Home Sweet Home (REVISED)

Chapter 28

The policemen called for a cab to pick Nikki and Tommy up, and a tow truck for the Ferrari. After a 'thank you' from Tommy, and some eye-rolling from Slayer, they finally left. The four thrash-metalers climbed back unto the cargo to continue their ride to nowhere. As they drove off, Tommy could hear Tom shout: "The next time I bump into you, you're fucking dead, Lee!" Tommy just chuckled and rolled his eyes from Tom's stupid claim, and then turned back to Nikki, pushing him carefully to try and wake him back up. "Nikki. Nikki..." He sighed. "Fuck..." What was he going to do now? He started walking around in circles. "Fuck". He wasn't really talking to anybody. "Fuck!" His unstable, drunk best friend had fucking passed out, and they had to magically appear at the show in two hours. They weren't going to make it by cab. Tommy was just about to give up when he heard Nikki mumble something. "What?", he said, turning back around, only to see Nikki lifting his head from the pink, furry steering-wheel. "You OK, dude?", he asked, actually being worried about his stupid friend. Nikki held his hand to his head. "Ugh... My head hurts...", he moaned exhaustedly. "You'll be fine, dude, some cops called a cab for us", Tommy explained. Nikki looked at Tommy with bloodshot eyes, still filled with tears. He was too tired to even ask about why the police had been there. "To the hospital?", he asked. "What? No, to the show, dude", Tommy answered, as if Nikki had just asked the dumbest question in the universe. "I don't think I can play...", Nikki mumbled, for once being serious. Nikki had played concerts with the flu, he had played while he was high above the sky, he had played several concerts with a fever higher than what was probably safe, he had played while throwing up at the same time, with a throbbing headache, with a terrible hangover, he had even played while being so drunk that he could barely see, and had passed out backstage afterwards, but like this he couldn't play? Tommy didn't see the issue. "I don't feel so good...", Nikki said, carefully pressing his hand against his forehead. "Come on, dude, we're not gonna cancel the show", Tommy insisted. "Fine then, I'll play", Nikki sighed, giving up. Sure he could play; he was just a little dizzy.

As they were sitting in the cab, on their way to the show, Tommy suddenly remembered the scene of the crash, with Nikki crying and all that. It was so out of character, since Nikki had totally changed since high school. Tommy almost got a wave of nostalgia thinking back on all the times he had comforted Nikki all those years back. "Hey, uh... Nikki?", he said, turning to his best friend, "What happened out there?" Nikki turned to Tommy as well. "What do you mean?", he asked, a little confused. "You cried", Tommy said, as simple as possible, "You never cry anymore". Nikki looked at him, not quite understanding. "What, are you making things up now?", he said, managing a chuckle. "Huh? You don't remember?", Tommy asked. Now he was the confused one. How could Nikki not remember? "No, 'cause it never happened!", Nikki replied, getting quite impatient as Tommy was only speaking rubbish. Tommy just didn't understand, was Nikki still high? Maybe he had just – ohh... "Dude, I think you might have a concussion", he said. It was all making sense now. "WHAT!?", Nikki exclaimed, freaking out a little. "Yeah, since you obviously don't remember", Tommy continued, leaning forward to the driver, "Would you stop by at the hospital?" "What!? No, cancel that!", Nikki yelled at the poor driver, who had to be really confused by now, "Listen". He turned back to Tommy again. "I do remember, OK? Are you happy now?" Tommy wasn't sure of what to believe anymore. "What's the last thing you remember?", he asked. "Jeff picking his guitar up", Nikki replied, "Then it's all black". Tommy looked down at the floor, and then told the driver to not stop by at the hospital. "So you do remember crying?", he asked, just to be sure. "Argh, yes damnit!", Nikki yelled, tired of all of these stupid questions. "What happened, dude?", Tommy asked calmly, hoping for a better answer this time. Nikki just sighed. "Is it somehow related to you sleeping over at my place every night?", Tommy went on. Nikki sighed again. "Yeah", he finally agreed.