“Hey.” A friendly voice came from the direction of the door. Nick tilted his heavy head and saw Brian in the doorway. “How you feeling?”
“Bad.” Nick confessed. “What happened?” “Somebody call an ambulance.” Heather said calmly as she rested Nick’s head in her hands, as he lie sprawled on the floor of the restaurant. Kevin and Brian had rushed over when they saw Nick collapse from their table. Heather took off her small, white apron from around her waist with one hand, as she held his head with the other. She had Nick’s blood on her hand, and covered his head where he was bleeding with her apron. This slowly absorbed and filled with blood. Brian began saying prayers when a thin trickle of blood seeped out of Nick’s lips.
“Dear Lord” Brian began out loud and then silently, with his hands clasped together.
Kevin helped Heather support Nick. She had asked after him, as he had approached her on his way to the bathroom. Kevin pulled Brian gently to one side when the paramedics arrived and Nick started fitting on the floor
. His body convulsing out of control in front of them. Brian let his tears fall down his cheeks. He thought Nick was dying. Kristen comforted Heather as she shivered in horror of the blood on her hands- Heathe’-s fellow waitresses were trying to normalise the restaurant and calm the commotion, their manager keeping any press, that had arrived as word got out earlier in the evening that all five Backstreet Boys were in the restaurant, out
. The paramedics covered Nick’s nose and mouth with an oxygen mask, and placed him on a stretcher, preparing for him to enter the ambulance outside.
“Can I go with?” Brian trembled to the female paramedic as the male ones lead Nick out towards the ambulance. “I’m afraid you can’t.” She said walking out too.
“Please.” Brian begged, but she shook her head. Her eyes shined with guilt and fear, but she had to follow regulation.
“I’m sorry.” She expressed but detailed to Brian quietly so the press outside would not hear, which hospital they were taking Nick to. She touched Brian’s arm affectionately before opening the doors and walking out. She shut the ambulance door and climbed into the front seat. The ambulance sped away. Howie and AJ had requested their cheque and had paid for their meal.
Leighanne clutched Baylee in her arms, as they all retreated into numerous cars. Kristen said she would catch up, as Heather was in tears in her arms, and it would not be good of her to leave her as she was. Kevin kissed her cheek and told her which hospital they were going to, but ran back giving her the car keys. He would drive as Leighanne cuddled Baylee but comforted
Brian- a multi-tasking she learnt when she became a mother. Brian was crying near hysterically, terrified that Nick was dying without any one who loved him there with him. Nick’s doctor, Dr. Bale, interrupted Brian as he was relaying the story, which had distressed Nick immensely. “Hello Nick.” The doctor said soothingly. He was a young man with a modern look- a wristband on his wrist and a t-shirt with “Hell is for Heroes” on it under his white doctor’s coat. He eyed Nick’s wound on his head, turning his head slightly and having a look at the stitches.
”Four stitches in total Nick.” He explained, pulling up a chair to his bed and sitting down with his clip board and a pen. “You’ll have to come back in two weeks to have them removed ok?” Nick nodded silently. This was all a bit too much to take in. Nick felt like he had just awoken from sleep and nothing else-like it had all been a dream. “What happened?” Nick asked, having some water that was on his bedside table.
“You’ve been suffering anxiety attacks Nick.” The doctor described professionally. “Chest pains, breathing difficulties, faintness” He listed the symptoms. “They sound familiar to you Nick?” Nick nodded again. Brian perched on the end of Nick’s bed and listened. “Panic attacks can grow worse if they are not treated and we think tha’-s why you collapsed in the restaurant this evening. Can you explain what happened, Nick?” Nick thought briefly and remembered eating and his thoughts of Leighanne and he remembered how he felt. “I got hot, and I felt my chest constricting. I then had piercing pains across my chest” Nick drew a line across his chest with his fingers, showing Dr. Bale where he was describing. “And I felt faint as it got harder and harder to breathe” Nick began to tremble; his eyes filling with tears. He was having anxiety attacks. He had to admit now, to himself and to everyone that he was having serious problems. He never wanted things to get this bad. Nick began to cry, and Brian hugged him.
“Try not to worry, Nick.” The doctor reassured. “It’s quite a common thing.” He flipped the pieces of paper on his clip board. “You hit your head pretty hard when you fell, and you even started convulsing” Nick’s tears were momentarily stopped by shock and he looked up and to Dr. Bale from Brian’s shoulder. “You choked on your vomit as you tried to throw up, and they had to shock you with the paddles in the ambulance when you’re heart stopped. They them fitted you with a chest tube to ensure you could breathe” He trailed off, and Nick was startled into more tears, as the realisation hit him- he had nearly died.
“However” Dr. Bale continued. “Your C.A.T scan indicated no long term abnormalities. And your heart is in full working order” Dr. Bale hesitated. No patient he had treated would like this next part. “That’s why, if I’-s alright with you Nick, we’d like you to have a consultation with a psychiatrist here in the hospital, his name is Dr. Belkin” He paused but Nick appeared to be calm about it, so he continued.
“You by no means have to have the session, but we would strongly recommend that you do, as from a medical point of view, your problems are not physical but psychological.” He tapped the side of his clip board nervously waiting for a response.
“OK.” Nick managed. He embraced the opportunity to talk to someone who would not judge him.
“Good, that’s good.” Dr. Bale encouraged, placing his signature on a few of the pages, before getting up. “I’ll be back in a little while with Dr. Belkin.” He said, and Nick offered him his hand in a hand shake.
“Thank you.” Nick said politely. He cried to Brian right up until the moment Dr. Belkin and Dr. Bale returned.
Leighanne was awake, and Brian was going to drive them and Kevin home before returning himself. Nick didn’t want to be alone, as Dr. Bale had advised he stay over night for observation, so the hospital had on this rare occasion allowed Brian to stay the night. Howie, Kevin, Kristen, AJ and Leighanne all said goodnight and hugged Nick on their way out. He felt a severe loneliness even though he knew well that Brian was coming back. Nick recalled a saying about never feeling truly alive until you’re on the edge of dying. He felt alive. But he felt awful. As they all departed, Dr. Belkin closed the door to Nick’s room and began his consultation.
