Part 17

By Mer

“I can't believe you got Kevin and the guys to agree on this, AJ,” said Howie as they arrived at the parking lot of the Children's Memorial Hospital.

“Howie, you’re the only who thinks this is a bad idea. The rest of us, on the other hand, think it's a great idea. Come on, you never heard of the story of the Good Samaritan?” asked Brian as he patted him on the back.

“Besides, what can a 10-year-old girl do to you, Howie?” said Nick as he opened the door to the hospital.

“I don't know, you guys, there’s just something about this situation I don't like. I got this really bad feeling…”

“Okay, guys, enough. We're here to make a little girl’s dream come true, so zip it for now,” said Kevin as he reached a nurse sitting at the counter.

“Hi, ma'am, we are here to see Brianna - what was her last name, AJ?” asked Kevin.

“Brianna Acosta,” said AJ, winking at the nurse who was not bad looking, even in scrubs.

The nurse blushed and looked at her computer, and 10 seconds later, she said, "Yes, she's on the 5th floor, room 504. You can take this elevator; it leaves you right by her room.”

“Thanks, Miss Locklier,” said Kevin, looking at her badge.

They went on the elevator and arrived on the 5th floor. As they stepped out, they saw a couple of nurses at the center station. To the left of it were rooms.

“There is room 504,” said Brian, pointing to it.

They walked to it. The door was open, and to their surprise, no one was in there, just a nurse fixing it.

“Excuse me, ma'am, do you know where Brianna is?” asked AJ, looking at all the stuff that was sent on their behalf probably only a few a hours ago.

“Yeah,” said the nurse, "she is the lounge room with the rest of the children on this floor. If you want, I can take you. Follow me.”

They arrived to this large room full of toys, video games, and everything you could imagine.

“Hey, look, there’s Eva,” said AJ, pointing at a slim, curvaceous girl with maroon red hair and blond streaks, laughing with a much thinner, very pale girl who had an IV hooked to her wrist.

Kevin felt sad as he looked around. Kids in the same condition or even worse-looking than Brianna were all around him. He felt like running, but instead he thanked the nurse and started walking towards Brianna and Eva. The rest followed behind him.

“Hi,” said AJ as he and the guys got to where they were. “Hey, Brianna, you might know who we are, but did you know we were here to see you and only you?” said Brian as he handed Brianna a baby blue teddy bear.

Eva was surprised because when AJ had talked to her he said he couldn't make it but that they would send Bri a customized video for her and asked her many questions about her sister’s situation. She was actually happy because that would keep her away from him so that her dad could do no harm, but now she had to for Brianna's sake. She couldn't lose her. If her dad took her away from her, she would be stuck with a fugitive and wouldn't be getting her dialysis to survive. She couldn't let that happen to her little sister. Now she had to go along with this horrible plan, for Brianna's sake.

She was brought back when she heard Brianna scream, “Oh my god, the BACKSTREET BOYS!!! Eva, I thought you said they weren't going to come!”

”Well, it’s a surprise to me too, Bri, because when I spoke to AJ, he told me they weren't coming,” said Eva looking at AJ with a sly smile.

”Yeah, I know, I did that on purpose. I wanted to surprise you, Brianna,” said AJ, looking at Eva. She was looking even better than before. She had definitely changed her mood to a much happier one, probably because her sister was happy.

***

“It was the best, wasn't it, Eva?! I mean, they got all of us singing and everything! Wow, this will be the day in life that I will always remember forever, and Nick said I was his girlfriend. Wow, Nick’s girlfriend, huh?” sighed Brianna.

“Honey, you’re too young to think about that. Now rest, okay? I will be here tomorrow after work. Okay, promise you'll rest,” said Eva, kissing her little sister on her forehead.

“I promise I'll try; I am just in shock! THE BACKSTREET BOYS were here to see me, and NICK is my boyfriend!!!” said Brianna, smiling at the picture of Nick in her hand.

“Okay, bye, hun. Be good, and I don't want to hear the nurse tell me again that you didn't want to drink your medicine, okay?” Eva told her, looking a little mad to get her attention.

“Okay, I promise. Now that Nick is my boyfriend, I have a reason to get better faster. I just need a kidney… man I wish kidneys grew on trees,” said Bri in a sad tone.

“Okay, stop that; you’re going to get your kidney if that’s the last thing I do,” said Eva, hugging her sister again and then walked out the door.

As she walked, she heard Bri scream bye to her one more time. She just smiled and walked into the elevator again for the third time today.

***

The phone ringing brought her back to reality as she stepped outside the hospital, looking for her car.

“Hey, about time you answered, Eva. For a second there, I thought you were trying to avoid me,” said an angry voice in her ear.

“NO, I just couldn't find my cell phone fast enough,” lied Eva as she opened the door to her car.

“Well just to let you know, I made it. I'm in Texas; I should arrive to Florida soon. I am going to ask your uncle to take me, even though I shouldn't have a problem; I am far away from Australia,” said Eva's dad as he laughed wickedly. “So, how's our plan going?” he asked her.

Eva took a deep breath. “They came and saw Bri today. You should see how happy it made her,” said Eva, trying to change the subject.

“I don't care about that, Eva, you know that. HOW IS OUR PLAN DOING??” he screamed in her ear.

“I'm working on it, Dad. I was going to call him tonight and, you know, charm him into liking me.” She cringed at that thought; she didn't think he was attractive at all, and now she had to break up with the real love of her life, Leo. For Brianna's sake, she hoped he would not ask too many questions. If not, she would break down and tell Leo everything, and that would mean losing Bri to her dad.

“Are you there?” he asked.

“Yeah. Okay, I have to go. I will start today, I promise,” said Eva to her dad as she hung up. She knew her dad was caring deep down inside, but ever since her mom died of cancer in her uterus, he became bitter and blamed Bri for it.

“If she hadn’t been born, your mom would have gotten her chemo treatment in time, but she couldn't cause she was pregnant.” She shook as she remembered her dad saying that to her in the funeral home. She cried all the way home, remembering how happy her family had been and how happy she’d become when, at age 16, her mom told her she was finally going to have a brother or sister, and how happy her dad was that even though he was forty and her mom 38, she was able to get pregnant again. Now he was a mess, a really big mess. He got into robbery, hung around the wrong people, and left her and her sister for long periods of time, only to return for money. He always smelled like alcohol and smoke.

Then she remembered the shocking news just last month: the airplane being kidnapped with the Backstreet Boys on it in Europe by some guy. When they showed the picture, she knew exactly who he was: HER DAD. How he got there, she didn't know, but it was probably a favor he was doing for one of his new friends.

She opened the door to her apartment and wiped her tears as she dialed AJ's number.

“Sorry, AJ,” was all she said before she heard his voice answer the phone: “Hello?”