CHAPTER 10 -
Painful sighs and moans made Nick wake up from his sleep. His eyes took a while to open up, but when they did the first thing Nick saw was Brian, and it scared him.
His friend was moving frantically under the sheets, and even from a distance Nick could see sweat glowing on his forehead.
"Oh, God..." - Nick whispered lifting from bed and going towards Brian. - "Hey, man! Can you hear me?"
Brian looked at Nick trying to focus on him.
"Nick... hmm, God... I'm cold, I..." - Nick touched Brian's forehead.
"Geez, Bri! You are burning in fever even worse now!" - Nick freaked out, climbing on the bed and pulling the blankets over his friend's body.
Brian's breathing was uneasy and Nick tried to dry up the sweat from his face.
"Calm down, man... why this now? Where's this fever coming from? And why now that we are so far from an hospital?!"
Brian didn't answer. He closed his eyes and moaned. He could feel his body burning at the same time he was cold. A throbbing headache took his mind, making it impossible to think of what he was saying. A nightmare, he was having a terrible nightmare. Brian reached for Nick's hand.
"Nick... I can't stand it, its so bad!" - Brian squeezed his hand and tears rolled down his face. - "I just wish I could get away from my body..."
"Shiii... don't talk, Brian. I'll take care of you. I'm gonna call Kevin." - Nick tried to stand up but Brian stopped him.
"Don't leave me..." - he pleaded, his eyes rolling on his head as he fought to breath straight.
Nick leaned down to his face.
"Brian, I'll be back in one minute. Kevin is right beside us. Don't worry, I ain't gonna leave you, ok?"
Brian gasped for air and nodded, letting go of Nick's shirt that had been holding.
Nick stood up immediately and left. Seconds later he was knocking on Kevin's door, whom had been in a very light sleep, concerned about something like this happening. He knew it was Nick the one knocking on his door.
"Kevin, please! Brian is bad! He is aching in fever and I don't know what to do!"
"Calm down, Nick. I'm going." - Kevin went back to his room briefly to put a robe on and followed Nick to where Brian was.
As soon as he entered both men climbed on the bed and tried to talk to Brian.
"Hey, cuz... talk to me, Brian..."
He looked into Kevin's eyes, but it was hard coz his own were too heavy, too hot.... Brian just liked closing his eyes and don't opening them again. They were also burning.
"Kevin... God...." - Brian moaned and Kevin wiped the sweat that covered his body and the sheets.
"Don't we have anything to make it go away? The fever?" - Nick asked Kevin.
"We have nothing! Damn it! We always have medicine, why the fuck didn't I bring them this time? Why the fuck are we lost in this place? Why the fuck don't they have a fucking telephone?!" - Kevin burst out, his frustration taking the best of him.
Nick looked at him and later at Brian beginning to panic as his best friend didn't seem to get any better.
"What do we do now?!" - Nick asked.
"Help me here." - Kevin began to rip off Brian's shirt. - "Go get a cloth or something. We need cold water. Lets try the old fashioned way of fighting fever away."
Nick smiled and went do what Kevin asked while he took care of getting Brian's chest bare. Nick came back minutes later, and after watering two pieces of cloth they put on above Brian's forehead and the other they were rubbing on his chest that was covered up in sweat.
"Hm!" - Brian whimpered at the cold feeling.
"Down, man... down... this will help you out." - Kevin said while he and Nick put more cold water into them and let those cloths wash Brian's fever away.
"Its cold!" - Brian whined, his eyes opened briefly before closing again.
"Do you think its working?" - Nick asked hopefully.
"Yes... touch his forehead! I think its setting down a little..."
Brian moaned again, the sheets wet in a mixture of cold water and hot sweat. His body was tense and slowly he loosened. His painful moans turned into soft sighs and Brian's breath slowly got back to normal. When Kevin and Nick tried to talk to him they realized Brian was sleeping.
Nick sighed and rubbed his face in relief.
"Thank you so much, Kevin!"
"Hey, you did this too." - Kevin smiled and ran a hand over Brian's wet hair. - "I think he is gonna sleep through the night now. If anything happens you call me again, ok?"
"Yes." - Nick quickly answered as Kevin stood up and left.
He closed the door and turned around to face Brian. He was asleep, peacefully. His breath normal again, Nick could tell he was tired.
"Hm..." - Nick thought rubbing his chin. - "Got an idea, buddy."
Nick pulled his bed and put it right beside Brian's, so that it looked more like a couple's one.
Nick climbed on it and got under his blankets.
"This is just in case you decide to get bad again, see?" - Nick smiled and kissed Brian's forehead.
He fell asleep too by his side. Every in a while looking just to check if he was ok. But as Kevin predicted the night was through and they could sleep the rest of it.
When Nick opened his eyes the next morning Brian was already up and dressed. He looked at Nick's sleepy face and smiled.
"Good morning!" - he yelled making Nick jump and sit on the bed, his hands rubbing his swollen eyes.
"Morning..." - Nick grunted, that husky voice from someone whom just woke up. - "I'm glad you are fine..." - Nick said still trying to organize his thoughts.
Brian looked at him and grinned. He went towards the bed, or the beds that were put together and sat in front of Nick.
"Thank you so much, Nick... I mean, for taking care of me last night. I really don't remember much thing, but I know you and Kevin were here and I was really bad." - Brian took Nick's hand friendly and shook it. - "Thank you, buddy."
"Why are you thanking me? Ya know thats the least I'd do for you."
Brian smiled again and kissed his forehead.
"Anyway, are you packing your stuff? We going out a' this place? Well, finally!"
"Sorry to disappoint you, Nick, but ain't going anywhere. At least not for a couple more days until Kevin can communicate with someone that speaks english and tell us where is the hotel we were supposed to be at. Or we can be lucky and have management find us." - Brian smiled widely.
Nick rubbed his forehead confused.
"Then why are you packing your stuff? Won't you be here, sharing the room?"
"Oh, no, Nick. I got another one for me. Right here... if you stare at the door Kevin will be on your left and I on your right."
"Why that?"
"Oh, please don't take this the wrong way! Nick, I have to sleep alone tonight, I don't wanna bother you! You probably didn't sleep at all this last night and as soon as we find our way out of this hole we'll be performing our asses off! You need to rest, man. Really. I'll be here in the room beside you, just so that you can sleep all day and night long to recover!"
"I don't need to recover!" - Nick complained standing up and getting dressed. - "I'm fine. What if you have fever again tonight? How am I supposed to help you?"
"Awww you are so cute!" - Brian mocked a voice and they laughed. - "Don't worry, Frack. I'll be all right. If I need anything I'll go bother Kevin, he is my cousin he'll have to bear with me." - Brian winked.
"You can bother me. Honestly, Brian, I...."
"Shiiii...." - Brian said to him. - "Let it go, Nick. We gotta enjoy while being in this hole. The sun is shining bright and the boys must be awake walking around this place. Its not a GREAT place, but its ok." - Brian grinned.
"Ok, if you say so... Then you can go and I'll meet you guys later. I think I could really use some more hours to sleep."
They laughed again.
"See ya laterz." - Brian said leaving the room.
"Laterz man."
As soon as Brian was gone Nick collapsed onto the bed again and sighed.
"God, I'm tired!"
Nick stretched a little before falling asleep again.
The whole day passed very fast. Although that place was lost in the middle of nowhere the boys managed to have some fun themselves.
"Hey, Bri... I heard you gave Nick and Kevin a hard time last night... What happened, buddy?" - AJ asked.
"Oh, just some crazy fever. Dunno why... What about you? You were having a hell of headache last night. Got over it?"
"Yeppers. Hey..." - AJ pulled Brian and whispered something into his ear. - "Promise not to tell anyone?"
Brian's eyes widened.
"Sure..."
"It wasn't a simple headache... I had a hell of a hangover!"
AJ began to laugh and so did Brian.
"Geez, man!"
"Yeah...! If Kevin finds out I had been drinking a day before traveling he's gonna kill me!" - AJ was laughing loudly. - "So shiii...!" - he pressed his finger against his own lips and Brian giggled.
"Ok, AJ. Its a secret."
Brian smiled again.
At six o'clock Nick finally joined the boys at the backyard.
"Heya..." - Nick said, his eyes, his whole face swollen.
As soon as they put their eyes on Nick they began to laugh.
"Oh, man! You look like shit!" - Howie exclaimed.
"Thank you!" - Nick smiled.
They all laughed again.
"Have you been sleeping all this time?" - Kevin asked in awe.
"Yeah!" - Nick said innocently. - "Thats one of the things I do best." - Nick mocked an ego and everybody laughed again.
Suddenly Brian stood up.
"Er, hey guys, I guess I'm going to my room..."
"Why? Any problems cuz?"
"Are you all right?" - AJ asked.
"No, no, I'm fine! Don't worry guys. I'm just tired too. I'll just go and sleep a little."
Brian smiled and walked away. When he entered the hall of the hotel Nick stopped him.
"Hey, man. Are you really ok? You fine, Brian? Ain't you feeling that fever come again?"
"Nick, I'm fine!" - Brian looked at him and smiled. - "You don't need to worry, ok? Go back with the boys, its my turn to sleep!" - Brian played and Nick smiled.
"Ok, I just wanna make sure you are fine."
"I am, Nick." - Brian touched his shoulders. - "Really, man. Don't worry."
Nick nodded and walked back to where the other fellows were.
'Just a little white lie.' - Brian thought. He was feeling ok! He was fine... just a little headache. But this was nothing, he would take some sleep and wake up shining bright again. Brian reached the stairs and went to his room.
Aw, poor Brian! Anyway, I really don't think he should be by himself right now... Something is telling me ain't gonna be fine this night...
Please e-mail me and I'll update faster! Lionessy@hotmail.com