My Safest Place

Wanna Go Home

"Hey there man!" Brian tried smiling without showing the fear that he was feeling. "Uh..." he wasn't quite sure how to start a conversation, so the room was silent for a while as Kevin shifted in his hospital bed.

"I hate hospitals." Kevin groaned as he looked out the window.

"Yeah we know...but we couldn't just take you home." Nick said as he slowly approached Kevin.

"You guys are so dramatic. I'm going to be fine." He chuckled as a nurse came in.

"Hello there" she greeted the trio, "Mr. Richardson. You're not allowed to get up. We will have to put in a catheter for you to use the restroom. Also you will begin to feel lots of pain pretty soon and you'll have to let me know so we can give you Morphine." she smiled and was out the door, leaving complete silence.

"I hate nurses!" He looked at the two blonde men that stood in front of him. He remembered the many times that the guys had gotten sick, he being the oldest had taken care of them.

"The time is here isn't it?" Kevin asked, his eyes swelling up.

"Yeah man..." Brian whispered as he took a hold of his older cousin in his arms. "I'm sorry...but we are all here." He said as he held on tight to Kevin, Nick joined in the embrace as he wiped the tears flowing down his cheeks.

"Just like that...you can't let them...do that!" Nadine sobbed as AJ and Howie tried comforting her, "I don't want him to go. I..." she breathed as she felt the walls closing in on her.

As she looked up, she noticed Brian wiping his eyes and nodding to AJ and Howie that it was their turn to visit Kevin. She was too embarrassed to ask so she sat there, her face buried in her hands.

After what seemed forever, AJ and Howie came out looking almost gloomier than Brian and Nick. "It's your turn sweetheart" AJ said as he gave her a hand to stand up.

She shook her head. "I can't do it. I don't want to." she sat back down as the guys tried comforting her. "What if he dies while I'm there...I don't want to..." she began to shake.

"Remember that you always told him you would be there till the end. You were his friend and if we aren't mistaken...you guys are in love. He is stubborn, but he needs you now!" Brian held her hands in his "Don't leave him alone like she did." he almost pleaded.

She looked at all the reassuring faces around her. "Right, I can do this." Nadine swallowed the knot in her throat as she walked towards the door. She placed her hands on the knob, and taking a big sigh turned it. The moment she entered; the beeping of the machine made her shiver.

He hadn't even noticed that she was standing in the doorway. She stared at him, his face had lost all color, he had all types of tubes connected to him and he was curled up almost in a ball on the bed.

"HI," she murmured.

"Hey!" Kevin answered not even glancing over at her, he continued to look out the window. "Well you're just going to stand there?" He blurted, reminding her of the first day they had met.

"No" She responded as she walked closer, the beeping seemed to get louder. He turned his gaze towards her, his eyes were sadder than she had ever seen them. "I'm not sure what to say..." she muttered.

She now stood in front of him, his hand slowly stretched out to find hers. "I know you're scared. Shit so am I." He smiled. "I just want to apologize for being such a dick to you." He chuckled. "It would be me to laugh...when I'm dying."

Not a smile escaped Nadine at his joke. "Don't leave me!" Her lip quivered as she begged him. Kevin pulled her into a hug. He held her tight as she climbed into the bed with him, she laid next to him, her head resting on his chest. "Does it hurt?"