Nick squinted against the harsh rays of Florida sunlight as he pulled his car up to the front doors of the hospital and quickly hopped out to help the nurse with his brother's bags. He grabbed his suitcase and the five or six other bags full of various hospital supplies and loaded them quickly into trunk before turning towards the door again to watch as another nurse, Aaron's favorite nurse, wheeled him out into the warmth of this beautiful winter day.

Thank God for Florida winters.

He couldn't help but smile when he saw the look on Aaron's face. It was a look of pure joy and contentment. One that could come only from seeing the daylight and feeling the warm breeze against your face after spending nearly 5 weeks in the hospital... 2 and half of those weeks in the Intensive Care Unit... and finally receiving a brand new liver.

"My God!" Aaron exclaimed as the nurse helped him stand from his wheelchair and shift his weight over to the front seat of Nick's Mercedes, "I never thought I'd see the light of day again!"

Nick smiled and nodded as he helped Aaron rotate his legs into the car and buckle up. He was still incredibly sore and needed help getting around and manuevering his body. Nick knew how much Aaron hated having to be helped though so he tried his best to let him do most everything for himself.

"It's a beautiful day dude," He mused as he ruffled his brother's hair before closing the door and thanking the nurse for helping them out. He walked around to the driver's side of the car and hopped in. He knew what Aaron meant though. Those weeks had seemed like an eternity. Nick himself had only ended up leaving the hospital a total of 10 nights out of the 33 his brother had been there. He looked up at the large building looming in the distance as the two of them drove away. He definitely would not miss that place at all.

"What do you want to do first?" Nick asked Aaron in the hopes that he would think up something enjoyable. He knew how boring the past week or so had been for him and he wanted Aaron to enjoy his first few days out of the hospital... even if they couldn't do anything wild and crazy.

"Ice cream?" Aaron questioned looking over at Nick and raising his eyebrows.

"Ice cream it is then!" He replied with a smile.

He pulled into the nearest Dairy Queen drive-thru and ordered them both a banana split blizzards. Aaron hadn't been able to eat much during his hospital stay, especially when he was waiting on his liver and had been on a special diet that limited his salt and protein intake... now, however, he could eat whatever his heart desired and Nick would get him whatever that was.

He pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards his ocean front home. Aaron would be staying with him for a while as he healed and Nick was looking forward to having him as a house guest. He'd missed his brother terribly in the past when he'd gone on tours with the Backstreet Boys and even more when the two of them were touring at separate times and hadn't seen each other for over a year. It was nice to have some time off and to be able to take care of his brother... the way his mother and father should have been doing.

He shook the thoughts of his parents away... not wanting to ruin this perfect day by thinking about the two of them. He glanced over again to where Aaron was sitting, looking longingly out the window at the passing scenery.

"What're you thinking about Air?" He asked, noting the solemn look on his young brother's face.

"Lots of things... too many things I guess." Aaron answered without really saying exactly what it was he was thinking about.

Nick had ideas. The young man had a lot on his mind, a lot of weight riding on the next few weeks... the next few years even. He'd received his liver, yes, but that was only half the battle. Rejection, at least acute rejection was looking unlikely at this point, that usually occured somewhere in the first two weeks after transplant, but long term rejection was always still a possibility. Infection was his greatest threat now and the major risk of infections occured somewhere in the 1st and 2nd months following surgery. He had been warned several times that it was not unusual for patients to experience at least one hospitalization sometime within the first few months following surgery... he didn't want that to happen.

Nick glanced over at him again to find him opening up his bag of medications and digging slowly through them. He frowned at the look on Aaron's face.

"What's wrong?" He asked truly feeling that he already knew the answer... just wanting to hear Aaron say it out loud.

"How am I ever going to do this Nick?" Aaron asked with an exasperated sigh as he leaned back in his seat and tossed the bag to the floor. The list of medications covered page upon page of the notebook Aaron carried around with instructions for day to day care. There were medicines to prevent rejection, steroids, and immunosuppressants to prevent a variety of different illnesses that could now be fatal to the once healthy young man. He was even taking baby aspirin to prevent blood clots from forming. The list seemed never ending and most of the medications were taken multiple times a day.

"You can do it Aaron," Nick said giving him a reassuring pat on the knee... "I'll be there to help you."

"But not forever Nick," he interupted, leaning his head back against the seat and closing his eyes. "What if I forget one... just one day... it could kill me!"

Nick knew the drugs that Aaron was speaking about. His anti-rejection drugs... he had to take at least one everyday for the rest of his life. Missing a dose could have fatal consequences.

"You'll remember them."

He sighed, "Not like I have a choice."

Nick shook his head and flipped on the radio in hopes of taking Aaron's mind off the things that were worrying him most. There was so much more to worry about too. Because of the risks of rejection and infection, Aaron would be in and out of the doctor's office several times a week for the next few months, he would be hospitalized for any fever or illness for the next year or so, there was a risk of diabetes and high blood pressure because of his medications and of course he would not be allowed to drink alcohol... that had been perhaps the least difficult pill for Aaron to swallow but as a young kid in the prime of life who liked to party... Nick knew that one was tough.

By the time they pulled into the driveway about an hour later, Aaron was fast asleep in the passenger seat. He looked so peaceful it pained Nick to have to wake him up. He prodded him gently in the shoulder and laughed when Aaron told him to go away and let him sleep.

"We're home Airhead." He watched as Aaron rubbed his eyes sleepily and looked around before unbuckling his seat belt and opening his car door. "Where do you want to go? Inside or out back?"

"Hmm..." Aaron pondered momentarily before answering the question, "Let's go out back... I wanna sit by the water and think."

Nick nodded and helped him slowly out of the car. The two of them made the painful trek to the dock together and he settled Aaron into a cushioned lounge chair in the shade. "You need anything?" He asked and waited for Aaron to shake his head no. "Well holler if you do... I'm gonna get your bags out of the car."

Aaron watched as his big brother sauntered back towards the front of the house. He had so many thoughts swarming through is mind... so many new worries and fears. This was the hardest thing he'd ever gone through. Despite all of his fears though, the one biggest thing weighing on his mind was that young girl. The 19-year-old girl who's liver he now held within his body.

Someone he didn't know, who he'd never even met had given him a new chance at life and he wanted to thank her... to know her... but she was gone. It just seemed so unfair. He stared out across the water and tried to take his mind off the things to come. He loved sitting by the water because it seemed to calm him more than any other activity.

Suddenly it hit him. Without this liver he wouldn't be able to sit here at all anymore. There would be no more ice cream stops with his brother. No more long drives in the car, no more sunsets or jetsking on the bay... there would be no more just sitting by the ocean...

There would be no more him.

Life certainly wouldn't be easy... but it would definitely be worth it. He would make it worth it, for her.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his ipod. Music was his other favorite mode of comfort in life. He flipped it on and hit 'random' before leaning back in his chair and allowing the seabreeze to wash over his entire body. He smiled when he heard the music of the first song... how fitting...

That was him... sitting there by the ocean, looking out at the water. New life... new health... new opportunities...

So damn lucky.