Chapter
15
“You ready to do this, man?” Brian asked, resting his hand lightly
on Nick’s shoulder.
Nick nodded, swallowing hard.
It was a week after Nick’s diagnosis, and it was time for the guys
to hold their press conference, explaining to the world that they were
canceling the rest of the tour and why.
“Okay, guys, let’s do this,” Kevin said. “Make it short, to the point.”
Brian nodded. “And Nick, if
you don’t want to answer something, you don’t have to. If you need to leave the room, go ahead.”
Nick didn’t respond.
Just then, one of their managers appeared. “You guys ready?” he asked. “They’re ready for you out there.”
The five guys exchanged glances, then focused on Nick. Nick took a deep breath and slowly
nodded.
“Okay then. Go on out,” the
manager said, nodding to Kevin to lead them out.
The five of them walked out quickly and took their seats at the
long table in the front of the conference room, which was filled with reporters
and other media icons.
“Ladies and gentleman, the Backstreet Boys!” someone said into a
microphone in the front of the room.
Kevin eyed the four others, then cleared his throat and began
speaking into his microphone. “We, the
Backstreet Boys, are here today to make an announcement. As you know, we’ve cancelled the past three
shows on our current tour. From this
point on, all remaining shows will be cancelled permanently. We apologize for the inconveniences this will
cause, but we assure you that all tickets will be refunded.”
Right away, most of the reporters in the audience stood, calling
the boys’ names, eager to get their questions answered.
Kevin pointed to a man in the second row to ask a question.
“So these concerts won’t be rescheduled?” he asked.
“No,” Kevin said. “We
aren’t able to reschedule any concerts at this time.”
Howie nodded to a woman in the front row to ask her question
next.
“I’m sure this is something we’re all wondering right now, but why
are you canceling the shows?” she asked.
“One of our members has been recently diagnosed with a medical
condition that will prevent him from further touring,” Howie said softly.
The crowd exploded with questions.
“Which one?”
“What’s wrong with him?”
Kevin raised his hand to silence them. “The member in question is Nick Carter,” he
said, motioning towards Nick, who sat at the very end of the table, next to
Brian.
“What’s his condition?” a man cried out.
AJ pulled his microphone closer and spoke into it. “Nick has cirrhosis of the liver,” he said.
“What’s that?”
“Is if life threatening?”
“What caused it?”
AJ continued on, “Recently, Nick suffered a reaction caused by a
mix between a certain medication and alcohol.
That’s what caused this condition.”
“How serious is it?”
“Cirrhosis is a condition that progressively reduces liver
function,” Howie said, as if he were speaking from a textbook. “There’s no real treatment for it, and it’s
fatal.”
Gasps echoed throughout the room.
“Mr. Carter, does this mean you’re dying?” someone asked.
Brian’s blue eyes narrowed icily at the man who had asked the
question.
Nick just cleared his throat softly and said shakily, “I... I need
a liver transplant. Without one, … I’ll
die.”
Once again, the crowd gasped.
“How long do you have without a transplant?” a woman asked.
“I… I’m not sure,” Nick stammered into the mic.
“Mr. Carter, how are you feeling right now?”
“Do you have a message for your fans?”
“Will the rest of the group continue on without you, or will they
spit up?”
“How are the rest of you dealing with this?”
Nick couldn’t deal with the flood of questions anymore. The walls of the room felt like they were
closing in on him, and he felt cold and numb.
He had to get out of there. With
one swift movement, he swept out of his seat and fled the room.
***
