| Chapter 39: Sick in Sweden They were all on the plane heading for Sweden. The guys flew the plane to LaGuardia to pick up the girls. It was nighttime, and Alex was sitting with Lauralee. He was going over some lyrics and Lauralee was looking out the window, her eyes drooping. “You OK babe?” Alex looked up from his lyrics. “Yeah, I just can’t shake this exhaustion is all.” “You’ll be OK when we get there,” Alex squeezed her hand. “I hope so.” They landed in Sweden that night where a van was waiting at the runway and took them to their hotel. They got to their room where Lauralee put her bag down and flopped on the bed. “Whew, I’m so tired!” “Come on! I want to go to this club tonight, everyone is going,” Alex lay down next to her. “I think getting out will wake you up.” Lauralee looked at his pleading face. “OK, you talked me into it.” She got up and headed to the shower. “We could save water if we went in at the same time you know.” “Why not save the Swedish water for everyone else?” He followed her into the bathroom. ~*~ The girls sat in the back of the recording studio the next morning, all nursing hangovers from the special Swedish drinks the boys got for them. They were looking over song lyrics while the girls were crashed on the couches. Lauralee was especially tired, sleeping all the way to the studio and as soon as she got there. She woke up groggily to the shaking of Alex. “Babe?” “Huh?” “We’re gonna start now, thought you would like to hear it.” “OK,” she got up and went to the board with Alex. “Think you got it?” Max Martin said to Alex. “Yup,” he kissed Lauralee’s cheek. “Be right back.” He headed to the booth and put his headphones on. The girls joined Lauralee and the rest of the guys standing there and watching Alex start the song. Lauralee was feeling more and more dizzy as the time went on. Her head was getting more and more cloudy. She had to lean on the board to steady herself. “Lau?” Veronica noticed her pale face “I’m…” Lauralee’s vision went black as she hit the floor. ~*~ Lauralee woke up to the sound of beeping. Her eyes became focused and looked around in what seemed like a hospital room. She lifted her hands and noticed needles in them and felt a tube in her nostrils. She noticed Alex asleep in the chair next to the bed, his head lying on the bed with his hand on her stomach. Lauralee stirred slightly as Alex woke with a start. He turned to her. “Hey sleepyhead.” He sat up, leaned next to her and stroked her cheek. Her throat felt like sandpaper. “Water,” was all she could mutter. She looked at Alex as he got up; he looked like he hadn’t shaved in days. What happened here… she thought as Alex brought her a glass of water and a straw. “Sip it,” Alex instructed. She lifted her head and sipped the water as it burned its way down her throat. “Better?” He sat back down next to her. “What’s going on here?” She tried to lift her head, but it seemed to weigh as much as a bowling ball as she quickly put her head back down. He was going to say something, when a doctor entered the room. “I see that you’re up.” He went to her bedside. “You had us in quite a scare.” “You’re American?” Lauralee whispered. He nodded. “It’s nice to have American patients once in a while. I get to see what’s happening on the other side of the Atlantic. I’m Dr. Rosalind.” “What happened?” “You collapsed baby, remember? In the studio?” Alex took her hand as Lauralee nodded. “Your friends told me you have been feeling tired for a couple of weeks correct?” Dr. Rosalind asked. Lauralee nodded as Dr. Rosalind took a seat. “You were brought here by ambulance, and it’s good that they did. You have pneumonia.” “Pneumonia? How?” Lauralee looked bewildered. “It’s not contagious. These things just happen. We did a x-ray, and it’s in both lungs. You’ve been unconscious for 2 days.” Lauralee looked scared as the doctor explained her condition. “Does my mother know?” Alex nodded. “I called her.” “She’s not flying out right?” “I told her that we were taking care of you, and she figured that you would object. I volunteered to fly her out.” She shook her head. “It’s better she doesn’t come.” Dr. Rosalind got out of his seat. “Well, looks like you’ll be in here for at least another week. We’re giving you some antibiotics and you were dehydrated, so I want you drinking plenty of fluids. But all I want from you is rest.” He looked at his watch. “I have to see some patients. I just want you to rest and drink, drink, drink.” “Thank you,” Alex shook his hand as Dr. Rosalind left. He put the straw to her lips. “You heard the man, drink up,” he pushed the button so the upper part of the bed was raised. “You’ve been here the whole time?” She took another sip of water. He sat on the bed and put his hand on either side of her. “Think I would be anywhere else? Everyone else has been camping out in the waiting room. We’ve turned it into a mini hotel.” Lauralee’s eyes welled up with tears. “I’m sorry, I should’ve…” “Don’t blame yourself. You didn’t know this was happening. I shouldn’t have pushed you like I did.” “No, you didn’t know either. I’m just glad you’re here.” Lauralee raised her hand to Alex’s face. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else. So, feel like any company? There’s a whole entourage waiting for ya outside.” “In a minute,” Lauralee whispered. “He said I’m not contagious right?” “Right.” “Good,” she brought his face to her and kissed him gently. “I’ve been waiting for that for 2 days,” he rested his head on her chest. A few minutes later, they heard a soft knock on the door. Laura peeked her head inside. “Anyone home?” “Come in,” Lauralee said as Laura, Kevin, Elizabeth, Brian, Veronica, Howie and Nick all filed in. “We snuck in… they only allow 2 visitors at a time in here,” Kevin and the others gathered around Lauralee’s bed. “Yeah, but since when do we follow the rules,” Laura leaned into Lauralee’s cheek and kissed it. “We were so worried about you.” “I think I’ve got permanent creases in my butt from those couches in the waiting room,” Brian goofed. “Aw want me to kiss it for you?” Elizabeth patted Brian’s behind. “Anytime,” Brian kissed Elizabeth’s forehead as the other’s laughed. “Feels good to laugh again,” Howie patted Veronica’s back. “You guys really stayed here the whole time?” Lauralee looked at the nodding faces before her. “Think we would leave? Besides, someone had to keep the nurses on their toes to make sure you were taken care of,” Nick joked. “Do I have to give Bianca any bad reports about you Nickolas?” Lauralee pointed a finger at him. Nick lifted his hands up. “I swear nothing happened. By the way, I just called her and she says to feel better soon and she misses ya.” Lauralee nodded. “Now I have just one request for y’all.” “And that is?” Elizabeth smiled. “Will you please get out of here? You’ve been in here for 2 days. Go get some fresh air, get a couple of drinks. Besides, you guys have a song to finish.” “Lau…” Howie began to protest. “Listen,” Lauralee interrupted. “I’m gonna be in here for a week and I need the rest. Go do what you have to do, or else I’ll bug the hell out of y’all until you’ll have to leave. And,” she looked at Alex. “You get out too.” Alex shook his head. “Nope, not leaving.” “Then at least go back to the room and take a shower. I can take a nap while you’re gone.” Alex started to say something, when Laura touched his shoulder. “She’ll bug your ass until you leave. Believe me I know.” “OK, but only for an hour,” he kissed Lauralee’s forehead. “I’ll be back.” The others left, dragging Alex with them, leaving Lauralee to rest. She felt her eyes shutting as they closed the door behind them. ~*~ Lauralee woke up later to the sight of Alex leafing through a magazine. He was freshly shaved and had on a new pair of clothes. “Hey,” she started to sit up a little. “I was waiting for you to get up,” Alex put the magazine down and got her some more water. “Here.” “Thanks,” Lauralee took the water and drank it. “You look better.” “I feel better. I guess company made me feel good. Did the others get out?” “Laura dragged them to this bar she heard about from one of the nurses.” “I figured she would comply with me. She’s just as stubborn as I am.” Alex leaned on the bed. “I was so scared that you were going to leave me.” “Oh, I’m not going anywhere for a long time,” Lauralee laughed. “Um, there’s one thing I wanted to talk to you about though.” “Sure,” he got her another glass of water. She took a big gulp of the water. “When I was so tired, I thought something else was wrong with me.” “What else could you think it was?” “I thought I was… pregnant.” Alex stared wide-eyed. “Whoa… you did?” “I even got a home pregnancy test. Veronica caught me with it in my room, and I took it.” “Um…” “I didn’t want to scare you until I thought I had an answer. I didn’t want you freaking out.” “I wish you told me when you were going through it,” Alex looked down. “Look at me,” Lauralee lifted Alex face. “The last thing I wanted you to do was think the worst situation. I felt that if I weren’t, you wouldn’t have to worry about it. I know you too well; you would have flown here and panicked.” “But that’s not it. I was part of this too. I could’ve been there for you, holding your hand, something.” “So, are you mad?” “No, I’m not. I’m glad Veronica was there with you.” “It made me think of what our kids would be like.” “Hmm,” Alex scratched his chin. “The only kids with body piercings in kindergarten.” Lauralee laughed. “And tattoos.” “Nope, the tattoos wouldn’t be there until junior high. I got to have some discipline y’know.” Lauralee laughed some more, until a coughing fit proceeded. She took a drink of water. Alex started to say something when Lauralee held her hand up. “I’m OK.” “But I do know they would have your heart, and your sensitivity. They wouldn’t be people who would go off on someone.” “It was kind of fun thinking about it, not that I want kids now or anything.” “It was.” Alex’s eyes softened. “Hey I did bring you something.” He went to a duffel bag, took something out and gave it to her. “Luckily there was a video store next door.” Lauralee took the movie. “The Wedding Singer!” “I thought you’d get a kick out of it.” “I got an idea,” Lauralee tried to sit up and move over. “Come on,” she motioned for him to come on the bed. “Are you kidding?” “You can fit. Besides it doesn’t hurt.” Alex put the tape into the VCR and carefully laid next to Lauralee, where they spooned each other. They both fell asleep to Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Chapter 40 Contents Chapter 38 |