Kevin
was cruising down the highway with his window down, enjoying the wind in his
hair. He turned the radio up just as "Show Me the Meaning" came on.
He immediately had flashbacks of the music video they had filmed for the song
and the slides of his father. Kevin loved to sing and he loved his career but
he knew in his heart that he would give it all up to see his Dad one more time.
Then the image of Brian in the hospital bed hit him like a ton of bricks. He
remembered how hesitant Brian had been about using his surgery as part of the
video. He was lost in that thought when his cell phone ran and he picked it up.
"Talk to me." he said.
"Kevin, it's me,” said a voice followed by a sniffle.
"Nick? Are you crying?" Kevin asked.
"No Kev, I'm bawling my eyes out. Are you listening to
the radio?" Nick asked.
"Yeah, I guess you're thinking what I'm thinking,
Nick." Kevin sighed.
"But Kev, this is real! It's not just a video anymore!
Brian is really in that hospital and he's in bad shape." Nick sobbed.
"He flat lined in the ambulance instead of in the hospital room. That's
the only difference I can think of"
"Nick, I'm coming over." Kevin said. Nick was
silent. "Did you hear me?" Kevin asked.
"Uh-huh." Nick sighed. Kevin hung up and took the
next exit off of the highway.
Brian
had slept for about an hour with Jessie watching over him at his side but he
was awake now. A nurse came in to check on him like usual and realized that he
was shivering.
"Is it just me or is this room cold all of a
sudden?" he asked. The nurse felt his forehead and raised her eyebrows.
"It's jut you honey. I think you've got a temperature,”
she said. She went to the drawer and found a thermometer to check. "101
degrees. You've definitely got a fever. I'll go get the doctor,” she said
before leaving quickly. Brian looked at Jessie.
"It's a little fever, what's the big deal?" he
asked.
"Brian, you've just had open heart surgery. If you're
running a fever that means this infection is serious,” she explained.
"Great, this is just what I need." he sighed.
"As if having someone saw and pry your ribcage open for hours and
straining all of your chest and ab muscles isn't enough."
Dr. Lake entered the room and went directly to Brian's
chart.
"I need to run a lab test, just some blood work. I know
you hate it but if this infection has spread already then I need to know about
it now."
"I understand." Brian said to him.
"I'll have a nurse draw the blood and we also need to
get your fever down,” the doctor said.
Kevin
parked in Nick's driveway and stepped out of his Toyota. Nick was sitting on
the porch with his head in his hands. Kevin sat down next to him and put his
strong hand on Nick's shoulder. Nick was silent for a moment before sitting up
and wiping his eyes dry.
"I'm sorry." he sniffled. "I just wish there
was something I could do for Bri to ease the pain."
"I know Nicky. None of us like seeing him like
this." Kevin replied.
"You went to see him this morning, right?" Nick
asked.
"Yes."
"How's he doing?"
"He was joking around and kidding with me again."
Kevin said with a smile.
"Really?" Nick said.
"Yeah, of all the things he was complaining about
biting his tongue." Kevin laughed.
"That's our Brian." Nick chuckled.
"Yeah, but um...the doctor took the bandages off and
found that the incision from the surgery is infected pretty bad." Kevin
sighed.
"So what did they do?" Nick asked.
"They were going to give him some medications to
control it." Kevin said. "I would have stuck around but I kind of
needed to get out of there for a little while."
"I know what you mean." Nick said. "I want to
go back and see him tonight though. Well, I've got a pizza in the oven so why
don't you come in and help me eat it."
"We both know that you don't need any help finishing
off a pizza." Kevin teased. Nick stuck his tongue out at him and they both
walked inside the house.