The ride to the hospital seemed like an eternity to Nick as Brian's car dodged between other cars on the highway. Brian tried to keep up with the speeding ambulance, but the ambulance was going way to fast as they tried to get Autumn to the hospital as fast as possible.

Nick was a wreck, and to make matters worse, he wasn't allowed to go in the hospital with Autumn because he was not family. Brian thought that was an absurd idea, but he had put the thought in the back of his mind and dragged Nick and hopped into his car. Nick prayed the whole way to the hospital; his hands were clasped together so tight that his knuckles were losing their normally tan color and was transforming into a pure white.

Autumn's blood that was on Nick's shirt was oblivious to him - all he cared about was keeping Autumn alive. His blue eyes were already bloodshot from the crying he had done before, but now nothing. There was nothing that shown in his eyes. His eyes were always the one thing about him that remained the same throughout time. Whenever Nick was mad, his eyes were always the same, piercing blue. When he was lonely, the color still remained. But now, sadness and fear took away those once beautiful eyes and replaced them with a pale and dull blue, almost gray color. His blonde hair was disheveled from Nick running his hands through it - his way of expressing his doubts.

Brian took a deep breath and gripped his hands tighter on the wheel. He was going so fast that he thought that the engine would crumple under the pressure any minute, but he ignored it. He never thought that the drive to the hospital was so long and interminable, but he was obviously wrong. The worst possible scenario that could top off this horrible situation was being stuck in a traffic jam.

Don't even say it, Brian said to himself as he zoomed behind the ambulance. Brian carefully noted that Nick leaned forward towards the windshield to get a better glimpse of the men inside through the tiny windows on the back of the ambulances. About five paramedics hovered over Autumn, and Nick did nothing but sit back and put his shaking hands to his face.

"Nick, it will be ok," said Brian, slapping a friendly and hopeful hand on Nick's knee. Nick looked up at him and tried to smile, but couldn't. All Nick felt at that moment was helplessness and regret.

*~*

Brian pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and before he even parked the car, Nick jumped out and sprinted towards the ambulance that was unloading Autumn. He sped over to her side and immediately took her hands in his own, tracing over her knuckles, as if somehow he was communicating with her, trying to tell her that everything was going to be all right.

"Excuse me sir, you have to let go," a man said quickly before he pried Nick's grasp apart from Autumn's. About ten more paramedics joined the scene before Nick could respond. They secured her on the stretcher before running into the hospital doors.

"Autumn!" Nick cried, running after them. A firm hand held him back by his chest and Nick turned his gaze towards the man.

"Are you related to her?" the man asked.

Nick shook his head no. "Boyfriend. I'm her boyfriend," Nick said in a rush. His breath was coming in ragged gasps for air, and Nick leaned against the hospital wall.

"Come with me," the man said, motioning for Nick and Brian, who had just joined them. The two of them followed the man into the hospital and down a hall that seemed just as long as the car ride. Nick tried to peek inside the operating rooms of the ER as he passed by, but the man had a firm grip on his shoulders and guided him into a room at the end of the hallway.

*~*

The room was small and the walls were a pastel yellow. The chairs were comfortable enough, Brian thought. On the walls were pictures that little children obviously drew. One was a very sloppy rainbow with two, puffy clouds on the end of each end of the rainbow, and the others were varied from little children playing together to a grassy meadow. Brian admired the artwork before taking a seat next to Nick. The man held a framed picture in his hands and he sat down before Nick and Brian. The man sat still for a few minutes before he stuck his hand out to them.

"Name's Richard Douglass," he said. Nick and Brian shook his hand. "You are

Nick Carter and Brian Littrell," he stated for them. Nick and Brian looked at each other and back at Richard and nodded in unison.

"I noticed you were admiring the artwork, Mr. Littrell," Richard said. Brian gulped and nodded.

"Yes, I was. I think that these pictures tell a lot about this hospital."

"Yeah, and why is that?"

"Well, all of these pictures were done by children, and each of them say a happy story, in my opinion," Brian said sheepishly. The man nodded and smiled.

"And Nick. What do you think?" Richard asked. Nick looked over at him and didn't answer. His mind was elsewhere. Richard nodded.

"Ok. I know you're thinking about your girlfriend. Right now you have to get your mind off of her and-"

"Get my mind off of her?! How do you expect me to do that?" Nick bellowed, startling Brian. Richard, not shocked by Nick's outburst at all, simply handed him the picture he was holding in his hands. Nick stared at the picture in his hands and then handed it back over to Richard.

"What do you see in the picture, Nick?"

"I see a sky with clouds. That's all I see," Nick stated and crossed his arms over his chest in anger.

"Look beneath the appearance, Nick. What is this picture saying?"

"I don't know and I don't give a shit! Can I go now? I have a girlfriend I have to pray for." Nick yelled. Richard chuckled.

"Nick, yelling and anger is not going to get you anywhere. Do you know who I am?"

"Yeah, you're the annoying, son of a -"

"Nick, calm down." Brian pleaded. "Just let him talk."

Nick stared at Richard as he scratched his brown mustache that covered his upper lip.

"That picture, Nick, is a sky. A sky is never ending, meaning that you can go in any direction and the sky will always be there. The same thing as hope, Nick. Hope is the meaning of this picture. No matter what direction life takes you, hope will always and should always stay with you. Yes, you have a lot to worry about right now. Your girlfriend is fighting for her life and you think you can't do anything about it. But Nick, you're wrong. So very wrong. You can help her by believing in her. Have hope that she will be all right and promise to help her through it. I'm not the only one that's counting on you." Richard concluded.

Nick sat still and stared at Richard as his words sunk deep within him. Without warning, a tear slipped out from one of his gray eyes and landed on his lap. Before realizing it, Nick put his head down on the table and bawled unashamedly as the thought of him not ever seeing Autumn again struck him.

*~*

"She's going to make it," Nick whispered before he stood up and followed Richard and Brian down the hall to the waiting room. He wasn't surprised to see other people in the waiting room as well as him and Brian, but he was surprised that AJ, Kevin, and Howie were there as well. Nick slumped down in a chair and prayed silently to himself and cried as he waited for the doctor to talk to him. Brian walked over towards them.

"Hey, how did you guys find out about this?" Brian asked as the gave them all brotherly hugs.

"It's all over everywhere, Bri. The news, radio, the internet...we came as soon as we heard," Howie said. Brian nodded and rubbed his fingers over his stressed eyes.

"How's he holding up?" Kevin asked, nodding over to Nick's direction. Brian shrugged.

"Like any normal person would be handling this situation," he said.

Nick leaned back in his chair and let out a big sigh. He had been in the waiting room for hours, and yet he still knew nothing. He knew nothing about the extent of her injuries, how she was going to be, and how this had happened in the first place. His back was starting to hurt from the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room. The chairs were very different from the chairs that were in the room with Richard. Where did Richard go? Nick asked to himself. He wished he hadn't blown up at him - he just had so many things on his mind.

Please don't leave me, Nick begged to Autumn. His thoughts drifted back to the beginning of their relationship-how they had met at the banquet that her father had thrown in honor of the Backstreet Boys' success.

*~*

Nick was young, a mere seventeen years old with an eye for women. He wasn't as experienced as the other guys, but he did know how to make a girl feel good. Autumn's father was the President of Jive records, and Nick had no choice but to attend the banquet. Now he was so happy that he did because as soon as Autumn walked into the room, he knew why he was put on this Earth and that reason was to love this girl.

She had captured his heart in a split second by her radiating beauty, and Nick was dying to fall for her personality as well. As nervous as he was, he walked over to her and started a conversation with her, and the rest is history.

Nick and Autumn were almost inseparable for the next four months. Nick was off from touring and spent every day with Autumn. Her father at first did not like the idea of her daughter dating one of the most popular teen heartthrobs, but it didn't take long for him to realize that he had nothing to worry about.

Two years into their relationship, tragedy struck again when Autumn's father, Mr. Conroy, was diagnosed with cancer. Autumn's mom had died while giving birth to Autumn's brother. Her father lived for about six months after he was diagnosed before he passed away in his bed with Nick and Autumn by his side.

"Nick...promise me that you will keep my daughter safe. Promise me that nothing will harm her, make her cry....Promise me," Mr. Conroy had said. Nick remembered looking up at Autumn and almost melting when he saw the look of pain and sadness on her face.

"I promise."

"Autumn, I am so proud of you. You are the best daughter that anyone could ever wish for. I love you, my little bunny," Mr. Conroy said. Autumn let out a sob and hugged her weak father in her arms until she felt all of the life being drained out of him.

*~*

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Conroy. I let you down," Nick sobbed in the hospital waiting room. Brian walked over to him and enveloped Nick in a hug and just stood there as Nick cried.

"Excuse me, Mr. Carter?" said a voice. Nick turned around sharply and dried

his tear stained face. Nick nodded. "Come with me."

The doctor led Nick to a private office, and Nick guessed that it was the doctors. They shook hands and the doctor pointed to a chair in which Nick sat on.

"Mr. Carter, I am Dr. Morgen. I have some news about your girlfriend, Autumn." He said.

"What is it? Please tell me," Nick whispered.

"Well....I'm not going to sugarcoat this for you. Autumn suffers from multiple stab wounds, and she has lost a lot of blood. Now, luckily the stab wounds weren't too deep and didn't touch any vital organs. We have IV's giving her food and water and a lot of pain killers for when she wakes up. She's not comatose, but we don't expect her to wake up for at least forty-eight hours." The doctor said. Nick blew out a deep breath.

"So...she's going to make it. Right?" He asked.

The doctor nodded. "Most likely. Physically, yes. Emotionally and mentally, we don't know yet. This trauma that she has endured will take a while to overcome," said the doctor.

Nick nodded and almost burst with happiness. Autumn was still alive.

"Now, Nick. I do have a question for you," the doctor said. Nick swallowed nervously.

"Y...yes...ask me anything," he stuttered.

"How long have you and Autumn been dating?"

"For about three years."

"Were you and Autumn sexually active?" The doctor questioned.

Nick blushed and shook his head no. "Why?" asked Nick.

"Well, in cases like this, we have to run DNA tests. Nick, I don't know how to say this, but...Autumn was raped."