Pairing: ?/? Rating: Rish I dunno lol Chapters: 11/11 Disclaimer: I do not know anyone mentioned in this. It's come from my own twisted mine blah blah Not old enough? You know where the door is :D Warnings: Ok ppl, I know I haven't given away anything with the pairing, but I'm begging you to give it a chance. All will be revealed eventually, and not everything is as you think it is :) AN: Thank you to Angelique for doing the beta thingy and for basically helping me get everything right in my head.. it's a hard job lol
* The next morning *
The five men all sat around a table in one of the hotel’s meeting rooms. “Ok, I think I should start” Kevin said, looking around at the other four. “I’m sorry for the way I’ve been behaving recently. I’ve got a few things on my mind, which I’m sure we all have. Any objections to us all just forgetting everything and getting along? The tour is almost over.”
There were a few mumbled discussions, and then it was agreed that whatever problems they were each having, it wasn’t worth arguing with each other.
During the gig that night, things were noticeably different. They all interacted with each other and played it up to the crowd. When they were all sat in the van on the way back to the hotel, hot and sweaty, they all excitedly discussed each other’s performance.
“Man we rocked tonight” AJ said, running a hand through his damp hair.
“Yeah, you all did good” Kevin added, smiling proudly at them.
“No, Kev” Howie said, putting his hand on Kev’s shoulder. “We all did good.”
Kevin nodded, barely able to stop the smile creeping across his face.
As the chatter continued, Brian prodded Nick, who was sat next to him with his head in his hands.
“You ok Frack?” He asked, concerned for the quiet blonde.
“Not really Frick” Nick replied, not attempting to move his head.
“What is it Frack? Is it another migraine?”
“No” Nick mumbled. “I just feel really weird.”
“Have you been taking your vitamins? I know how you get when we are touring.”
“Yes I have” he replied flatly, not feeling well enough to comment on Brian trying to father him.
“Let me look at you” he said, gently pulling Nick’s chin up level to his own. “Shit Nick, you don't look so good.”
“Who doesn’t look so good?” AJ butted in. “Holy crap Nick. You ok? You look like shit.”
“Thanks. I feel it” he said, leaning his head against the window and closing his eyes.
“You might feel better when you’ve had a good nights sleep” Brian said, linking his fingers through Nick’s, a silent way of showing his concern.
When they got back to the hotel, they were relieved to find no fans outside. Nick waited until everyone else had left the van before grabbing his bag. He stumbled into the hotel, his head spinning, making it difficult to walk straight. By the time he’d made it to the lifts, he felt sick to his stomach and his head was pounding.
“We thought you’d got lost” a voice said, startling him.
“Yeah I ....” He managed to say before his legs gave way beneath him. The last thing he remembered was Brian screaming his name before he hit the floor and darkness consumed him.
When he came round, his head was still pounding and his throat was dry. He opened one eye and then groaned when the light blinded him. He heard voices mumble around him, and opened both his eyes. “Wha...” He croaked, trying to focus on the blinding white images around him.
A hand touched his arm. “It’s ok Nick. Just rest for now. You’ll feel better later.”
He closed his eyes and fell asleep quickly.
When he awoke the second time, the fog had cleared from his head and all that remained was a dull ache at the back of his skull. He blinked his eyes a few times and looked around at his surroundings.
“You’re at the hospital Nick.”
He moved his head slightly to the right and saw Kevin looking at him, a tired and worried look on his face.
“Wha...” He croaked, then coughed to try and clear his throat.
“Here, drink a bit of this” Kevin said, putting a glass of water to his lips. He lifted his head slightly, sipping the water.
“Thanks” he said, resting his head back down.
“Do you remember anything?”
Nick frowned, and then shook his head, a few blonde locks falling over his eyes. Kevin leant forward and brushed the soft blonde hair back from Nick’s face.
“Do you remember feeling sick in the van?”
Nick’s face scrunched up, thinking back. “Yes.”
“Anything else?”
He shook his head, and then winced at the pain shooting through his head. “No, nothing.”
“Well you passed out in the hotel lobby. Gave us all a fright.”
He smiled weakly and took Nick’s hand in his own. Nick took the opportunity to really look at Kevin. He suddenly looked old beyond his years, and his eyes no longer held that shine that Nick had always loved.
“I’m sorry” he whispered. Guilt hit him like a truck. He wished he could take back all the torment he’d given the older man over the years.
“Hey” Kevin said. “You haven’t got anything to be sorry for. You just concentrate on getting well again. We can’t have the blonde heart throb stuck in here for too long can we?”
He ruffled Nick’s hair and then stood up. “I’m going to get the nurse. The quicker they do their tests, the quicker we can get you out of here.”
He smiled at the younger man, and this time it reached his eyes. It made Nick’s stomach flutter and he smiled back, nodding in agreement.
Kevin returned a few minutes later with a doctor. “Ah, Mr Carter” he said. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been dropped on my head.”
“Well that is to be expected young man. You fell pretty hard and have a bump on the back of your head. It should go down in a couple of days and the pain will subside.”
“When can he be released?” Kevin asked, frowning as the doctor started writing unreadable notes.
“I won’t be able to confirm that until Mr. Carter’s test results come back. They shouldn’t take more than a few hours.” He smiled at them and carried on writing.
“Hang on” Nick said. “What tests? I’ve only got a bump on my head. I’m fine. Why...”
He stopped when he saw the doctor shaking his head. “We need to identify why you passed out Mr. Carter.”
“It’s Nick.”
“Okay, Nick. Your blood count was unusually low, and therefore we have had to do some tests as a precautionary measure.”
“I was just exhausted. We’re in the middle of a tour, and I guess I just got over tired or something.”
“Even so Mr... Nick. That shouldn’t have affected your blood count. If your results are clear, you’ll be able to leave this evening. Now, are you comfortable? Is there anything you need?”
“No. Thank you” Nick mumbled. “I feel a bit tired though.”
“That is quite normal. We did give you a small blood transfer to ensure your count was normal. You need to give your body time to adjust and recover. I suggest you have a good long rest and I’ll be back to check on you later.”
Nick nodded slowly. “Ok” he said quietly, secretly glad when the doctor left.
“Right then. I’ll leave you to rest Nicky” Kevin said, standing up.
“No, Kev, don’t leave me” he said, panicking. Kevin quickly sat back down, putting his hands over Nick’s.
“Ok Nicky, it’s ok. I won’t go anywhere.”
Nick sighed, and then took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.
“Are you ok Nicky? Do you want me to get you anything?”
“No thank you Kev. I just....” He closed his eyes and then reopened them, turning slightly to look at Kevin.
“What’s wrong with me Kev?” He asked, the nerves clear in his voice. Kevin’s face softened.
“Nothing Nicky. What makes you think there is?”
“So why all the tests Kev? What do they think I have?” A tear slipped down his face, and his eyes were quickly filling up. “Is it cancer?”
Kev stood up and wiped away the tears that were falling down Nick’s face.
“Oh no, no baby. You don’t have anything like that. They just want to make sure you’re okay before releasing you. To cover their own backs, you know?”
He leant his forehead against Nick’s and wiped more tears away from Nick’s damp cheeks. “I’ll never let anything happen to you Nick.” “Promise?” He sniffled.
“I promise. Now I think you should get some rest. The guys are waiting for you back at the hotel”
“Oh. Didn’t they want to come and see me?”
Kevin closed his eyes and sat back down in the chair.
“Management didn’t think it was a good idea” he said, opening his eyes, the anger clear on his face. “In case it got out to the press.”
Nick nodded. “It’s ok Kev. I understand. I’m glad it’s you that’s here with me.” He stretched his arm out and waved it in front of Kevin until he took his hand, then he smiled and closed his eyes, sleep claiming him almost instantly.