That's what she said....

The room began to spin, she grabbed Nick’s arm to steady herself before collapsing into his arms.
“Cassidy!” Kirstie gasped.
“Kev get a nurse quick...” Nick said rationally as he laid Cassidy down on the cold hospital benches.
“Cass....sweetie.....can you hear me...” Nick soothed, rubbing her arms.

“Brian??” Leighanne turned back to Brian who hadn’t yet said anything.
“Leigh...I don’t need to deal with this right now!” He said frustratedly, rubbing his temples with his good hand.
“I’ll leave you to think about what I said....” Leighanne’s voice cracked as she hurried off.
“Guys clear out of the way....what happened?” A burly nurse hovered over Cassidy.
“Uhh...she just fainted...” Nick replied nervously.

“Honey do you know where you are?” The nurse said a little more gently as Cassidy opened her eyes slowly, she felt faint and her head spun.
“Nick...” She whispered.
“I’m here Cass....” Nick breathed a sigh of relief.
“Has she eaten anything today?” The nurse looked at Nick.

“Uhh...no probably not...our friend’s in emergency surgery and...” Nick blurted.
“She needs to eat something and rest......I suggest you take her home...” The nurse said in her thick accent before walking briskly of to continue her rounds.

“Did you hear that Cassidy? I’m gonna take you back to the hotel....” Nick smiled sweetly.
“But I want to be here when Becca wakes up...” She answered weakly.
Everyone looked gravely at each other and then at Brian.
He saw their sad expressions and cursed himself.

“There’s nothing you can do here.....we’ll call you if we hear anything...” Kevin said to Cassidy gently.
“But I....” Tear were threatening her eyes.
“There’s nothing we can do here Cass....” Kirstie whispered, giving Cassidy a hug as she shakily sat up.
“Come on.....” Nick said wrapping his arms around her.

“And you’ll call if they tell you anything??” She asked again.
“Straight away...” Kevin said squeezing her hand as she and Nick disappeared down the corridor.

“I’m gonna go get something to eat, does anyone want anything?” Howie asked brushing his long hair wearily out of his face.

“I’d love a cheeseburger...” AJ attempted a smile.
“Kirstie?” She shook her head quickly, AJ wrapping an arm around her for comfort.
“We might go eat some dinner and come back later to see what’s happening....” Kevin looked at Krissy who nodded.
“Brian did you want anything?” Howie asked.
“Nah thanks D....” Brian answered quietly.
“Ok....I’ll be back in a few....” And then the three of them left.

AJ, Kirstie and Brian sat in silence for a few minutes before a young girl approached them.

“Sorry to disturb you....but are you Cassidy Gellar?” The girl asked Kirstie. “Umm....no that’s my cousin, why is there news about Becca?” A bit of colour returned to Kirstie’s face at the prospect of news.
“No I’m sorry there’s a phone call for a Cassidy Gellar....A Mr and Mrs Fong from Australia...”

“Oh god....Becca’s parents....” Kirstie said standing.
“I’ll take it...” Brian said to the girl.
“Excuse me??” Kirstie spun around to face him.
“I’ll take it Kirstie...” He said firmly.
“Over my dead body you will you gutless son of a bitch.....” Kirstie looked him up and down and continued to walk.
“Kirstie! Lay off alright? Just stop it! I made a mistake ok??” Brian pulled her back.
“Mistake, ultimate betrayal....same difference...” Kirstie said sarcastically.
“...But I’m here now.....and I will talk to my girlfriend's parents......so sit down....” He said through gritted teeth before following the young girl to where Becca’s parents were still on hold.

Denise came back and sat across from AJ and Kirstie.
“Anything??” AJ looked up quickly.
“Well, she’s out of surgery...and in a private room...we can see her in the morning....until then there’s nothing we can do....”
“Oh thank God.....thanks mom.....for everything...” AJ said sincerely.
“Why did you tell me about you two.....it would have made everything so much easier...” Denise sighed shaking her head disappointedly.
Both Kirstie and AJ’s heads immediately dropped in shame.
“We’re sorry mom....we did try, but time just flew by us...” AJ began.
Denise waved him away with a pained look on her face, both mentally and physically exhausted from the recent events of the past days.

“You guys want to come back to the hotel with me?” She offered.
Kirstie looked at AJ and smiled wearily, that was the best news she had heard all day.

Denise wrapped her arm around Kirstie’s shoulders.
“She’s gonna be alright Kirstie....you’ll see....” She assured her as the three of them began to walk down the corridor.

“Just a minute....” Kirstie stopped abruptly.
“I wanted to talk to Becca’s parents...”

“Becca’s parents??” Denise asked surprised.
“Brian’s on the phone to them now....” AJ told Denise.
“Brian?!” Denise looked even more shocked.

“Yeah, he came with Leighanne earlier...” Kirstie said disapprovingly.

“Oh really?? Where’s Leigh now?” Denise asked.
“No idea...she kinda ran out after she confessed her love for Brian in front of the whole hospital....” AJ said dryly.

“What?!” Denise gasped. “Oh mom...please tell me you saw it coming...” AJ said sadly.
“I had no idea....oh God poor Brian...” Denise shook her head in disbelief.
“Yeah....if I had her after me I’d be suicidal too...” AJ stifled a laugh.
“AJ that is not nice!” Denise swatted him on the arm, the slightest hint of a smile playing on her face.

“More wine?” Kevin asked as he and Krissy sat in a quaint little restaurant.
“You’re not hungry?” Kevin asked as Krissy picked at her food.
“I’m just thinking about stuff....” Krissy looked up and smiled as Kevin tried his best “bedroom eyes...”

“Do you really think she did it?” Krissy asked, voicing one of the many things that were on her mind.

“Let’s not talk about this now...” Kevin furrowed his brow.

“What do you want to talk about then...” Krissy replied tensely.

“I don’t know...us...maybe...” Kevin grinned, trying his best to relieve the tension of the day. He discreetly ran his foot up her leg under the table.

“Kevin!” She laughed softly.

He love the way she laughed. It wasn’t girlish and high pitched, it was slightly husky and sexy.
“We need to chill out....it’s been a really stressful day....” Kevin said more seriously.
“Yeah I know...” Krissy said yawning.
“Come on....lets just get back to the hotel......” Kevin took her hand and led her out of the restaurant.

“Come on Brian....there’s nothing more we can do tonight....” Howie pleaded.
“I’m staying...” Brian said determinedly.
“Fine......but I need some sleep Bri.....are you sure you’ll be ok?” He asked worriedly.
“Yeah I’ll be fine Howie...thanks....” Brian and Howie embraced and then Howie left him alone in the lonely corridor.

Brian slowly got up from the hospital bench and began wandering in and out of hospital rooms hoping her could find the one Becca was in.

Seeing so much pain and suffering was really started to get to him and he finally sat down defeated. In some ways, he didn’t really want to see Becca in a hospital bed, with wires coming out of her and the all too familiar ‘beep, beep’...that monitored the heart which had cause so much pain.

“Poor girl....I heard she’s the girlfriend of one of the Backstreet Boys....”
“Being on that tour wouldn’t have helped her condition....”

Brian heard voices coming form the next room, before two young nurses walked out, continuing their duties in the room across the hall.

Brian looked around him to make sure that no one saw him as he slipped into the dimly lit room that the two nurses had just come out of.

“Ohhh.....” Brian couldn’t stop himself form reacting when he saw Becca lying there, pale and still.
For a moment he couldn’t move, or speak or do anything but watch her....so he stood there, as the moments passed.....just as numb and lifeless as she was.

Finally, he slowly came back into consciousness and he walked quietly over to the bed side and sat in the leather chair positioned next to it.

He sat and listened to the sound of her strained breathing, thinking about how things had changed so much in one day. Suddenly he spoke.
“They say that you can still hear people when you’re like this....and...well, you were always one for talking it out...” Brian said getting choked up. He took a minute to compose himself.

“Why did you do it? Why did you try and sell that tape......did you? Was it the money you needed? Or was it just to hurt me......did I do something to you or....”

“You know if you didn’t love me......all you had to do was say.....” Brian drifted off, but then shook his head.

“That’s bullshit! No one is that good at acting! This was true love! This was it....what everyone spends their whole life searching for! This right here....” Brian took hold of her cold hand and warmed it with his own.

“....But now this has happened...and you’re laying in some hospital....and I don’t even know who you are anymore.......I don’t know anything. I don’t know what to do or who to listen to...” Brian and looked at her sadly.

“...All I do know....is that I still love you.....” He sighed.

He got up from the chair and walked over to the window, which had a spectacular view of the European nightlife. He looked back at Becca and then again at the view.

Then, without any will at all....Brian began to hum.
He gently tapped the beat on his chest as he gradually became louder and eventually began to sing.

“There are people that say what you wanna hear
Even on a rainy day they tell you the sky is clear
When you really, really love someone
Am I right when you say that you want them near
And if you can't even tell the things that they wanna hear

Always forever, oh things she said
Never say never, the simple lies that she tells
I will never leave you,
all the love I thought she had
But can you blame me,
No 'Cause that's what she said

That's what she said
She told me we'd see forever
That's what she said
She told me we'd be together
She said, yeah

There are people who say what they really mean
she said she'd always be there,
she said she'd always care
But just when you think
That you trust that someone in love
Tell me why do you know how stars
can fall from above

'Cause you make promises that you couldn't keep
But you're not hurting yourself, you're only hurting me
Why would you say things that you don't really mean
Oh how can I make you see, just what you did to me
You said how much you really care
Just when I thought I was in love Girl, how could you dare
If I were you, I could not lie even once
To the face of love that
I love so much

That's what she said..