~ Chapter 2 ~
The candystriper was back near Nick's room the next morning. She heard Nick's doctor talking to Bob and Jane. "It's been five days," he was saying. "He should be awake by now. After yesterday's check up, we don't know how long he has left."
Jane went white and gripped her husband's arm for support. "No! No! He's not dying! HE CAN'T! What can we do? Please tell me. I'll do anything to have my Nicky back! Please!"
Her anguished pleas tore at the doctor's heart. "Mrs. Carter, I'm going to be very honest with you. Nickolas is not exhibiting any signs of wanting to live. His condition isn't grave enough that he should be in a coma this long. It's normal that he be unconscious from the head trauma he received as a result of the accident, but it's not normal to be in a coma for over 48 hours for this type of trauma. He should be awake by now."
"My son does not want to die!" Jane said angrily.
"I'm sorry. I don't want Nickolas to die either. I'm just giving you my opinion as a trauma specialist of 25 years."
Jane was getting hysterical so Bob pulled her away.
The candystriper listened in horror. Nick couldn't die. She wouldn't let him. Trying to fight back the tears, she entered his room. He looked worse than he ever had. "Nick, what are you trying to do? Do you want to die, is that it? If you have even half an ounce of love for your family in your body you will not do this to them. But let's talk about me for a minute. You don't know anything about me. Well let me tell you something. I met you once. Very briefly. It probably meant nothing to you because after all, I am just another face in the crowd. That day, my life changed. I knew nothing about you then. To me you were this beautiful singer. The Golden Boy of Backstreet. Your voice reached deep within my soul. It struck a chord. It's not about what you sing, it's how you sing. The emotion, the feeling, the power. Your expressions. Your eyes say so much. Deep, mesmerizing, hidden with so much intensity. You have so much to offer the world. I know what happened with your ex-girlfriend now. I've been in love before. Love hurts when it ends. During heartbreak, there are days when you feel like the ache in your heart will never fade. Days when you think you will never cry enough tears. But with time, you heal. I can't tell you what to feel. But I can tell you that time does heal all wounds. This girl, she isn't worth it. If it's not her, then whatever it is that you want to die for, that isn't worth it either. The doctor just informed your parents that you don't have much time left. You're dying Nick. Do you know what that means? Death. Once you're dead, you don't wake up. Ever."
In that instant, all the self-control she had evaporated. She lay her head on Nick's chest and started to cry. She must have lay there crying for 15 minutes before she gathered her bearings. "I'm going to be totally selfish now," she said between sobs. "You can't die! You cannot leave me! I need you in my life. I love you, Nick! I don't care how silly or stupid any of this sounds, but it's the absolute truth. I may never get to hold you or kiss you, but you will always be a part of me. I know you think I don't know you deep down inside, but you are wrong. I know you. You're another part of me. These feelings I have, they're real. So real that if you die, you're taking a piece of me with you. My heart. The only part of me that means anything. You've given me the precious gift of hearing you and seeing you. Let me give you a gift. Let me give you your life back. You're everything to me. My all. So please wake up, Nicky. Please, for me."
She stopped talking and lay her head down again, listening to his heartbeat. She was drifting off when she felt a movement. She bolted upright and looked at his hand in hers. "Nick?" she whispered, afraid to scare him. "Nick, I felt you move your fingers. Nicky, if you can hear me, please squeeze my hand."
She held her breath and looked down at his hand. He squeezed her hand weakly. She burst into tears of happiness. "Oh my God! You're awake. Nick, I'm going to buzz the doctor."
He shook his head from side to side while his lips tried to form a word. It looked like no. "Don't move sweetheart." She bent over him and kissed him tenderly on the lips. "I love you, Nicky. Always remember that. Wherever you are, I will be your guardian angel. Watching over you." She pressed the emergency switch next to his bed and quickly left the room.
The doctor came into the room followed by Bob and Jane. Nick's eyes were open and he stared vacantly at them. The doctor motioned for the Carters to stay put while he examined Nick. "Young man, I'm glad you decided to get back to the land of the living." He checked all of Nick's vital signs. "You seem to be gaining strenght," he said with a smile. How are you feeling?"
"Where is she?" Nick asked weakly.
"I'm sorry mama. I wanna see Angel."
Thinking he meant his sister, Jane said, "She's at Brian's with the others. I'll go call them to come over."
"No, not my sister. The other Angel. The one who was talking to me before you came in."
"Nickolas, no one else was here," his doctor said. "No one's permitted in ICU unless it's a member of the immediate family."
"She was here. She came every day. She spoke to me, sang to me. Kissed me."
His parents and doctor looked at one another quizically. "Nick, you experienced trauma to your head. It's normal that while you were in your coma, you heard voices. A lot of your family members were in here talking to you."
"It wasn't family. It was someone else. I want to see her."
Jane sighed. "Nick, honey, no one was here."
He shook his head stubbornly. "She was here. Find her."
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