Kevin glared at Johnny on the bus. If looks could kill, Johnny should have been six feet under. Growing sick of the man’s carefree attitude, he laid his book down and took the empty seat next to the manager.

“I can’t believe you did that to him!” Kevin whispered harshly.

“We have a deadline,” Johnny whispered back defensively, not taking his eyes from the magazine he was thumbing through.

“I don’t give a shit about your deadlines, that kid needed to be in the hospital and you made him sign out!”

“Carter will be fine, you worry too much,” Johnny replied, licking his thumb and turning the page.

Kevin reached out and yanked the magazine from Johnny’s hands. “Listen, you knew Nick was really sick and then you pull a dumb stunt like this!”

Johnny’s eyes met Kevin’s hard glare. A small smile played on his lips as he answered. “He was sick from a stupid backflip that he was too fat to do. Besides, no one put a gun to Carter’s head.”

Kevin shook his head. “Oh I doubt a gun was held to his head but I’m sure you threatened him so much that you scared him into leaving with you.”

As the manager reached out to retrieve his magazine, Kevin pulled it away.

“Listen Richardson, I’m a businessman, not a babysitter. Carter was doing okay this morning when I got him, I got his pain killers and a couple of other prescriptions the doctor wanted him to take, so he’s going to be just fine.”

Rubbing a hand across his face, Kevin groaned. “Asshole! You don’t get it do you? He was supposed to be in the hosptial, strict bedrest for three weeks---”

“Three weeks is too much time--”

“Maybe to you it is, but he has a serious injury to his kidneys, a bruised kidney isn’t anything to just treat like a cold, besides, you seem to give the rest of us time when we’re sick, why not Nick?”

“Because Carter’s a chronic complainer--”

“Nick never told us he was hurting, he only got help because Brian found him in the bathroom after he pissed blood!”

“Well, I really don’t have anything left to say on this subject, can I have my magazine back now?”

Glaring at the manager, Kevin threw the magazine back, hitting the manager squarely in the chest.

Nick laid on his side, curled up into a tight ball. Although the humming of the tires slapping the pavement normally would lull Nick to sleep, he found it difficult to find a comfortable position. Sleep was not coming easy for him.

Nick mentally cursed himself for being a wuss and allowing Johnny to badger him into signing himself out of the hospital against his doctor’s orders. Nurse Hildegard argued with Johnny saying that the blood was still in his urine; microscopic, but it was still there and to be up and moving around could cause bleeding into the kidney and possibly damage it.

The manager dismissed her warnings and assured her that he would take good care of Nick and make sure he took his prescribed medications.

To add embarrassment to the situation, Nick’s clothes were missing and he had to leave the hospital wearing the gown and the hospital pants. Being the impatient man that Johnny was, he grumbled that it took Nick too long to walk from the taxi to the bus. Nick could only try his best to walk faster even though it was killing his back. He didn’t want to make Johnny anymore upset with him then he already was.

His stomach growled, snapping Nick’s train of thought to how hungry he was. He fingered the drawstring on the bottom of the pants, debating on whether he should get up and walk back to the kitchenette on the bus.

Deciding that he had to fend for himself, Nick slowly slid out of the warmth of the bunk. Not being able to stand upright, Nick slowly made his way to the back of the bus. Entering the eating area, he found Howie and AJ sitting at the table.

Howie looked at Nick, concern in his eyes. “Hey, you’re suppose to be laying down. Why are you up?”

“I’m hungry.”

“Nice jammies Kaos,” AJ grinned.

Nick glared at AJ. “The horsie ones were in the wash.”

“Sit down, I’ll get it,” Howie directed and then added, “you better eat fast because you need to be laying down, not moving around.”

“Well the food ain’t coming to me ya know,” Nick defended.

“I’ll take care of that too,” Howie assured. “Are you running a temp?”

Nick slowly slid into the booth. “I dunno, wouldn’t be surprised I guess. I’ll live.”

“How about a ham and cheese sandwich, Fritos and a glass of milk?”

Nick shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not a pizza but I’ll take anything you make.”

“Isn’t it time for your meds too Nick?” AJ asked as he eyed the bottles sitting on the counter.

“How the hell do I know? No one told me shit about this stuff, Johnny got it filled and then we left. Period. It’s all in German anyway, how am I suppose to know.”

“You don’t know what they gave you?” AJ asked incredilously.

“I’m lucky I even got the IV out, Johnny had me rushed out of there so fast you would have thought the building was on fire or something.”

Reaching out, AJ grabbed the bottles and looked at the labels. “Yeah, you’re right, it’s in German, but I think I see a 3 which I would think means three times a day and this other one has a 2 on it--”

“AJ, don’t be screwing around, this is serious here,” Howie reprimanded.

“I remember them giving me this one stuff twice a day, one pill,” Nick offered as he picked up a half of the sandwich Howie put in front of him. “And this other one they gave it to me like every four hours when I said I hurt.”

“AJ, we’ll have to ask Kevin, he can read this shit, not you!”

“Dumbass Kev is sleeping, Nick should take something so his system doesn’t lapse.”

“Are you going to wake him up?” Howie questioned.

“No way, I wanna live. Nick seems to know what he was taking, let the boy do his meds.”

Nick gestured toward the bottles. “Give them to me, I’ll take them, but I want Howie to make me another sandwich.”

AJ chuckled. “You heard him. Bitch, make the boy another ham and cheese.”

Howie shot an evil glare towards the table. “I’m nobody’s bitch!”

Opening the bottles, Nick spilled part of the contents onto the table. “I think these were the ones for pain and those were something I had to take twice a day and this one I think it’s once a day.”

“See, Kaos knows what he needs to take,” AJ pointed out.

Setting the sandwich on the table, Howie stared at AJ in disbelief. “Did you hear the words ’I think’ in front of each sentence about the pills? What the hell does that tell you?”

AJ and Nick looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

“I’m going to get that translator thing,” Howie stated as he left the kitchenette.

“What the hell does dumbass Howie know. I’m the one taking the meds, not him,” Nick announced as he sorted through the pills on the table. Picking out five pills, he tossed them into his mouth and gulped down the last of the milk in his cup.

“Atta boy, show them you’re in charge of your life,” AJ coached.

Brian walked sleepily into the dining area, rubbing the sleep from his face.

“Ewww... it lives,” AJ hissed.

Brian opened one eye and looked at the tattooed man that was grinning like a Cheshire cat. “What the hell?”

Groaning, Nick slowly stood up from the table.

“Nick, what are you doing out of your bunk?” Brian demanded.

Nick sighed. “God, nobody wants to see me, I don’t feel the love anymore.”

“He was hungry.... as usual,” AJ offered with a smirk.

“You’re feeling better?”

“Not really, just starved.”

“Well for you that would be a sign that things are getting back to normal,” Brian grinned.

“I’m going back to bed and try to find a comfortable spot....wake me when we get to wherever it is we’re going to.”

Brian and AJ watched as Nick slowly made his way back to the sleeping area.

“Poor kid, I feel bad for him. I still can’t believe Johnny making him leave the hospital,” Brian remarked.

“Well you know how mista contract is--”

“Okay I got the translator.... where’s Nick?”

“Back to bed,” Brian said.

Grabbing the bottles, Howie sat down with the translator and started punching words into the device. “Shoot, nothing comes up for this name...”

Brian eyed his Backstreet brother wearily. “D, what are you looking up?”

“Nick’s medications, you know, the names and stuff are in German and we were wondering what he was taking and what times and stuff.”

“I doubt you’d find anything about his pills on a German translator, besides, he went back to sleep it can wait until Kevin gets up,” Brian suggested.

Howie sighed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“Nicky took care of it already,” AJ stated.

Both Howie and Brian narrowed their eyes when they looked at AJ. “Nicky did what?” they said in unison.

“He took care of it already,” AJ repeated.

“AJ! Didn’t you listen to our conversation about the meds before I left to get the translator?”

AJ put his hands up in the air. “Stop yelling at me Howie! Nick’s a big kid he knows what he was taking at the hos---”

“He thinks he knows remember that conversation? He kept saying ’I think I took this one twice a day and I think I took this one one time’ God, AJ do you realize how serious this can be?”

AJ leaned back in the booth, folding his arms behind his head. “Howie, you worry too much.”

“Do you remember what all Nick took?”

“Stuff he said he should be taking, god D wouldja just chill man. It’s not like he’s gonna go psycho or something on us.”

“Just wait til Kev hears about this!”

AJ rolled his eyes. ”Just wait til Kev hears about this’” he reapeated in a mocking tone of voice. “Dare you to wake him up right now and narc on me asshole.”

“Nick..... Nick, wake up....” Kevin pleaded with the teen as he poked on the boy’s shoulder. “Nick... c’mon buddy...”

Nick’s brothers stood behind Kevin as he calmly tried to wake the young boy up. The calmness Kevin possessed was quickly turning into panic as he gently patted Nick’s cheeks.

“Nicky, wake up!”

“Try this,” AJ motioned, holding out his bottled water.

Grabbing the icewater, Kevin splashed the water onto Nick’s face. Startled, Nick awoke, coughing and sputtering.

“God, I didn’t think we’d ever get you awake!” Kevin breathed.

Dazed, Nick looked up at the concered faces that were hovering over him. “Huh?”

Kevin decided to see if Nick was oriented. “How are you feeling?”

“Mmmmphf,” Nick mumbled, closing his eyes and rolling over putting his back to the men.

Kevin reached out and rolled Nick onto his back. ”NICK!”

“Wha?”

“Wake up, dammit! Don’t do this to me!”

Nick rolled over onto his back; his eyes at half mast.

“He needs to walk it off,” AJ advised, authority in his voice.

“Walk it off and flush it out of his system,” Howie added.

“C’mon Nicky,” Kevin groaned as he tugged at Nick’s arms. “God, you’re so heavy....” dropping an arm, Kevin turned and glared at the threesome that stood in the aisle, mouths hanging open. “One of you want to help me out?”

Brian quickly stood next to his cousin, pulling on the other arm. “Nick, help us out!”

As the two pulled on Nick, dragging him out of the bunk, they soon realized the mistake they were making when Nick dropped off the mattress onto the floor with a dull thud.

“Goddamn,” Kevin breathed.

“Yeah, that’s what his kidneys needed--”

“AJ shut the fuck up!” Kevin hissed.

Nick put a hand to his forehead, letting a soft moan escape his lips. “Fuck.”

“Here Nick, drink this,” Howie urged, holding out bottled water.

Nick slowly shook his head, declining the offer.

“Drink it you stupid ass!” AJ growled.

Nick accepted the bottle from Howie, his movements were slow and mechanical. His hand fell short of meeting his mouth and dropped onto his lap, spilling the water onto the floor. Kevin reached out and slapped Nick’s face harder this time than the last one.

“Why the hell is he acting like this?” Kevin crouched down and grabbed the blonde by the hair, jerking his head up. “Nick, what did you take?”

“Meds,” he sleepily replied.

“I have a hard time believing that pain killers would snow him that bad,” Kevin thought outloud.

“They would if he took too many of the wrong things though,” AJ offered quietly.

Howie narrowed his eyes at his friend. “AJ, did Nick do what I think you two were talking about before I got that translator?”

“Nick said he knew what he was doing---”

Kevin groaned, sitting on the floor next to the blonde. “God, do I have to watch you now too?”

“Here’s the pills that the doctor gave Nick,” Brian stated as he held the bottles out in the palm of his hand.

The sound of pills rattling around in the bottle was the only noise made as Kevin turned the meds around, reading the labels. “Well, from now on, I’m in charge of this,” he stated, curling his fingers around the bottles. “Nick can’t afford a fuck up like this again.” He looked up at AJ with his piercing green eyes. “Not one of your best moves AJ. This could have been serious, and now, like always, here I am covering for your ass once again.”

AJ cocked his head to one side. “Covering my ass for what?”

“It’s not for what it’s more like from whom.”

“Who’s the whom?”

“Hey ladies! The bus has been stopped for thirty minutes, you need to actually move from here and walk into the hotel, come on, we’re on a schedule here!” Johnny barked from the front of the bus.

Giving AJ a tight smile, Kevin gestured towards the front of the bus.

“Oh.”

“Come on Nicky, lets get you into your room,” Kevin soothed.