Lina threw herself down on the couch. She sighed deeply as she lay there thinking about Jo. She was back to her depressed self again since Alex so harshly turned her down. She couldn’t blame her for being sad, but she hated the fact that things just couldn’t be solved for them. If it wasn’t Jo turning down Alex it was the other way around. 'Why do they have to be so damn stubborn?' she thought. She decided that she’d call Jo and take her out shopping. That would get her mind of things for awhile. And Lina could think about something other then the stalker. She shivered when she thought about it. And the feelings of doubt over her and Nick’s relationship hit her again. 'I wish this could all be just a bad dream.'
She reached for the phone and dialled Jo’s number but there was no answer. She was probably with Baylee. So she decided she would go out by herself. She knew Nick would be mad but decided to go anyways. She grabbed her purse and sneaked outside. She didn’t want the security guard with her. “For once I wanna feel like my old self,” she said and walked out onto the street.
“Taxi.” She yelled and a cab stopped in front of her. 'Let’s see if I still know my Spanish,' she thought and smiled at the driver. They were now in Barcelona Spain. The boys didn’t have a concert until tomorrow but they were doing a sound check today.
“Hi, I wanna go wherever there are a lot of stores for me to shop in.” She smiled at him again. Obviously there was nothing wrong with her Spanish. The driver laughed at her request.
“Of course miss. I know just where to take you.”
He drove her right to one of the biggest shopping centres she ever seen and she couldn’t help to smile. 'This must be heaven,' she thought.
“Thank you,” she said to the driver and paid him.
“You’re welcome miss. Have a nice day.” She got out of the car and looked around. 'Jo should really be here now.' She felt a quick feeling of guilt as she thought of Nick. 'He’s gonna be so mad.' She shook the feeling away and started her shopping. It was a big city, no one was gonna recognise her as Nick Carter’s girlfriend.
Before she knew it the clock was four in the afternoon. 'Damn. Nick is probably on his way home now from the venue.' She took her bags and walked towards the place the driver had dropped her off to get a hold on a cab to drive her back to the hotel. 'Maybe I should call Nick and let him now where I am. He’s gonna be worried if I’m not home when he gets there.' She opened her purse to take out her cell phone only to realise she forgot it back at the hotel. “Shit. Now what?” There were a lot of people around her and she had a hard time getting a cab. Everyone wanted one just now.
Suddenly she saw a woman standing infront of her. Her eyes were full of hate and Lina instantly realised who it was. She was standing eye to eye with the stalker. Her entire body froze with fear and all she could think of was to protect the baby. The woman threw herself towards her and before she had the chance to call for help she felt a burning pain in her shoulder. She fell down on the ground still holding a hand over her belly. The woman disappeared in the crowd and Lina screamed for help. A man ran up to her and held her.
“Just lay still, you’re bleeding. I’m gonna call an ambulance.” He reached for his phone in the pocket and called.
“I need Nick...” she whispered. She could barely talk from the pain. She felt the wound with her hand and she got blood everywhere.
“Don’t touch it,” the man said. “I’m Carlos, and I’m gonna help you. Could you tell me your name?”
“Lina, please call Nick...” she said again.
“Okay Lina. Who is Nick? Your husband?”
“My boyfriend, can you please call him?”
“Of course, what’s his number?” She gave him the number and he dialled it. Before he pressed okay he said, “Don’t speak right now, you need all the strength you can get. The ambulance will be here soon.”
She leaned her head on Carlos shoulder and started to drift away, she could barely keep her eyes open. All she thought about was Nick and the baby.
“Hi. Is this Nick?”
“Yes. Who is this?”
“My name is Carlos. I’m here with your girlfriend Lina... she’s been stabbed.”
“What? Where is she?” Nick yelled. His heart almost stopped from fear. 'This can’t be happening,' he thought.
“She’s on her way to the hospital soon. I hear the ambulance coming now.” Carlos gave him the name of the closest hospital.
“I’ll meet you there.” Nick hung up the phone and rushed out of the hotel. In the lobby he bumped into Jo.
“Hey, what’s the rush?” Jo asked. She saw the look on Nick’s face and realised something was wrong.
“It’s Lina... she’s been stabbed.” He whispered.
“Oh my god, I’ll come with you.” Jo gave him a hug as she rushed outside with him.
“Thanks.” Nick said and he felt tears running down his cheek. “I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose her.”
“Were not gonna lose her, okay!” Jo sounded confident, but her insides were a big knot of fear.
They got the hold of a cab and drove off to the hospital. Nick didn’t say a word, all he could think about was Lina and their baby. 'Please let them be alive,' he thought as he stared out the window. Jo was worried to death but she realised she had to tell the others what happened. She called Kevin, and he decided to join them at the hospital with the others.
Nick rushed into the hospital with Jo right behind them.
“Hi, I need to know where Lina Carlson is.” Nick said to the receptionist. “She’s been stabbed.”
“She’s in surgery right now.”
“What, oh god, please tell me she’s gonna be okay. What about the baby?”
“I’m sorry, you’ll have to wait out here for the doctor.”
“Damn it.” He slammed his hand on the disk.
“Take it easy Nick.” Jo tried to calm him. “Sit down with me.” She led him to the waiting area and they sat down.
“I can’t lose her Jo, I can’t.” Nick broke down and cried. Jo felt tears in her own eyes as she saw Nick. She thought about her friend and the baby. 'She doesn’t deserve this. They don't deserve this.'
After a while the rest of the guys, Kristin and Leigh were there too. They all sat in the waiting room. Nick wandered the hall not able to sit still. He thought he was going crazy from the waiting. A moment later the doctor came out.
“Which one of you is Nick Carter?” he asked
“I am.” Nick said and looked nervous. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. She was stabbed in the shoulder and some muscles were torn. But I think she’s gonna be completely recovered in a couple of weeks.”
“And the baby?” Nick held his breath waiting for the answer.
“The baby is fine too.” The doctor smiled at him. “She’ll be waking up soon.”
“Can I see her?”
“Yes, but only one visitor tonight.” Nick and Jo looked at each other. Both of them wanted to be there.
“You go and see her,” Jo said. “She needs you. I’ll be here tomorrow.”
“Thank you Jo.” He hugged her and then walked into Lina’s room.
Lina had just woke up and she felt all groggy. She saw Nick as he walked in and she smiled.
“Hi baby,” she whispered.
“Oh, honey!” Nick came up to her with tears in his eyes. “I was so worried. I thought I lost you.”
“I’m okay, how’s the baby?”
“The baby’s just fine.” He smiled and kissed her softly.
“I’m sorry Nick.”
“For what?”
“For going out without the security guard.”
“Don’t worry about that now, okay baby?”
“I saw her, the woman that has been following me. She did this.”
“What! Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
He hugged her carefully not wanting her to see the anger in his eyes. If he got a chance he would kill the one that did this to her.
“Go to sleep again Lina, you need to rest.”
“I don’t wanna be alone.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not leaving you. But I have to talk to the police for a moment. I promise I’ll be back soon. I love you.” He kissed her on the forehead and smiled when he saw that she was already asleep.
The police were working on the case and were optimistic of finding the woman since Lina gave a good description of her face. She was released from the hospital the next day since they were leaving for Madrid that evening. Neither Jo nor Nick left her alone at any time and she was constantly surrounded by security guards. It was driving her crazy, but she was afraid of being alone too. Everything felt just hopeless. 'I can’t believe this is happening to me,' she thought as she sat in the bus taking them to Lisbon, Portugal. It was the last stop before they would return home again. She’d been avoiding Nick since she came back from the hospital. He noticed that something was wrong, but his caring only made it worse. She wanted him and loved him but she still couldn’t see how she could live her life the way he needed her too. 'But how do you tell someone that?' she wondered and felt the tears running down her face.
Author's Chapter Notes:
She shouldn't have... But she did... *shakes head*
