“I can’t believe that after what happened earlier to Nick that Johnny is still making him do this,” Kevin sputtered, glancing over towards the napping Nick Carter. Safe in his dreams.

“That man has no heart whatsoever,” Brian agreed.

“We don’t have a choice but to wake the poor kid up I guess,” Kevin sighed.

“I’ll do it, you go make sure AJ and Howie are getting ready, I can handle Nicky,” Brian offered.

Shrugging his shoulders, Kevin turned and left the room, tossing a quick, “Good luck,” as he closed the door.

Brian stared at his young friend for a few moments before making a move to snatch away the peaceful dreams that Nick seemed to be having. It looked like a film of sweat covered the boy’s flushed face but Brian quickly dismissed that as the probabilty of the layers of blankets that Nick had heaped across his body.

Gently rubbing Nick’s shoulder, Brian cleared his hoarse voice. ‘Nick? Nick buddy, time to wake up.”

“Mom, can I stay home today? I don’t feel good,” Nick sleepily begged, eyes still closed.

Brian grinned. Nick called him Mom.

“Nick, it’s Brian, you have to get up, we have a meet and greet in an hour.”

Nick’s lids fluttered open, his bloodshot blue eyes searched Brian’s face, seeming to try to figure out what was happening.

“Nick, we’re in Germany,” Brian explained. He could tell that Nick’s fogged up mind still wasn’t comprehending the words. “We’re on tour, remember?”

“Fuck,” Nick groaned. “Why do we have to do this? I seriously don’t feel so hot.”

Brian shook his head. “You know Johnny, he’s very strict with the schedule. You better go grab a shower.”

Sighing, Nick slowly dragged his body from the warm bed. The slight headache he had told him that he more than likely was running a temp and Nick wondered if he was going to be struck with the flu bug like the rest of them.

The bathroom lights hurt his eyes as he flipped them on. He turned on the shower, adjusting the temperature and after he slipped out of his sweaty clothes and faced the toilet.

Biting his lower lip, Nick tried not to cry out as he emptied his bladder. This time he watched and this time there was no mistaking that the urine was in fact blood tinged. Instead of heeding the warnings of what could be happening, Nick mentally decided that he wasn’t drinking enough fluids.

Gingerly stepping into the warm water, Nick let the water rinse over his aching back, closing his eyes as the warmth relaxed his body. Brian’s yelling on the other side of the door dragged Nick from his daze.

“Hey! You better step on it, we have to meet up in the lobby in less than ten minutes and Johnny will have our butts in a sling if we’re late!”

“Yeah,” Nick snapped and quickly lathered his body and then shampooed his hair. Stepping out of the shower, he towled himself off and then wrapped the white towel around his waist. Wiping the steam off the mirror, Nick stared at his reflection for a moment in the mirror. After sticking his tongue out in disgust, he pulled his shaving kit out and unearthed his toothbrush and toothpaste.

“I’ll lay your stuff out for you so you can just get dress,” Brian offered.

Rolling his eyes, Nick groaned. “I’m not a baby, I think I can dress myself!”

“I know, I just wanted to help you out, I can tell you’re pretty sore from earlier.”

Before leaving the privacy of the bathroom, he dragged a comb through his hair and tried to get it to look halfway decent. Taking a breath in, he unlocked the door and slowly walked out.

“I’m not wearing that,” Nick protested, pointing at the pair of jeans and shirt that Brian had laid out on the bed for him.

“God, why not?”

“Because.”

“Nick quit acting like a two year old,” Brian snapped, folding his arms defensively across his chest. He watched as Nick headed for his back and couldn’t help but notice that his stomach was looking a little bigger. He was definately getting heavier - just like Johnny had remarked about a few days ago.

Nick pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a different tee shirt. “I’m wearing this!”

“Sweats to a meet and greet?”

“Yes I am.”

“Could it be that maybe you can’t fit into your jeans anymore?” Brian instantly regretted his words when he saw the hurt look in Nick’s eyes.

“NO. I’m wearing them because I’m sore from being shoved into the bus,” Nick lied. Part of his reason was true, he was sore and if he wore the jeans that had now started to become too snug to button, it would put more pressure on his back. Nick decided to play out his discomfort on being jerked around by the excited fans. “Those girls were rough on my back.”

“I’m not gonna stick up for you when Johnny yells about what you’re wearing, okay?”

“I wasn’t expecting you to,” Nick huffed. He slowly raised a leg to step into a pair of boxers and let out a small whimper.

“Let me help you,” Brian offered as he rushed up towards Nick.

Nick brushed him off. “I think I can do this, do you know how gay this would look with you holding onto my underwear while I stepped into them?”

“Nick, quit being so stubborn, no one is gonna see this,” Brian insisted, snatching the boxers from Nick’s hands.

Reluctanly, Nick accepted the help from his older brother and slowly stepped into the boxers releasing his grip from the white towel once the boxers had gone up to his knees.

“I think I can manage the sweats and the shirt,” Nick remarked as he slowly ambled towards the bed with the clothing tucked under his arm.

Brian could only shake his head as he watched Nick painfully walk towards the bed. “You really should get checked out. You could have hurt something.” Getting met by a dark look from Nick, Brian added, “Maybe not.”

“Carter, you look like a piece of shit!” Johnny snapped as he glared at the youngest Backstreet Boy. “It’s a meet and greet, not a hoe down. Why the hell are you wearing sweatpants?”

“Johnny, ease up on the kid, he’s been through hell,” Kevin snapped, glaring at him with watery eyes.

“You look like shit too,” Johnny added, stopping to pull out a handkerchief from his pocket. “You infected everyone with this!”

“So what if I did? Can’t take being sick?”

“What the hell is that suppose to mean?” Johnny spat.

A small smile crept onto Kevin’s lips.

“Look at you! Grinning like a stupid ass, you don’t know what to say back do you?” Johnny mocked.

“Oh, I know what to say, I’m not gonna waste my breath saying it,” Kevin replied before his body was attacked with another bout of coughing.

“Johdee, leb Nib ablone,” Brian warned.

Johnny rolled his eyes at Brian. “God, you sound like shit!”

“Nobe shit,” Brian quipped.

“God all of you are diseased except for fatass Carter here. His only ailment is that he’s a pussy and fat,” Johnny smirked and then started a sneezing fit.

Brian smiled watching Johnny sneezing eight times in a row, gasping for breath after the fourth sneeze. “God is good.”

Nick never uttered a word, he just wanted to be left alone and he knew that if he said anything to defend himself, Johnny would only attack him further. His words hurt him but he didn’t respond to the verbal attack by his manager.

“Okay ladies, you know where you have to sit, go over there and play to the adoring crowd of your faithful fans and make some money,” Johnny directed, gesturing with his head. “Oh, and McLean, try to keep your bodily functions to yourself you sick bastard.”

Lowering his shades slightly, AJ managed to cast a glare at the man and held up his middle finger with defiance. He knew Johnny was referring to the fact that his body was betraying him right now with the hangover mixed with the flu that was creeping up into his system. The van ride was anything but spring air fresh. He would have responded to Johnny’s comments, but his throat was bothering him and AJ knew he had to keep as quiet as possible to reserve what little voice he had left for tonight’s concert - if there would be one!

Howie and AJ made their way to the long table and sat in their assigned seats next to each other. Kevin sat in the middle of the group as always, with Brian next to Kevin and Nick at the very end.

Nick was grateful that his seat was at the end of the table nearest the exit. His sore back and bladder had caused him to have more frequent trips to the restroom and with his own diagnosis and prescription of drinking more fluids, he knew he would be in for several trips to use the facilities.

“Nicky, can I trade seats with you?” AJ whispered, his voice barely audible.

Setting his bottled water down Nick shook his head negatively. “No, I need to be close to the bathroom.”

AJ fidgeted in his chair. “Well, I need it more than you. I’ve got the shits.”

“Then you better not fart,” Nick advised, ignoring the pleading brown eyes.

“Okay, I’m going to let them open the doors,” Johnny announced as his eyes swept over the pale, sickly group. “God, you all look like shit! Sharpen up! We don’t need to have them think you’re on your deathbeds.”

“Like we can control this,” Howie mumbled. AJ and Kevin nodded in agreement.

“Yeah,” Brian remarked softly. “I’d like to be home in my bed right now, buried under the thick comforter, shades drawn--”

“Showtime guys,” Kevin interrupted Brian’s thoughts.

AJ winced when the talkative crowd rushed into the conference room. He rubbed his temples trying to settle the headache that made it’s home in the front of his skull and intensified as minutes passed. Howie noticed his movements and leaned over.

“Are you gonna be okay?”

AJ’s only reply was a quick shrug of his shoulders.

The only good thing about the meet and greet, Kevin decided, was that they would be too preoccupied with the repetitive signing of their names to dwell on their ailments for the moment. Pasting a smile on his face, Kevin accepted a CD from a young girl and quickly scrawled “Kevin Richardson.” across the front.

After about the tenth autograph, Nick’s back starting hurting again and he felt the urgent need to not only stand up but to use the facilities. Slowly, he stood up, resting the palms of his hands on the table for support. He caught Brian’s concerned gaze and quickly told him that he was fine, just a little sore from sitting.

Johnny’s look was anything but concerned. He glared and as the saying goes if looks could kill, Nick would have been dead. He quickly looked away from the manager’s threatening glare, pasting a pained smile on his face.

As he signed another autograph, a sharp pain raced through his back causing him to accidentally drop the black felt marker. Brian heard Nick gasp and quickly stood up.

“Nick?”

Embarrassed by being the sudden focus of attention coupled with the fact that the pain was making it difficult for him to stand straight, Nick managed to reach out and brush Brian’s helping hand aside. Without saying anything, Nick walked past the fan holding out the dropped marker and slowly attempted to walk towards the exit only to have Johnny stand between him and the door.

”Sit back down!” Johnny ordered in a harsh whisper.

“I-I have t-to use th-the bathroom,” Nick stammered.

”It can wait!”

Nick furiously blinked his eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay. “I-I c-can’t.”

”You can and you will, Carter! Go sit back down!” Johnny barked.

A dark look crossed Nick’s tearfilled eyes. Shaking his head, he took a hand and pushed Johnny aside with all the strength he could muster. ”Carter! Get the hell back here!”

Nick kept on his mission, despite the manager’s yelling. He hoped that relieving his bladder would take the pain away from his back and no one was going to stop him.

Not realizing that all eyes in the conference room was on him, Johnny kept up in his childish behavior yelling and screaming at Nick as he left the room. Although the words were spoken in English, the young fans that stood waiting for autographs clearly understood the manager’s message: he disliked Nick Carter for some reason and he would do his best to punish him and ride on his back.

It wasn’t until the thick blue steel door of the bathroom clanked shut did Nick feel safe from Johnny’s bitter words. Standing at the sink, Nick looked at his pale, sweaty face. If he hadn’t felt so sick at the moment, he would have stuck his tongue out at the pasty image that stared back at him, instead, he turned towards the urinals that lined the wall.

As he started to empty his bladder, the familiar sting in his back and bladder returned, causing Nick to once again bite his lip to prevent from crying out. The one thing that was different this time was the color wasn’t slightly reddish in color.

This time it was pure red.