Chapter
22
By Julie
Kevin could
see the hospital looming below them when suddenly from the back of the
helicopter, he heard Melony cry out, "He stopped breathing, bag him!"
Kevin leapt up
and darted to the back before Aaron or David could pull him back. It was Nick
they were bagging. His heart sank. Nick looked an ashy gray color, and his
chest wasn't rising.
Just then, a
hand rested gently on his shoulder. Kevin turned and saw Aaron behind him.
Aaron led him back to his seat in the front, where they all prepared to land on
the hospital roof.
A few minutes
later, they had landed, and a group of doctors and nurses came running out.
Everyone sprang into action. David and Aaron helped Kevin out of the
helicopter. Kathryn and Melony unloaded Brian and Nick and helped the doctors
and nurses wheel them inside. David climbed back into the helicopter to wait
while Aaron led Kevin into the Emergency Room. Once inside, he led him to a
small room with a TV, two couches, a couple of vending machines, and a coffee
maker. The room was empty except for two men sitting on the couches, wrapped in
blankets. When Kevin realized who they were, he grinned widely and ran towards
them.
"Kev!"
Howie cried, hugging Kevin tightly. AJ did the same.
"I'm so
glad you guys are okay," Kevin said, tears of relief streaming down his
face. "We all worried so much about you two."
Howie and AJ
exchanged glances. "Well, we had a few minor problems, but we're
okay," AJ said. "But enough about us. How are the other two?"
Kevin sighed.
"Nick has a really bad case of pneumonia. He has had three seizures, and
he just stopped breathing in the helicopter on the way here."
Howie and AJ's
eyes widened. "Oh my God," Howie whispered. "I knew he wasn't
feeling well when we left, but I never thought he could get that sick. Kevin
nodded sadly.
"How is
Brian?" AJ asked.
"Brian
isn't doing so well either," Kevin admitted. "He has internal
bleeding, and he keeps throwing up blood. He hasn't eaten barely anything the
whole time because he can't keep anything down. He was unconscious the whole
way here."
Howie and AJ
looked about ready to cry. Howie actually did let a few tears spill down his
cheeks, while AJ bravely held his back.
Just then, a
nurse entered the room. She looked at the three of them. "How would you
three like to take showers and change into something else?" she asked.
The three of
them nodded eagerly. Neither of them had taken a shower for almost a week.
Kevin had been lucky enough to have been left with his suitcase, so he had been
able to change his clothes, but Howie and AJ were wearing the same clothes they
had had on when they left the plane.
"Okay,
come with me," she said kindly, leading them down a hall.
"What
about Brian and Nick?" Kevin asked.
"The
doctors are still working on them. Hopefully, they'll have something to tell
you when you get done taking showers," the nurse replied.
They nodded.
She led them into a sort of locker room type area with showers. Then she opened
a cabinet and took out three pairs of pale green scrubs.
"This is
all we have for you to change into except a hospital gown," she said,
grinning sheepishly at them.
AJ chuckled.
"That's okay, miss," he said. "Anything is better than these
nasty old things." He looked down at his wet, dirty clothes.
She laughed
and handed them each a pair of scrubs and a towel. Then she rummaged through
another cabinet and found some soap and shampoo, which she also handed to the
guys.
"You guys
take as long as you need and just go back to the lounge when you're done. Throw
your towels into that bin, and just leave the shampoo and soap in the shower.
Someone will come and take care of it later," the nurse told them. They
all nodded and watched as she left the room.
There was a
flimsy curtain to pull back that separated the shower area from the rest of the
room, but no other way to get privacy. Howie pulled the curtain across and
turned back to the guys.
Normally, they
would have felt weird taking showers all together, but today they all felt so
disgustingly dirty, that they didn't mind. They turned on the showers and
stripped their clothes off, tossing them into a pile.
About ten
minutes later, they changed into the baggy scrubs, feeling clean and refreshed.
On the way out of the room, AJ tossed his old clothed into a trash can.
"I never
want to wear these again," he replied.
"Neither
do I," Howie agreed, also throwing his clothes away.
Kevin's
clothes weren't as filthy and wet as theirs, but he never wanted to see his
clothes again either. Too many bad memories. So he disposed of his as well.
Then, the
three of them headed back to the lounge to wait for word on their two brothers.
***
