Chapter 16

 

An hour later, Brian, Kevin, AJ, and Howie sat around the waiting room with Nick’s family.   Jane had called Brian’s house from the hospital to tell them the good news, and they had gotten there right away.   But they had not yet been in to visit Nick because Dr. Madden was running tests on him.   So now they waiting impatiently, eager to see their young friend finally awake.

 

Just then, the door opened, and in stepped Dr. Madden.   “Mr. and Mrs. Carter?” he asked.  “Could I talk to you two in private, please?”

 

“Sure,” Bob replied, exchanging an uncertain glance with his wife, as they both stood and followed Dr. Madden out of the room.

 

Dr. Madden led them down the hall and stopped right outside the door of Nick’s room.   “Okay, as you know, I’ve just run a whole battery of tests on Nick.   Right now, the results aren’t that conclusive because Nick has just woken up and hasn’t had much time for recovery.   I’ll run some more tests in a few days to see if he has improved any, and we’ll know more at that point.”

 

“What are these tests all for?” Jane asked worriedly.

 

“To measure the amount of damage done to his nervous system,” Dr. Madden replied.

 

“And?”

 

Dr. Madden took a deep breath, saying, “I don’t want to alarm you, but right now, Nick’s showing signs of brain damage.”

 

Jane and Bob both gasped, immediately clutching each other’s hands for support. 

 

“How bad is it?” Bob asked.

 

“That’s what we’re not sure of yet.   From what it looks like, by the way he hit his head on the steering wheel, all three major parts of his brain were affected.   The cerebrum, which controls intelligence, emotion, memory, speech, and many other aspects, and the cerebellum, which controls movement and balance, were the most affected.   The brain stem, which controls vital functions such as heartbeat and breathing, was only slightly affected.   This is why Nick is unable to breathe on his own right now,” Dr. Madden explained.

 

“Will that get better?” Jane asked worriedly.

 

“Yes, the breathing will.   He’s already doing better than before, but he’s still not breathing well enough to be taken off the respirator.  It could take a few more days.”

 

“What about the other things you mentioned?” Bob pressed.

 

Dr. Madden sighed.   This was the question he had been dreading the most.   “Like I said before, it’s too hard to determine at this point.  Sometimes, patients with brain injuries such as Nick’s recover and regain normal lives.   With some other patients, unfortunately, the injuries end up permanent.”

 

“Meaning?”

 

“Meaning they suffer from permanent brain damage.  Some can live relatively normally, while others require round the clock care at special nursing facilities.” 

 

Dr. Madden’s words were harsh, but that was the reality of Nick’s situation.   Bob and Jane knew that it was a possibility Nick could end up like some of those people he had mentioned, brain damaged for life.   Of course, the joy and relief they felt at having Nick awake was powerful.   Yet, at the same time, knowing that their son might never be the same again left them sad, depressed, and more than anything, terrified.

 

***

 

Sunday afternoon, Marissa sat on her bed, absently flipping through the latest issue of Seventeen.   It was so weird – just weeks earlier, Marissa had loved reading these teen magazines, getting the latest fashion trends and the scoop on the hottest celebrities around.   Now it just seemed petty and pointless. 

 

Her attention turned to the TV that was turned on in her room, as an MTV News brief came on.   Lately, MTV news was the one thing that interested her.   She watched it, desperate to hear some good news on Nick.   But ever since she had heard the first news report on the accident, she hadn’t heard any updates on Nick’s condition.   Not good ones, at least. 

 

“This is Brian McFayden with an MTV News brief.   Sources informed us early today that Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, who had been in a coma at an Atlanta, Georgia hospital since the fatal car accident he was involved in on the night of January 27, finally awoke yesterday.   As of now, Nick’s actual condition is unknown.   We’re waiting for comments from the Backstreet Management.   That’s the news for now…”

 

Marissa let out a shuddering breath.   Her relief was over-bearing.   She knew that Nick was probably still in a serious condition, but at least he was awake.

 

She was already dealing with the death of one of her good friends, but knowing that she had helped kill a famous celebrity such as Nick Carter would be enough to send hew overboard. 

 

 Hopefully, that would never happen.  Hopefully, in a few more weeks, the turmoil in her life would pass, and she could go on living.

 

***

 

 

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