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**Chapter Fourteen**

“Anita!” a voice called out, “Anita, wake up!”

Anita groaned as she slowly came out of her slumber from the loud, excited voice. She then felt a pair of strong, eager hands shaking her awake as her head hit the pillow repeatedly as if she were being beaten violently.

“I’m up now, moron.” her muffled voice chimed out, and the person dropped her. Her head hit the mattress with a THUNK. Sitting, she rubbed her now sore skull, squinting up at the man before her. It was none other than Nick. She sighed, looking at him in annoyance, “Was that really necessary?” she asked, “Waking me up...I need my beauty rest.” Nick just stared at her smiling from ear to ear, “Okay, what do you want?”

Nick continued to smile, hopping up and down in excitement. Anita couldn’t help but start to smile at his intense energy. He looked as if he wanted to spill his obviously good news, but couldn’t find time to say it or how to. Anita’s smile fell as she just gave Nick an expectant, impatient look.

“Kev’sreturningtohisroom!.” Nick exclaimed in one breath, his words coming out jumbled and running together.

“Excuse me?” Anita asked, not quite hearing or understanding him, “Could you please repeat that.”

“Kevin...is...better.” Nick gasped, his energy taking the breath out of him, “He’s going back....to...his....room.”

Anita was baffled. It had been nearly eight weeks since she’d spoken to Kevin in is worst state, telling her he was going to die. She had believed him. It had been six weeks since he’d stopped speaking all together. His case had seemed hopeless. But by some miracle, just out of nowhere, he’d slowly started to improve. It hadn’t been much, but enough for the doctors to take notice. His temperature had started to drop by a few points each day. All had been too afraid to think of it as a good sign though, for Kevin’s situation deemed to be unfeasible. It was very possible that Kevin’s minor improvement was nothing more than false hope. But his improvement slowly continued each day, making it seem entirely possible that their beloved friend was going to really, truly be okay this time. In the grimmest situation, Kevin had pulled through and fought his hardest for life even though death was right at the foot of his bed. It seemed he was now ready to continue on with his chemo treatments in hopes to hit remission point once and for all.


Their visits with him had been kept minimal and for awhile after they’d been increased three and a half weeks before. The yo-yo-ing of the visits was driving them crazy, for the rules of how long they could stay seemed to change bi-weekly. The reason this time being Kevin was so weak he no longer awoke at all nor responded to their presence, making it feel real that he was really going to die of Osteosarcoma. But slowly again, he’d started to become alert and talk little by little, staying awake a tiny bit longer each time. He was still negative at first, but it was obvious that he was gaining the slightest bit of strength back, and his words of depression slowly faded away and had no longer been spoken. But this news being delivered from Nick definitely hadn’t been expected. Not at all.

“Are you sure?” Anita breathed.

Nick nodded his head vigorously, causing a small, unsure smile to form on Anita’s lips. She breathed a sigh of relief. He’d been in isolation for over two months in a continued down spiral deterioration of his health, but he was okay now...okay enough to return to his room, just a few doors down from her own.

“He’s improved enough...he’s going to be okay!” Nick cried out, “He beat the infection ... completely. He’s out of the woods!”

“Does everyone else know?” Anita asked, wondering if AJ, Howie and Brian had been informed yet.”

Nick nodded, “Yes. They’re literally crying from happiness. They’re with him right now.” Nick gave a sigh of relief, “I swear, this is one of the happiest days of my life.” And it showed too. In all the time she’d been a fan of the Boys, she’d never seen Nick quite this happy before, and she didn’t blame him, for her feelings were well matched.

Anita smiled, glad that things looked to be getting back to normal. She was slightly jealous though that the Boys were getting first dibs on seeing Kevin before she’d even known about it. She wished that she would have been woken up sooner to be told and was able to see Kevin before all. Anita then realized though that the group was close knit and had known each other for a hell of a lot longer than she had known Kevin. It was only fair that it was the way things had turned out, so she tried to wash away the feelings of raging jealousy

“We’ll, I’m gonna go back and visit some more with the others.” Nick informed her, “Just thought you should know...deserved to know. They’re all leaving in a day or so....I probably will be going with them.” he paused, “But yeah, so, um, I’ll come get you when the others are done, kay?”

Anita nodded, “Thank you.” she softly replied, realizing the Boys probably were needing some time alone with their close friend and ‘brother’. Her time would come, and if Kevin was as excited to see her as she was to see him, that time would be soon. He wouldn’t keep her waiting long. They had a happy reunion waiting for them. That much she was sure of.

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Walking slowly as well as nervously in to Kevin’s old hospital room, Anita stopped, afraid of what she would find. She hadn’t seen Kevin in that room in over fifty days. It would seem almost unusual. She’d been warned already that although he wasn’t at risk for much of anything anymore, and the infection was in fact passed, he’d still be slightly dazed and groggy and to be patient with the man. He’d been through a lot and although he’d recovered almost fully, there was still a little ways to go. Anita smiled though. He was going to be okay. That was all that mattered to her. Her only worry though was that since he’d gone so long without the chemotherapy, possibly the cancer had spread and now he’d have no hope of hitting remission. She hoped that it wasn’t the case, but it was always a huge possibility.

“Hey there,”


Anita jumped, startled by the voice. She saw Kevin looking over at her, his head tilted sideways slightly with a weak smile on his face. She realized that she had zoned out in to her own little world of thoughts, forgetting for just a moment where she was. When she saw Kevin though, sitting there right before her eyes in a normal room, everything came back to reality fast, and she found herself in a light jog making her way over to him. Before she knew it, Anita’s arms were wrapped tightly around Kevin.

With a little laugh, Kevin hugged Anita back with one arm, giving her a light kiss on the side of her neck. This sent shivers up Anita’s spine and up and down her arms as a grin formed on her lips. This was all real.

“You’re here,” she whispered out in sheer disbelief, as if this whole thing had been nothing more than a dream, but touching him was proof that it wasn’t, “You’re really here...you’re okay.” It had been what she hoped for every day for months. Her only wish had come true, and now she was literally
speechless.

With a light laugh, Kevin ran his fingers gently over Anita’s bald scalp where her hair would have been. It felt so good to have somebody who was there for him, so overjoyed to see him alive and doing well. He was lucky to have four friend just the same. Kevin definitely considered himself to be very blessed, for he had so much going for him in his life now and so many people standing behind him to support him.

“I’m fine, hon.” Kevin said softly, pausing for a second, “I’m fine now.”

For most of the time Kevin had been in isolation, he couldn’t remember any of it, startled when he’d been wheeled up to his room to find he’d missed two and a half months of his life to being in and out of consciousness. All he knew was that he’d felt like nothing he ever had before, nor could he explain. It had been awful, and was glad that he’d obviously been asleep for most of it. But even then, he couldn’t escape the immense torment he’d felt.

Once the mini-reunion was over, and things had calmed down, Anita got her first real look at her boyfriend. He appeared on the outside to be about normal, except for still being slightly pale, but much of his color had come back over the weeks. He was still extremely thin from all the weight he’d lost, losing a lot of muscle mass that he’d worked for all his life, however he was still attractive. Anita didn’t know why him being there, back in his own room again, surprised her so much, but it did. She’d seen his slow improvement over the weeks with her own eyes, witnessing him getting better and returning to, well, as normal as he could get under the circumstances. Yet it still seemed unreal that he was actually back, and hopefully for good this time.

“What?” Kevin asked her with a small laugh, seeing the way she was looking at him with her big, dark eyes, almost as if she were examining him,

“I’m just so happy you’re back....and okay...and everything...” Anita replied, stroking his face with her hand. She was so afraid that he would evaporate in to thin air if she took her eyes off of him. Worse yet, she was afraid she would wake up, and this all be a dream, Kevin still being in isolation to try his hardest to fight the nasty infection. It was real though, and that made everything all the better.

Kevin stared at his hospital-made girlfriend, wondering how he’d gotten so lucky as to have found her. Sure, he’d made her enemy list in the beginning, but now, they were as close as ever. He got the feeling that Anita would even die for him, which was saying a lot.

“Enough about me,” Kevin said finally, “How’re you doing?”


Anita hesitated, cringing slightly. She hadn’t told Kevin once about her own failing condition for fear that it would cause him to stress and worry, putting his own slow recovery on halt. He didn’t need that in his life, so she just didn’t clue him in, thinking it was for the best. With the new chemo drugs, she still wasn’t improving, however she wasn’t worsening either. The doctor wanted to give it a couple more weeks before searching for alternative solutions to try out. All in all, Anita figured that she was just about the same as she was when she’d come in to the hospital months before. She looked up to see Kevin looking at her, slightly confused at her delay. She knew that she’d have to say something.

“Um, well...the drugs that they were using didn’t exactly start to make me better. They’re trying something new now...so hopefully...” fear clouded over in her eyes, making Kevin know exactly what she was thinking.

“That’s not going to happen. They’re going to work and you’re going to win.” He said with such assuring-ness, “Stay positive.”

Anita sighed, “I hope you’re right. I hope that I win...cuz this is hell wondering and waiting for results.” What she didn’t tell Kevin was that her doctor had told her that high stress could have something to do with the delay and with all the stressing she’d done over him, it wouldn’t surprise her. She didn’t want to make him feel bad though, deciding that the small detail he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

“We’re some pair, aren’t we?” Kevin joked, getting a tiny smile out of Anita. He hugged her closely to him, kissing her forehead, “We’re going to be okay, hun. I’ve just got this feeling that we’re both going to be okay now.”

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“You sure you’re going to be alright?”

Kevin nodded in response to Brian’s question, which he’d already asked at least a dozen other times that morning. It had been two weeks since he’d been released from isolation and was back on chemotherapy. He’d forgotten just how much he hated them, however he knew it had to be done, keeping his complaining minimal. All in all, Kevin did think he’d be alright. His assuring didn’t seem to ease his cousins concern though, hidden deep within his blue eyes.

“Everything is great,” Kevin laughed, “Quit worrying about me so much...I’m past all of that stuff now.”

“We’re just making sure,” AJ stated.

Nothing was said for a long moment. Kevin appreciated his friends’ concern, however it made him feel like an invalid when they were constantly hoovering over him, babying him and coming to the rescue every time he needed just the simplest thing that he really could have done for himself. Kevin knew it was because they cared, but he was out of the woods now and gaining strength back by the day in the middle of chemo days.

“I’m fine,” Kevin smiled, tugging on Anita’s hand to pull her closer to him, “Plus I have Anita here for me.” The others didn’t say anything still, “It’s okay...I understand you have stuff to get back to in Florida and LA. It’s okay to leave. I won’t have any hard feelings over it. I promise.” Kevin was sure to put emphasis on the last word.

“It’s just that Nick is leaving too,” Howie explained, “We’re just afraid to all leave you here, that’s all.”

All in all, that was the truth. If Nick left with them, it was like their one lifeline for information was gone. If it hadn’t been for Nick, who would have told them about Kevin? The answer was nobody, for Anita wouldn’t have known how to contact them back them and the doctors obviously weren’t either. Their worry was just out of fear that things could do another turn around and Kevin really die, and they would have no way of ever knowing anything. Not until the way aftermath.


Kevin gave them a look that said it all though. He was okay and didn’t want them to feel obligated to stick around. He’d been glad that they’d come to spend time with him and stick things out with him until he was better, but it was also time for them to go home and get on with their own lives, for as soon as Kevin was released from the hospital, they had big plans to finish recording for their album and then tour. There was a lot to do in between that they all could take care of without him there to prepare for it. Every last one of them knew it too, but their hesitation was still there and going strong.

“Okay...” Brian finally decided, “If you’re sure...” he sighed, uncomfortable with leaving his cousin there, “But if anything changes, call us...either you or Anita...to let us know what is going on.”

‘Deal.” Kevin replied, knowing that it really wouldn’t go any other way anyways.

Each of the Boys gave Kevin a large hug, still not wanting to leave, but the decision was final. In a couple of hours, they’d be already in the air, in a jet, on the way back to where they’d come from.

‘Take care of yourself, okay?’ Nick told him, Kevin promising that he would.

Anita was next in line for a round of hugs. It was weird, because she considered each of the men to be a close friend now, accepting each as if it was all natural.

“It was so great meeting you,” Howie told her, “Be sure to keep him out of trouble and take care of him for us.”

Anita laughed, “I will.”

Everyone finished off their goodbyes. One by one, after a long pause and hesitation, the Boys filed out of the doorway and they were gone and out of sight just as quickly as they’d come in three months before.