Chapter 10

 

Around noon that afternoon, Howie and AJ decided to go down to the cafeteria to get some lunch.  Kevin had gone home, and it was just as well that way.  AJ wanted to be with Nick, but he sure didn’t want to hear Kevin yell at him anymore.   It was much better being with just Howie, who didn’t hold AJ responsible for what had happened to Nick.

 

The two of them went to the cafeteria and picked at a not-so-tasty lunch.  Then they headed back up to Nick’s room.

 

AJ entered the room and stopped in his tracks right in the doorway, causing Howie to collide sharply into AJ’s back.  “Sorry, Aje,” Howie said from behind him.  AJ didn’t respond.  “AJ?  What’s the matter?” Howie asked, trying to see past AJ into the room.

 

AJ walked slowly into the room, giving Howie some room to come in to.  Concerned, Howie looked to Nick, thinking something was wrong.  But when his gaze focused on Nick, he realized that AJ had stopped like that for a different reason.  Nick’s eyes were open!

 

“Hey, Nick!” Howie cried, grinning a huge smile and hurrying over to Nick’s bedside.  AJ soon followed.  “How ya doing, buddy?” Howie asked.

 

“I feel like shit,” Nick muttered. 

 

“Hi, Nick,” AJ said softly, taking a seat next to the bed. 

 

“Hey,” Nick said.  He looked around the room, suddenly confused.  “Dude, is this a hospital?” he asked incredulously.  Then he glanced down at himself and was shocked to find IV’s coming out of his arms, wires attached to his chest, and breathing tubes coming out of his nostrils.  “What happened to me?” he asked, his voice growing shrill with panic.

 

“Don’t you remember anything from last night?” AJ asked.

 

Nick’s face scrunched up as he tried to think.  “No,” he admitted finally.  “What happened?”

 

“Well, Nick, you and I were at a bar last night, and you got drunk.  Very drunk.  You had way too much alcohol, and it reacted with the medications you’ve been taking.  You passed out and had to be rushed to the hospital,” AJ explained.  He left out some details, such as Nick going into cardiac arrest, not wanting to upset poor Nick even further.

 

Nick’s eyes widened in complete and utter shock.  “Oh, my God,” he murmured.  “Really??”

 

“Yeah,” AJ replied.

 

“I don’t remember it at all,” Nick said softly. 

 

“Probably because you were so drunk,” AJ said.

 

“Whoa,” Nick said, laughing slightly.  “So, how come I’m attached to all this crap?  I’m fine now, aren’t I?”

 

“Well, they just wanted to monitor you last night.  That’s why you’re attached to all those machines and stuff,” AJ said, half lying.

 

“When can I leave?” Nick asked.

 

“Um… I’m not sure, Nick,” AJ said, glancing at Howie.  “I think you’re doctor will want to check you out before she lets you leave.”

 

“Well, where is she?” he asked.  “I wanna go home.”

 

“I’m sure she’s just busy, Nick,” Howie said.  “And you might not be able to leave right away.”

 

“Why?” Nick asked, frowning. 

 

“Well, I don’t know.  The doctor might want to run some tests or something.  You know how it goes in hospitals,” Howie said, trying to stop Nick’s flow of questions.  He didn’t want to lie to Nick, but he didn’t want to alarm him either.  There was no reason to be alarmed… yet.  He would wait and see how the tests came out first.

 

“No, I don’t,” Nick said.  “I’ve never been in the hospital before, except for when I broke my arm when I was a kid, but that was years ago.”

 

“Oh,” Howie said.  “Well, let me tell you, doctors like to run a lot of tests.  That’s usually why people have to stay for so long.”  It wasn’t completely true, but Howie was trying to think of anything to say at that point.

 

“Oh,” Nick said.  “Well, that’s just gay.  There’s no reason to charge perfectly fine people so much money to stay in the hospital longer than they need to and go through stupid tests.”

 

“I agree,” AJ said, glad to see Nick acting more like himself.  Nick might have been acting himself, but he didn’t quite look as he should.  He was still very pale, and dark circles shown under his eyes.  And AJ could tell he was weak and didn’t feel good, despite what Nick was saying about being ‘perfectly fine’.  AJ just hoped that the tests would come out well and that Nick could go home, assured that he would be perfectly fine.

 

***

 

 

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