Chapter 3:

Disturbing Questions

Brian paced down the halls by himself for a while so he could think clearly without any interruptions by the hospital staff and the others. He didn't want to be rude, but he just wanted to be alone and away from the waiting room where, finally, Howie's mother arrived. Howie's sister, Pollyanna - her plane had a delay and the airport across the country where she was staying at for vacation, and she told them that she couldn't get there until late tomorrow. 

He went outside the hospital, walking over to a group of trees and leaned against one of the large oak trees, gazing up at the night sky. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Brian closes his eyelids and lets out a low sigh of sorrow. He still felt angry at Nick for what he had done to Howie and wanted to wrap his hands around his neck and choke him until his face turned several shades of purple. 

"Where have we gone wrong?" Brian whispered to himself. "It couldn't be your depression that you had ever since I married LeighAnne...you would've came and talk to me privately, or would you?" He pulled out his leather wallet and opened it, gazing down at a recent picture of him and Nick. 

Brian stared intently at the image, and noticed something very strange and a little troubling; He was smiling at the camera and Nick was just staring with no smile, not even a hint of being happy. Frowning, he couldn't help but stare into the blue eyes of his friend's. The blue eyes were dark, like holding a secret from everyone, painful...and murderous somehow. Brian couldn't help but become intrigued by his friend's statement and it scared him - Nick frightened him in some ways; like joking about shooting everyone and go off somewhere to kill himself. Brian blinked and shuddered as he thought of the other weird things that Nick did and said. Too frightening to tell and think about. But one thing that was really awkward was after Nick was taken away, he only saw a glimpse of it but that buffed up cop was acting bizarre, looking around as he carefully picks up the piece of bloody glass and then dropped it into the plastic zip lock bag and then placed it in the inside of his coat pocket, last thing that he remembered was that the police officer swiftly walked away as they were leaving. 

He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully as he wonders carefully. Nick did mention to him that he was seeing some kind of doctor but didn't explain what kind and why he was going. Aaron did call him about two months ago about Nick threatening him, and said that his big brother Nick was scaring the living hell out of him, and wanted to know what to do. Nick's family was scared for their life earlier but when things started cooling down, nothing else happened as if it never did - The whole Carter clan was happy, or at least that's what they wanted everyone to believe. They never even called him in to get some metal help and he wondered why; he would get him help after a long talk. 

But tonight was the first to see how violent Nick could be, and Brian could see the darkness in his eyes, the evil that filled them, and they were cold as ice. 

"Brian?" Krystal said, watching him as he sits down on the ground, still keeping his back up against the tree. "They just told us something, but you might not like it." She squatted down next to him. 

He gazed up at her and replied curiously, "Why? Did the Doctor come back down?" 

She nods, wiping a tear out of her eye, not wanting to answer just yet, but she leaned over as she gives him a long hug. 

"Oh, God," Brian choked out and wrapped his arms around her as he realizes now what she was going to say to him about Howie. "Oh my God..." He whispered again, starting to cry for the third time in the row. "Why...?" He murmured and then they stayed in that position for a long moment before she pulled away and looked at him sadly.