Howie stood in the small ICQ cubicle, and watched the machines that surrounded him. He was wearing a hospital scrubs,to avoid any germs being passed inside. They were only allowed to come in one at a time,and he had done nothing but pray over his friend as he stood in the room.
He sighed,and left the room. There was nobody else around. Kevin had gone
back to the lodge with Johnny and Lou to call Nick's parents,and Brian had
been in Nick's room since he was admitted hours ago.
Howie walked down the hall towards Nick's room,when he heard shouting. As
he recognized Brian's voice,he began to jog.The door to Nick's room was
standing open. Howie could hear the machine flatlining from miles away.
As he got closer,he spotted Brian at a nurses desk,shouting at two of the
nurses behind the counter.
"Please!Help him!, "Brian cried. Howie ran to his friend.
"The machine.....I was talking to him,and it just stopped going.I didn't
know what happened.I hit the nurses button,but nothing happened," Brian
sputtered,turning just as four doctors rushed by him into Nick's room.Howie
led Brian over to the waiting room chairs.
"Stay here.I'll find out what's going on," he instructed.The sight of Nick's
exposed chest and the machine that they were using to pump life back into
him brought tears to Howie's eyes.He turned away and held back his emotions,
because he didn't want to upset Brian.
"Well?," Brian looked up,his eyes filled with concern.
"They're trying to save him," Howie whispered.He closed his eyes and Brian sank down into the chair and covered his ears against the sound of the flatlining machine,and the blast that followed each time the doctor's fought to save Nick's life.
"Nick! Nick!," a shrill voice called. Howie turned to find Nick's mom and
dad rushing down the hall,panicked.
"Mrs.Carter,you can't go in there right now," a nurse said,stopping the
couple at Nick's door.
"My baby-my litte boy is in there!," she cried,hysterically. Mr.Carter led
her to a chair,and she turned to find Brian sitting next to her.They hugged
briefly,as she began to sob.
"What happened out there?," she asked,looking up at Howie.He shrugged.
"We don't know.Nick and AJ....they disappeared last night.When we found
them this morning,they were both in bad shape. We won't know what happened
until one of them wakes up," Howie explained.
"Mrs.Carter?," a doctor interrupted.Nick's parents leapt to their feet.
"You can see your son now.But keep in mind,he isn't awake.Just talk to him-
let him know you're here," the doctor advised.The Carters nodded,and walked
into the room.Brian stood up,and met Howie's eyes.Then,without a word,they
walked down to the chapel.
Both boys said a prayer for their friends,and hoped against hope that they
would know what had happened on that lake very soon.Upstairs in his private
room,Nick Carter opened his eyes to the sound of his mother's voice.
Find out what happens next in Chapter Three.
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