Where we left off...

"Ya know Brian, any time Scott gets tired of hiding, I'll still be here. I certainly don't have a problem with quickies in the dressing room or the bathroom," he added.

I walked out the door and quickly took the elevator back up to the suite. As I showered and changed, I tried to forget what Ray said. I knew he was just trying to create problems between Scott and I. But I couldn't completely ignore his words. Had it been that obvious that I was worried at the press conference? Was it obvious to people that I was in love with Scott?

The concert that night was not my best. I know I screwed up a few times. I also caught Ray leering at me, breaking my concentration. I was relieved when we made it to the bus. We were driving overnight to Salt Lake City and Scott was going to meet us there. I couldn't wait to see him again.

Chapter 34

He looked so incredibly peaceful lying there. I hated to disturb him, but I also wanted to see his smile and beautiful bright green eyes. I lay down on the bed next to him, on my side and watch him for a moment.

"Are you going to stare at me all day?" Scott suddenly spoke, making me jump.

I glared at him, watching the laughter light up his now open eyes. I gently slapped his stomach. "You know I do have a heart condition," I said with a pout.

Scott laughed and pulled me over on top of him. "Miss me?" he asked softly.

I smiled and leaned down to kiss his pliant lips. "Always, Angel," I murmured.

We kissed lightly for a few minutes before Scott pulled back. "So where were you? I noticed your clothes were all dusty?" Scott commented.

"Kevin and Nick dragged me out on a tour. We saw the lake and some salt deposits," I replied, nibbling on his ear. "How did you get back so early?" I asked.

Scott moaned softly, enjoying my ministrations. "I was…um…able to uh..." Scott stumbled over his words, distracted by what my hands were doing as they worked down his body. He gasped as my hand reached under the elastic waist of his boxers. "I managed to switch to an earlier flight!" he gasped out before I destroyed his train of thought. "Oh God Love!" he breathed as my hand wrapped around his hardness.

Suddenly Scott rolled us both over so I was on the bottom. He began kissing me with ferocious passion, thrusting his hips against me.

"I want you now!" he growled hotly against my cheek. I pushed my groin up against him in response.

"Scott? Angel?" I whispered as my fingers trailed down the damp flesh of his back.

"Hmm?"

"What was that all about?" I asked softly. Scott knew what I was talking about. Our lovemaking had been almost animalistic. Scott had ripped my boxers off and ravaged me. Never hurting, but I knew he had left a few small bite marks here and there. He had been careful when he first penetrated me, but then he began to slam into me like never before. All I could do was hold on and enjoy the ride. And I did enjoy it, but it wasn't my Scott, at least, not the one I was used to.

Now he was lying on his stomach, exhausted. Scott turned his head to look at me. "Are you okay?" he asked me softly.

I smiled. "Of course Angel."

He sighed deeply. "Its just…I don't really know…its everything and its nothing." He sighed in exasperation. He rolled over onto his back and I put my arm across his chest. "For some reason I thought things would be easier back here," he said softly. "Nothing personal, but you guys have never been as big here, not like in Europe and Asia." That was true! I laughed softly and rubbed his warm chest.

"But now…with Millennium, you guys are huge and the scrutiny is intense." He rolled onto his side to look at me. "So many people want a piece of you and I'm still having trouble adjusting to that. Its nothing you have done Brian, its just the whole atmosphere." Another deep sigh. "Does any of that make sense?" he asked softly.

I had to think about everything he'd said. It was a lot to digest. I understood what he was saying. The fan and media attention in the US was tremendous and a little unexpected. But I hadn't noticed it as much as Scott obviously had. I guess it was because I'd been in the business for so long and had got used to the attention in the other parts of the world. It still didn't explain what had brought this to a head. We'd been touring for months, over two weeks in the US yet all of this just exploded after his visit with Nora.

"Did something happen when you saw Nora?" I asked softly.

Scott shook his head. "No. We had a really nice visit and she loved the video you guys sent. She was supposed to be released today or tomorrow so she promised to get back on-line as soon as she could."

I cuddled against Scott as I was reminded of what she went through. "How is she really doing?"

Scott hugged me tightly. "She's a fighter Bri. She's talking to a therapist and is determined not to run and hide. I think she'll be okay. Although she misses us…well, she really misses Nicky. Remind me to mention that to him. Maybe he could visit her on the next break," Scott suggested.

We lay quietly together for a few minutes until Kevin knocked at the door, reminding me that I had to pick Scott up at the airport. We pulled on boxers and t-shirts then let Kevin in, laughing at his surprised reaction. The others came to our room upon hearing that Scott was back. They wanted to know how Nora was and what she thought of the video. We spent the next hour talking as Scott filled them in about Nora.

I threw myself into work the next couple of weeks. I wanted to work on improving my dancing, and I was also trying to write music. I admit, I also avoided going out. In each new city, meeting with new media people, we continued to get asked about the Paris press conference. The media was looking for a story and I wasn't going to be it. I know Scott wanted me to go out sometimes with him and the others, but I remembered the time I did go out. He had really been hurt by my behavior and I didn't want that happening again. It was better for me to stay in the hotel, and let Scott have some fun doing other things. Whenever we were together, I made sure to be as attentive as I could. I didn't want him to feel neglected.

The tour had reached Los Angeles. We were sitting around talking about plans and the others were leaning towards going to the beach. No matter how much I wanted to go, I immediately realized it would be too risky. I had a hard enough time not staring at Scott when he was fully dressed, but at the beach? In a swimsuit? I was sure my feelings would be too obvious, if they weren't already. I decided to stay at the hotel and work on some music. I was a little surprised when Scott didn't even try to change my mind.

The others all got ready, and I told Scott to have fun. Once they left, I picked up my note book and guitar and went to the balcony. I had just sat down when someone knocked on the door. I found Kathy, Michelle and Nicole, three of our dancers there.

"Hi Brian, we thought you might be here," Kathy said. "We didn't see you go with the others."

I smiled at the girls. "Yeah. I decided to stay here. What can I do for you?"

"Well, we were just going to go to the gym, do some stretching and a little training and wondered if you wanted to join us," Nicole said.

I thought about it for a few seconds. I really wasn't in the right mindset for song writing. Maybe a workout would do me good? "Okay! Sounds good. Just give me a couple of minutes to change, alright?"

The three nodded. I quickly brought my guitar back into the room, grabbed some shorts and a t-shirt from my suitcase, going to the bathroom to change. A few minutes later, I was ready to go. I called one of our assistants to let her know where I would be. I knew how much everyone worried if they lost track of us! The four of us went downstairs to the fitness center.

We went into the weight room and found some mats over next to the wall. We all sat and began to stretch. The girls chatted, telling me jokes, making me laugh. They were always fun to be around. We'd only been there for a couple of minutes when I heard someone else come into the room. I looked up and saw Ray walking towards us. I refrained from frowning in displeasure. The girls knew Ray was gay and always coming on to me. There was no point in being rude to him. At least with other people around there wasn't much he could do. I politely moved over to give him room on the mat. Kathy noticed the awkward silence and cracked a joke, making all of us laugh.

I resumed stretching for a few more minutes before moving over to the machines. I worked for about forty minutes switching from the machines, to free weights to the treadmill before I finished. I'd worked up a real sweat, but felt good. Ray had not made any comments either so I had been able to relax. But I didn't want to push my luck, so I decided to leave before the girls left. I didn't want to be alone with Ray.

"Thanks for inviting me ladies," I said as I gathered up my towel. "I had a good workout and enjoyed your company." I pointedly ignored Ray as I walked out of the room. I debated about taking a shower in the gym change rooms or just going back up to the room. I decided on the room so I wouldn't run into Ray again.

I walked out to the elevator and took it up to the tenth floor. I noticed Marcus sitting at the end of the hall and waved.

"Hey Brian, Scott is back," he called out to me.

I was surprised. What happened to the beach? "Really? When did he get back?" I asked.

Marcus shook his head. "Not sure. I was in my room, but one of your assistants, Sarah, stopped by and mentioned that Scott had been looking for you."

"Okay. Thanks Marcus." I put the keycard in the lock of my room and opened the door. Just as I walked into the room, I could see Scott walking in from the balcony carrying his laptop.

I couldn't help but smile at him. "Hi there. Marcus said you were back," I said. I walked over to my suitcase and pulled out some clean clothes. "I would give you a kiss but I'm totally sweaty," I added with a grin.

Scott smiled and sat down on the bed. "Once you've showered, can we sit down and talk for a few minutes?" he asked. I didn't like the sound of his voice.

I paused and looked at him intently. "Of course Angel. Is something wrong?" I tried to hide the fear in my voice. I walked over to stand in front of him.

I was relieved when he wrapped his arms around my waist and hugged me. "Nothing's wrong Love. But I'm going to take a little trip." He squeezed me tightly then gave me a little push back. "Don't worry about it. Go shower, you stink!" he added with a laugh.

I relaxed a little. At least he wasn't angry with me. I walked into the bathroom to take a quick shower. Scott was taking a trip? Where was he going? More importantly, why was he going and for how long? The idea of him leaving, even for a short time, frightened me. Because I knew there was always a chance that he wouldn't come back.

I knew he loved me. I couldn't doubt that. And my love for him was overwhelming. But I also knew enough to know that things were not perfect between us.

I quickly finished my shower and tried to push my doubts and worries out of my mind. I dried myself then wrapped one towel around my waist. I grabbed a second towel as I walked back into the room and used it to dry my hair.

Scott was on the balcony and turned to lean against the doorframe. He watched me with those brilliant green eyes and I was reminded again why I fell in love with him. He was kind and generous, perhaps to a fault. But he was also smart and unbelievably sexy. I couldn't help but smile at him as he watched me. I walked over to the suitcases and pulled out some clean boxers. I slipped them on and discarded the towel. Scott walked into the room, closing the balcony door behind him. He sat down on the bed and patted the spot beside him. I sat down and we both leaned against the headboard. I reached over and picked up his hand.

"So you were talking about a trip Angel?" I asked curiously, trying to contain my anxiety.

Scott glanced at me and squeezed my hand. "Yeah. I've been avoiding it for a while, but I really need to go home and visit with my client companies in person," he explained. "I thought I could do that and catch up with Drew and some other friends at the same time."

I held in a giant sigh of relief. I still hated the thought of him leaving, but at least he wasn't leaving because of me. "I guess that makes sense," I said slowly. "We have been hogging you for a while haven't we?" I turned to look at him. "When were you thinking of going and for how long?" I asked.

"Actually, I booked a flight out tomorrow afternoon, Bri. I thought I would go for two weeks. You guys will be in Detroit and I can meet up with you there," he said quickly.

That soon? I wondered when he had decided to leave. I certainly had no intention of trying to change his mind, but two weeks? "That soon huh? And for that long?" I voiced my thoughts. I inhaled deeply and released the breath. "I'm going to miss you Angel. I understand that you have to keep your clients happy. You're lucky your job is so flexible." I was trying to be supportive, but it was hard. I sighed. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to be happy being away from you for so long." I turned to him and touched his cheek. "You know I'm going to miss you like crazy, Scott. I've got used to having you around," I added with a grin.

Scott leaned towards me and kissed me softly. "I'll miss you too Love," he said softly. "It will be strange not having you next to me while I sleep. But, it's only for a couple of weeks. And I promise to email you and call you as long as you promise me the same."

I smiled. "I promise."

I leaned forward to kiss him again. "You know," I said, kissing along his jaw and up to his ear. "If…*kiss*… you…*kiss*… are…*kiss*… going to…*kiss*…be gone…*kiss*…for so…*kiss*…long," I paused to suckle on Scott's ear and he couldn't hold back a moan. "I need to…" I began to kiss down his neck as my hands roamed up under his shirt. "Stock up on some loving," I finished. Scott was in such a state that he couldn't respond in words. But the response of his body was enough!

We were lying entwined on the bed a few hours later when we heard the loud voices in the hall. Scott's fingers were softly running up and down my arm and shoulder while I was occupied planting butterfly kisses on his warm throat and neck.

"I guess they're back from the beach," Scott said softly.

"Mmm," I murmured, not wanting to think about the others.

"Maybe we should go have dinner with them, so I can tell them about my plans," Scott suggested quietly. I tensed as the reality of things returned to me. I knew I was being selfish, but I couldn't help it.

I sighed and rolled over onto my back. "I was hoping you would forget about your plans," I said with a rueful smile.

Scott softly kissed my lips. "Sorry Love. It won't be that bad. You will be busy with the concerts and rehearsals. Maybe you can get out more with the guys too," he added.

I paused and frowned. What did that mean? "Maybe." I looked at him intently. "That's not why you're leaving, is it?" I asked, fear suddenly coursing through me.

"Not really," Scott replied evasively.

That wasn't an answer! I sat up on the bed. "What do you mean, not really?" I pushed.

Scott sighed and sat up to face me. "Brian, I really do need to go home and meet with my clients. That's the truth. But we both know that we don't go out at the same time. While I'm gone, you can spend some more time with the guys, like what you did today with Nick and Kevin," he said gently.

Oh God! How could I argue with that? It's true. I wished I could deny it, but Scott knew the truth and I hated that he was right. Scott pulled me to him in a tight hug. "Brian, I love you! Never forget that. I'm going to go home for two weeks, then I'll be back," he promised.

I nodded against his shoulder. "Okay Angel. And when you come back, we need to sit down and have a serious conversation about all of this, okay?" I really meant it. I was hurting him, yet he still loved me. I wasn't being fair and we had to work this out before one of us was hurt even more.

"Agreed," he said and kissed my cheek. Scott pulled away and climbed off the bed, turning to look at me. "Come on, Love. Lets track down those friends of ours and see what they want to do for dinner," he suggested, holding out his hand to me.

I smiled and took his hand. We pulled on our clothes and walked out into the hallway. Listening, we could hear sounds coming from the room across and down the hall. We knocked on the door and pushed it open when we heard a muffled call from inside.

It was AJ's room, but AJ wasn't around. Then I heard the shower and figured that's where he was. Nick and Kevin were playing a video game, with Howie cheering Kevin on, knowing that realistically Kevin didn't have a hope of beating Nick. It was always fun watching them try. I'd long since given up trying to win.

"Hi guys!" Nick greeted us, looking up from the game.

Scott grinned and led me over to the bed where we sat down. I was glad to have the warmth of his hand in mine for as long as possible. "Have a good time at the beach?" Scott asked.

Howie shrugged. "Well, it was hot and the water was wet! A lot of fans too," he said with a grimace. I was glad I decided not to go.

"What are you guys doing for dinner?" I asked.

"Haven't decided yet," Kevin replied, never taking his eyes from the TV screen. "We're just waiting for AJ."

Just as Kevin finished speaking, AJ walked out of the bathroom. "I'm here! Let the party begin!" he announced, making us laugh. Scott got up and walked over to AJ, pulling him into a hug. AJ looked stunned.

Scott pulled back and looked into his surprised face. "That was for you from Drew," Scott explained.

AJ grinned. "Ah, talking to my guy today were you? How is he?" he asked as he walked over to the dresser to change his earrings.

Scott laughed. "You know, someone might think you two don't talk to each other. He's good. He actually wanted me to smuggled you in my suitcase but I said that wouldn't be a popular plan," he added.

Silence suddenly enveloped the room. I watched Scott as he realized what he'd said. Well, no time like the present. He looked around to find the others staring at him.

"You going somewhere?" Nick asked, setting the game controller down as he looked at Scott.

"Um yeah. I was telling Brian earlier. I'm going to go back to Toronto for a couple of weeks. I need to visit with my clients in person and I'd like to visit with my friends too. I thought I'd catch up with you guys in Detroit," Scott added and waited for their response.

AJ looked over to Kevin. "When's that?" he asked. I had a vague idea, but waited for Kevin to confirm the date.

"Two weeks," Kevin told us.

"So when are you leaving?" AJ asked Scott.

"I'm flying out tomorrow afternoon. I was hoping we could all have dinner together tonight…that is if none of you have plans?" Scott suggested.

The others agreed. We discussed what we would do, and Kevin finally called down to the hotel lobby and found they had a small private room we could use. It would be a nice change from eating in the rooms, yet not as open as eating in public. Everyone went back to their rooms and changed.

I was quiet as we dressed. I was thinking about the reasons Scott was leaving. Sure, he had to see his clients. I could understand that. But I knew he was also leaving to get away from me for a while. I'm not sure how I knew. But I did. It hurt that he thought he needed time away from me. Then I realized I was still being selfish. Scott really only had the five of us to hang out with. The group had been together for so long, that they truly were my best friends. It was different for Scott. He had other friends that he'd know much longer than he'd know me. It was unfair of me to expect him to drop them completely just because I wanted him with me all of the time.

The six of us had a great time at dinner. Kevin told us how he and Sheri were doing. She had taken on an internship in New York as part of her course, which is why she hadn't been able to fly out to visit on the tour. But she did have some time off near the end of the month and hoped she and Kevin could get together. I could tell Scott was happy things were going so well for them. They both were handling the long distance situation admirably. We ate and talked late into the evening.

Eventually we returned to our rooms. I wanted to make the rest of the night special for Scott. We made gentle love into the early hours of the morning, before drifting to sleep. Scott joined us at rehearsal the next day. It was in the early afternoon, leaving enough time for me to go with Scott to the airport in the limo. I reminded him how much I would miss him, and hoped he knew it was true. Scott promised to call me when he got into Toronto. I didn't care that we would probably be in the middle of the concert. I just want to be sure he arrived safely. As Scott stepped out of the limo, I couldn't help but feel sad and lonely. Somehow, I knew something was about to change. I just didn't know what.

The next two weeks dragged by. Scott kept his promise and we talked at least once a day. It sounded like he was having a lot of fun visiting friends and family. I was happy for him, at the same time feeling sorry for myself.

But while he was gone, I thought a lot about our relationship. I had a couple of conversations, with Nick and Kevin, which made me realize what a jerk I'd been. One of the early conversations Scott and I had had was about hiding our relationship and the media. We both had decided that we would take precautions, but if the press really wanted to find out, we couldn't stop them. And we couldn't let the media control our lives. Yet, that is exactly what I'd been doing. Even before I'd met Scott, the other guys had told me they supported me one hundred percent. I knew I had to change my thinking and attitude, especially about going out in public with Scott, or else our relationship could be in trouble.

We were finally in Detroit for three days. I was beginning to get excited. Scott had said he would catch up with us on Sunday, and it was Friday night when we arrived at the hotel. I wasn't sure I'd make it through the next forty-eight hours.

I decided to go to bed early and get a good night of sleep. I'd just got into bed when my cell phone rang.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hi Love," an Angel's voice said.

"Angel? God I miss you Scott," I said softly.

"Miss you too. I have a surprise for you," he said.

"Really?" I asked excitedly.

"Yeah. I'm going to drive to Detroit early tomorrow. So I'll see you in the morning." I couldn't believe it! My Angel would be here in less than twenty-four hours. It felt like an eternity since I'd seen him.

"You mean it Angel? I didn't think you were coming until Sunday! I love you so much, you're amazing," I said.

"I love you too Bri. Now it's late, so get some sleep so you're not falling asleep on me tomorrow, okay?" he said. I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Hey, you never complained about me sleeping on you before!" I protested, making him laugh.

"Well, there are other things I'd rather do," he said, sounding very sexy.

I laughed. "Okay, I get the point. I can't wait to see you Angel, love you."

"Love you too, Bri. See you tomorrow."

I shut off the phone and sat up in bed. Now that I knew he was coming, I was wide-awake. But I knew I needed to get some sleep. Hopefully, he would tire me out tomorrow! I turned the light out and lay down.

I'm not sure what time it was when I heard a pounding on my door. I groggily got out of bed and walked over to see who was there. I opened the door to find Ray standing there. He was obviously drunk. I swore to myself as I stepped out into the hall. "Ray, what do you want?" I didn't have time for his games. It was late and I wanted to go back to sleep. The sooner I was asleep, the quicker morning would come and with it Scott.

"What have I always wanted, Bbrok." He slurred his words and breathed on me. The smell of alcohol was powerful. I was getting sick of Ray's attention and innuendoes. He knew that Scott and I were together. I'd grown used to Ray's stares and ignored him most of the time, but he was getting worse.

I sighed. "Ray, you know that there is nothing between us. Never has been, never will." I told him.

He grabbed me and wrapped his arms around me, forcing his mouth down on mine. I stood there for a moment, completely shocked. Then my brain kicked in and I began to push him away. At the same moment, I heard a loud gasp from down the hall. I turned my head and saw Scott looking at us. I felt my entire life slipping from my grasp. I called Scott's name but he turned around and stepped back on the elevator. I struggled to free myself from the vice grip of Ray's arms.

"Scott, wait." I couldn't get loose and my angel was walking away. "Kevin! Nick! Help me!" I yelled as loud as I could. Both of them flung open their doors. Seeing what was going on, Nick grabbed Ray from behind and pulled him off. I ran for the stairs hoping to beat Scott downstairs. I simply yelled over my shoulder at my friends, "I have to find Scott."

Once in the lobby, I looked futilely around. Scott was gone. Oh god, what had just happened? Scott had shown up, probably to surprise me and he sees me being kissed by another man. What was he thinking of me? Please come back, Angel. I sat dejectedly down on one of the chairs in the lobby. Kevin found me there a minute later.

"Brian, what happened? What's going on?" I looked up at him hopelessly.

"Scott showed up. He saw Ray kissing me." I started to cry. I didn't care that we were sitting in the public lobby of a hotel; my life was falling apart. Kevin sat down beside me and hugged me.

"Shhh, Brian. It's okay. Scott will come back. He just needs to cool down." Kevin tried to comfort me. I tried to compose myself. I was terrified. Before Scott, I didn't realize what my life was missing. Now that I'd found him, life without him was unthinkable. I sat back and wiped my face.

"I'm okay now Kev. I'm just going to sit here for a while and wait for Scott." Kevin looked at me uncertain. Finally, he nodded.

"Okay, I'll be upstairs if you need me, B." He went to the elevator and I leaned back, closed my eyes and prayed.

A few minutes later a wave of dread washed over me. I opened my eyes and looked around. I saw a taxi driver walk over to the front desk. I heard him tell the manager about a car accident that had just happened. A car had been sideswiped by a freight train. It was the `stupid canuck' comment that caught my attention. I just knew it was Scott.

It was like someone else took over my body. I felt myself stand up and walk over to the elevator. I rode up the twenty floors without moving. I stepped off and walked over to Kevin's room. I managed to knock before I returned to myself and began to cry hysterically and sink to the floor. I vaguely remember the guys all rushing out of their rooms, picking me up and carrying me into Kevin's room. Nick must have filled Howie and A.J. in on what had happened. At first, they thought I was just upset about Scott leaving. I had to tell them.

I tried to control the sobs. "Scott….train….accident." I managed to get those three words out. They looked at each other. Then while Nick sat with his arm around my shoulders, Kevin went to the phone and called the local police. I didn't hear what he said, but a few minutes later he came back to me and squatted down in front.

"Brian, listen to me," he commanded. That tone of voice always grabbed my attention. I focused on him. "There has been a car accident. The police haven't confirmed yet that it was Scott, but they suggested we go to the hospital." He waited to see that I'd registered what he'd said. "Brian, if it is Scott, he's still alive. Now can you pull yourself together enough to come with us, or do you want to stay here." Kevin knew how to play me. He knew there was no way I would stay at the hotel if Scott were hurt. I pulled myself away from Nick and went into the bathroom. I splashed my face with cold water and blew my nose. Taking a few deep breaths, I walked back out to the others.

"So are we going, or what?" I asked.

Everyone moved. We collected hats and glasses, then fled out the back of the hotel where we had a rental van waiting. Kevin drove, having taken directions from the police to get to the hospital. We reached it in five minutes.

The guys watched me, making sure I wasn't going to fall apart. I'd had enough experience during six years of performing to know how to put on a show. I kept it together. We went into the emergency and Kevin asked at the desk about a train accident victim. We were directed up to the fourth floor, intensive care.

When we reached ICU, a doctor and the police met us. The police officer showed us the I.D. they'd found in the car. I was standing behind Nick's shoulder and when I saw Scott's wallet I grabbed his hand. Nick didn't object.

Howie took over. "That belongs to Scott Waters. He has been travelling with us on tour, working with us." I desperately wanted to tell them that he was the love of my life and I had to see him. Nick squeezed my hand. Howie kept talking. "We know his family and can contact them. Until then, would it be possible for one of us to visit with him?"

Poor Nick. I squeezed his hand so tight as the doctors explained that Scott had a broken leg, but more seriously, he was unconscious and possibly in a coma. They were still putting a cast on his leg, and cleaning the numerous cuts he'd acquired. The doctor in charge agreed to let one of us see Scott, once he'd been moved to a private room.

A nurse showed us to a small lounge where we could wait without being disturbed. Kevin went downstairs to call Scott's parents. Cell phone use wasn't allowed in the hospital. A.J. went to a nearby payphone to call management and let them know what was going on. Howie and Nick sat down on either side of me, rubbing my back and holding my hand. I blocked out everything except Scott.

The others came back and we all waited. It felt like an eternity, but about an hour later, a nurse came to the door.

"Okay, one of you may visit with Scott, but only for a short time," he said. Before he finished speaking, I stood up and walked to the door.

"Where is he?" I asked.

The nurse led me to Scott's door and I slowly pushed it open. I gasped when I saw him. He had a tube down his throat, wires hooked up all over. His face and upper body were ten shades of purple and he had tiny little cuts all over. His right leg was in a clean, white cast. I fought back the tears unsuccessfully as I walked over to his side.

Kenitra:-)

Comments? kenitra_canada@hotmail.com

P.S. When Chapter 35 is posted, you may want to read Brian's chapter first...it covers an important time frame not covered in Scott's story. You'll understand when you read it!