Nick’s eyes fluttered open when he heard the familiar clanking noises from the wheelchair as it was being pushed into the room. Groaning, he closed his eyes again.

“C’mon hon, it’s time to take you down to radiology,” his nurse Kaye stated softly.

“It’s been two hours already?”

“Yup, you’ve been sleeping since you came back to your room after they gave you the Isotope injection.”

Nick rolled onto his side, drawing the covers up tighter to his neck.

“Has he always been so stubborn?”

Upon hearing the nurse ask someone else a question, he rolled back over, eyes scanning the room for the visitor.

“Bri.....how long have you been here?”

Brian grinned from his chair.

“Is the session done already? How did it go?”

Brian’s expression soured when Nick asked about the recording. He quickly changed the subject. “The nurse is waiting for you to get your butt out of bed.”

“Yeah...yeah.....yeah,” Nick grumbled as he tossed the covers away. “Can I go to the bathroom before we leave?”

“Of course you can, we don’t run a prison!”

“I’m beginning to wonder.” As Nick stood up, a wave of dizziness swept over him and he took a faltering step forward before he quickly sat back on the edge of the bed. The nurse was quick to step up to his side, and Nick looked up at her. “I musta got up too fast.”

“Just get up a little slower,” she encouraged, her hand ready to steady her patient.

“I’m fine,” Nick spat back, irritation evident in his voice.

He didn’t mean to sound cross, but he was getting tired of how his body had betrayed him one time too many lately. The little things he took for granted was now requiring more thought and planning before he initiated the action. Simple things like walking across the room or drinking from a cup. The drugs he was on had caused him weakness on some occasions and trembling hands more times than Nick could count.

Basically, his life sucked more and more each day.

“I really can do this without an escort,” Nick huffed as he planted his bare feet on the cool linoleum floor.

“I know you can, but you know the rules Nick,” Kaye replied.

Tears welled up in Brian’s eyes as he watched Nick slowly make his way toward the bathroom with the nurse holding onto his arm. He quickly stood up to direct his attention to the window. Nick’s appearance had changed dramatically in the past weeks and as much as he didn’t want to admit it to himself, the recording studio manager was right; Nick was dying.

Brian wiped at tears with his thumbs, jamming them hard underneath his eyes. The pain he was inflicting upon himself somehow made him feel better. He felt as if he deserved no happiness at this moment. His best friend was sick and dying and his wife was pregnant needing him in another state. For some strange reason, Brian Littrell felt as if he were self centered. He knew that it was wrong to feel that way, but he couldn’t help it.

“Hey Bri......did you see that I’m not on those IV’s anymore?”

Blinking his eyes to try and rid them of the tears, Brian quickly wiped his cheeks before turning around to look at Nick. “Hey, yeah that’s good news.”

Nick cocked a grin. “I also gained three pounds since last week, ain’t that cool?”

Brian cleared his throat as he watched Nick slowly take his seat in the wheelchair. Three pounds sounded like a lot to Nick, but for as much weight as his cancer-ravaged body had lost, it didn’t show.

“Hey, that’s great.”

“Did you come up here by yourself?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah I came alone.”

“You never answered my question before, how did the session go?”

“Sorry to interrupt Nick, but they’re waiting down in radiology for you, how about you follow us down,” the nurse asked as she looked over toward Brian.

Relieved that the nurse interrupted, Brian quickly asked, “Um, what are you having done?”

“It’s just one of those stupid bone scans, how long does it take again?”

“Probably 45 minutes, not too long.”

“You go on, I’ve got some calls to make, would it be okay to use your phone?” Brian asked.

“No problem.”

“Thanks, I’ll be here when you get back.”

“Good cause I still wanna know how the session went.”

The nurse took a blanket and covered Nick’s legs, stopping for a moment. “Hey, where’s your socks mista Carter?”

Nick gestured toward the nightstand.

“You know better than to be wandering around without something on your feet,” she stated as she retrieved the pair of white socks. Squatting down in front of Nick, she tugged the socks onto each foot. “There....now we’re ready to go.”

“Oh boy I can hardly wait,” Nick replied sarcastically.

AJ sat at the long conference table, drumming his fingers; Howie on the other side of the room, pacing. Sighing loudly, he pulled a pack of cigarettes from the front pocket of his t-shirt, packing them against his palm with expertize.

“You can’t smoke in here,” Howie reminded.

Putting a cigarette to his lips, AJ clicked open the silver lighter. “Like I care.”

“J, don’t be a dumbass......don’t light that.”

The door to the room creeked open and AJ paused his actions; the lighter’s flame flickered as it reached for the fresh oxygen. Kevin strode into the room, a look of defeat on etched on his face.

Howie and AJ watched as Kevin slouched his lean frame onto the sofa in the corner of the room. “Anything yet?”

Shaking his head as he drew a hand through his thick hair, Kevin grunted a quick “no.”

“That isn’t like Brian to get so damned irrational......hell that’s Nick’s job,” AJ rasped. “Come to think of it....that would be Nick’s job to storm out of the building without telling anyone what the hell he was doing.”

Kevin threw a dark look towards AJ to silence his rambling. “Would you shut the hell up McLean?”

“I’m just sayin’....”

“You’re not saying anything that would be beneficial in finding where Brian is,” Kevin interrupted.

“Both of you please just calm down.....we can’t figure anything out with this bickering,” Howie pleaded.

AJ calmly stood up from his seat.

Kevin watched as AJ sauntered toward the door. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“Out to have a cigarette if that’s any of your damn business.”

“Plant your ass back down......no one is leaving!”

“I’m getting sick of you running in circles trying to find Brian, Kev.......the solution is pretty simple if you ask me.”

“I wasn’t asking you,” Kevin retorted.

Howie rubbed a hand across his face. “What’s your idea Bone?”

A grin tugged on AJ’s lips, pleased to think that someone was interested in his idea. “Well......you know how Brian is, I think the first place he’d go is back to Nicky’s house.”

“Called there,” Kevin snapped.

“Well then, he’s driving somewhere......call his cell phone.”

“Did that.”

“Call Georgia then..”

Kevin folded his arms across his chest. “And upset his pregnant wife? Not a good idea, besides, we know he’s not home yet........so any other bright ideas?”

“Nick’s cell phone?”

“You can’t use cell phones in the hosptial, so that’s out.”

“Okay, how about calling Nick’s hospital room, he might be there,” AJ concluded. Kevin stared at his brother; jade green eyes narrowed. “So I’m guessin’ you already did that?”

“Are you a complete idiot?” Kevin hissed.

“C’mon Kev, he’s just trying to help,” Howie said softly, hoping to prevent anything more from happening. “Besides, you know Brian, he’ll come around when he’s ready. We shouldn’t get so worried about this. It’s probably not a big deal.” Deep down, Howie wished he could believe the words he had just said. His normally positive outlook on life was being tested.