Remember Me This Way

Chapter Twenty Eight

Nick stared at the item he held within his hands as his friends got into the large bright green custom stretch hummer they'd arranged for the evening with him. He couldn't believe it. Of all days, this had to come out now. He didn't need this today, not now. All this would do was make everything that much more awkward when they arrived. He didn't want the questions, didn't want the harassment until that night when he invited them to. Tabloid magazines taunted him endlessly, reminded him there would be no peace. Not in his life. He continued the stare at them, standing next to the car.

Nick Carter – Caught at the clinic. Back to old habits?

A Dying Man – Nick Carter caught coming out of the doctors, his heart condition coming back to haunt him...was it his own doing?

Nick Carter doesn't want a solo tour? Or can't? Is he too trashed to try?

In all of them, he saw himself clearly coming out of the back of the hospital he'd been in days before. It had just been a check up, for the doctors to monitor the progression of the disease. They had upped his medication, as he expected. Ran a few tests, to see where he was at. All stuff that had sadly become a standard within Nick Carter's life. And now, it was being warped, twisted into something it wasn't.

At least the last title has it right; it just needs to know the real damn cause.

"I'm sorry bro." AJ's voice cut into his thoughts, causing Nick to finally climb into the vehicle and shut the door behind him. He sat, glanced around, and tried to relax.

"I love it. I'm fucked in the head and they think its drugs or my heart." He shook his head. "What the hell happened to people actually finding out the story?"

Kevin pat his back comfortingly, taking the magazines away from Nick's grasp. He tossed them on the floor and kicked them out his reach, eyeing him when Nick still began to move for them anyway. He leaned back, shot the oldest member a sheepish grin, and said nothing. It was almost amusing, the way Kevin was still trying to protect them all. Old habits die hard, as his own tattoo said.

"Those pieces of trash think it's a bigger story if you became like Aaron, that's all."

Nick winced at the mention as he shook his head. His hands wrung together nervously. He tried to gather his thoughts and he glanced around in the luxury vehicle. Even though his performance that night was to be solo, as was the announcement, they said they would go with him. They ignored his protests that he could handle it, saying it wasn't about that. They wanted to arrive as a group to support their youngest brother. Just the five of them. No wives and no kids were to accompany them that night. It was solely the five men who had been together since the beginning, and now would be there till the end.

One last appearance, a final goodbye.

"Nick?" Brian called, his eyes watched him intently.

"Sorry, spaced."

"It's okay; I just asked if you heard from him?"

"Aaron?"

Brian nodded, sharing a quick glance with Howie. "Yeah."

Nick scoffed, not looking any of them in the eye now. "No, he's mad at me. Ignoring my calls because I told him he needs to get his shit together. Angel's been checking in on me though, checking on him, and updating me." The Carters never deserved her; she's too good for our bullshit. He added on mentally.

"Does he know?" Howie asked? "About..." he left the rest unsaid. None of them actually spoke of the disease by name. It had been taboo for some time. It was as if they were afraid actually saying it would make it progress faster than it already was.