The legal stuff: This is a sexually explicit story involving homosexuality. Do not continue if this will offend you. By continuing, you implicitly declare and affirm under penalties of perjury that you are not a minor or in the company of a minor and are entitled to have access to sexually explicit material. The content and opinions expressed in this story do not imply anything with regard to the sexual preference of any member of 98 Degrees or other celebrities named herein. This is a work of fiction entirely.
Hey, everyone. Thanks for tuning in. Two and a half years ago I upended my life and moved 1,200 miles. It's time again. This time it's just 3 hours away but I've leaving almost everyone I love to go to grad school. It's scary, but in a good way. But.I will be in school part-time and working part-time so I may end up writing more. I probably couldn't post less, so it's a bonus to anyone that cares. Have fun.
Scene 140
It was only a few moments after Jeff made his announcement and the three of us were sitting in silence. I glanced over at Mike. He was doing okay, but I could still see the slightest hint of a bewildered look on his face. He may have known I was gay before I said it but I think Jeff had certainly caught him off guard. He had, to his credit, responded like the compassionate man that I knew him to be, but I could tell he was still a little stunned.
Then I looked up at Jeff. He was standing next to the window gazing out at the deep blue sky. I sighed, not really sure what, if anything, I should say.
"You have to see this," Justin said as he raced into the room and clicked on the TV.
"But." Mike started. "Something just happened in here Justin. This isn't the best time."
I had to laugh. Clearly I was right in assuming that Mike was caught off guard by Jeff because he couldn't seem to get his words straight.
"We're in the middle of something," I said to Justin, trying to get Mike off the hook and keep him from outing Jeff in the process.
"No, it's important."
I shrugged, which was a motion I could now make pain-free and looked up at the TV. I immediately recognized Carson Daly on MTV. Jeff and Mike turned to see what was going on.
"Welcome back to the studio," he said amongst the screams of very young looking people. "Thanks for tuning into Total Request Live. Just a few days ago we reported some very bad news about Drew Lachey from '98 Degrees'. As you may recall, Drew was involved in a serious auto accident in Hawaii. If you've been following the story, you may also have heard that his prognosis was grim, to say the least. But, we do have a bit of good news to pass along. I'm joined on the phone with Drew's brother Nick."
I looked over at Justin who was grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"Is this live?" I asked, not sure about the time difference from New York to Hawaii. I also was unsure as to exactly what time it was anyway.
"No, tape delay," he said. "Nick did this a couple hours ago."
"Please welcome Nick Lachey," Carson introduced.
I heard Nick's voice on a telephone amid nervous clapping from the studio audience.
"Hey, Carson," Nick said. "It's good to talk to you."
"And you, as well, my man. What's the good news you have for us?"
"Well," Nick started. "As you said, Drew wasn't doing very well. In fact, he wasn't expected to.well, he wasn't going to make it." The crowd behind Carson looked as though they had lost a family member. "But," Nick continued, "a miracle happened and somehow he pulled it out."
"So, he's going to be okay?"
"It looks that way, Carson."
"That is just fantastic news. I can't tell you how happy I am for you."
"Well, just yesterday Jeff was in with him and out of the blue Drew woke up. And that wasn't expected."
"And Jeff would be the same Jeff from your group."
"Yeah, all the guys are here, of course. They're all family to me and Drew."
"And the doctors didn't expect Drew to wake up?"
"No. They told us it was only a matter of time before he gave up but there's still live left in the little guy. I mean, he's a long way from being back to normal. He's definitely hooked up to lots of machines and tubes but I was able to communicate with him just a little while ago and he seems to understand everything that's going on around him."
"That's just amazing. And I understand that another person close to the group was involved in the accident?"
"Yeah, after the Pro Bowl show we all split up for a short vacation before the tour started. And actually, the tour was supposed to start tonight in LA. Jeff and I went to LA. Justin was on his way home to Cincinnati. Drew and our travel manager Alex went to the Big Island here in Hawaii for some R and R."
"And that's were the accident occurred?"
"Yeah," Nick sighed. "Did you get a chance to meet Alex at New Year's Eve Carson?"
"No, I didn't but Jeff was talking about him."
I smiled to myself, thinking back at how rough that night was for all of us. I also smiled at the fact that Carson Daly and Nick were having a conversation on MTV about me.
"Well, Alex was with Drew in the jeep when it flipped. According to the paramedics, Alex was the one reason Drew survived at all. Alex stopped the bleeding just in time. We don't really know what happened out there to be honest. Alex doesn't remember the accident and Drew has been unconscious until yesterday. Right now Drew can't talk. He's still in critical condition. We may never know exactly what happened but the EMTs were certain that it was Alex that saved Drew's life."
"That's quite a story, Nick."
"It is. He's quite a guy, though."
"How is he?"
"He's doing okay. He has a badly broken leg and is suffering from some memory loss but he's out of danger."
It hit me hard when Nick said that because I never knew was in any danger. Maybe they didn't tell me that part or I simply forgot about it.
"I'm outside Alex's room in the waiting area. I'm probably gonna get in trouble for being on my cell phone in here," Nick laughed.
"Well, don't get yourself in trouble."
"No worries, Carson. Nothing could bring me down right now. I got my brother back today."
Carson paused a moment and let Nick's words sink in. The camera showed a young girl who was crying. It was a good thing to see because it meant people cared about Drew.
"Well, this may come off sounding trite, but you guys have been good to us here at TRL and MTV," Carson said. "We did just see you at the New Year's Eve show so it was a shock to hear about your brother. I can't tell you how happy I am to hear he's gonna pull through. Thank you for calling and updating us on Drew's condition. He'll be in all our thoughts and prayers."
"Thanks, Carson. And thank you to all our fans out there," Nick said as he hung up.
"Some very good news about the condition of Drew Lachey," Carson said. "Obviously the tour that was to start tonight has been postponed indefinitely, but I don't think anyone cares about that right now. It was tough news to hear earlier this week and the fact that Drew woke up is truly a miracle. I want to thank Nick for calling in and updating all of us."
Justin flipped off the TV and looked at me.
"Thanks," I said.
"No problem, Chief."
Scene 141
"So what happens now?"
"I don't know," I responded.
Mike looked over at me and shrugged. It had only been about an hour since he had witnessed Jeff kissing me. After Justin had burst into the room to turn on MTV, he and Jeff exited. Jeff was acting as if nothing had happened, a sign that he wasn't ready to tell Justin about everything.
"Part of it depends on Jeff. And part of it depends on Drew."
"How so?"
"Well, if Jeff isn't ready to come out then I'm not going to force his hand. It just depends if Drew remembers what Jeff said to him."
"But he was in a coma, Alex."
"Maybe," I said.
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
He glared at me, knowing I was evading his question.
"Sorry," I smiled. "You're asking about my feelings for Jeff?"
He nodded.
"This one isn't so simple, Mike. I love him but not really the same way as I love Drew." I stopped for a moment, a little sickened at way I casually said that sentence. "Granted I did have certain feelings for him when I first met him."
"You thought he was hot," Mike laughed.
"Of course," I said as I turned bright red from embarrassment. "But as time went on I got to know him. There are times I feel like I know Jeff better than I know Drew. Jeff has told me more about himself. He's opened up to me in a way that Drew hasn't. But it's not really a question of who I know better."
"Did you kiss him back?"
"Jeff? No."
"Would you have if I wasn't in the room?"
"No."
The conversation ended right about there. We talked for a few more minutes but nothing more was really said. Mike left me to take a nap, which I welcomed. Sleep didn't come easily, however, and I said laid there mulling over everything that had happened that day. Eventually I did manage to fall asleep.
"How long have you been there?" I asked, looking up at Nick standing in the doorway as I yawned.
"Not long. You seem a little out of it."
"Just sort of dozing off, I guess. Trying to figure something out."
"Well, your doctor said that if you were up for it you could go visit Drew. He said the traction for your leg isn't really necessary any longer." He paused, but only momentarily. "But, if you're tired it can wait until tomorrow. Drew would be so happy to see you. I didn't tell him you could visit, though. I mean, if you're tired."
"Nick!"
"What?"
"Of course I want to see him."
Nick smiled at me but I could sense he was a little nervous about something.
"What?" I asked.
He walked over and sat on the side of my bed.
"He's pretty messed up, Alex. It's not a pretty sight right now. I mean he's like you were at first; a little out of it because of the drugs. Plus he's hooked up on all sorts of machines."
"It's fine, Nick."
"But, Alex. He doesn't look the same. He's all cut up and bruised. He can't talk right now. He seems to know what's going on but even after they took the tube out of his mouth he still doesn't have a voice."
"It's okay, Nick."
"He doesn't look like Drew any more."
A flash of fear flew through Nick's eyes when he said it. I wanted to ask more questions but I knew Nick wasn't ready for that. I reached out and grabbed his arm. Even though he must have seen me reaching for him, he flinched a little when I touched him. In that moment I saw just how much Nick had taken on. He always had been and he always would be the strong one.
Scene 142
Nick pushed me in the wheelchair, my broken leg jutting straight out in front of us. He was supposed to wait for an aid to help him get me into the chair but he hadn't. The nurse had come by and unhinged me from the traction. Even though I couldn't move my leg at all, it was good to have it in a different position. My hip had become very sore from the awkward angle I had been at. Without much thought, Nick massaged the side of my hip when he saw the pain I was in.
"You're family, Alex," was his only comment.
After waiting at least twenty minutes he asked me if he could get me into the wheelchair by himself. Knowing he would never drop me, I agreed. It hurt a lot more than I had expected but I took a couple of deep breaths to fight off the nausea and we were on our way.
"Remember what I said," Nick whispered when we were outside Drew's room. "He's not going to look like you remember him."
"Nick," I sighed, "the last time I saw him he was covered in blood. I'm sure he looks better now."
Nick didn't comment, simply opening the door and pushing me into the room. The first thing I saw was Cate sitting to the side of the bed, quietly reading the paper. She looked up and smiled at us. Only then did I notice Drew. He was lying in bed, surrounded by a collection of machines.
Nick wheeled me closer and I knew I should say something to Cate but my eyes never left Drew. Nick had been right; Drew wasn't the same person I remembered him to be. He looked so small right then. His face was a collection of cuts and bruises and his hair was longer than I've ever seen.
"Mom, do you think you could give us a minute?"
"Of course, honey."
Before Cate left the room she walked over and gently hugged me.
"Thank you," she whispered.
I smiled, wondering how much she knew about Jeff's talk with Drew. It's something I've never asked her about.
Nick slid me up as close to the bed as possible. Then he walked around to the other side. Tentatively, I reached up and took hold of Drew's left hand. It felt much warmer than I thought it would.
"Little bro?" Nick said softly as he carefully touched Drew's shoulder. "Wake up, little man."
Drew's eyes flashed open and fixated on Nick. I could see his mind working as he realized someone else was in the room and holding his hand. His eyes slowly moved from Nick to me. When it clicked, he tried to grasp my hand and I felt a surge of life come through him. That's the best way I know to explain it. It's something I've never felt before. It was as if he was hadn't truly believed I was alive after the accident until that moment. I don't know how long it was, but soon after I saw him begin to cry.
"Oh, Drew. Don't cry, honey."
All of my emotions finally gave way and I also started to cry. At that point I had no idea how many days it had been since the accident. Whatever it was, it seemed like an eternity. The last time I had touched Drew was when I was holding him in my arms in the middle of a desolate lava field. Part of me even believed that I would never touch him again. All of the fighting and anger disappeared in an instant and I was with the man I loved.
"I wish I could kiss you," I said, frustrated that my leg was keeping me at a distance.
"There's plenty of time for that," Nick laughed.
"Are you still here?" I asked as I tried to stop the tears.
"Nice, Jackson! I spring you from your bed and you want privacy with my brother?"
His grin was wide as he turned and walked out of the room. I focused my attention on Drew. He seemed to be doing a better job at not crying.
"Honey, I know you can't talk right now. But I want you know that I love you. We'll make you better."
I looked down at Drew and smiled. I felt his hand squeeze mine. I knew what I had to do. I knew who I was meant to be with. Fate had brought us together and I wasn't going to try to stop it.
"I love you, Drew."
To be continued..
Feedback: thack98@mindspring.com