Chapter 6:

I’ll Be the One Who Will Make All Your Sorrows Undone

Time stood still. My world shrunk down to Brian and Alex; it was like no one else existed. I knew in my head there were about 40 more students in the room, but I couldn't hear them at all. My focus was Alex. I never noticed when they locked down school.

I snapped back to reality when I heard Brian talk to me. "Hey. I need your help here, all right? Help me talk to him, keep him with us." I looked at the face of my best buddy and saw that he was pasty white and sweating. His eyes had a glazed look to them, and I did my best to give him something to concentrate on.

"Hey hermanito. Vea," I coaxed.

Alex obeyed slowly rolling his eyes toward my face and attempting to keep them open as I talked. It was harder for him to speak now, and eye contact was all I asked for. Brian continued holding his shirt underneath Alex, and we tried distracting him by singing "O Holy Night."

Brian came in first, his voice anxious but stronger than normal, "O holy night, the stars are brightly shining. This is the night of our dear Savior's birth!"

I sang Alex's solo to him; his head was still resting in my lap. "Long lay the world in sin and error pining, 'til He appeared and the soul felt its worth."

Suddenly, Alex interrupted, weak but insistent. "Nicky."

I stared at Brian with wide eyes. Nicky! He wanted Nicky? If I could help it at all I wanted Nick and Kevin to stay as untouched by all this as they could. I could see in Brian's eyes that he wanted the same, and we tried to distract Alex.

"It's all right, Jay," Brian soothed. I can sing it or Howie here can."

" . . .Wanna talk to him," Alex begged, tears streaking his face. . .running into that shockingly blond hair. "His turn."

I sighed and punched the automatic dial to Nick's phone. He picked it up, and when he said hello, his voice must have skipped three octaves. "Howie! Do you know what's going on? I called Kevin but he doesn't know!"

"Uh, yeah, listen Kaos," I said, using the nickname Brian gave him. "Stuff is pretty messed up right now. Alex got hurt," I said, glancing down at his drained face. "But um, he wants to talk to you . . .I think he wants to hear your solo from the ensemble. Please do it, Nicky. I'll explain when I can, just for right now, do what he wants."

I held the phone up to Alex, and heard Nick's faint voice singing, "The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices and yonder breaks a new and glorious morn." I smiled slightly as Nick's voice cracked in the usual spots but was glad when he kept going despite the mistakes.

"Thanks, Nicky," Alex managed. I turned my phone off just in time to see his face contort in pain again. He squeezed my hand until all the blood-flow in it must have stopped.

When he relaxed and spoke again, his voice was more breathy. "Now, Kev." Alex looked at me with seriousness.

"Jay, shut your pie-hole," Brian said good-naturedly as I got Kevin on the phone.

After letting him know the bare minimum of the situation I held the phone again for Alex. I was completely unprepared for what I heard. "Kev . . . Sorry . . ." Another apology. Wordlessly I shut the phone off, not even bothering to say good-bye to Kevin myself.

"More," Jay said in that small voice.

So Brian and I tried to compensate for the lack of three fifths of our quintet. Our voices shook as we tried to harmonize.

" . . .fall, fall, fa-a-all on your knees. Oh he-e-e-ear the angel's voices!" I was gonna take "Oh night" like I normally did, but something stopped me. I looked down and saw Alex's eyes roll back in his head.

I got weak all over and vaguely heard the sound of struggling in the hall. All at once, the door burst open. But I couldn't tear my eyes from Alex. He looked dead. Like nobody I knew. I held onto him for dear life all the same.

It was at that moment I felt arms around me, pulling me aside. I fought back as hard as I could. I was shocked when I made out Brian's voice.

"Howie! Howie, man. You need to back off, they're here now. You gotta give the medics room to work." For the first time, I noticed the other kids in the room, as they hurried by me to leave. I nodded at Brian's words but stared in shock at his hands, stained red. I turned and fled the room.