CHAPTER NINETY-SEVEN – TIME’S RUNNING OUT
Xavier stared grimly in front of him, weaving recklessly in and out of highway traffic, ignoring the annoyed honks of motorists as he sped through on his way to the border. He checked his watch and frowned, noting the time. It would be a close call as to whether he made it across, the border patrol not allowing any motor vehicle passage after 1:00 A.M. Flinching a little as he bumped his left arm against the small confines of the truck's cab, he swore vehemently, then swore again as his jaw spasmed in painful protest to the movement. Delicately tracing the hinge of his jaw line with his fingertips, he explored, examined. Yep. Cracked, if not downright broken. He berated himself for his careless move; he knew better than to crouch over an adversary, exposing his neck and face like that. Brian knew it; hell he had taught him that move! A grudging respect at Brian's cleverness surged through him, slowly turning into bitterness as he contemplated on the sudden turn of events. Feeling himself burn with resentment, he gripped the wheel, angry at how close he had come to having everything, everything.
And now it was gone, vanished, over. The game had ended, not with a bang, but with a whimper. Drumming his fingers lightly on the steering wheel, he thought about his lost opportunity for success, for wealth, for Brian. In pain and in a panic he had fled the accident, only wanting to escape. Now he felt a twinge of remorse at not taking the time to locate Brian. Was he alive? Was he dead? The frustration of not knowing gnawed at him and he crossly shoved his feelings aside, angered at his distress, his worry, his desire for the young Backstreet Boy. He sighed heavily. Well, there was nothing he could do now. Nothing.
Xavier's eyes caught the small glowing light of a cell phone, wedged into the crux of the passenger seat along with a pack of cigarettes. Reaching over carefully, he picked it up, wincing as he made his injured left hand steer the small truck. Grazing his thumb over the keypad gently, Xavier drove on, thinking, wondering. There would be nothing he'd enjoy more than to see tomorrow's paper declaring the deaths of Nick, Howie, Kevin, and especially that asshole, AJ. But along with that announcement would surely come the notice that Brian was dead too. If he wasn't already. If. He swore inwardly, maddened that someone could have so much sway over him. He tap, tap, tapped the cell phone against the dashboard for a moment, irritated, completely at odds with himself. He began to punch a number, cursed himself for his weakness and hit the end button, canceling the call. Closing his eyes for a second, Brian’s face came into view and he wavered, his fingers gripping the base of the phone tightly. Maybe the game wasn’t over. Maybe, just maybe it could continue, could begin again. Sure, the rules would have to be different, but the player would be the same… His mind screamed against the danger in it, the madness, but for the moment he didn’t care, his desire for success, for Brian overpowering any logic. Punching the pad again, Xavier brought the phone up gingerly to his face, waiting for the call to go through, half-scared it would, half-scared it wouldn't. Hearing the click of directory assistance, Xavier checked a freeway mileage marker, made a mental note, and then proceeded to give instructions to the emergency operator.
* * * * * * * * *
The bus was immense, huge, beyond mammoth, and Matt gamely scrambled after AJ, figuring the young man knew more about the location of his friends than he did. He was shook up a little at the knowledge that there were more; he had just assumed by visual inspection that Nick and AJ were the only ones on board. Hearing AJ's excited yell and furious grunts, Matt found himself crouched next to AJ, assisting him in lifting a heavy object off the floor.
"Howie!" inhaled AJ sharply, desperately flinging off other odds and ends as fast as he could.
"AJ!" shouted Nick, his voice pitched high in fear, "what’s going on? Did you find Howie?"
"Yeah! He's unconscious!"
"Oh, God!" filtered Nick's voice from the back. "Help him!"
"I'm trying!" yelled AJ. He glanced worriedly at Matt. "What do we do?"
Matt ignored AJ's frantic question, bending down to push the long hair away from Howie's neck. Snaking two fingers, Matt sought for the artery in his neck, seeking a pulse. Nodding happily, Matt pulled his hand away. "He's alive. How bad he's injured, I don't know. The interior lights of the bus flickered then dimmed a bit and Matt glanced up in dismay. Meeting AJ's worried look, Matt frowned. "Your generator is running low. I don't know how much time we have left before the lights go out."
AJ chose not to acknowledge that bit of information, choosing instead to concentrate on Howie. He repeated his question to Matt, the desperation in his voice more evident.
"What do we do?"
Matt closed his eyes for a moment in frustration. Think! he screamed to himself. Think!
He snapped his eyes open when he felt AJ’s anxious hand on his shoulder. "Okay, okay," Matt said, racking his brain, trying to remember, trying to visualize. Why hadn’t he listened to his Dad more?
He glanced at Howie’s unconscious form. Unconscious. Any unconscious person who remains on his or her back is at risk of inhaling vomit or having the airway blocked by a relaxed tongue. Matt started. Where the hell had that come from? Grateful that some of his dad’s teachings had sunk through, Matt reached over to touch Howie.
"Help me turn him," grunted Matt, signaling to AJ. "We gotta put him on his side."
"But what if he’s injured bad?" questioned AJ.
"It won’t matter if he dies from aspiration from lying on his back!" argued Matt heatedly. "Just do it!"
Both men crouched around Howie, Matt instructing AJ how to hold Howie’s head and neck, warning him to support it with extreme care. "Ready?" AJ nodded. "Okay, one, two, three!" Using their combined strength they pushed to roll Howie over. "That’s it, that’s it," encouraged Matt. "Yes! Keep his head down, yeah, like that, and tilt, here let me do it. See? Tilting his head this way will cause any vomit to spill out and not down his airway. Okay? Good."
Confident that Howie was not going to right himself, Matt motioned to AJ. "Can you see any visible injures?" he questioned. "Come on, help me look."
With trembling fingers AJ poked and prodded gently, shaking his head. "I don’t see anything. Shit! I’m not a doctor! What if…"
AJ’s fearful reply was interrupted by one of Nick’s. "AJ! What’s happening! What’s going on? Can you see Brian or Kevin?"
"Nick! Hold on! Howie’s still out, but Matt and I don’t see any injuries…" The lights flickered once, twice more, then remained steady.
"Fuck!" swore AJ, breathing heavily as he glanced wild-eyed at Matt. "We gotta hurry. There’s no telling how long we have left…"
Matt nodded his agreement, wiping the nervous sweat from his brow. "Zac!" he yelled out, turning to crane his neck. "It’s going to be hell in here if the lights go! See if you can help Nick out through the back window! If you can, come back and help us, okay?"
Zac shouted back a faint okay, already struggling to help Nick up from his sitting position. Matt turned back to face AJ. "How are you? Doing okay?" he eyed AJ up and down critically.
"I’m fine, forget me," hissed AJ, his eyes glittering with determination. "Let’s find Kevin and Brian." AJ began to crawl forward, Matt not far behind as they both kicked and pushed away the scattered and broken remains that blocked their way.
"Who are we looking for?" asked Matt, scanning the interior restlessly.
"Kevin, Brian. Brian is small, blonde; Kevin is tall, dark."
"I think I found Kevin," breathed Matt.
AJ edged quickly over as Matt scooted frantically backwards, recoiling from the dark-haired man who was lying sideways, curled up. Eyeing Matt with surprise, AJ suddenly understood when he saw Matt raise his hand. It was covered in blood.
CHAPTER NINETY-EIGHT - TIME'S UP
AJ shoved Matt roughly aside, not caring about anything but getting to Kevin quickly. He knelt down as best he could, sliding a hand in to check for a pulse. It was weak but steady and AJ breathed a sigh of relief, nodding at Matt that Kevin was alive. With a grimace, Matt stared at his hand for moment before hurriedly wiping the blood off onto his pants leg, the shock of contact fading as he bent next to AJ to examine the fallen man.
In the increasingly dimming light, Matt pointed to Kevin's right leg, indicating the injury.
"AJ, I've got to cut off his pant leg, see how much damage is done," explained Matt.
"How?" asked AJ, frowning at the dark denim jeans Kevin wore. "I don't know where any scissors are."
With a flourish, Matt whipped out a small Swiss Army knife from his pants pocket, grinning in the darkening glow. "A good boy scout always comes prepared."
AJ snorted and smiled thinly. "Wouldn't know. I'm never good."
Matt smiled back, motioning with his hand for AJ to come closer. "Your friend here is bleeding pretty good. It looks deep but I can't be sure. I need you to find some kind of dressing, anything clean, that I can apply for pressure. Okay?"
AJ took off like a shot, scrambling through the various articles strewn about until he located a plain white t-shirt. "This okay?" he panted, holding it up for inspection.
"Perfect, great."
AJ hurried back, handing over the shirt and chewed on his lower lip in alarm as he viewed Kevin's twisted body.
"AJ!"
Startled, AJ looked at Matt.
"Come on, I need your help. It's not going to be nice. Are you up for it?" Matt's eyes questioned AJ commandingly.
"Yeah, sure." The tone was firm, his voice steady and Matt nodded in approval.
"Okay. I need you to apply pressure, directly over the wound." He guided AJ's hands, making sure they bore down on the injury. "Yeah, that's right, we've got to staunch this flow of blood. He's lost a lot already." Matt glanced at AJ for a second before beginning the delicate task of tearing open Kevin’s pant leg. Taking a deep breath, AJ watched as Matt began cutting, trying not to pay attention to the blood that was oozing between his fingers. Feeling his grip become slippery, AJ pressed down harder. "You see, I'm looking to see how bad it is, how to treat it," spelled out Matt in a soothing tone, feeling AJ's uneasiness. "I need to know….ahh!" Matt stopped his explanation as he threw the bloodied scrap to the side. "Okay, AJ, I want to release your grip for a second so I can get a good look. Ready? Now!"
AJ pulled his hands away as Matt peered closely. "It's a puncture wound. Something must have pierced him good. Look."
AJ really didn't want to but did as he was told. He saw Matt pointing to the perforated injury, watched as Matt gently checked the wound for any foreign matter.
Grabbing the t-shirt, Matt ripped into three pieces, taking one of the shredded pieces and wrapping it into a small, tight ring. Gently placing it over the puncture wound, he took the other strip and wound it over the ring and around Kevin's thigh, stabilizing it. With the last piece he rolled up the cloth up tightly, placing it on top of the puncture and grabbed AJ's hand, forcing him to apply pressure.
"There, that should help."
AJ heard the slight shakiness in Matt's voice and gave him an encouraging smile. "That was awesome. Where'd you learn that?"
Matt shook his head. "Didn't. My dad's a surgeon though, so I guess through osmosis because I sure as hell never listen to anything he says!"
AJ gave a short, sharp laugh. "Yeah." He eyed Kevin's unconscious form. "Okay, now what?"
"Same thing as Howie. Side position. Then we need to elevate his leg."
AJ reached over to support Kevin's head and neck, ready for Matt’s count when he felt a weak hand reach out to touch him.
"AJ."
Startled, AJ almost lost his hold when he saw Kevin's green eyes open wide, glittering in pain. "AJ, it hurts," he whispered. "Help me, make it stop."
"Kev, Kev, I know. I know it hurts. Hang in there. We've got the bleeding almost stopped. We tipped over, the bus crashed. Do you remember?"
It was too much to absorb all at once and Kevin closed his eyes, gasping as he involuntarily shifted his weight to make himself more comfortable.
"Don't move, don't move!" barked Matt and Kevin squeezed his eyes open at the strange voice.
"Who are you?" he asked faintly.
AJ cut in. "Kevin, this is Matt. He and his friend Zac found us, they’re helping us."
Kevin nodded, trying to bite back the pain. "Tell me, who’s hurt?"
AJ leaned closer. "Nick’s hurt but I think he'll be okay. Zac managed to get him out of the bus. Howie is unconscious." AJ felt Kevin's grip around his fingers, revealing his alarm. "We can't find any injures, yet."
"Brian."
AJ threw a nervous look towards the unexplored front bus and then at Matt. Matt shook his head slightly, in warning.
"Uh, Brian…well, Brian…" he began and stopped as he noticed Kevin's rapid, shallow breathing. "What, what is it?" hissed AJ, watching Matt's fingers wind around Kevin's wrist.
"He's going into shock," stated Matt, leaning over Kevin to look at him square in the eye.
"Kevin, Kevin, you're going into shock. I need you to lie down, lie down, yes that's it. AJ! Elevate Kevin's leg, somehow, with anything you can find!" Keeping his eyes trained on Kevin's he spoke calmly, assuringly. "Kevin, I want you to fight this, okay? Come on, talk to me. Keep your attention on me, that's it." Matt turned his eyes for only a second to see AJ gently placing a ragged duffel bag under Kevin's injured leg. Feeling a jacket brush against his shoulder, Matt accepted the covering gratefully, laying it over Kevin. "Okay, thanks. You're doing good Kevin. Talk to me, talk to me, man."
"What about?" grimaced the dark-haired man. "I'm thirsty."
"Yeah, that's to be expected. You lost fluid." Matt turned to AJ. "Go find something, water, juice, anything."
What about Brian? AJ mouthed, worried.
"Not now," Matt said firmly. "Go find some water. Hurry!" Matt's urgency made AJ forget as he rushed to locate the bus's small refrigerator. He found it easily, the contents of the small fridge still intact. Grabbing a couple of bottled waters, AJ scrambled back to the two.
"Here," he offered, twisting off the tops quickly. Matt grabbed one, carefully slipping a hand around Kevin's neck to support him and let Kevin sip, mindful not to let him gulp the water. Matt could see AJ's nervous agitation as he crouched next to them, his eyes darting repeatedly towards the front section of the bus.
Matt gave him a quick nod. "Go," he said simply and AJ left.
"Go? Go where?" asked Kevin dazedly, struggling to sit up.
"Not you! AJ. He's gotta, uh, do something. Hey, lay back down. Talk to me. Don't close your eyes okay, Kevin? Okay?" Panicked, Matt shook Kevin a little more forcefully than he should when he saw the large man's eyes flutter wildly.
"Skay," slurred Kevin. "Where's AJ? Where's Brian?"
Matt glanced up worriedly, trying to pinpoint AJ from where he knelt. The bus's interior air was stifling, oppressive and he wiped his brow hurriedly. "AJ?" he yelled out, "how’s it going?" He tried to keep the anxiety out of his voice as he waited for AJ to reply, smiling with fake confidence at Kevin.
"AJ?"
Matt heard the grunts as AJ strained to lift objects aside, ignoring Matt's query as he struggled to locate Brian. Matt gave Kevin another fake smile, keeping his ears trained on AJ, his sight on the injured man before him. "AJ must be pretty busy. So, who's Brian?" He tried to make the conversation light, troubled by Kevin's pale complexion.
"Brian." Kevin closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating. "Brian's my cousin."
Matt nodded, not really listening, his hearing zoned in on AJ. "That's nice," he murmured. "You guys sure have a huge-ass bus."
"It's for the tour."
Kevin coughed and Matt immediately reached over with one hand to touch Kevin's forehead. It was cool and clammy. Frowning, Matt glanced at the back end of the bus. Where the hell was Zac? He shifted uncomfortably, his knees beginning to ache as he knelt next to Kevin, wondering how AJ was doing, glancing back apprehensively at the still unconscious form of Howie.
"Tour," he repeated. "You guys all on vacation?"
Kevin gave a small bark of a laugh. "I wish." He cringed as a spasm of pain flowed up and down his leg and Matt instantly checked it. Blood was still seeping through, but not as much.
"Take it easy, come on, yeah, you're gonna be okay, Kevin."
Kevin seemed to sense the hesitancy in Matt's voice and knitted his brows in distress.
"How bad is it?" he asked his voice amazingly calm, his green eyes displaying the turmoil within.
"Do you have a cell phone?" Matt bypassed the question with one of his own. Knowing that no amount of hand-holding and waiting patiently was going to get them the medical attention needed, he decided to throw caution to the wind. "Ours got stolen, and we are out in the middle of nowhere." He looked hopefully at Kevin, also praying that the reason Zac was so late getting back was that he was trying to flag down a passing car.
Kevin waved a weak hand. "Yeah, I’ve got one, I think. Yeah, in my bag." Another tremor of pain rippled through him and he gasped, gritting his teeth.
"Where does it hurt?" asked Matt, now knowing that Kevin was injured somewhere else.
"My ribs," replied Kevin softly. "It feels like they’re broken. It hurts to breathe…"
With a concerned nod, Matt lightly touched Kevin's ribcage, exploring, his fingers pulling back in surprise when he heard AJ shout.
"I found him! Matt, I found Brian!"
* * * * * * * * *
Obediently waiting for him after receiving Xavier's urgent phone call, Abe sauntered over to the truck window, peering through.
"Man, you look like shit. What happened?" he chuckled, scrutinizing him with a humorous eye.
"Shut up and get in," growled Xavier, "we gotta hurry." He waited impatiently for Abe to settle in, revving up the little engine. Tearing out of the run-down gas station, Xavier stomped on the gas, pushing the small truck's ability to the limit.
"Damn, slow down a little, will ya? You're going to get us killed, driving like that!"
Xavier swiped a peek at the time, his mouth compressed into a thin line. It would be close. No way did he want to cross the border on foot. Sparing a quick glance at Abe, he frowned sourly. "You got them?"
Abe held up the small bottle of painkillers and Xavier took four on the spot, swallowing them whole, all the while driving like a maniac.
* * * * * * * * * *
Matt jumped up, excited and fearful. He glanced worriedly at Kevin, wondering what to do as he heard AJ’s cry to come help Brian.
* * * * * * * * * *
Against the light sprinkling of rain, Zac squinted as he helped Nick try to find a comfortable place to lean against the bus. Nick gave a low moan as he rested against the steel side, his body shaking from pain. Zac looked at Nick, uncertain, questioning whether to stay with him, go back and help Matt, or climb up the side to try and get help.
He squatted down on his heels, grabbing Nick's attention. "Hey, hey! Nick! How ya doing?" Zac chewed on his lower lip, deciding on a course of action. "I'm going to climb up, Nick!" he said, pointing towards the highway. "We need help. Think you'll be all right?" The young blonde man gave no reply. Zac ran a hand through his hair, worried. "Nick! Did you hear me? I'm going…"
"Go!" shouted Nick, his eyes ablaze with agony. "Go!"
"You sure?" asked Zac, hesitant.
"Go!" cried Nick once more. "Yes, get help! I'll make it, just go!"
Zac was off like a shot, tripping, clambering up the embankment and disappeared over the edge just as Nick let out a scream of pain and curled up into a tight ball.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Taking a calculated risk, Matt left Kevin, scurrying over as fast as he could to AJ. He located AJ at the very front of the bus, crouched down. Matt came up from behind him and gasped involuntarily, turning away at the sickening sight before him.
'No! No! That's not Brian!" said AJ, grabbing a hold and jerking hard on Matt's arm. "That was our bus driver. Here, over here, that’s Brian."
Relieved, Matt avoided his eyes at the mutilated form of Les's crushed face, concentrating on the slumped figure wedged into the stairwell of the bus's entry door.
"Hey, wait! AJ, hold on just a second. Let me help," Matt instructed, waving for AJ to move away so he could inspect Brian. Obeying, AJ stood upright just as the lights wavered one more time, then spluttered out, leaving them in total darkness.
* * * * * * * * * *
Slipping out of the driver seat, Xavier motioned for Abe to switch seats as they waiting patiently to drive across the border. Curious, Abe did as he was told, figuring Xavier knew better than he about these things. Not that they were likely to be stopped. Border patrol really didn't care who was entering Mexico, it was who was trying to get out that mattered to them. Unless they were wanted by the law, and last time Abe checked, he wasn't, odds were that they would make it across without so much as a second glance.
* * * * * * * * * *
AJ and Matt froze, reaching out with uncertain hands to locate one another. With nothing to light their way they stumbled, managing to right themselves with each other's help. Kevin's agitated cry carried to them and Matt shouted back an encouraging reply, ordering him to stay put. AJ's grip was tight, unwilling to let go for even a second.
"Shit! Matt! I can't see a thing! What should we do?"
"I'm going to have to feel my way out, AJ. It's the only thing. I need to get to the freeway, see if I can wave anybody down for help."
"Let me go," Matt heard AJ say passionately. "I know this bus better than you, even if it is upside down. You need to stay here, take care of Brian."
"But I can't see!" protested Matt. "How can I…AJ!" he yelled in irritation, feeling AJ's fingers slip away. Listening to AJ's words of "wish me luck", Matt shook his head. Luck? It was going to take a miracle.
* * * * * * * * * *
Nick tilted his head up to catch the cool breeze of the desert night, the final drops of rain soothing to his swollen mouth and jaw. Breathing in great gulps of air through his nose, he willed himself to think about anything but the agony his face and back was enduring.
Come on Zac! he screamed silently in prayer. You can do it! Find anybody, anyone, that's all it takes, just one. Straining to listen, he couldn't seem to hear over the pounding throb that filled his head, his ears, and now his eyes. He closed them and in an instant a vision flashed before him, the tumbling of the bus, the wild tangle of arms and legs as everyone was tossed about. His last view had been of Brian, his body thrown forward violently. Squeezing his eyes tighter, Nick thrust the picture out of his mind, beginning another prayer. Come on Brian, you can do it….he began, repeating it over and over….until a bright light forced him to open his eyes.
* * * * * * * * *
AJ used Kevin's light moans as a guide as he crawled nearer, careful to watch his head after painfully bumping it into something. He felt a small trick of blood course down the back of his neck and he ignored it, moving on, his nimble fingers showing him the way. He passed Kevin with words of support as he wove his way to the back of the bus. Just a little more, that's it, AJ coaxed to himself, knowing he was close as he smelled the stagnant air become cooler, fresher.
"Matt, I'm almost there!" he yelled excitedly, hearing the crunch of the rear window's broken glass under his feet. Wondering why Matt didn't reply, AJ didn't have time to ask again as the bus's interior exploded with an intense brilliance, massive beams directed at him, through him, above him, flooding everything with wonderful, glorious light.
* * * * * * * * * *
Strong arms pulled him easily out, into the illuminated brightness of flood lights, blinking, swirling colors of red and blue intermixed. AJ wavered for an instant at the intensity, shielding his eyes as his mind fought to make sense of the shouting commands and tense replies of unknown people. He turned away from the light, back to view the window, watching in amazement as several paramedics crawled through the opening. Gaping in disbelief and wonderment, AJ felt several hands tugging at him, coaxing him away, but he would have none of it, shaking off their assistance angrily.
"No!" he shouted, twisting. He stumbled into another person, feeling the stranger grab onto his shoulder.
"AJ!"
AJ saw Zac holding him, an excited smile lighting up his face. "Come on, come over here, out of the way!" Zac led him gently a few yards away, out of the mad rush of firemen, paramedics and police, all trying in mass to set up a makeshift search and rescue.
Eyes adjusting to the harsh glare of emergency lights, AJ waved off a concerned paramedic with a harsh, "I'm fine", pointing to the bus. "Please, please, get them out!"
Zac gave an okay nod to the medic, stating he'd stay with AJ. The paramedic took off, lost in a sea of uniformed men.
"Holy shit!" exhaled Zac, flabbergasted at the number of emergency vehicles, the amount of policemen and EMTs, the magnitude of the whole thing. He had never seen such a massive and intense rescue as this. Standing next to AJ, he watched wide-eyed, disbelief and suspicion growing by leaps and bounds. Turning, Zac frowned, looking at the disheveled man before him.
"Hey, just who the hell are you guys, anyway?"
* * * * * * * * * *
The Border Patrolman slouched nonchalantly, one hand rested comfortably on top of the truck cab, the other hitched on his hip, next to his gun. His demeanor calm, his eyes not, the guard coolly scrutinized the two occupants inside.
Abe tried to act indifferent, but he wasn't much of an actor and began to sweat as the patrolman indicated with a finger to roll the window down. Damn Xavier! What had he gotten them into this time? Abe shot a quick glance at Xavier, who, by all accounts, seemed bored and motioned for him to do what the guard wanted.
Abe hurriedly lowered the window, trying to ignore the nervous tic in the corner of his eye. "Officer?"
The Border Patrolman said nothing for a moment, his gaze roaming the interior of the truck. "Got into a fight?" he finally asked, his voice butter-smooth.
Xavier blinked once and slightly smiled. "More like a bus crash, officer."
The guard perked up. "Crash? Where? I didn't hear anything about it."
Xavier smiled once more. "You will." Reaching over, Xavier handed the young patrolman his ID card. "I'm a bodyguard for the Backstreet Boys. Their bus overturned. Huge accident."
Taken aback, the guard frowned. "Looks like you need medical treatment. How come you're here crossing the border so late at night?"
Handing over another ID, Xavier watched as the suspicious guard scanned it.
"Dual-citizenship," explained Xavier evenly. "And yes, I do need medical help but I would rather seek it in Mexico. My own doctor and all," he added helpfully. Not sure if the guard had accepted his explanation, Xavier smiled lopsidedly. "Besides, you wouldn't be so cruel as to make see the medical doctors here, would ya?"
The patrolman snorted in disgust, understanding all too well how notoriously incompetent Nogales doctors were. "No, no, I'm not that mean," he laughed, giving a short shake of his head. Handing back the cards, the young guard signaled that everything was okay. "Good luck," he replied. "Oh, by the way, I hope nothing bad happened to the Boys. AJ is my little sister's favorite."
As the truck began to pull away, Xavier waved his hand casually, turning away to hide his sneer. "Yeah, I hope nothing bad happens to AJ. He's my favorite too."
* * * * * * * * * *
"Look!" said Zac with a gentle poke, tearing AJ's attention away from Nick, who was being attended to by the paramedics. Turning in the direction of Zac's pointed finger, AJ saw Howie being carefully lifted out through the back window, strapped down to a body board. With a quick squeeze to Nick's hand, AJ rushed over, desperate for a closer look.
Howie's head was turned his way, his eyes closed, a large bruise now visible on the side of his face and temple. Forcing down the fear that rose in his throat, AJ tried to capture one of the EMT's attention, shouting his concern, but was overshadowed by the sudden wind and noise of two Air-Vac helicopters touching down a few hundred yards away. Anxiously trailing behind, AJ stepped back as a swarm of medics surrounded Howie, shouts and yells of urgent medical orders too complicated for AJ to follow. Turning to Zac with bleak despair, Zac could only shrug back helplessly, offering a consoling hand as they both stood and watched.
A sudden flurry of commotion behind them caused AJ and Zac to turn around simultaneously, the horizontal body of Kevin being the next to be transported out of the crushed bus. AJ ran over, heedless of Zac's concerned shout, disregarding the displeased cries of the paramedics to stand back. Kevin's eyes were squeezed shut, the pain evident by the creases lined tight around the corners of his mouth.
"Kevin!" yelled AJ, shaking off a medic's hand. "Kevin!"
With supreme effort, Kevin opened his eyes, seeing AJ peering down at him. "Bone," he said exhaustedly, "did they get Howie out?"
"Yeah, yeah they did. They're working on him right now, Kevin."
"Good … good," Kevin replied, his voice fading. "What about Nick?"
"I'm here, Kevin."
Shocked, AJ saw Nick standing beside him, his forehead swathed in a bandage, a blanket wrapped securely around him.
"Nick…" began AJ but stopped, seeing Nick holding up his hand in protest.
"I'll be okay, AJ," he promised, his blue eyes dulled from the painkillers administered. "I'm leaving for the hospital just as soon as they Air-Vac Howie and Kevin out." Nick studied Kevin for a moment, watching as the paramedics readied him for flight. Quickly weaving his fingers through Kevin's, he squeezed Kevin's hand encouragingly for a brief instant before their hands were pried apart, the medics flocking around their patient to transfer him to the awaiting helicopter.
Both AJ and Nick moved back, taking it all in: the glare of the unforgiving search lights, the orange shapes cones outlining the perimeters, the policemen as they talked excitedly into their walkie-talkies, their neon jackets reflecting eerily off the headlights of slow-moving traffic. Adding to their disorientation was the high-pitched whine of blades, the helicopter vibrating impatiently for take off. Shielding their eyes from the buffeting winds, AJ and Nick watched as the helicopter rose gracefully in the air, banked and headed north, disappearing quickly into the night. Still too stunned by the whole event, it took Nick and AJ a few moments to comprehend what Zac was shouting at them.
"Come on! Come on! They're bringing your friend out!"
* * * * * * * * * *
Xavier stroked his jaw lightly, not sure if the painkillers he took were having any effect whatsoever. Pissed, it took every ounce of his willpower to keep from screaming out in frustration. Another delay, another setback, another glitch in his desire to get back on track. Irritated, he glanced at Abe, who was now weaving through the traffic of Nogales, Mexico. He truly hated Abe and with a deep passion, but the giant oaf served a purpose and he was never one to hold a grudge if it meant not achieving his objective.
Sighing heavily, he barked instructions at Abe. Xavier's hostile outburst took Abe by surprised and he glanced at him curiously.
"What?"
Xavier rolled his eyes exasperatedly, the slight movement sending jagged ripples of pain throughout his face and jaw. "I said, hurry! I need to find the nearest open pharmacy!"
"Huh?"
"Jesus Christ! Are you deaf? There! Right there! Pull into there!" shouted Xavier harshly as he saw the red glow of an open store.
Startled by Xavier's violent insult, Abe did as he was told, cutting wildly across the lane to reach his goal. The deafening screech of hydrolic brakes filled their ears, the blinding light of oncoming headlights filled their view, and with a sickening realization Xavier turned his head at the last minute to see that the semi had no time, no time at all in which to avoid smashing violently into the small truck.
* * * * * * * * *
Racing over to where Brian was being worked on, Matt managed to stop AJ and Nick with a violent shake of his head, thrusting his hands out, barring them from getting closer.
"Stop!" he ordered, his voice shaky but firm in conviction. "Don’t get near. Let the paramedics work on him, give them some space!"
Nick stared at him for a brief moment and then shoved past him, AJ following suit. Standing as close as they dare, Nick and AJ fairly screamed with nervous worry, their agonized faces peering down over the heads of the paramedics.
Brian’s face was turned towards them, small bubbles of bright red edging the corner of his mouth, his hand dangling limply as the medics rushed to hook him up to an IV. Curt, brief words were spoken between the two paramedics, a medical shorthand that only they seemed to understand as the others watched haplessly on. AJ spared a quick look at Matt and Zac standing a few feet away, Matt’s face filled with alarm.
"You know, you know what they are saying," said AJ, his fear increasing ten-fold. Matt took a few steps forward, his eyes never leaving the paramedics as he nodded silently.
"Your friend there is hurt bad," began Matt solemnly, " I had to administer CPR on the bus. He regained consciousness for just a minute and then passed out again. By what they are saying," he nodded at the medics, "Brian has severe internal injuries. They are trying to stabilize him for transport."
"So why aren’t they?" cried Nick. "Why aren’t they putting him on the helicopter?"
Matt seemed to be in a daze, not hearing what Nick demanded, his attention focused on the scene before him.
"What?" yelled AJ, his gut tightening in terror at Matt’s expression. "What?" He took in the paramedics, Brian’s still form, then glanced back to Matt again, shaking his arm with fury. "What?!"
Matt blinked, his face a mixture of sorrow, surprise, and fear. "Level One Trauma," he said simply, as if that explained it all.
Nick would have nothing of Matt’s vague explanation and towered over him, terrified and angry. "What the hell are you talking about? What’s going on? What’s going on?"
"Level One Trauma is for severely injured patients," said Matt. "Not many hospitals have that kind of specialized care. They’re trying to decide where to fly him."
"So?" cried Nick, now furious. "So, fly him to the hospital that has it!"
Matt raised his eyes to Nick, a sadness so deep it shook both AJ and Nick. "Nick," he said softly, "it won’t matter. Brian isn’t going to make it."
CHAPTER NINETY-NINE - PICKING UP THE PIECES
As he was waved through by hospital security, on his way to the unoccupied waiting room, Nick shook his head slowly in resignation. It had been a nightmare, it was still a nightmare, and as far as he was concerned, things would continue to be a nightmare for sometime to come.
It had been difficult to visit anyone, the wide-spread publicity of the accident making his every movement almost impossible; the endless stream of reporters vying for an interview, the media and fans camped out in front of the hospital, clamoring for anything tangible. Security, as expected, had kicked into high gear, not allowing anyone access until being checked and then double-checked. But he endured it, gladly, just for the opportunity he received from a sympathetic nurse who would sneak him in for unauthorized and after-hour visits. It was the only thing that kept him sane, and by the frequency of AJ's visits, suspected it also held true for AJ.
Catching the end of the coffee table with the tip of his shoe, Nick dragged it close enough towards him to prop his feet up. Slouching a little more comfortably into the upholstered chair, he made sure not to make any sudden downward movements with his head, noticing that the injury to his jaw had seemed to affect his equilibrium. The doctors had said it would be just a matter of time before his balance would return to normal. Normal! Nick snorted in contempt. And what exactly was normal? Certainly nothing in his life.
Normal to him consisted now of never ending visits to the hospital, long waits for vague answers, eating bad cafeteria food and drinking even worse coffee. He wondered if it wasn't more sensible to just stay at the hospital, find a little room where he could relax and sleep. Not that he slept all that much. He only manage a few hours before he found himself awake, soaked with sweat from the terrifying dreams he could not seem to shake. The visions of Brian's limp form as the paramedics bent over, frantically trying to save him, of him sobbing and pleading for them to do something, anything….Nick shuddered. It would never go away, he would never be free of that mental picture as long as he lived. Lived. Life. Death. Brian. Of late, Nick found himself thinking in one words sentences, the only thing his brain seemed to comprehend with true certainty.
His attention was caught by a passing nurse on her way to deliver some medication. She gave him a quick nod of hello and Nick stared back, too tired to acknowledge her presence. Glancing at his watch Nick noted the time, wondering where AJ was. AJ had called him at the hotel, excitedly telling him to get his butt down here cause the doctors were thinking about discharging Howie soon. Nick remembered being the first to be discharged from the hospital, followed shortly thereafter by Kevin. Then the waiting had begun. It took several days before Howie regained consciousness, his concussion so severe that neurological specialists had been flown in for their opinion. It was touch and go for a while, no one knowing whether Howie would ever awake from his coma. It had been one of the worst times in Nick's life, not sure if he could kept his sanity if Howie died.
Still pondering on what might have been, Nick jumped a little as the door banged open, AJ sauntering in with a big grin on his face. "Hey, Nick! Today may be the day!"
"Yeah, great," he mumbled unenthusiastically, irked that AJ was in such high spirits, considering….
AJ frowned, coming over to stare down at him. "You're still thinking about Brian, aren't you?"
"Of course!" shot back Nick, angry. "Aren't you?"
"Well, sure, I'm not that much of a bastard," said AJ heatedly. "It's just that I'm happy that Howie might be getting out today. Excuse me. I just thought you'd be happy too."
"I am," yelled Nick, not caring who heard. "I think about Howie every fucking second, of every fucking hour, of every fucking day since he got here!" He rose suddenly, ignoring the slight vertigo that hit him. "Don't you dare accuse me of playing favorites, AJ, just because Brian…" he faltered, unable to go on, the misery evident in his eyes.
AJ's face softened and he heaved a small sigh. "Nick, you can't help but be sad," he said softly. "I am, Kevin is too. It's not something we will ever forget, ya know?"
Nick sat back down, leaning over in the chair and covered his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I understand all that. It still doesn't help."
AJ shrugged his agreement. "Guess not. But maybe this will."
With a small plop, a folded up section of newspaper landed on the coffee table in front of him.
"What's this?" he questioned, his eyes zeroing in on the obituary page. Jesus! That was the very last thing he wanted to see right now. What the hell was AJ thinking?
"You want me to read the obits?" he asked, his voice incredulous with surprise.
"No! Not that, read the article on the left."
Sighing heavily, Nick picked up the paper and read the small article.
<><><><><><><><><><><>
Associated Press
Sonora, Mexico
Bodyguard to the famous boy band, the Backstreet Boys, Xavier L. Delgado was killed late Sunday night in a motor vehicle accident just south of the border, in Nogales, Mexico. A tractor trailer, unable to stop after Delgado's truck cut in front, smashed into the small vehicle, killing him instantaneously. Mr. Delgado is survived by a sister and niece. The driver of the tractor-trailer was hospitalized briefly for minor injuries. When informed of Mr. Delgado's death, Dave Andrews, of Phoenix, Arizona was stunned, sending his condolences to Mr. Delgado's family and stating that he regrets any heartache that he may have caused to the Backstreet Boys.
<><><><><><><><><><><>
Stunned, Nick looked at the date of the newspaper, realizing it was several days old. "How… how did you find this?" he breathed, his voice a mixture of disbelief and delight.
AJ smirked a little, looking pleased. "A reporter. Said if I gave him an exclusive interview, he'd give me a special surprise in return." Throwing his arms wide, AJ grinned. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for surprises."
Nick caught him up in a big bear hug, giving an ear-splitting whoop of joy. "Oh my God, oh my God, I can't believe it! Does Kevin know?"
"AJ told me a just a few minutes ago," said Kevin with a broad smile as he entered the lounge room. "He regrets any heartache that he may have caused to the Backstreet Boys" he mimicked, citing the article. "Heartache, my ass! I'm gonna send him a personal thank-you for killing that SOB for us!"
Remembering, Kevin turned around to face Matt, who was quietly standing behind him. "Oh, yeah, sorry about your truck, Matt. Name your make and model. Whatever you want. It's the least we can do."
"Don't forget Zac," said Matt, with a sly smile.
"Never."
AJ and Kevin both slapped him on the back, their eyes shining gratefully with thanks that mere words could not show.
Nodding, Matt turned to Nick, who was standing quietly a few feet away.
"Hey, Nick."
Nick shifted uncomfortably. He was surprised to see Matt here; he hadn't seen him since Brian had….
"Hey," he replied back softly.
"You doing okay?"
"I guess. A lot better now, due to this," Nick admitted, waving the folded newspaper.
"Yeah," said Matt, a slight smile forming.
"Listen, I want to thank you for everything you've done, man. If it hadn't of been for Zac and you…."
"It's okay, Nick. I just wish I could of done more."
Nick gaped at Matt. "What do you mean, done more? You did everything you could! Everything!"
Matt stared at the floor for a moment. "I dunno. Brian…"
Nick interrupted him with a slash of his hand. "No! It's okay. Really. I understand. We all do. Hell, how were you to know? How were any of us? How could we have possibly known that Brian would live?
* * * * * * * * *
Nick tip-toed into the room, giving the nurse a wink of thanks. The room was quiet, cool, and Nick could barely make out Brian's sleeping figure in the dim light of the room.
Treading softly, Nick came up to the side of the hospital bed, staring down at Brian, his breath catching for an instant. Brian looked so still, so lifeless, just like when the paramedics had lifted him onto the Air-Vac; his frantic screams to save his friend overshadowing even the high whine of the rotating blades. He remembered how it took all of AJ's, Zac's, and Matt's power to keep him from boarding the helicopter with Brian, wildly thinking that if he were aboard, he could keep Brian alive, that somehow he could do what the paramedics said was impossible. Well, Brian proved them wrong. He fought for his life, fought harder than Nick thought anyone possibly could, wavering between life and death for two days before doctors declared him out of the woods, shaking their heads and declaring it a miracle. And it was. Never again would Nick take the power of prayer for granted, the hours he spent in the chapel, the ICU, the waiting room, enough to prove to him that God had indeed heard.
Wondering if he should just let Brian sleep, his question was answered by the flutter of Brian's eyes opening, a weak smile spreading to his eyes when he saw Nick's concerned face.
"Hi."
"Hey, Frick. Didn't mean to wake you."
"Naw," said Brian softly. "You didn't."
Nick was almost afraid to ask, but did anyway. "How are you doing?"
Brian closed his eyes for a second. "Not too bad. I guess I'm going to be staying here a while longer, huh?"
Nick gulped. Yeah, a while longer. A lot longer. And I'm with you every step of the way.
"Just a bit," he admitted. Wanting to change the subject, Nick waved the paper in front of Brian's nose. "Got something for ya. I think it will make you feel much better."
A bit of the old Brian showed through his eyes, a slight smile twitching at Nick's teasing.
"Okay, lemme hear it."
Excited, Nick carefully hitched a hip on the end of the bed and began reading as quickly as he could. Finishing, he brought down the paper to see Brian's reaction. Brian's head was bent, his face shadowed by the faint lighting in the room.
"Bri?" asked Nick, slightly panicked.
Brian raised his face to meet Nick's anxious one, his eyes glittering joyfully with sudden understanding.
"I won," he said softly.