- Text Size +
ALTERED STATES - CHAPTER 24 Okay, I had to admit I was feeling alot better once Brian kinda set my mind at ease but once I walked back to the private waiting room off the ICU, I was met by Kevin and things went from good to bad to worse in a split second. He grabbed me by the shirt and pinned me against the wall.

"JUST WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?" Kevin hissed, his face directly in front of me.

"I... I don’t know," my voice squeaked.

Kevin didn’t let up on the barrage of questions. "Nick, he wasn’t in the right frame of mind and you took it upon yourself to take him out to a goddamned club and then you proceed in not only losing him for a day and a half but you try and kill him with your car!"

I gave up on resisting him, he was right, I tried to kill my best friend and at this moment I felt that he was my only friend in the world.

"KEV, LEAVE NICK.... LET GO OF HIM!" AJ yelled as he entered the waiting room and immediately tried to pull Kevin’s grasp from me. Footsteps squeaking out in the hall was soon met up with faces of hospital security.

"Shit," Kevin mumbled as he let go of my shirt. "There’s no problem here, we’re sorry it got so loud, we’ll close the door," he stated to the security men in a calm voice.

I caught AJ rolling his eyes behind Kevin as he listened to him post a fake appology to the men. I slumped back against the wall trying to smooth the wrinkles out of my tee shirt.

"Any more outbursts and you will all have to leave the hospital, this is a section of the hospital that doesn’t need this type of commotion," the older of the two guards scolded.

"Yessir, we totally understand," Kevin apologized.

With that excuse made, the men left with Kevin softly shutting the door behind them. I could feel my body tense up when he turned and cast an icy stare at me with those green eyes. AJ immediately stepped between Kevin and me.

"Kevin, Nick’s going through hell right now and this isn’t the time or the place to start this shit so I would suggest you sit down and chill."

"And what if I don’t?"

"Don’t even tempt me," AJ rasped.

In a switch of roles, Kevin was now listening to AJ’s advice and took a seat directly across from mine, his eyes fixed on me, never letting up his stare. Normally I would have stared back at him, but I felt so guilty about Brian, I couldn’t bring myself to do that.

The room was so quiet I swear I could hear my heart beating in my ears. Suddenly, Kevin started crying, sending chills through my body.

"I’m sorry Nick, I - I just don’t.... I’m scared, I’m sorry," he rambled.

"It’s okay Kev, don’t worry about me," I replied quietly. "Howie should be coming back in a minute and then you probably can go to Brian," I added after a moment of silence.

"I just feel so responsible for all of you guys and especially for Brian and it’s just that everything that could go wrong has," Kevin said in a low, pain filled voice.

"I know," I answered, the tears running down my face mirroring AJ’s and his.