Next Stop, the Twilight Zone!
The Alternate Universe Chapter
~By (Just) Marina~
They ran through the door and found themselves in the middle of a frantic scene. There were doctors running in every direction, nurses pushing stretchers, people yelling in pain. Quickly they realized where they were, it was an emergency room, a very busy one.
“I thought we had left the crossover chapter already?” Nick, who had taken a couple of steps ahead, turned around to face the other guys.
“What makes you think we haven’t Nicky?” Howie asked him trying not to get run over by an old man in a wheelchair.
“Because we are in ER.”
“Duh! We know that already dumbass. Of course we are in an ER.”
“Not AN ER, AJ…ER, as in the show.”
“The TV show?” Brian exclaimed while the others looked around after hearing what Nick had just said looking for a familiar face. “Great, I like that show.”
“Are you sure Nick?” Kevin asked. “How do you know we are in ER? We haven’t seen any of the main characters yet. Isn’t that the purpose of a crossover? Having us interacting with other famous people.”
“Just wait a minute and we will see one of the main characters.”
“Again, Nick” AJ was starting to get exasperated; he really hated emergency rooms and couldn’t stand to be among sick people. “How do you know that?”
“Listen guys.” Nick brought his hand to his ear in a gesture that told them to pay attention.
“Dr. Carter, calling for doctor Carter. Dr. Carter you are needed in the ER,” a voice was repeating through the speaker system.
“That’s that Noah Wyle guy, right?”
“Yep” Nick replied. “Very cool name,” he added smiling without noticing that a nurse who had come into the building pushing a stretcher together with two paramedics, had given Nick a strange look and was now coming directly to them.
“Dr. Carter. Don’t you hear them calling you? Why are you standing here?” She asked Nick pulling him by the arm. “Come on doctor.” She kept pulling him but stopped when she finally acknowledged the other guys behind Nick. “Doctor Littrell? Doctor Dorough? I didn’t know you were on duty tonight but it’s so good to have you here. There has been a big MVA on the highway and they are bringing lots of people. We need you all right now.”
“Huh?” The boys’ faces were of complete confusion.
“MVA?” Nick asked Brian “That isn’t some Music Video Awards thing, is it?
“I think it means motor vehicle accident,” Brian whispered while the pushy nurse kept talking about a terrible accident using lots of medical terms that in their heads sounded all like gibberish. Suddenly she made a gesture to the paramedics that had entered the hospital with her and were still working on their patient. “This way guys please. The place is full; we will have to take care of him right here.” The paramedics brought the stretcher closer for the guys to see a man completely covered in blood.
“Doctor Littrell, do you think we should give him more saline? He is bradying down.”
Brian nodded not knowing what else to do.
“We would need another large-bore IV,” she kept talking. “You can leave guys,” the nurse told the paramedics. “We can take it from here, and you still have a lot to do out there. AJ, I need you to help me to stop the hemorrhaging.”
“I think I’m going to puke,” AJ said.
“I think I’m going to faint,” Howie replied falling to the floor.
“What the hell?” Kevin said noticing for the first time the clothes they were wearing while running to help Howie. They were all on white robes except for AJ, who wasn’t wearing any robe over his green scrubs, and for him, who was wearing a business suit.
With AJ frozen in one spot and Howie still on the floor, Brian had jumped immediately into the situation. Nick nervously had followed him still not sure what to do. After a minute Howie woke up just to see a bloody hand grab for him asking for help and fainted again.
“Okay I think we have stabilized him,” said the nurse who had done the entire job practically alone. “We should take him to surgery now. Dr. Dorough are you okay?” she asked Howie who had woken up again.
“Yes, I am. Don’t worry.” He stood up.
“I think one of the other doctors should check on you.”
“I am okay.” They were all walking through a hallway helping her to push the stretcher to one of the elevators.
“Why I am not wearing doctor’s clothes?” Kevin suddenly asked the nurse. “I am a doctor right?”
“Sorry sir I don’t know you.”
“You don’t know me? How can you know them and don’t know me?”
“Do you think he escaped from the psychiatric floor? Maybe we should call security,” the nurse whispered to Nick who started to laugh.
“You really don’t know Kevin,” he asked once they reached the elevator doors and were waiting for it to come down. The nurse shook her head.
AJ, who had been walking behind them the whole time while hyperventilating, had already controlled himself a little and hearing Nick’s words, came closer to him and the nurse.
“You mean Kevin isn’t the ER chief, nor the best surgeon ever or a director of the hospital?”
“Of course not AJ,” the woman replied.
“Man, I think I like this chapter.” AJ grinned just before a group of doctors and nurses passed them by pushing another bloody person in a stretcher. “Except for that.” He pointed to them. “That of course is still gross.”
“AJ, we would need to talk about what just happened. I know you are new here but these last two months you have shown us what a great nurse you are. We never had problems with you before but you standing there not helping us was completely unacceptable.”
“A nurse?”
The doors of the elevator opened and the nurse went in with Brian at her side. None of the other boys made an attempt to get inside and Brian, noticing they were leaving him alone, grabbed the one who he was closest too, who happened to be Howie, and yanked him into the elevator before the doors closed again.
“A nurse? I’m a freaking nurse?” AJ couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
Kevin and Nick were laughing at AJ’s shocked face. “You are an ugly nurse, bro.”
“Well at least I have a role in this story Kevin.”
“Shut up AJ. I have a role; I just need to find it out. Come on!” he said to the ceiling. “If I’m not a doctor what the heck I am?”
“I don’t know…a patient?” Nick guessed since ceilings didn’t speak and the boys couldn’t get that into their big heads.
“Are you feeling alright?” Nick asked Kevin who was still looking to the ceiling.
“Of course I’m feeling alright.”
“But you look kinda pale, Kevin.” Nick continued. “Let me auscultate you.”
“Why doesn’t it surprise me that you wanna auscultate him Nick?” AJ moved his eyebrows up and down in amusement.
“Moron” Nick told him bringing his stethoscope to Kevin’s chest.
“Let go of me Nick.”
“Kevin, let doctor Nick examine you.” AJ chuckled. “You know, you really look all stressed out.”
“I AM stressed out and it’s because of you two idiots. And it doesn’t matter that people are telling me that Nick is a doctor, I’m not letting him examine me.”
“How rude.” Nick crossed his arms over his chest pretending that Kevin’s words had hurt him.
The door of the elevator opened again and off came Brian and Howie.
“What happened?”
“He will be okay. Our best surgeon is working on him” Brian said trying to sound nonchalant.
“What’s wrong with you now Brian?” Kevin asked him suspecting something.
“With me? Nothing.”
“I know you and you are hiding something. Did something happen?”
“Brian is mad because they didn’t let him operate on that man.”
“Brian are you crazy?”
“I wasn’t going to operate on him, I just wanted to help but Howie here ruined it. He started to talk nonsense and scared them.”
“I scared them? You are the one who started to talk to the ceiling.”
“Well you made me go for it when you mentioned the writer. I only said that if she gave me those memories in the sci-fi chapter she probably made me an incredible doctor here and now they probably think we are crazy.” He took a deep breath before going on. “So… do we know already what kind of chapter this is? Is there something like medical drama in the fan fiction world?”
“Considering that we are other people now, I think this is AU,” Nick explained to them.
“You know it’s kind of sad that you know that much about fan fiction Nick” AJ was in a very weird mood and was searching his pockets for a cigarette. Nick rolled his eyes and tried to ignore him.
“AU?”
“Alternate Universe, Howie.”
“Other people?” Brian brought his hands to his face feeling it. “Still me here.”
“I mean we aren’t the Backstreet Boys, we are doctors… well AJ is a nurse and Kevin…we are still trying to figure out what he is.”
“You mean he isn’t an ER doctor?” Brian asked in awe.
“Nope” Nick answered with a smile.
“Surgeon on a day off?” Howie tried to guess.
“Nope.”
“Chief of Staff?” They both asked at the same time.
“Nope.”
“Wow” both mouths hung open in disbelief. “I think I like this writer.” Brian let out a little giggle.
“I said the same thing.” AJ laughed.
“Hey! What’s wrong with you Brian? You are my cousin. You are supposed to be at my side. From the dumbass here I can understand it, but you…”
“Ouch” AJ said since Kevin had accompanied the ‘dumbass’ remark with a smack to his head. “Why are you hitting me?”
“Because you are getting on my nerves and instead of helping me to find out my role in this stupid story you and Nick are making fun of me, and now you too Brian.”
“Sorry cuz but you have to accept that sometimes you are a little too bossy. It’s good to know that you won’t have the chance to boss us around now.”
“Well maybe I’m your boss in some other way so don’t call it a victory yet.”
The boys shook their heads trying not to laugh at Kevin’s frustration.
“In what way could you be our boss if you don’t work here Kevin?”
“Who knows, maybe I work for the government and I’m carrying out some kind of inspection here. Or I’m someone really important like the president of the United States.”
The other boys exploded into laughter. “The President?” Nick rolled his eyes.
“Nah, I say he is a patient” AJ said starting to get impatient since he couldn’t find a cigarette and this place was making him more than nervous.
“And I told you already that I would never go to a hospital were you are doctors.”
They were still discussing the situation when a doctor who was passing by, smiled at Kevin and started to walk in their direction.
“Hey I think that guy knows me, I guess we will know who I am soon.”
“Good morning Doctor Richardson. Gentlemen,” he greeted them.
“Doctor Richardson? YES! I am a doctor! I knew it.”
“Beg your pardon.” The red haired doctor looked at him bewildered.
“Eh… nothing.” Kevin composed himself and put on a serious face.
“I see you already met part of our staff. Doctor Littrell and Doctor Dorough are some of our best practitioners. And of course Doctor Carter who I’m sure you have heard about.” The doctor said totally ignoring AJ’s presence.
“Go ahead; ignore me, after all I’m just a nurse. Asshole.” AJ whispered being elbowed by Brian in response.
“I’m glad to have you as part of our medical team now, Doctor Richardson. But what brings you here today? You weren’t supposed to start here until next Monday.”
“I… eh… I was... walking by?”
“Well it’s a really busy day but in a way we can say that you could not have chosen a better day to see how things work here. I really wasn’t expecting you today though and I have to go back to the surgery floor right now but I’m sure Dr. Carter here as our Chief of Emergency Medicine will help you with everything you need. Good night doctors.”
“Chief of Emergency Medicine?” Kevin repeated the words that the doctor had just pronounced still not believing them.
“YES! I’m the boss!” Nick said mimicking Kevin’s previous gesture of victory with his arm.
“You can’t be the boss.”
“Why not?”
“Well, you are too young… among other things”
“Haven’t you heard of Doogie Howser?”
“Haven’t you heard of IQ tests? Doctors are supposed to be intelligent.”
“Hey, that’s rude Mr. 360 degrees.”
“What?”
“You are always repeating that AJ is completely recovered and how much he has changed because he has made a 360 degree turn. 360 degrees takes you back to where you started Kevin. That’s what people call a full turn!”
“Talking about AJ,” AJ interrupted them. “Why the hell I am the only nurse?”
They all gave him a quick glance but a second later Kevin and Nick were back to fighting, ignoring him completely.
“I’m not working for you Carter.”
“You are, Kevin. I’m so loving this story.”
“Well I’m not,” AJ said. “You know what? This story is boring and I don’t like sick people. I really think we should leave this place.”
“For once I agree with AJ.” Kevin nodded.
“Oh come on, don’t be such babies”
“I’m not a baby. I simple don’t like this place. Give me something else because this sucks.” AJ started to walk towards the door.
“Where are you going, Bone?” Brian asked and decided to follow him. Soon enough all the other boys were walking after them too.
“I need a cigarette and I guess I can’t smoke in here.”
AJ crossed the door again but instead of ambulances or another hospital scene he found a classic car from the 60s in front of him, in the middle of a dark street.
“Wow, Look at this baby,” he said approaching the old automobile. “This is really a classic, a 1964 Pontiac Bonneville in perfect condition. It looks beautiful in this color.” He kept walking around the red convertible. “1964 was the last year for this body on the full size Pontiac.”
Kevin, Brian and Howie followed him looking in awe at the scene surrounding them. After a couple of minutes Nick emerged from the building too, eating some Jello that he had taken from a patient’s tray.
“Nick that food isn’t for you,” Brian said.
“I’m hungry,” he shrugged filling a spoon. “Oh shit,” he said looking around before bringing the spoon to his mouth. “Are we back to being ourselves? Great AJ! You had to ruin my opportunity to be the boss.” He directed his attention to his Jello again but it magically disappeared from his hands. “What the hell! You really hate me right?” he yelled to the night sky full of stars. “First you take my sandwich, then my gremlin and now my Jello!”
“You were going to eat a gremlin?” Howie asked scared.
“No! But…you know what? Forget it.”
“AJ!” Brian called the tattooed man who had already climbed inside the vehicle. “That car isn’t yours. You can’t go in there. Kevin, say something!”
“Huh?” Kevin was busy walking the street trying to figure out where they were.
“Nothing” Brian answered. He wasn’t in the mood for more fights and decided to let AJ do whatever he wanted, focusing his attention on his other younger brother. “And what makes you think that we are back to being ourselves Nick?”
“Because this look like we are shooting more pictures. Check out the old car and the suits we are wearing now.”
“It looks more like we went back in time,” Kevin said walking back to where the others were standing next to the car and pulling Nick’s jacket sleeves so the others would look at it. “The car, the clothing style, everything is very 60s.”
“So was our last photo shoot.” Nick shrugged again.
“60s or not I think this car is ours,” AJ said from his place in front of the wheel.
“How come?”
“Because I had a key chain in my hand and it looks like this particular key is for this car,” he said putting the key in the ignition and turning on the car. “See,” he said turning it off after a while.
“So if this is the 60s, what are we now?” Nick said feeling his body.
“What are you doing? Are you looking for something?” Brian asked him.
“I took some crackers from that patient’s lunch tray too. I know that I’m not wearing the doctor’s robe anymore but maybe they are in these clothes…” He stopped talking abruptly and his face went pale.
“Nick? What happened?”
“What the hell,” Nick said pulling a gun out of his jacket. “Why do I have a gun in my jacket?”
“Probably for the same reason we have machine guns in the back seat of the car,” Howie replied looking inside the car. Maybe we are robbers.” He gulped. “Yes, I think we are robbers getting shot at…did I say getting shot at?” he asked just when he felt a bullet whistle past his ear. “Oh my God we are getting shot at!”
“Get in the car!” AJ yelled while turning it on again.
A police car whipped around the corner. AJ tried to accelerate the car but ended up with the car making a weird noise and stopping.
“Move AJ, you can’t drive stick!” Kevin shouted taking the wheel. AJ got into the passenger seat while the other boys piled up in the back seat.
The pursuit was insane. They drove around the dark city going into alleys and almost running over a couple that was crossing a street, the whole time with the police officers shooting at them. After some minutes they managed to lose the other car and parked in a dark alley where AJ thought they wouldn’t be found.
“Howie get off me. I can’t breath,” Brian said from the backseat where he had jumped in with Nick and Howie, or more like where Nick and Howie had jumped over him.
“Guys, why were the police chasing us?” Nick asked going down into car. “Do you really think we are robbers or some kind of mobsters? Maybe we are part of Al Capone’s band or something like that.”
“Considering that we are in the 60s and Al Capone is from the 20s I doubt it Nick” AJ said climbing out of the car too.
“And the writer chose you as the chief of ER?” Kevin rolled his eyes.
Nick gave him the finger.
“Guys please don’t fight” Brian intervened. “You are right about something Nick. It looks like we are some kind of criminal band,” he added finally being able to move when Howie left the car. He had found a suitcase on the floor of the car and was carrying it down. After placing it on top of the car’s trunk, he opened it.
“Wow, that’s a lot of money.”
“We are rich!”
“Weren’t we rich already, D?”
“Well, not here, I think.”
“Either way, that’s probably stolen money and I don’t want it.” Brian was about to close the suitcase but Howie stopped him.
“Speak for yourself Bri, I want it.”
Nick took a glance at the contents of the suitcase for the first time. “It’s old money, we can’t use it.”
AJ hit him on the head. “It isn’t old money, dumbass. We are in the past.”
“Well then can we use it to buy some food? I’m really hungry,” he whined. “Have you noticed that people in stories never eat? If only I could find those crackers.” He started to check his pockets again when he felt something hard.
“He he,” he giggled
Writer: Not that.
“Sorry but that sounded funny.”
“So there you are!” Kevin looked to the sky. “Why did you take us from the ER to get chased by the police?”
Writer: I remembered that there are too many hospital stories out there already. Let’s just call it another bad idea.
“You keep having those.”
Writer: Shut up Kevin. I decided that I want an AU with more action. I guess AJ saying he was bored made me realize that.
Nick was still checking his pockets and he pulled out the hard thing he had felt. A tape recorder?
“AJ” he whispered while Kevin kept fighting with the writer.
“What?”
“Why do I have this?” he asked showing the big machine to AJ.
AJ’s eyes grew bigger and for a moment Nick thought he had seen anger in them.
“You were recording us? Check your other pockets!” he ordered him.
Nick checked his right pocket and pulled out a police badge.
“I am a cop? Wow! Nice!”
“Traitor!” AJ yelled pointing his gun at him, making Nick throw everything to the floor and put his hands in the air.
“What the hell is happening?” Kevin asked.
“Nick is a traitor. He is a pig!”
“Hey don’t you dare to call him a pig. You don’t want me talking about you AJ!”
AJ rolled his eyes still aiming his gun at Nick.
“Pig is a term we use to refer to police officers Kevin,” Howie explained to him. “We are bad guys, remember?”
“Oh okay then… So you are a cop? Not cool Nick” Kevin aimed his gun at him too shaking his head.
“I didn’t know. I would never betray you guys.”
“Okay Kevin he didn’t know,” Brian tried to intercede.
“It’s not that simple Brian. He is a cop, a traitor.”
Brian took a deep breath. “Yes, I guess you are right. Does it mean that we will have to kill him?” Brian pointed his gun at Nick too.
“What? Brian! You can’t do that! It’s me, your Frack.”
“Sorry Nick but you have to die.” Kevin said taking a step ahead. “Put your guns away guys. I’ll take care of this.”
“No! You wouldn’t do it. I’m your baby brother.”
“This is the mafia Nick. I have killed two brothers already.”
“You have?”
“Yes. Sam and Charles who used to be in the group.”
*Music theme for bad guys in movies and close up to every pair of eyes*
“Huh?” Kevin looked up.
Writer: Just go on, Kevin.
“Okay.”
“Help!” Nick yelled.
Kevin pulled the trigger back. Behind him, Brian, Howie and AJ were smiling witnessing the scene.
Suddenly Kevin turned around.
“Why the hell are you smiling?”
“Huh?”
“He is your brother. Aren’t you supposed to defend him?”
“Well you are the one who wants to kill him.” Brian answered.
“And he isn’t really my brother.”
Kevin seemed to consider what AJ had just said and turned around to face Nick again. He lifted his gun and aimed it at his heart but didn’t shoot.
“Time out” he shouted putting the gun down again.
Writer: Ugh! You and your times out. Why don’t you go with the story for once? Is that too much to ask?
“Of course not.” He brought his hand to his heart. “You are so right; forgive me for being so thoughtless. Let me kill my little brother so you can keep on with your story. ARE YOU INSANE? I’M NOT KILLING NICK!” Kevin was beyond mad now.
“You aren’t?” Nick said taking a seat on the floor. “Thank God.”
“Of course I’m not little man.”
“Well you fooled me for a moment. What the hell was all that?”
“Sorry Nick, you know it wasn’t us saying those things.” Brian said walking to him and after taking a seat at his side hugging him.
“Well he really isn’t my brother.”
“Shut up AJ!”
“I’m kidding.”
“I’m tired of you playing with us. This has gone too far. You made me point a gun at my little brother.” Kevin was still yelling at the sky.
Writer: Yada, yada, yada. And you ruined it once again. All you do is complain and not collaborate with me.
“How do you want us to collaborate if you keep writing us in the most horrible situations?”
“Yes, since we are in this I think we should choose the scene for once.”
Writer: Since when do the characters choose the story AJ?
“Since the author can’t come up with a single good idea.”
Writer: I have great ideas but you keep ruining them. Okay, you think you can do a better job? What do you want? Give me a good AU.
“How about firefighters?” AJ said the first thing that crossed his mind.
Writer: Not that bad. I can do that. Have a big explosion. One of you can die saving the others.
“Wait! Did I say firefighters? I meant accountants.”
“Accountants?”
“Can you think of anything less dangerous?” AJ whispered to Brian
“But I don’t like math,” Nick complained
“Okay firefighters and he is the one dying.” AJ pointed to Nick.
“Funny…NOT!”
Writer: You are kidding right? Who wants to see you as accountants?
“Well I’m sure no one has done it before, you would be the first one. Don’t you want to be original? Get recognition?”
Writer: I don’t know, unless… Yeah that could work.
“Unless what? What could work?”
Writer: I think I have an idea.
“Uh oh”
“I usually don’t like your ideas,” AJ said already regretting having said accountants.
Writer: I could have one of you going to jail for defrauding a client. Yes! That definitely could work.
“Okay wait. I’m too pretty for going to jail.” Nick growled.
“And isn’t that Shawshank Redemption?” Kevin asked.
“How about gardeners?”
Writer: Now you are just saying the first thing that comes to your head Brian.
“No, really, a gardening story would be good.”
Writer: I think I prefer the accountant in jail one or the firefighters one or… yes I have another idea.
“Great another one of your ideas.”
“AJ!”
“What?” he asked before everything got dark.
“Thank you very much AJ” Kevin said. “Why did you had to start giving her ideas?” They were spinning in the air like they were in the middle of a hurricane.
“You think she is bringing us to Oz?” Nick yelled watching a blurry new scene emerging in front of them.
“Ahhhhhh!!!!!” They fell to the floor really hard and as soon as they looked around Brian and Nick started to laugh hysterically.
“Damn! A circus? You are fucking kidding me! A circus?”
“Look at your red noses.” Nick was laughing so hard that tears were falling down his face.
“No, look at Kevin’s pants. And Howie shoes!” Brian was practically rolling on the floor laughing. Howie, Kevin and AJ on the other hand, were looking at them annoyed in their clown outfits. “Hey Nick” Brian managed to say roaring with laughter. “Why don’t you have a red nose? We all have those.”
“I don’t know but I’m happy not to be a clown like you guys.”
“How is that even possible?” AJ complained pointing to Nick. He was so pissed off. “He is already the biggest clown.”
Writer: I have another job waiting for him… He will be the lion tamer.
“What?” Nick stopped laughing immediately. “No way!”
Writer: Yes way. This is perfect and nobody has done it before. See we have humor, drama, suspense, everything.
“A fucking circus! Where’s the drama or the suspense in a fucking circus?”
“AJ, calm down” Brian placed a hand over AJ’s shoulder. He wasn’t laughing anymore and was worried at what could happen if AJ and Kevin kept insulting the writer.
Writer: You will all be hiding your real personas under the circus façade. I’ll give you troubled pasts. Someone could be an assassin, someone else an undercover cop investigating a crime. At the end the murderer would end up in jail and…
“There’s the jail mention again.” Kevin covered his face with his hand and shook his head. “I give up.”
Writer: Okay give me a better idea.
“You are the writer. You are supposed to have your own ideas.”
Writer: If I change the story you have to promise me that you would accept whatever I choose.
“Anything will be better than having this red nose on my face” AJ shouted. The next thing he knew he was alone in a dark room.
“Another dark place? What’s with you and dark places?” AJ said to the ceiling noticing for the first time the horrible smell surrounding him. He heard a sound in the corner and pointed his lantern to it.
“Well at least I have a lantern,” he said directing the light to the exact place where the sound came just to see a rat looking at him.
“Aaaaaahhhhh!!!!!! A rat! Okay I take it back. I prefer the red nose and the circus.”
Writer: Too late. You are such a coward.
“I am not.” He was trying to calm down breathing in and out. After a couple of minutes he directed his lantern’s light to his own clothes trying to find out a little more about the story.
“Okay where I am? CSI? Cool, I guess. But where are the other guys?”
Writer: You think I will have you together all the time in this AU. To tell you the truth I’m really getting tired of you so I’m thinking of making a story with just one of you from now on. Maybe two instead of the whole group.
“You can’t!”
Writer: Watch me. I don’t know maybe I’ll let one of the other guys play the murderer or the body.
“Where are my brothers? Bring them back right now!”
Writer: Or?
“Or I will sit here and won’t do anything.” He was about to sit down when he not only noticed that the entire floor was dampened and dirty but remembered the rat too. “Yes, like I said, I will stand right here and won’t do anything. It will be a very boring story”
Writer: I can make you dance if I want. *Starts to play N’Sync music*
“Ahhhhh! Not that! Okay, maybe you can make me do whatever you want, but you know I’ll keep complaining.”
Writer: You are so annoying. I guess I can always keep writing a group fanfic.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!” The other four boys fell to the floor with a very big thud.
“Was that necessary?!” Kevin yelled.
Writer: What?
“Having us fall to the floor every time. You never did that before this chapter.”
Writer: No, it’s not necessary but its fun.
“Eeeeek a rat!” Howie jumped into Nick’s arms.
“D we are CSI detectives. You can’t be afraid of a little rat.” AJ said to Howie who was now on the floor kicking Nick’s legs for throwing him there.
Write: Well didn’t you…
“Shut up!”
“Did you say CSI detectives, AJ? So we went from injured people to dead people? I don’t think I can stand it.”
“Come on guys. This can be good. Those CSI shows are great. Let’s try to have fun.”
“AJ, the word ‘fun’ never goes together with the words ‘dead people’. And I can’t have fun with a rat looking at me. I think it winked at me.”
“Howie stop complaining or she will change everything again and I really don’t want to risk us going into another AU. It could be much worse than this, I’m sure. So start working.”
“Okay. Whatever you say.”
“Now, we will separate ourselves to look for clues. Brian and Nick you go to the first floor. Howie and I will check the next room.”
“Are you the boss now?”
“You know what? I think I am. And I like it.” AJ grinned.
“What about me?” Kevin asked.
“You,” AJ said pointing his lantern to the door. 5 pairs of eyes followed the light to a man’s body lying right in the entry of the room. Not having seen it before all the guys almost yelled at the creepy crime scene, but quickly regained composure getting into their CSI roles. “You will check the body Kevin. Haven’t you noticed your tag?”
“My tag? Kevin asked looking down and illuminating it with his lantern so he could read it. “Kevin Richardson ME,” he read aloud.
“Yep, you are a medical examiner not a detective like we are.”
“What?”
Writer: Didn’t you want a doctor’s robe Kevin. A nice white one is waiting for you in the laboratory.”
Kevin’s face got red from anger hearing the others laugh but he tried to control himself.
“Well, he said walking to the body. At least I’m part of the CSI team and considering that CSI is one of my favorite shows, fine with me.”
“CSI is one of your favorite shows?” Nick stopped laughing.
“Yes.”
“Well, that’s not fair.” They all looked at him. “First Brian and ER and now you. Why can’t we do my favorite show?”
“Which is?” Brian asked.
“Deadwood.”
Writer: Hey, I like that idea.
Next thing they knew they were in the Wild West riding horses and wearing cowboy suits.
“Great Nick” AJ rode next to him and hit him on the head “Why can’t you just keep your big mouth shut! You have to… Damn, I just remembered something.”
“What?”
“I can’t ride,” he yelled trying to control his horse with the other boys laughing at him.
“I won’t survive here,” Howie suddenly said once AJ managed to make his horse stop galloping.
“Are you crying Howie?”
“My hair. They didn’t have real bathrooms in the Wild West, nor toiletries. My poor hair. How am I supposed to survive in a time where there was no hair cream or blow-dryers?” he sobbed. “Please,” he said to the sky. “Can we just go to the next chapter? This has been already too long and I don’t think my hair can take this dry weather anymore.”
The sky ignored him because, like ceilings, the sky didn’t speak.
The other guys let out chuckles just when they were entering a town.
“Is it me or people are running after looking at us?” AJ asked.
“Well maybe your face scares them.”
“Ha ha, Nick. Okay did you hear that?”
“What?”
“I swear someone yelled ‘the Carters are coming’?
“The Carters? Okay the only Carter is me, that makes no sense.” Nick smiled at a little girl who was waving at him but the next minute her mother picked her up and ran into a house. “Why are people acting that way?”
“Its like they are afraid of us.”
“Let’s stop here” Kevin said dismounting in front of the typical western saloon in a corner of the town. It had the swinging doors and a big window that let them see a lot of people looking nervously at them from inside. Kevin walked calmly to the bar, his gorgeous face hidden under the cowboy hat he was wearing to protect himself from the midday sun. It was a very hot day so he unbuttoned his shirt a little, showing part of his big, strong sweaty chest. The shirt was black too, same as the tight pants that let everyone appreciate his muscular legs and his…
“Excuse me!” Kevin had stopped and was looking to the sky.
Writer: Cough, cough. Sohekeptwalkingtothesaloon.
“Take care of the horses, Nick,” Kevin said after shaking his head to the sky.
“Why me?”
“Because I say so.”
“Is he the boss again?” Nick whispered to AJ.
“Well this is the wild west. Back there age was really important.”
“Hurry up Nick!” Kevin ordered.
“Damn! And then he doesn’t understand why we are happy when he can’t be the boss.” Nick muttered under his breath walking back to the horses. He was about to take care of them, even if he didn’t have a real idea of what that meant, when he heard steps approaching.
“Are you the Carter brothers?” Nick looked up to find a blonde guy who couldn’t be older than him. He was really skinny and wearing very dirty clothes and a brown cowboy hat.
“Carter brothers?” Brian asked.
“He he”
“Nick don’t laugh.”
“Well I guess you just accepted it” the guy kept talking. “He is Nick Carter and you are Kevin Carter. And I am challenging you to a duel.”
“Me?” Kevin asked and the guy nodded.
“We are brothers now?” Howie asked.
“I guess since it’s an AU anything can happen.”
“Aren’t we too different to be brothers? I mean, we don’t look alike at all.”
Writer: Have you stopped to think that maybe you had the same father but different mothers. Besides, you don’t look so different now that you all have dark hair.
“Dark hair? What do you mean by that?” Nick asked taking off his hat and trying to pull his hair to his eyes so he could see it. Just then he noticed Brian taking off his hat too to reveal very dark hair under it. “Ahhhh! Is my hair that color? I had just dyed it again! Do you have any idea the work it takes to keep my hair blond for my fans?”
“Relax Nick, you are acting like Howie.” AJ told him.
“Why Carters?” Kevin asked.
Writer: You don’t look like Kevin Dorough.
“I look like Kevin Richardson. I like my last name.”
Writer: Howie Richardson? Sorry but it sounds too funny.
“Howie sounds funny with any last name the problem is not the last name there but the first name.”
“Hey!”
“Sorry bro but it’s the truth.”
The guy was getting nervous watching the brothers discuss. Some of them were talking to the sky like there was someone there. Maybe that’s why they are so dangerous. They are all crazy. “Okay,” he spoke up again “Are you accepting the challenge or maybe you aren’t as brave as people say?”
“Why me?”
“Aren’t you the oldest one? The boss?”
“Yes! He is the boss; good old’ Kevin here is the boss.” AJ patted him on the back.
“Right” Nick started to laugh. “He is our big bro. He is the boss.”
“Idiots.” Kevin told them, but not seeing another option he took a deep breath and walked to the center of the dusty street with the skinny guy behind him.
“Guys” Nick said. “Do you think Kevin can win? I was just joking. I don’t want someone killing him.” Nick was panicking watching the two men taking their positions for the duel. He looked at Brian, AJ and Howie and knew that they were thinking the same thing… should they intervene or just wait for something unexpected to happen like so many times before?
Be back next saturday with the lyrical chapter by Mersey
