Chapter 20
Around nine the next morning, Brian popped his head in the
door to Nick’s bedroom to see if he had awaken yet. He smiled when he saw Nick’s eyes open.
“Morning, Nick!” he greeted, going to the window and
pulling open the curtains, letting in a flood of morning sunlight. “How are you this morning, buddy?” he asked,
turning his attention back to Nick. He
knew Nick couldn’t answer him, but he didn’t care.
He saw something glistening on Nick’s chin and realized it
was a glob of drool. Brian took a
Kleenex and quickly wiped it away from Nick’s face.
“Hey, how about we get you cleaned up now?” Brian
suggested.
He pulled a pair of fresh underwear and socks, along with a
clean T-shirt and pair of wind pants out of Nick’s dresser and draped them over
a chair.
“Be right back,” he told Nick, heading into the
bathroom. He filled up a basin with
warm water and grabbed a washcloth and a bar of soap and carried it all into
Nick’s room, setting it down on the nightstand.
Then came the difficult task of undressing Nick. It was an awkward process, but Brian finally
accomplished it.
Next, he dipped the washcloth into the basin of water,
ringing it out so it would be only slightly damp. He lathered up the washcloth with the bar of
soap and gently scrubbed it over Nick’s body.
It was at times like this that he almost was glad Nick was
so gone mentally. How embarrassing
would it be to have your best friend have to change your clothes and bathe
you? Too horrible for Brian to
imagine. And yet, here he was doing
it.
When the sponge bath was done, Brian toweled off Nick and
got him into the clothes he had laid out.
Then he headed into the bathroom again to grab a razor and
a can of shaving cream. He squirted a
glob of the shaving cream into his hand and smoothed it over Nick’s face. Then he wet the razor and began to carefully
shave off the blonde stubble that had grown on Nick’s face.
When he was finished, he wiped off Nick’s face and rinsed
out the razor, taking his supplies back into the bathroom.
“Well, Nicky, looking good.
Not too bad for my first time, eh?” Brian said good-naturedly. He barely glanced at Nick, knowing he would
only be met with that same vacant stare.
“I bet you’re hungry,” Brian continued. “I’ll go see about getting your breakfast
ready, kay? Be back in a bit.”
He smiled down at Nick and left the room, leaving the door
open behind him.
He walked into the kitchen to find AJ helping Leighanne
make breakfast, while Howie and Kevin sat around the kitchen table, reading the
newspaper.
“Nick’s awake?” Howie asked, glancing up from the section
of newspaper he was holding as Brian entered the kitchen.
“Yup,” Brian replied.
“I got him all ready too. I just
need to get him his breakfast.”
“I’ll do it,” AJ volunteered, turning the frying bacon over
to Leighanne.
Brian nodded.
“Thanks, Bone,” he replied, taking a seat next to his cousin.
A few minutes later, Leighanne passed steaming plates
around the table, as AJ finished blending Nick’s breakfast drink.
Brian started to stand up to take the drink from AJ, but AJ
motioned him back down. “I’ll give it to
him,” he said.
“Okay,” Brian replied, turning back to his breakfast.
AJ carried the drink into Nick’s bedroom. “Hey, Kaos,” he said. “Ready for breakfast? I made it myself. Don’t worry, it’s not poisonous.” AJ rambled on and on as he positioned the
straw in Nick’s mouth. He set the cup
down so that it rested on Nick’s chest, tilted against his chin so that he
could drink.
“I’ll be right back, Nick,” AJ said, leaving the room. He headed back into the kitchen and grabbed
his plate.
“Where you going, AJ?” Kevin asked.
“I’m going to eat with Nicky,” AJ replied, carrying his
plate back into the guest room to be with his friend.
***
