Chapter
5
After he got off the phone with Denise, Brian decided to call Nick.
Nick answered on the fourth ring.
"Hi, Nick," Brian said. "It's me."
"Hey, Frick! What's up?" Nick asked, glad to hear from his
best friend.
"I've got something to tell you," Brian said, taking a deep
breath. He was determined not to lose it in front of Nick.
"What?" Nick asked.
Brian decided to get it over quickly. "I have cancer, Nick,"
he said softly.
"What?!" Nick cried. "No way! Stop it, Bri. That's not
funny."
"It's not supposed to be."
"What?" Nick gasped in disbelief. "You're
serious!?"
"Uh-huh," Brian said.
"Oh God," Nick murmured. "How could this have happened?
You were fine just a couple weeks ago when I last saw you."
"I don't know. I've been having symptoms for a few weeks now, but
it never seemed too serious. I went to my doctor a few days ago, and I just
found out this morning."
"Oh my God," Nick said again. "Where are you? In Orlando
still?"
"Yeah," Brian replied. "I'm at Orlando General."
"Look, I'm in Tampa right now. I can be there in a few
hours."
"Okay," Brian said.
"Hang in there, man. I'll be there as soon as I can," Nick
said.
"Alright, Frack. I'll see ya later." They hung up, and Brian
picked up the phone one last time to call Leighanne.
She, too, was shocked when he told her and began sobbing over the
phone, just like his mother had. She wanted to grab the next flight to Orlando,
but Brian knew she would be in big trouble with her director if she just walked
off the movie set, so he insisted that he was fine, and that she should stay in
L.A. They argued about it, but Brian finally won.
They talked for a while longer, just happy to hear each other's voices,
but finally, Leighanne had to go. She felt horrible about not being able to be
with Brian, but he told her that he knew it was her dream to be a great
actress, and that she needed this job. Leighanne knew this also, and she knew
that her director would never let her leave and go to him. He'd fire her if she
did.
***
