is it the end of it all?

Northside Hospital

"CBS News Special. This is Casey Harrington reporting live from Florida International Airport. We have received news that the plane carrying the pop phenomenon, Backstreet Boys, crashed almost two hours ago. No official news has been released as of yet but the number of causalities last reported was four..."

"Hear that?" a voice asked.

"What?"

"Dude, you guys are gonna be on all the headlines, almost everyday for the next few months!"

"You don't have to get sarcastic over this, right? I mean, WE crashed, ya know? It's no fun, man. Besides, we don't need to be going down with a plane in order to make headlines. Hey, who are you by the way?"

"Well, I'm the Big Man up there."

"Up there? God? You're not God. Alright, hang on. If You're the Almighty and Great One, then why aren't You there to prevent this? Why let us go down like this? We have done ABSOULETLY nothing to deserve this crap."

"You're right about that. Well, take this as a test, my son. A test in faith, trust and going through the impossible times together. Each human had to go through such setbacks to emerge stronger and knowing exactly what they want. Anyway, you wanna go for coffee as I explain things in details?"

"Why not?"

Quizzical expressions were written all over the doctor and nurses faces as AJ awoke laughing. "Man, is that a dream? The Lord is one funny dude. I haven't gone for the coffee yet- Owww..." he said and yelped out in pain the next second. Seeing this, the doctor instructed AJ to keep still while he injected a syringe of solution into AJ's butt. "Wha- What's that?"

"It's morphine, Mr. McLean," the doctor said. "You'll need it. By the way, I'm Dr. Littleton."

"Okay... Dr. Littleton, what's with the pain? Did I break anything?" AJ asked as he tried to feel if there was any part out of place on his lower body.

"Mr. McLean, you didn't have any fractures. However, the nerves around your spinal cord suffered a certain degree of damage. You were in extreme pain when you arrived, and that's the reason for the morphine."

"Oh." AJ acknowledged softly as the earlier happenings flooded into his mind again. He carefully adjusted into a more comfortable position and tears were already brimming in his eyes. "Where are my friends?" he asked and trying not to cry out at the same time.

"Mr. Dorough is currently resting in the ward next to yours. He suffered some minor injuries on his shoulders and arms. And his sense of hearing is temporary lost due to a huge trauma, in which the eardrums had suffered. However, he should be able to regain his hearing in a few months time with careful treatment."

AJ let out a little relief as he blinked back his tears. "How about my other friends? You know, the other three guys?"

"The rest of your friends were routed to another hospital and they are in good hands. And so, don't worry."

AJ was on the verge to ball his fist up and give the doctor a few punches in his stomach. "Don't worry? We almost DIED! God DAMN IT, how could you separate us? I need to see them! I need to know how they are!" AJ hollered as he attempted to rip off the IVs and jump off the bed. The doctor instructed the nurses to get a grip on AJ and proceed to inject another syringe of solution into his arm to stabilize his emotion. "I need to know... if they are... alright..." AJ continued to murmur out his protests and finally drifted off to sleep when the strong solution had worked.

Outside, Denise and Amanda were waiting to see AJ. They had rushed over to the hospital at lightening speed when they have been informed about the news. Denise had been in tears and was terribly heartbroken to know that her only son was involved in an accident. Amanda, on the other hand, remained strong and clear-headed. Even though she had just broken up with AJ, she still had feelings for him. She almost lost it when Denise called her up and told her about the news. Upon seeing the doctor coming out of AJ's ward, she shuddered a little. She was afraid to hear bad news. Bad, horrible and terrible news. "Mr. McLean is asleep." Dr. Littleton said. "Mrs. McLean, there is something I need to talk to you about." he said and eyed Amanda.

"It's okay. She is AJ's girlfriend." Denise said and looked at Amanda. The latter gave a weak smile back at her. It didn't bother her at all that Denise had referred her as AJ's girlfriend. At least, their break-up hasn't been officially announced and rumors were not flying yet.

"Alright. Well, Mr. McLean knows that he's suffering damages to his spinal cord. However, he has no idea that if he wants to walk again, he must have a strong will in order for that to happen." Denise and Amanda both let out a gasp. Dr. Littleton stopped for a moment to let the terrible truth sink into their minds. "You must always remember that it is not impossible. It takes time. You must let him have that optimistic idea of what was happening to him. He will recover."

Denise shut her eyes tight and sobbed silently. Amanda hugged her and struggled hard to stay strong. "We will take your advice. And yes, he will..." Amanda said.

Dr. Littleton nodded sympathetically. "And I need Mrs. McLean to sign the papers for a small operation."

"What operation?" Denise managed to talk in the midst of her sobbing.

"Cordotomy. We had to sever a portion of the damaged nerves in the spinal cord. Mr. McLean can't depend on the morphine to relieve his pain in the long run and it's the only way to relieve intractable pain in his pelvis and lower limbs."

Denise gently nodded her head while dabbing tissue, which Amanda had offered her, on her tear-stained face. "So... Do I follow you to sign the papers now?"

"You can go in and take a look at your son first. The papers can come later. And you might want to discuss this with your son after he wakes up." Dr. Littleton said and left them to be with AJ.

Florida Hospital

Kevin had been limping back and forth on crutches outside the emergency room for nearly an hour. Here they are, with two of the Backstreet Boys still struggling with their life and one who looked like he would never be able to walk properly again. He had been the lucky one who didn't need to lie on a cold hospital bed for 24 hours around the clock. The doctors had advised him to go back to his ward and rest, but he was just too stubborn. Especially when the doctors advised using a wheelchair instead of crutches. However, he hated wheelchairs. He would felt like an utterly useless person if he were to use a wheelchair. That's the last thing he needed to feel right at this moment.

Heck, he even hated using crutches but he didn't have much choice. His left ankle and knee had dislocated when he hit the cockpit. And he was so worried for everyone, especially Nick, that he didn't even realize it until the rescue team loaded him onto the stretcher, where he yelped out in pure pain.

"What's taking them such a long time?" he muttered and kicked the wall with slight force. He grunted at the pain but he would have gladly accepted a hundred times of it if his friends were all right. He had just received news that AJ and Howie were in another hospital, with AJ suffering damaged nerves around his spinal cord and Howie losing his sense of hearing temporary. As if not enough to drive Kevin crazy, the doctors had announced that Nick had gone into a coma and Brian's heart problem had aroused once again.

When the door of the emergency room finally opened, Kevin wrenched at the sight of his cousin. Pale looking face and lips. Looking lifeless. "Oh lord..." he finally managed to blurt out. "Please, can he be put in the same ward as Nick?" he requested and the doctor was reluctant at first. However, after hearing the explanations and endless heart wrenching pleads, he finally obliged to Kevin's request.

Before they allowed Kevin to go in, the doctors and nurses were setting up all the tubes and drips for Brian. The other doctor was checking on Nick, taking notes with a serious expression on his face at the same time. When the doctors came out, they approached Kevin about Brian and Nick's current condition.

"Mr. Richardson-" one of them started.

"Please call me Kevin."

"Okay. Kevin, I'm Dr. Lorrine and I'm in charge of Brian. This is Dr. Peterson and he's in charge of Nick." Dr. Lorrine introduced as they shook hands. "I hope that you'll be prepared for this," he said. Kevin nodded sadly and Dr. Lorrine hesitated a couple of seconds before continuing. "Currently, Brian's heart condition is deterioting. The earlier accident might have caused the relapse. There are also some minor complications and superficial injuries noted upon Brian's arrival in the hospital. This is going to be a long night for him and hopefully, if he pulls through, his condition will not deteriote again."

"You mean, my cousin... He's going to die?" Kevin asked while trying hard to hide his emotion, which was fluctuating like a manic.

Dr. Lorrine shook his head gently. "Not unless he has that will to live. Besides Brian's family doctor, I've also been treating him. Well, for nearly a year now and I've never seen him without that spark of life and the joy to be alive. I strongly believe that he will pull through." He gave Kevin an assuring smile and patted him gently on his shoulder. "Now, as for Nick's condition, I'll let Dr. Peterson explain."

Dr. Peterson gave Kevin a comforting smile. He looked through his notes briefly before relating Nick's condition to him. "For Mr Carter's condition, pulmonary edema, which is normally known as fluid in the lungs, is noted and we need a V/Q scan to confirm whether or not blood cots are present in the lungs too. It might seem unnecessary but we can't take chances. As you can see," he paused briefly, looking at Nick through the transparent glass window. "We have also placed an insertion of an endotracheal tube to help him breathe normally. As for complications-" he looked down onto his report, feeling reluctant to increase the grieve for Kevin. He looked up again and gave a reluctant glance at Dr. Lorrine before turning to face Kevin again. "Are you sure you want me to continue, Kevin?"

"Yes, please." Kevin replied firmly. "I need to know."

"Well, before Mr Carter went into a coma, he muttered something about seeing double. So, I conclude that he's experiencing diplopia, which is double vision. I'm afraid that a CAT scan for his brain might not be efficient enough and so, I'm going to use the MRI. I'm going to let him go through the diagnostic imaging tomorrow morning and you should be able to see the result by evening. Hopefully, it's nothing serious. We can't afford to have more complications for him." he sighed deeply. The only thing which was left unsaid was Nick might be suffering from an unknown brain disease. However, Dr. Peterson didn't have the heart to let Kevin know and besides, that information hadn't been confirmed as of yet. Being a doctor for almost eight years, he did understand the limit of grief which one could take.

When the doctors had finally left after a few more comforting words, Kevin let his strong front fall and furrowed his eyebrows deeply. He was completely devastated and felt totally defeated by fate. Fate loved to play games. Dangerous games. "Why us?" he softly asked, the question reaching out to meet the heartless reality. "Why them?" he sighed and glanced through the transparent window, where the two best friends were. That sight reminded him of their music video, Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely. It was too eerie for words. Brian's scene had come to life right at this moment, with his best friend accompanying by his side. That video could have been a curse.

Slowly, he walked in and pulled a chair up between the two beds. Putting the crutches aside, he settled onto the chair slowly and closed his eyes. All he could do now was pray. Pray hard that his cousin and friends would pull through. As his thoughts weren't concentrating, he began to see his entire life flash by him. And, of course, the future without them.

"The future without us." he softly told himself. "The future without us..."

"Kevin... Oh my lord." A familiar voice broke the silence and filled the room. Before Kevin could turn around, a figure had zoomed right in front of him. It was a very upset and terrified Kristin. "How could this have happened? Kev-" Before she could finished her sentence, Kevin pulled her into a tight embrace. He knew that no amount of words would calm his wife down and a hug would be the best thing to silent all her fears and doubts.

"I was so scared and worried when I received the news! I was so scared... really... I..." Kristin tried to choke out the words and squeeze her husband tightly.

"Hun, I'm here," he comforted, patting his wife's back gently. "Alive and, probably not very well. But I'm here..."

As the couple was busy embracing and comforting, Leighanne was standing at the door with an utter look of total disbelief written on her face. There was an unexplainable feeling, which ran through her, and seeping into all her veins. That fateful day when Brian had his operation had returned to haunt her. For years, she didn't get peaceful nights sleep, as the nightmares of Brian's operation kept coming back. In the dream, she would always see Brian being cut open at his chest and the faint, evil smile of the doctors and nurses hovering all around her. 'No...' she thought and tried to get a grip on herself. "No." she said aloud this time and both Kristin and Kevin broke out of their moment.

"Leigh-" Kristin called out.

"Shh..." Leighanne silenced her. She walked to Brian's side and tried hard to smile. "Darling... This prank is not a funny one. Come on, get up," she said softly. Tears stung her eyes slowly when no response came from Brian. "You had the operation, Brian. You're supposed to wake up by now. Don't lay on the bed, get up!" At this point, the lingering tears had fallen from her eyes as she dropped onto Brian, hugging him tightly.

Kristin pulled away from Kevin and went over to Leighanne. She knew that Leighanne had let her worst fear take over and tried to shake her out of the trance. "Leighanne, snap out of it! It's not that operation, it's over. Brian had an accident... An accident, Leigh... And he's going to pull through 'cause he's not going anywhere!"

It took a while for Kristin's words to hit Leighanne before the latter shakily lifted herself off Brian and looked back at her friend. "He's not going anywhere..." Leighanne muttered. Kristin nodded gently and Leighanne hugged her for comfort.

"Right... Not going anywhere..." Kristin assured and patted on Leighanne's back as she looked at Kevin. Kevin gave her a weak smile. "Leigh, where's the rest of the family?" Kristin asked.

Leighanne sniffed and another tear rolled off her cheek as she let go of Kristin. "They are in Paris for the holidays, remember?" she explained, turning her back against Kristin to face Brian and reached under the cover for Brian's hand. "I didn't dare to inform them."

"But the entire world would be covering this 24/7 and they will know it-"

"I know." Leighanne argued. "But perhaps the later they know, the better." she said and held Brian's hand tightly.

Amidst their conversation, a young female doctor was prancing outside the ward. Tucking her shoulder-length brown hair behind her ears, she stopped herself from prancing and stood firmly at the door. Taking in a deep breath, she tried her utmost to calm herself down. 'Nick's condition is not as bad as you've been told. Calm. down. Calm...' she reminded herself. Finally, she slowly brought her hands up to knock on the door and enter the room to a couple of gasps. There was an awkward silence for a couple of seconds.

"Eunice?" Kevin was the first to utter her name. He was surprised to see her.

"Yeah." she managed. "I'm sorry about the accident..." Trying to twist her tongue to find some intelligent words to say, her eyes fell on Nick. She wanted to look away but it was too hard. In fact, she found herself starring at the young blond man in total heartache. Eunice was Nick's 'supposed' girlfriend over a year ago. Not until the media went crazy with the malicious reports and continuous harassments. That harassment part was the final straw that caused her to end the relationship. "I wish this whole thing was just a fragment of our imaginations." she sighed. "God, please watch over them." she whispered a little prayer.

"Eunice-" Kristin tapped on her shoulder and as Eunice turned round, they gave each other a warm hug. "How have you been?"

"I'm doing okay." she replied flatly. "The paparazzi finally left me alone when they found out that I'm not news worthy anymore."

"Nick misses you a lot, you know that, right?"

Eunice looked away. "Kris, please..." she pleaded and pulled away from her. "I know that."

"Honey..." Kevin called out to Kristin and shook his head, signaling that she shouldn't say anything anymore.

The entire room was a heartbreaking sight. It was as if the whole world had decided to dump all their sadness into this tiny space in the hospital. No one spoke a word for the next few hours. They were either sitting, standing, praying or just looking painfully at the two men on the bed and cry softly.

Until something different showed up on Brian's cardiac monitor.

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