The Scariest Days of Our Lives (Big Time Rush Fanfic)

Chapter Seven

Carlos had been out of ICU for a month now. Every day he was learning to do more for himself. He was able to bathe himself, dress himself, and now he could walk without the aid of a walker or a cane. Three days ago he finally signed Kendall's cast, which was white when he got it, but now it's sort of brownish-yellow, which I don't think is normal, and of course black and colorful with the signatures.

The best part of Carlos being out of ICU was we could visit him at any time between 6AM – 10PM, when we weren't in school. Our parents weren't thrilled, but we would stay each day until dinner time, sometimes later if we got the Garcias to bring us home. If Kendall, James, and I could have moved into that hospital room with Carlos we would have.

This day was special for one thing. Carlos was coming home! He wasn't healed totally, but he was well enough to do the rest of his healing at home.

Kendall, James, and I met at Carlos's house an hour before he was due home, which also happened to be as soon as school got out. Mrs. Knight and Katie also came with us to watch Carlos's younger siblings; Cristian, Tina short for Cristina, and Nina, while their parents went to the hospital together. Who watched them the other times the Garcias were at the hospital? I don't know. Anyway, we gathered together to make a banner to hang up for Carlos's return.

"I can't wait to get this thing off." Kendall stuck the end of a thin paintbrush under his cast and scratched away. He did this with other things as well like pencils and a fork once. I was afraid whatever he used would break off in there and get stuck.

"That's a paintbrush, Kennall," Nina scolded wagging her finger. "We're not painting." And we weren't. We were using crayons and markers. I don't know where Kendall got the paintbrush from.

"How long do you have?" Cristian, Carlos's 8 year old brother, asked.

"One more week," he sighed. "It'll be great to get back to hockey."

What's funny is during the whole Carlos ordeal not once did anyone think of hockey. Hockey was Kendall's life and it's still a pretty big part even though we're busy with Big Time Rush, but it just became so unimportant when Carlos got hurt.

"Let's put this over the stairs," Six-year-old Tina declared once we were done with the sign that read "Welcome Home, Carlos! Love, Cristian, Tina, Nina, James, Kendall, Logan, Katie, Mrs. Knight." That seems really long for a banner, but the names were small signatures underneath the welcome home part.

Mrs. Knight helped us tape the banner over the balcony portion of the staircase so that anyone who walked in the front door would see it. As soon as she had it put up a car pulled in the driveway.

"Carlos!" Kendall said not too loudly to us running to the front door and opening it widely.

When the car pulled to a stop the left back door opened and Carlos jumped out of the car wearing his helmet proudly.

"Carlos, slow down! The doctor said you still need to take it easy!" His mother shouted after him.

"Welcome home!" All nine of us shouted.

At the request of his mother, Carlos turned his run into a fast walk and when he got to the front door he grabbed Kendall, James, and me in a hug. Tina and Nina wrapped their arms around their oldest brother. Cristian hung back with Katie and Mrs. Knight.

"All right, let's give Carlos some breathing room," Mr. Garcia said entering the house with his wife. He carried in Carlos's suitcase. I didn't realize how much stuff could accumulate in a hospital room.

Mr. and Mrs. Garcia led Carlos to the living room with all of us following. Carlos was home, but he wasn't the same Carlos. Usually he would be bouncing around with his siblings, bouncing off furniture and walls, but this Carlos was subdued and made to sit on the couch.