~ Chapter 1 ~
The candystriper looked around. She knew she wasn't permitted into ICU and she didn't want to get caught. She looked around for signs of nurses or Nick's family. She knew that the doctor had just checked on him so he wouldn't be back for at least another hour. She had been lurking around since yesterday morning. Nick had been admitted two and a half days ago. He was still in a coma. She overheard the discussion his doctor had with the Carters the day before. Nick was getting worse. If he doesn't wake up soon, he will
die. If he does eventually wake up, he will be rendered permanently brain-damaged. Seeing no one around, she entered Nick's room. She gasped outloud at the sight of him. He looked dead. His face was colorless, his head was swathed in bandages with bits of blond hair sticking out in front, and he was hooked up to about five machines. She pulled a chair close to the bed and took one of his hands into hers. His hand was ice cold. Taking his hands one at a time, she began rubbing them.
"Hi Nick. I know that you can hear me. I overheard your doctor telling your mom to talk to you because you can hear us. You're probably thinking that you don't know my voice. That's because you don't know me. Don't be scared. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm someone who cares. A lot. My name is....well....just call me Angel. You have to wake up, Nick. Your parents, brother, sisters, girlfriend, the guys, they all love you. Everyone's grieving for you. Your mother has been staying here during the night. I'm sure you know that. We all want you back, Nick. Please wake up. She stared at him for five minutes. He didn't stir. She kept rubbing his hands.
"I have to go now. I'll back tomorrow morning at the same time. I'll be here every morning until you wake up. You will wake up Nick."
She kissed the palm of his right hand and placed it over his heart.
The next day she waited in the shadows until Jane left his room. Jane's eyes were bloodshot with dark circles under them. Bob and BJ approached her. "How is he?" Bob asked.
"No change," Jane whispered shakily. She collasped against Bob. "Oh God! Our boy can't die. I don't want my baby to die!"
BJ leaned against her parents. "Nick will not die! I know Nick. He loves life too much!"
Jane looked at her daughter sadly. "BJ, the doctor told me something earlier. He said that patients in comas often decide for themselves if they will wake up or not. They have to have the will to live. He said that Nick should be awake by now. I don't like this."
"You don't think he wants to die? MOM! He wouldn't!"
Brian approached the family. He had asked special permission to see Nick. Normally only the immediate family was allowed in ICU. "Nick's a fighter. But there's something y'all need to know."
"What?" Bob asked.
Nick's girlfriend left him two months ago. He found out that she had been seeing someone else. They got into a huge arguement. Nick was really hurt, but he decided to give her another chance. She didn't want him back. She said some very cruel things to him, including how happy she is with this other guy. Nick's been very depressed about it. He won't talk to me about it.
"Oh Lord!" Jane exclaimed. "I've noticed a strain in his voice when I ask him about her. He always said, "everything's fine, mama." I should have known that something was wrong. He loved her. They'd been together two years."
"I know." Brian sighed. "Nick keeps a lot to himself, but I don't think he would let himself die over a broken heart."
The candystriper listened in sadness. Poor Nick. She knew what she had to do.
She walked into his room, closing the door quietly. She sat down and repeated the same ritual as the day before. "Nick, you have to wake up. The doctor said that every hour that goes by, you slip farther and farther away. I can't bear the thought of never hearing your voice again. Never seeing you on TV. Imagine what this is doing to your family. Your parents, your brother, sisters, Brian..everyone loves you so much. This is killing them, Nick. If you die, so will they. Their bodies will go on, but their souls, their hearts, will be buried along with you. This is tearing them apart. No matter what's happened to you, you're only 18. You have the rest of your life to live and so much to live for. Aside from the obvious reasons, there are the fans. Thousands of fans who have left flowers, poems, prayers, cards outside the gate to your home. Hundreds who are keeping a vigil on the hospital grounds. Your grandparents are arriving this morning. I know you feel very alone right now. Like no one cares. You're probably very scared. You're not alone, Nick. I'm right here. I'll always be here. She started singing...
"I'll be your cloud up in the sky, I'll be your shoulder when you cry, I hear your voices when you call me, I am your angel....."
She kissed his forehead. "I'll be back tomorrow."
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