AJ grabbed the other end of the rope and gave it a hard tug. Then he reached over the rail of the boat,and grabbed Brian's arms against his own. Nick had grabbed the back of Brian's life jacket,and was trying to help AJ pull him up out of the small lifeboat. Once Brian was safely on the boat,Denise McLean threw her arms around him and AJ. "Don't worry,guys.I'm sure Kevin and Howie are fine," she whispered.
They rode in silence for quite some time,with the radio making constant crackling and popping noises.Then somebody called out to the driver of the boat,who responded quickly.
"We've got them!," he called over his shoulder. The small group did a little cheer as Donna Wright used her cell phone to call Kevin's mother,who had stayed back at the rescue center. When they caught up with the other bought, it had docked on a small island. Brian caught sight of Howie first.A smile breaking out on his face, the two friends ran to greet each other.
"Where's Kev?," Brian asked. He saw Johnny and Lou approaching from the back,their faces grim.Howie's smile faded as he turned to their managers. "Where is Kevin?," Brian asked. Howie dropped his eyes as Nick and AJ walked up behind Brian.Denise and Donna followed suit.
"Kevin is....sick," Johnny answered."Sick?," Brian asked. "Brian,maybe we should just hurry and get back to the rescue center," Denise said quietly. Apparently,everyone but Brian knew what was going on."No! Tell me where Kevin is!," Brian shouted, pushing past Johnny. Brian called out to 2 of the rescue workers who were lifting a gourney onto the boat. It was Kevin."What happened to him?!," Brian cried. Howie grabbed his arm,but he jerked away."He ate some kind of berries he found on this island.They were poisoned.Brian,please,lets get him back so we can get to the hospital," Lou begged. AJ offered to go with them,but Brian refused.It was Nick who climbed in beside Brian on the ride back to land.
Brian wasn't on land yet when Lou and Johnny told Kevin's mother what had happened. He didn't hear her burst into tears and go running to her two older boys for comfort.
The ride to the hospital was the longest.What aggravated Brian so much was that he wasn't getting answers from anybody.He had just stepped out of the back of the car when a flash went off in front of him.The press had apparently heard the news.Brian felt an arm go around his shoulders and he ducked his head,leaning against Lonnie as they weaved their way through the crowd.Girls screamed,in tears,grabbing for Brian. He held his breath until they reached the inside of the hospital.
Jackie Littrell put her arms around her youngest son as he approached her.His face was pale,his eyes tired.She could tell almost instantly that he was worried about Kevin."I'm so sorry I couldn't get here sooner," she whispered.He shook his head,holding onto her for dear life."This gives me such a creepy feeling...being here again," she said.He knew she was remembering the days she'd spent next to a hospital bed,as Brian fought for his life.
"Kevin will be fine," she told him.He seemed as though he wanted to believe her.They were all sitting around in a quiet, nervous group when two doctors approached them. Brian could see Kevin's mother off in the corner,crying. He stood up as the doctor's stood over them.
"Please, don't make us wait any longer," Jackie said, clutching Brian's hand as she braced herself for the news.Brian's dad put a hand on his shoulder.
"This doesn't look good at all.This poison worked extremely fast...and even with the medicine we have to treat it, Kevin is fighting a battle that he may not win. The medicine has to beat the poison to his heart... and if it doesn't....," the doctor's voice trailed off. But nobody needed to hear anything else. Brian heard his mother gasp in shock...his father put a hand over his eyes and shook his head. Behind him,he heard Donna Wright burst into tears. He could see Nick a few feet away from him, his eyes wide and tear-filled. This was what they had all braced themselves for...but the realization of it was unreal.
So what happens now? Kevin is fighting a losing battle....but
who will win? Find out in chapter 5.
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