[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
"NIIICK!" I cried, my head snapped up from the bed and my heart was pounding. Nick's heart monitor was steady, his chest was still rising and lowering. "It was just a dream," I said to myself and sat up. I rubbed my eyes and sat back in the chair, hugging my knees up to my chest. I then heard a soft murmur and Nick's hand twitched. I leaned towards the bed and took Nick's hand into mine. "Nick can you hear me?" His fingers then softly squeezed mine. "Nick open your eyes, come on," I then reached over and hit the call button. "Please baby, wake up." Nick's eyes slowly opened, closed and then opened again. Before I could say anything the room was filled with nurses and the doctor. I was pushed out and like the dream, I called Brian.

"Is it Nick?" Were the first words out of Brian's mouth when he picked up.

"He's awake," was all I told him and Brian said he'd be there right away. I paced outside Nick's room and within twenty minutes, Brian, Alex, Trish, Howie, Katie, Aaron, Leslie and B.J., Angel, Kevin were all in the hospital.

"How is he?" Aaron asked.

"I don't know, I was rushed out as soon as he woke up."

"Word with this group gets around fast," the doctor came out smiling. He was then bombarded with a list full of questions. "If everyone quiets down I can tell you about Nick's condition. "First of all, Nick is awake, he's fully aware of everything that has happened and is out of the woods. As far as we can tell now, he won't have any long term damages but he will need to be in the hospital for another few days. You can all go see him but two at a time and no more than for five minutes each. He needs to get plenty of rest."

"Rest? He's been asleep for three days straight!" Alex called out. We all agreed that his siblings would go in first and I couldn't help but feel nervous to see Nick and I stood in the back for a while.

"Hails why don't you go see him next," Leslie told me as her and B.J. came out. I looked over to Brian who nodded his head.

"Anyone want to come in with me?" I asked.

"You deserve some time by yourself with him," Kevin put his hand on my shoulder and I walked slowly to the door. I opened it and went inside. Slowly, I walked up to bed and Nick had his eyes closed.

"Nick?" I called out softly. He opened his eyes and I let out a sigh took in his pools of blue.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Nick, I've been so worried about you." I took a step closer to him.

"Hailey just go home," Nick turned his head and looked away from me.

"But Nick I just want-"

"GET OUT!" He yelled. "I'm DONE with you."

"I don't understand what I did?"

"GO!" The words hit me hard and with tears spilling down my cheeks I left the room.

"That was fast," Brian said and I pushed through our group of friends and headed for the doors. "Hailey? What's wrong?" Brian pulled my arm before I could go any further.

"He doesn't want me in his life. I'm leaving." I pulled away from Brian hard. "You have my keys?" I asked.

"Hailey wait tell me what happened."

"Keys Brian." I put my hand out, waiting for Brian to hand me over the keys. He hesitated for a minute and pulled them out of his pocket and put them into my hand. I spun on my heel and went outside. It was early morning, six am and then was already up. I found my car parked down a little ways and got in. "I couldn't even tell him I loved him," I said out loud and began crying harder and started my car. Putting it into first gear, I spun my tires and headed home.
~*~*~* Brian's POV~*~*~*~
"I'm going to see what that was about," Brian said to the group and went into Nick's room.

"I figured you'd be next," Nick said. "Like I told Hailey, I'm DONE with you. Just leave Brian."

"You cannot take this out on Hailey, she never left your side once in the past three days and she's the one who found you. The kiss was nothing, we're just friends."

"I don't want to hear it. You and I are done, the band is done, Hailey and I are done."

"I'm leaving this room today Nick, but I am not leaving your life. And you cannot make these decisions after everything you went through. Before I leave, I just need to you to know that I love you and I thank God that you're alright." I turned and headed for the door and walked out.

"What did he say to Hailey?" Kevin asked.

"Same thing he told me, and that was to get out of his life."

"Give him some time," B.J. told me.

"Anyone want to go back to Hailey's for a bit?" I asked.

"I'll come, Howie you want to join?" Katie asked.

"Let me just go say hi to Nick and I'll come." Howie went into Nick's with Kevin.

"I'll get the rental," Katie told Brian and went outside.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When we arrived to Hailey's everything was quiet and I went upstairs to see if she was okay. I knocked on her bedroom door quietly and pushed it open.

"Hailey can I come in?" I peeked my head around her door and saw her lying on her bed, curled in a ball and wrapped up in a towel. Her hair was wet and she hugged a pillow to her chest. I pulled a blanket over her sleeping body and kissed her head. "He'll come around," I whispered and quietly walked out of her room and closed the door.

"She okay?" Katie asked when I went down stairs.

"She's showered and passed out. Her towel was around her, she must have been too tired to get dressed."

"I can't blame her. I can't believe Nick would say those hurtful things to her or you." Howie said sitting on the couch. Everyone knew about the kiss and about where Hailey and I stood for each other.

"I'm sure Kevin and his sisters will talk some sense into him at some point today." Katie tried to sound optimistic.
*Hailey's POV*

I woke up, still in my towel and realized I must have passed out when I was just going to lay down for a minute. I looked over at my clock on my nightstand and it read 8:08 am. It was around seven thirty am when I got out of the shower and at least eight when I laid down. I got dressed and ran a brush through my hair before going downstairs.

I went into the kitchen where I heard singing and moving around, Howie, Alex, Brian and Trish were in the kitchen making breakfast.

"Ah she wakes!" A.J. came up to me and kissed my cheek.

"Do you realize you slept for about twenty-four hours straight?" Trish asked.

"Leave her alone, she needed it. Hope you're hungry." Howie said bringing a plate full of pancakes over to the table.

"I'm kinda starving," I sat down at the table.

"Juice or coffee?"

"Juice, I need to detox from all the coffee I drank last few days." I smiled.

"Hey guys I just got off the phone with Leslie and good morning Hailey," Kevin said walking in with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Morning." I sipped my juice.

"What did Les say?" Katie asked putting an arm around Howie.

"Actually the message is for Hailey." Kevin looked at me and sat down. "Nick wants to see you."

"He said that?" I asked in disbelief.

"I guess he's been pretty upset since early this morning."

"What about Brian?" I asked.

"He didn't say anything about him, sorry man."

"Not worried, Nick and I've been through worse," he shrugged.

"Well, I'm going to enjoy this awesome breakfast everyone made and then I'll go over," I stuffed a piece of pancake into my mouth.

"That a girl," Kevin patted my hand and began getting some breakfast for himself.
~*~*~*~*~*~Nick's POV~*~*~*~*~*~
I tried to sit up a little in my bed and used the remote to get the bed to tilt upward. I had only been awake for a day and already was I bored out of my mind in the hospital. I flipped through the channels on the TV and landed on the Animal Planet. I then heard a soft knock on the door and I said, 'come in'. Hailey then walked in, wearing jean carpi's and a green tank top.

"I was told you wanted to see me. If it's not true then I can just go-" she pointed towards the door and started to turn around.

"No it's true, come here." She walked slowly up to my bed, hesitant to get too close and took a seat in a chair. She set her purse on the ground and didn't seem to know what to do with her hands. "I'm sorry for yesterday, I didn't know how to handle everything that was happening and I was still upset about you and Brian."

"Which you have every right to be upset but Nick you need to know my feelings for Brian." She looked into my eyes waiting to see if I'd interrupt her. "Brian thought there could be something more between us, we became close friends after his divorce and during it. There was no one else in his life and so he kissed me to see if I felt anything he did and well...I didn't. And he then too realized, he didn't."

"Everyone told me that you stayed by my side the entire time. The nurses told me you gave me my sponge bath and you slept for five minutes at a time."

"I was worried and it sucks that this saying is true, but you never know what you have until you've lost it. And I realized that day you were in the accident just how much in love I am with you. Every hour of you not waking up, was an hour further away you got from me. If you never woke up Nick I don't know how I could live." Hailey's eyes began to water and I wanted to pull her to me. "I'm sorry for hurting you that day and so is Brian. He was confused about his feelings and you can't blame him for having any for me, I mean at one time you used to love me." She dropped her eyes down at her hands and I tried again to sit up.

"Hails," I reached my hand out to her. She started at it and then took it. "I NEVER stopped loving you, that's why I came for you that night. And in some sense, I knew you were right by my side when I was in that coma. And it scares me to death to think that because of my stupid over-reactions I almost lost you." I pulled on her hand a little and she stood up and sat on the edge of my bed.

"We're okay?"

"Better than okay, help me give you a hug," she put her arms under mine and pulled me to her a little. I winced as my ribs pressed against her chest.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"Don't be, if anything you're going to make me heel faster."

"Nick, how long are you going to push Brian out?"

"I'll call him later." She smiled and pulled me in for a kiss.

"When can you get out of here?"

"Until I can travel home, could be a couple weeks."

"What if you had a home right here in South Carolina to stay in?"

"Like with you?"

"I really won't take no for an answer. I couldn't imagine not taking care of you after all this."

"Are you sure? I'll probably be a pain in the butt."

"Nick you're a pain in the butt without being injured. Besides, you took care of me those months I couldn't walk."

"I'll run it by the doctor when he comes in and see what he has to say." She ran her hand through my hair and kissed my forehead.

"How about I go find the doctor and you call Brian please? It will make this day so much better."

"Sounds good." She stood up and walked towards the door.

"Hailey," I called out.

"Hmm?" She turned around and smiled.

"I love you."

"I love you Nick," she walked back to my bed and wrapped her arms around me. I felt my neck get wet and knew she was crying.

"Hey it's going to be okay," I pulled her away a little and had few tears of my own stream down my face. She nodded her head, I kissed her cheek and she went out the door.
_________________