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16

Howie’s heart raced with fear as they walked briskly through corridor after corridor. Unconscious, the one word ringing in his ear; they had found AJ unconscious. He couldn’t bear to think that something horrible had gone wrong and as they finally came upon AJ’s sleeping form he knew the answer wasn’t very good.

“What’s wrong with him? Why is he not awake?” Kevin asked just beating Howie to the punch. The nurse who was tending to AJ shooed them away, looking a little annoyed that suddenly the room had turned into a three ring circus. “Excuse me, you all can’t be in here. Go wait in chairs and the doctor will be right with you”

“What’s wrong with him? Is he alright?” Nick asked walking over to his sleeping friend and gripping his hand.

“I can’t answer that. The doctor will be here in a minute”

“Surely you can tell us what is wrong. You clearly know” Kevin sounded mad and when he sounded mad he was also intimidating, so the nurse cringed slightly, “Okay look…all I can tell you is that he overdosed”

“What?” Now it was Brian’s turn to sound outraged, “That’s impossible, he was only in here to get his hand worked on. Did you guys give him too much medication or something?”

“Sir, you have to wait outside or I WILL call security” This time all the kindness was gone from the nurse as she began to push the boys and their security out the door.

Once outside in the waiting area, Howie began to pace. “Where is this damn doctor we are supposedly waiting for?”

“Good question” Kevin walked over to the nurse’s station and demanded they page the guy working on AJ. While doing that Nick walked over to Brian, “You see that guy anywhere?”

“What guy?” In the confusion, Brian had forgotten but then his eyes quickly lit up with recognition, “Oh….no. Why do you?”

“No, but I’ve been looking”

“Let me know if you see anything”

“You think he’s okay? I mean he overdosed”

“We don’t know anything yet Nick” That was Brian’s way of telling Nick to be patient. He had done it as long as he had known the boy and Nick answered with a nod. Luckily after a few more minutes of stressed silence, the doctor finally made an appearance.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Everyone sat in a stunned and confused silence as the doctor began going over AJ’s condition. He had disappeared briefly from everyone and then had resurfaced in the maternity ward of all places. At first everyone kind of ignored him up there thinking he was a father who needed a breather, but when he visibly slumped over in his chair almost falling out of it completely, people began to notice.

Immediately he was brought down to the emergency room where security had noticed him and then called for the boys. A police officer was also sitting there right outside the hallway.

“That’s impossible, AJ does not do drugs of any kind” Kevin yelled at the doctor. “There has to be a mistake”

“No mistake I’m sorry, he overdosed on Heroine. He must have had to sneak away from you to do that”

“That’s insane! You are all insane” Howie said taking a step forward.

“Mr. Dorough, it’s possible that you were not aware of your friend’s problem but believe me, now you can get him the treatment he needs”

“He’s not a drug addict” Brian said, also joining in the argument. Nick just sat silently looking at AJ while he slept, his hand now finding the needle marks that the doctor was talking about.

“He took too big of a dosage; since you’re not his family we aren’t really at total liberty to discuss it any further”

“Is he going to be okay?” Nick asked looking at the doctor with a scared look on his face.

“He will be fine”

The doctor left, the boys all standing around not knowing what to say or do next. Howie walked over to AJ who stirred in his sleep. “How long has he been doing this?” Kevin asked no one in particular.

“He doesn’t do drugs Kev. You know that”

“Then why the hell did they find heroine in his system?”

“It has to be a mistake” Brian said but to Howie it was only a distant whisper because in his mind this had been done on purpose. Something was definitely wrong with this picture. If AJ was doing seriously heavy stuff, he would have known about it. True he had done little things here or there and Howie had made sure he was right there to help him out or talk him out of it if need be, but Heroine? No way.

AJ slowly woke up to find everyone staring at him. He had a nagging headache and felt a little shaky. Off kilter like he had too much to drink. He didn’t even realize he was in the hospital until he saw the IV in his arm and his hand in a splint.

“What happened?” He asked Nick who still had a tight grip on his arm.

“He’s awake guys”

“How are you feeling AJ?” Howie asked bending down so that he could be at eye level with his friend.

“Weird, why the hell am I in the hospital?”

“You came to get your hand fixed. Remember?” Brian said softly.

“Yeah. I do remember that, but what happened to me? Did they accidentally take my gall bladder out or something?”

“Seems you overdosed” Kevin said not moving from his spot. He was furious, everyone could tell.

“What?” That made AJ attempt to sit up only to be pushed back down by the other three guys.

“The doctor said you had heroine in your system”

“That’s…that’s impossible” AJ seemed really distressed.

“Look, don’t worry about it now. You have to rest”

“I never did heroine. God what is going on? They made a mistake”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Howie had now taken a seat next to his friend up on the bed. Nick moved back to give Howie a little more room.

“I left for an x-ray and something else”

“Blood work” AJ nodded at Brian, “Right, blood work…then” He really was trying to concentrate on remembering. It almost hurt to watch him trying to recount his lost minutes. “I don’t remember, next thing I knew, I was here. I don’t do that shit. You gotta believe me guys” He said looking from one boy to the next.

“It doesn’t matter if we believe you or not Jay, seems like you are going to end up in rehab because of it”

“But…God, I don’t understand what is happening”

The nurse who had given them attitude came in again, “Okay time to let Mr. McLean rest for a while” Kevin walked out not even giving AJ so much as a smile. The others were a little more sympathetic though. Nick looked almost ready to cry for his friend and reached over to give him a huge hug.

“Everything will be okay AJ. You’ll see” Brian said winking and his friend.

“We’ll get to the bottom of this Jay. I promise, but for what it’s worth I believe you” Howie gripped his friend’s hand tight into his own.

“Thanks. Because I don’t do that shit Howie. I swear it on my life. On my Mother’s life”

“I know, now get some sleep” As Howie walked out of that room he could swear he saw people watching him. Maybe it was just his overactive imagination, but he still sensed it and he didn’t like it very much. What was happening?

“Maybe you should go back to the hotel for a little while” Kevin said

“What about you?”

“I think I am going to stay here and keep AJ company” Howie wanted to insist that he stay too but he also knew he had a meeting with Jessica which he needed to keep. A meeting that would most likely explain what the hell was going on including AJ’s sudden addiction to heroine.

“Okay, look Kev…tell AJ if he needs me I’m only a phone call away”

“I will. Do me a favor and make sure no one finds out about this okay?” Kevin asked everyone including the bodyguards. How Johnnie didn’t catch wind of this yet was a sheer miracle and he wanted to keep it that way. He wasn’t quite ready for the ramifications that this new little discovery would hold for his career or AJ’s. Especially AJ’s.

As everyone sans Kevin was piling into the van Brian looked over to once again notice the same guy who was watching him earlier sitting on a bench pretending to read a paper. He tapped Nick who looked over and nodded. “Something really strange is going on” That caught Howie’s attention who up until that point had AJ’s problem on his mind.

“What are you talking about?”

“Him” Howie looked over to see the guy stand up, fold his paper and walk away. “What about him?”

“I swear to God he is following us” Before Brian could even finish what he was saying, Howie was quickly out of the van and following the guy. The remaining three Backstreet Boys chasing after him with their bodyguards on their tail.

Howie caught up to the guy who seemed unaware that he had a posse following him. He grabbed the man by his shoulders and began to shake him, “Who the hell are you and why are you following us?” The man didn’t answer but smiled.

“Who sent you here? And what the hell did you do to my friend?”

By now Nick and Brian had caught up to Howie and together they pulled him off of the guy, “Let me go! I want answers” Howie said trying to break free from Nick’s hold.

“Take all the money you want but please get off of me” The man said shaking and terrified.

“Howie stop” By now Bart made his way over to the scene and took over holding Howie from Nick who thankfully let go.

“What is the problem here?” Bart asked

“This guy is the reason AJ overdosed” Once again the man shook where he stood almost in tears.

“Howie cool it, we’re sorry sir but you just looked like you were following us that’s all” Brian said handing the paper back to the man after Howie had made it drop to the floor.

The man said nothing only grunted and walked off. “Why are you letting him go?”

“Cool it man” Brian said now in Howie’s face. “It was a mistake”

“I don’t think so Brian”

“Howie I’ve never seen you like this before”

That made Howie calm himself down a little bit. That and the fact that now people were beginning to stare at him. “Look, let’s just go back to the hotel and regroup for a while”

Eventually they were able to calm Howie down enough to get into the van and take off. They sat in silence, before Howie’s cell rang.

“Hello”

“Well Mr. Dorough, seems like your friend managed to get himself into quite the pretty pickle huh?”

Howie didn’t care who heard him this time. He had enough, “Look you son of a bitch! I don’t know what kind of game you are playing here but…”

“I would stop this conversation right now Howie or we can have your friend OD again” That made him stop.

“I would hate to have that happen. He’s a young guy after all. Has his whole life ahead of him, just like Brian. It is Brian in there sitting to your right isn’t it Howie?” Howie looked over to his right where Brian was sitting and staring, mouthing the words, “Who is it”

“Yeah”

“And then we have the very young and naïve Nickolas on your left. If he didn’t make that call this would not have happened. Maybe you should tell him to stay out of your business” He looked over at Nick. “What are you talking about?”

“For now that is unimportant all you need to know is that I am watching you Howie. I know every move you make and everything you do. Tell Jessica I said hello when you see her tonight. Give her my love and tell her we’ll be coming for her soon” Howie gulped. Actually gulped from a sudden lack of spit in his mouth brought on by fear. “Take the kid with you, by the way. You know he’ll follow you if you don’t and the last thing we need is another injured Backstreet Boy right?” The man laughed which caused Howie to grip his phone so tight he just about cracked it in half.

“Why?” Howie looked down to avoid the stares from his concerned friends.

“One never needs to now why, but when…remember that. It could come in handy someday”

Click

“Howie who was that?” Brian asked.

“Wrong number” He said and continued to stare out the window wishing that he could just jump out of the car and let it run over him a couple hundred times.

“It was obviously not the wrong number who…” Howie shot Nick a look which quickly shut him up. “I’m done talking”

He closed his eyes and tried to drown out the man’s voice. Scared for the lives of everyone he loved and cared about.