*The Next Morning*
Brian looked out through the window of the hospital. All of the guys, and Leighanne had fallen asleep while they were waiting for word. Brian just couldn't seem to relax. He was so worried about AJ and so unsure about what to do at that point. Everything was blurry and didn't have an explaination. So many things had gone on after Leighanne came. Managers and people who arranged concert dates all came trying to find out what the guys were going to do. It was like none of them cared that someones life was hanging in the balance of everything.
AJ's mom hadn't come out all night so Brian assumed that there was no change. He was still laying in the bed, lifeless. Brian let out a long breath as he began to pace around the waiting room. How much longer could he do this? Waiting was driving him crazy. It didn't matter what happened any more, he just wanted to talk to him to see if he was okay. He was sure that the guys had felt the same way but for some reason her was taking it harder than anyone else had visually anyway. He then crossed his arms in front of his chest and continued walking. He looked out into the hallway and listened to the soft buzz that the people made as they all went by.
It was fasinating how everyone went on and didn't even stop to think about what was going on in that very building. They were in a place where not only people are born, but where they die. A place were one life ends and another begins. He continued to look down the hallway with the hope that something good would have happened with AJ by this time. Brian took in yet another deep breath as he looked at his watch which read 7AM. He knew that he wouldn't be able to relax before he heard something about AJ. Convincing himself that maybe that AJ's mom might want some company, he walked through the hallway until he reached AJ's room. Slowly he opened the door and looked inside. AJ's mom quickly turned her attention to see who was coming into the room.
"Morning Brian," She said softly.
"Hey, how've you been?" he asked completely walking into the room.
"Horrible. Look at my baby, he's lifeless. He's never been like that, you know? He should be waking up to get ready for your show.....," she said trailing off.
"I was feeling the samething. For as long as I've known him he's been out and about with always something to do. The doctors said that he was going to be alright."
"Nothing has changed all night. Not a damn thing. No doctor has come in here to even just to check up on him. God forbid that he passed on during the night."
"I'm sure they have their ways of knowing," he attepted to assure her.
"There's no way like being there."
"I agree with you. To tell you the truth, when I first got here, I was pissed off that it took a long time for a doctor to tell us anything. We just sat there wondering. Wondering if he was okay or even alive," Brian confessed.
"He is going to be alright isn't he?" she asked looking over at AJ, "I know I would die if my baby didn't make it."
"Don't worry, the doctor said that everything is alright. There wasn't as serious injury that they had expected."
"Then why hasn't he waken up yet?"
"They probably used something on him to keep him sleeping while he was in sergury so that he wouldn't wake up in the middle of it. It probably hasn't worn off yet," he said hopingly convincing her and himself.
"You're probably right," she said softly not taking her eyes off of AJ, "So, how long have you been up?"
"All night. I couldn't sleep at all. Nick, and the other guys eventually fell out, I just couldn't seem to do it. How 'bout you?"
"I didn't sleep a wink. I wanted to be awake when he woke up so that I can tell him just how much I love him."
"I'm sure he knows that and he feels the same way about you," he told her.
"I don't doubt that but I want him to be able to talk to me again," she said.
"He will, when he wakes up." She looked back over at AJ. She hoped that he knew that she was there for him. Not only that but she hoped that he knew that the guys were there for him too and that they stuck with him through the whole night. Brian sighed as he turned to leave, she made no attempt to stop him.
He headed back to the waiting room where he hoped that one of the guys had awaken up so that he would have someone to talk to. Brian took in what seemed to be like the millionth deep breath when he saw that no one was awake. He wasn't too surprised that no one was awake. Last night had been a stressful one for all of them. Brian walked over to the window and looked out into the world that seemed to be filled with a strange peace. New York City had never been the most quiet place in the world and that didn't change, but he watched as people continued to go to where they needed to be.
"Brian," Nick said snaping Brian out of the trance that he had fallen into.
"Huh, yeah?" he said qucikly turning to look at Nick.
"Did you stay up all night," he asked looking at Brian.
"Yeah, why?"
"I can tell. You look beat man. Why don't you get some sleep, you need it. You'll feel a lot better trust me."
"Yeah but I just can't sleep. I just keep thinking about everything."
"Bri, I know it's tough, and I know this is getting to you but you need some sleep. Why don't you at least just relax and I promise I'll wake you up if anything happens," Nick said almost pleading with him.
"No that's okay, I don't think I would be able to sleep anyway."
"You sure about that?" Nick asked, "I thought the samething but I eventually feel asleep and trust me, I feel a hell of a lot better."
"I just have way too much on my mind to sleep," Brian explained, hoping that Nick would leave him alone.
"Alright, it's your call man. I'm just tryin' to look out for you."
"Yeah, I know," he said rubbing his head. Brian turned to look back out of the window, "It's just I can't believe all of this. With all the security that we have, you would think that we'd be safe."
"Brian, relax," Nick said noticing that he was beginning to become upset, "we're just going to have to get tighter security. This won't happen again."
"What if he doesn't remember anything?"
"What do you mean?" Nick asked confussed.
"I mean what if he gets amnesia or something? He won't remember who any of us are or even who he is. What are we going to do if that's what happens?"
"The doctor said he was gonna be alright. If that were possible, they would have told us so that we can prepare for the worst. Bri, he's gonna be fine, you just have to believe that."
"I'll believe that when I'm talking to him," he snapped.
"Alright fine, but don't take all of this out on me. I have nothing to do with this," Nick said storming out of the waiting room.
"Way to go," Brian said to himself, "piss everyone off."
"Who you talking to?" Howie asked.
"No one, I was just talking to myself," he answered.
"Oh, where's Nicky?" Howie asked taking into notice that Nick was no longer in sight.
"I don't know, he just took off."
"Why? What happened?"
"I said some stuff that I shouldn't have. I took my anger out on him," Brian explained, "I shouldn't have, but I did."
"That's not like you Brian. I've never seen you act like that. What's gotten into you?"
"Nothing, I'm just so angry. Helpless."
"Brian....," Howie began but was interupted.
"Guys," Nick said, "he's awake."
"He is?" Brian said, "I'm gonna go talk to him."
"Wait, lets get Kevin," Nick told him.
"You guys get him, I'll meet you in there," Brian answered and headed off towards AJ's room.
"Hey, B-rok," AJ said when Brian came into his view.
"Hey man, how are you?" Brian asked.
"I have a hell of a headach, but other than that, I'm alright," he joked.
"I'm so gald that you're alright," Brian told him.
"So where'd Nick go?" AJ asked.
"He and Howie are waking Kevin up, they should be right here," Brian answered.
"You guys spent the night here?"
"Yeah, none of us could leave. We wanted to make sure that you were alright."
"Thanks Rok, that means a lot. How you feeling? You look like shit."
"I feel like it. I was up all night. I just couldn't get myself to fall asleep," he told AJ.
"Well rest easy my friend, I'm alright."
"It's not that easy. You were my main concern, now what about the person who did this? What if they come back. Speaking of that, did you get a look at the guy?"
"No I didn't," he said as the other guys came in.
"Didn't what?" Howie asked.
"See the person who did this to me."
"You didn't?" Nick asked, "So what happened?"
"Well, when I was going to sleep, I heard something at the door and I wanted to see what it was. When I got to the door, I went outside to see if anyone was out there. I walked down the hall and didn't see anyone and I just figured that it was a fan that changed their mind so I headed back to my room. That's when I felt something hit me in the back of my head and that's all I remember," AJ told him.
"You should have called security," Brian told him.
"For what I thought was a fan? I figured all they wanted was an autograph or a picture why be like that? How was I supposed to know that this was going to happen? Besides, we've all had fans show up at our down and we've never turned them away, what was different about this time?"
"This time it wasn't a fan," Brian answered seriously, "this happened."
"Brian, chill," AJ said, "it's over. I'm sure it's not going to happen again. Things will change and we'll be safe. I'll be out of the hospital soon, at least I think I will."
"How am I supposed to 'chill'? This never should have happened!! There should have been someone there to stop this!" Brian yelled.
"Brian relax," Kevin yelled, "what are we going to do now? There isn't anything to do but prevent it from happening again. So just get over it." Brian looked at him and left the room. Nick ran to go talk to him but Howie grabbed him.
"Leave him," Howie said, "I think he just has to let it get through to him and he'll be fine."
"He's my best friend man I can't just leave him like that," Nick protested.
"Nick," Kevin said sternly, "just leave him alone."
"Fine," Nick said after a few moments of hesitation.
Chapter 3