would kill me,” Brian spoke to keep her mind off the pain, “if I helped you deliver this baby right here, in this hallway.  So, just keep on blowing out breaths.  That’s it,” he murmured.  “And one, two, three…”

 

Nick felt out of place.  He’d never been around that many pregnant women.  Sure, he’d been there when his mother had been pregnant with his siblings, and he’d been around Leighanne once while she had been pregnant with Baylee.  They’d been stages away from this process, though, and Nick wasn’t sure he could handle this whole pain, blood, and, jeez, birthing fluids deal.

 

Hannah stood again, letting Brian pull her up.  She glanced over at Nick, seeing his pale face.  Reaching out, she took his hand and squeezed it.

 

“So, what are the two of you doing in this hospital? Shouldn’t you be off doing whatever it is you’re doing these days?”

 

Nick appreciated the fact that she’d changed the subject.  Of course, he was very transparent when it came to how he was feeling, and she must have noticed his discomfort.

 

He squeezed her hand back.  “We’re on tour for our newest album,” he informed her and watched her face light up.

 

“Really? Where have I been?” she wondered.  “What’s it called? When did it come out? When did you guys decide to get back together again?”

 

Brian grinned at her questions and took her through the “Never Gone” history, from Oprah to their current tour.

 

“So you’re doing a show tonight? And you were meeting with some of the children here today? Wow.  Talk about men with many talents,” she murmured.

 

“Yeah we are,” Nick spoke, fake cocky tone in place.  “Of course, being able to give birth after losing someone we love isn’t on that list.  Once we can hit that, we’ll be like Superman or something.”

 

Hannah sighed and placed a hand on her stomach again.  “I hate the thought of doing this without Jeremy.  My husband,” she explained at their confused looks.  “I mean, how do you raise a child without his or her father? It’s a two-person job, right?” She looked to Brian for confirmation.

 

He nodded.  “It is, but if you’re strong enough, and I’m not, I think you can be a great parent on your own.  I think you’ll be a great mommy,” he assured her.

 

She smiled.  “Thanks, even though you don’t know me,” she added.

 

“No problem.  And we’re getting to know you, so that’s gotta count for something.”

 

“Aren’t there any family members or friends that could be here to help you out?” Nick wondered, changing the topic.

 

Hannah glanced over at him.  “My parents are in California, Jeremy’s are in Houston, and I just moved here three weeks ago from Nevada.  I haven’t really had time to make any friends, so it’s just me and baby,” she finished, patting her belly.

 

“Mrs. Sharpe?”

 

The three turned to face the gray-haired nurse who had just arrived.

 

“Oh, I’m glad to see you’ve got friends here to help you out!” The nurse beamed at Brian and Nick, and Brian smiled back.  “How are you feeling, dear? How far apart are the contractions?”

 

Hannah shrugged.  “I guess they’re about six, seven minutes apart still.  I don’t really feel that much different from an hour ago.  Is that a bad thing?”

 

The nurse shook her head.  “No, it’s perfectly normal for the firstborn to take some time shifting and being born.  You’ve only been at it for seven hours.”

 

“Seven hours?” Nick couldn’t help but blurt out.  How did women do that? Talk about Superman, he should’ve said Superman, Spiderman, and Batman rolled into one with Superwoman’s body.

 

Hannah gave him a half-smile.  “Relax, Nick.  My mom told me I took twenty hours on my way out, so this isn’t that bad.”

 

The nurse consulted the chart she held for a moment before turning back to Hannah.  “Why don’t you take another half hour, and then head back to the room and we’ll measure you and do another ultrasound?”

 

Hannah nodded.  “I’ll be there in a half hour.”

 

As the nurse left, Brian’s cell phone beeped, and he walked a few feet away to answer it.  Nick and Hannah watched him for a bit before she turned to look at Nick.

 

“So, how’s life in Nick Carter’s world?” she wondered.

 

Nick sighed.  “It’s got its ups and downs, but it’s going.  I’m on tour with the guys, and I can’t be happier.  We’re together, doing what we love, and it’s just amazing.”

 

“And your family?”

 

“Uh, well, my brother and one of my sisters are living with me.  It’s cool because I don’t have my crazy mother riding herd on us anymore, dictating our lives,” he told her.  “Life’s not so bad right now.”

 

He turned to see if Brian was still on the phone and noticed that his friend’s face was turning red—a sure sign that Brian was annoyed, edging into angry.

 

“Fine. That’s great. We’ll be there.” Brian hung up and walked back with a cheerful smile in place.

 

Hannah was counting her breathing again, and both men helped her this time.  When her breathing leveled out and the pain subsided, she looked up at Brian.

 

“Is everything okay?”

 

Brian shrugged, his smile not dimming one bit.  “It’s cool.  Johnny, our manager, is being a slave driver about Nick and I not being at soundcheck.”

 

Hannah looked horrified.  “You guys should go.  You have a show, fans, tons of things you should be doing.  I’m okay here.”

 

Nick shook his head.  “Don’t worry about it.  What did you tell Johnny, Bri?”

 

Brian grinned cheekily.  “I told him we’d be back when we’d be back.  We’ve never let the fans and the other guys down before, we’re not about to start now. Besides,” he glanced at his watch.  “We’ve still got six hours until we have to be onstage.  Plenty of time for baby to make an appearance.”

 

Hannah stared down at her belly, watching it ripple as her baby moved.  Nick was fascinated by the movement and forgot what they were talking about.

 

“That is so cool! Do you,” he paused and looked up at her.  “Do you think it’s okay if I could, you know, touch it? See what it feels like when your baby moves around?”

 

Hannah grinned as he blushed furiously after asking the question.  “Yeah, sure.  It’s not a problem, and it does feel pretty cool.” 

 

When he continued to hesitate, she took his hand and placed it on her belly.  As if the baby knew someone new was there, it gave a hard jab and shifted.  Nick’s eyes went wide and a grin split his face.  Brian and Hannah simply watched as he discovered the beauty of a new human life.

 

“Do you know if the baby’s a girl or a boy?” Brian asked her.

 

She shook her head.  “Originally, Jeremy and I decided we wanted it to be a surprise, so after…I just decided to keep it a surprise.”

 

Nick wanted to get rid of the sadness that had, once again, seeped into her expression.  “Surprise, huh? I love surprises! Hey, did you ever hear about the time Brian and I decided to ‘surprise’ our drummer? Oh man, it was awesome…”

 

***

 

“Mrs. Sharpe. Hannah.  You’re dilated to the full ten centimeters,” the doctor told her, looking up from between her legs.  “We’re going to move you into the delivery room now.”

 

Brian squeezed her hand.  “Did you hear that, Hannah? Only a little while more, and you’ll be holding your baby in your arms.”

 

“Yeah,” she whispered.  “Can’t wait.”

 

As they wheeled her down to the delivery room area, Nick and Brian walked with her.  To keep her mind off the pain, Brian told her tales of the crazy goings-on backstage at their concerts, while Nick entertained her with stories about Brian’s son, who had taken to running soundchecks for the Boys.

 

When they reached the delivery room, a nurse stopped the two men.

 

“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to wait outside,” she informed them.

 

“Wait.” Hannah tried to turn to look at them.  “Please, can they stay with me? I’d like them here, please.”

 

Nick swallowed.  Did he really want to be around the blood and…birthing fluids?  Besides, he didn’t really know her that well.  One look into Hannah’s terrified eyes convinced him otherwise.  They’d taken her through everything else, why not this?  He gave her a reassuring smile.

 

The nurse looked from Hannah, to Nick and Brian, then over at the doctor.  When the doctor shrugged, the nurse nodded.  “That’s fine, then.  But you’ll have to wear the gowns.  I’ll show you where they are.”

 

Five minutes later, the doctor asked Brian to climb onto the bed behind Hannah and support her back, while Nick was shown how to massage her belly in order to help the movements of the baby through the birth canal.

 

You need me like I need you

We can share our dreams coming true

I can show you what true love means

Just take my hand, baby, please

 

He’d never done anything like this and somehow knew that nothing he’d ever done was even close to as important as this.  As helping a new life fight its way into existence.  As caring enough for a lonely stranger and being there for her to lean on.  Brian was a firm believer in things happening for a reason, and, at the moment, Nick believed it wholeheartedly.  He was meant to be here for Hannah.  Why? He didn’t know, but he was willing to find out.

 

“The baby’s crowning!” the doctor announced.  “All right, Hannah.  I need you to blow out breaths to the count of eight then push as hard as you can.  Can you do that?”

 

Suddenly terrified of what it would mean to have a child, another person, to care for, Hannah panicked.  What had she been thinking? She, Hannah Sharpe, couldn’t raise a child at the age of twenty-three.  She was nowhere near equipped, mentally and physically, to do this.

 

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, feeling the tears slip out of her eyes.  “I can’t do it.  I can’t!”

 

Brian’s eyes met Nick’s, and a silent message passed between the two friends before Nick nodded. 

 

‘Cause my fear is gone

And I want to

Take you from the darkness to the light

 

Continuing to rub circles over her belly, Nick took Hannah’s hand in his free one, forcing her to open her eyes to look into his.

 

“Hannah, listen to me.  I know you’re scared.” Her eyes closed again.  “Hannah, open your eyes.  Come on, baby.” He waited until her eyes opened and locked onto his.  “Good.  Hannah, you and Jeremy made this baby because you love each other.  This baby is gonna have the best of both of you, and it’s waiting to get out here so you can see what it looks like and who it’s going to become.  It’s going to need you to love it, take care of it.  But, you know what the best thing is? It’s going to love you back.  Unconditionally.”

 

“Well, jeez.  With all those reasons, why wouldn’t you want to see your kid, huh?” Brian finished Nick’s thoughts.

 

Hannah was silent for long moments.  Finally, she took a deep breath and nodded.  “You’re right.  I know you’re right.  So…here we go.”

 

Moments later, the wails of a tiny baby girl were heard reverberating around the delivery room as the baby was handed to Hannah, who wept relieved tears.

 

“Cause Mom you always were the perfect fan,” Brian sang softly, watching Hannah hold her daughter to her. “Look how beautiful she is.”

 

Nick smiled.  “As beautiful as her mom.”

 

Hannah beamed up at the two men.  “Thank you, both of you, for being here to help me through this.  I don’t think I would’ve made it without your help.  I wouldn’t have found my beautiful baby without you guys.  I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay you.”

 

Nick waved it off.  “We’ll find a way,” he joked then turned to one of the nurses cleaning the area.  “Is there a camera I could borrow for a bit? I’ll give it back, I promise.”

 

Ten minutes later, they were taking pictures of Hannah and her daughter, Brianna Emmeline Nicole, Nick with the baby, Brian and Nick with the baby, the three adults with the baby, and any number of other combinations.  Nick finally returned the camera to the doctor it belonged to and had her promise to send the pictures to Hannah.

 

“You’ll always remember us, now,” Nick announced proudly as Hannah rocked Brianna.

 

Hannah smiled.  “I don’t think I could ever forget.”

 

“It’s because we’re too pretty,” Brian joked.  He glanced at his watch then up at Nick.  “Hey, buddy.  We gotta get going, like, now if we’re going to make it to the show.” He grinned at Hannah.  “Or, in Backstreet land, gotta go!”

 

Nick watched Hannah for a moment, then nodded.  “Yeah, okay.  I guess this is it, huh?”

 

She nodded.  “I’ll have such stories for my daughter when she’s old enough to understand.  Thank you so much.”

 

Both Boys kissed her cheek and bid her farewell.  What had begun as a simple meet and greet had turned into a rewarding afternoon topped by coaxing a new child into the world.  Somehow, Nick knew he’d never be the same.  Maybe he’d find Hannah Sharpe and her daughter in a few years and see how they were.  At the moment, they were perfect.  A perfect picture, he thought.

 

At the door, Nick stopped and turned.  “Hey, Hannah? About that repayment?  Make sure Brianna never hears a single ‘N Sync song and buy Never Gone.  I’ll consider us even.”

 

As he left, he could hear her laugh and grinned, too.  Life was pretty damn good.

 

I’ll be the one

I’ll be the light

Where you can run

To make it all right

I’ll be the one

 

 

Lyrics:  “The One” by the Backstreet Boys

 

 

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