The Life of Reba McEntire Blackstock

Part 19

The Next Night

Reba's P.O.V.

"Hey babe, 5 minutes 'til show time." Narvel says as he walks into my dressing room. Brett Freedman continues to curl my hair as I wring my hands within each other. I haven't been this anxious in what feels like forever. I never get nervous before shows, let alone this nervous. I begin shaking and Narvel notices, rushing to my side, "Reba, honey. Why are you shaking?" I quickly cover up my panic attack with an excuse, "I-I think my blood sugar is low. I didn't eat much today." Narvel runs out of the room looking for a cure for my fake ailment. I let out my breath, which I didn't know I was holding. I realized that I no longer felt Brett "playing pretty" with my hair, so I turned to my left to see him standing right beside me with his arms crossed. After my heart slowed down from him scaring me, I said, "Dab flabbit Brett! You 'bout scared me to death! Why'd you stop, you haven't even set my hair with hairspray yet?" He replied while shifting his weight from one side to the other. "I stopped because you're a bad liar and Narvel is so freakin' in love with you that he has become more gullible than Van Montgomery. What's really wrong?" I spit it out quicker than I would have if I had eaten something disgusting, "My fans don't know yet that I have breast cancer." He stepped away from me clearly taken aback at my statement. It was then I remembered that I hadn't told any of my crew or band. I said with an awkward giggle, "Oh yeah. Hey Brett, I have breast cancer." Narvel rushes into the room, breaking Brett from his trance. Brett grabs the can of hairspray and sprays down my hair. Narvel comes to my side and says, "Eat this! Its 3 minutes until go, so may I escort you to stage left?" I eat the sugar packed protein bar that Narvel handed to me and take his hand and say, "Yep!" in my usual peppy tone. Narvel and I make our way from the dressing room and as I'm exiting the room I turn around and mouth to the glassy-eyed Brett, "sorry!" Narvel and I make it to the stage right as the announcer had started his speech. Something about how many awards I've won. Narvel looks at me deep in my eyes and says to me, "You're gonna do great! You always do!" He then leaned in for a kiss. The sparks that flew throughout our kiss made me forget all about my worries. The announcer finally hit the most awaited part of his speech, "And now...the talented, beautiful, Queen of Country Music, REBA MCENTIRE!" The Going Out Like That music started and I strutted out onto center stage. I flew through the first part of the set list with no issues. I usually announce the importance off most songs, so it was no difference this night. "Thank you so very much! Now, the next song we're going to perform is a very popular one because it was the theme for my hit sitcom, Reba. We're going to sing I'm A Survivor!" I usually don't think about the lyrics as I sing them, but tonight I did. I'm not a survivor yet. "I was born three months too early, the doctor gave me thirty days. But I must've had my momma's will and God's amazing grace. I guess I'll keep on livin' even if this loves to die for, 'cause your bags are packed and I ain't cryin'. You're walking out and I'm not tryin' to change your mind 'cause I was born to be the baby girl without a chance, a victim of the circumstance, the one who oughta give up but she's just too hard headed. A single mom who works two-two jobs---- kids and never stops..." I never stumble through this song! Some of the new ones maybe, but I always cover it up. I just totally skipped two words. I have to continue singing though. "With gentle hands and a heart of a fighter, I'm a-a woah, this room's getting dark." The room continues to get darker and I can't feel my legs. The last things I hear are many footsteps, yelling, and my head hitting the floor.

Narvel's P.O.V.

I enter Reba's dressing room to tell her that there are 5 minutes until the show starts. I see her sitting in her glam chair with Brett, her longtime makeup artist, curling the last pieces of her hair. I sit down on the chair against the back wall to wait for Brett to finish. I look up at Reba and notice her shaking. Reba never shakes. I jump up from my chair and rush to her side. "Reba, honey. Why are you shaking?" I question. She quickly answers, "I-I think my blood sugar is low. I didn't eat much today." I run out of the room to try and find something sugary for my beautiful wife. I run over to the band member's huddle and barge into the center. I say, "Reba's blood sugar is low. Does anyone have something for her to eat?" They set out on the ultimate scavenger hunt. They raid their bags until Jennifer Winkle, Reba's backup singer, comes up to me with a protein bar with lots of sugar. I thank her then run back to Red's dressing room to get her blood sugar under control. I enter the room and see Brett standing back a couple of feet from Reba and Reba wearing an awkward grin, but think nothing of it. I return to Reba's side and tell her, "Eat this! Its 3 minutes until go, so may I escort you to stage left?" Reba shoves the protein bar into her mouth, clearly starved, then with her happy-go-lucky attitude replies, "yep!" She takes my hand and I lead her to stage left. I turn her to face me then tell her, "You're gonna do great! You always do!" I lean in and place my lips on hers. We massage each other's lips for a while, the sparks flying heating the room around us. Reba finally pulls away and turns to the stage. She squeezes my hand one last time before she begins her show. Since I'm her manager, I have no job to tend to during the show. I get to admire her every move for the next 2 hours. The way she struts back and forth the stage with such confidence and how she hits every note with ease amaze me. I can't believe I've gotten so lucky to have her as my wife. She runs through the set list seamlessly entertaining the crowd with hits such as Going Out Like That, Strange, Consider Me Gone, You Lie and Is There Life Out There. I can't help thinking about when we are going to tell the fans about her condition. It's been bothering me for the past couple of days, but I figured we would deal with it after this show. I am brought out of my thoughts by Reba's voice announcing the next song. This one was always her favorite to sing because everyone at the concert knew the words, due to her hit TV show. Heck, we even watch it! The music starts and I turn my eyes to her. I love watching her eyes when she sings this song, because she gets all starry-eyed knowing how important this song is. She walks toward my side of the stage then looks at me. She usually grins and laughs when she sees me, but tonight she doesn't. Now I'm starting to worry. First low blood sugar, then not grinning. She continues to sing though. "The baby girl without a chance, a victim of the circumstance, the one who oughta give up but she's just too hard headed. A single mom who works two-two jobs---- kids and never stops..." Did she just skip words? No, I must have misheard. I don't believe she has messed up on this song since we recorded it! She picks herself up from the mistake and continues on, "With gentle hands and a heart of a fighter, I'm a-a woah, this room's getting dark." That's not part of the song! I watch Reba as she stumbles backwards, then I start running. It's like she is falling in slow motion, because I see every flinch her body makes. All of a sudden, I see her body relax. I dive on the floor trying to catch her before she hits her head. I'm just a millisecond too late. She hits her head, then the arena goes quiet. With tears in my eyes, I yell, "Call 9-1-1! She's unconscious..."