Chapter 27
The loud ringing of a cell phone woke Howie from his sleep. He slowly
raised his head from the hard hospital bed and looked around as he rubbed his
eyes. After a few seconds of looking around and hearing the phone ring
again, Howie located the phone on the table and ran over to it trying to be as
quiet as possible since Kevin and A.J. appeared to still be asleep. He
answered the phone and listened quietly as Harold explained to him that their
plane was landing at the local airport in 20 minutes after their 2 hour flight,
and that they would rent a car to drive to the hospital. Howie then asked him
if he was able to convince Kevin’s mother to come and he was pleasantly
surprised to hear that he was also able to get both of Kevin’s brothers, Tim
and Jerald to come along with their mother. Howie smiled softly as he heard
this, he knew Kevin would love to see his family but he wished it would be
under better circumstances. After Harold told him to expect to see them
within the next 30 to 45 minutes, Howie hung up the phone and let out a loud
sigh and looked again towards the hospital bed where his friends were. He
sat down in the hard brown chair that he had occupied only moments before
and let himself slip out of reality and slip into a world filled with thoughts.
His mind wandered back to when the BSB had first formed to what had
happened and asked himself why this could have happened and what he could
have done to prevent it. He was shaken from his thoughts as someone put a
hand on his shoulder. He jumped in surprise and looked up and found himself
looking into Kevin’s face. He was shocked momentarily by Kevin’s
appearance, his eyes were a dull green and his face was pale and drawn.
Howie quickly rose and pulled his older friend into a much needed hug.
Kevin hung on to his friend for dear life and let out all his dammed up
frustration and worry as his tears fell from his eyes. The moment was
interupted by a soft knocking on the door. The door opened slowly and
Harold and his parents entered the room with Ann and her oldest sons right
behind them. Kevin looked up at Howie with a mixture of confusion and
relief in his eyes and he then fell into his mother’s waiting arms. Ann
comforted her youngest son as his older brothers looked on. A.J. who had
been woken up when the families entered, made his way over towards Howie
and they both walked towards the doorway to give the Littrell’s and
Richardson’s more room to move around. They talked quietly amongst
themselves as they watched Brian’s parents and brother pray for his recovery
and Kevin’s family trying to calm Kevin down. A.J. and Howie’s
conversation was interupted by a muffled moaning sound that came from the
direction of the hospital bed. They quickly made their way over to the bed
and peered anxiously at the figure lying in the bed; waiting and praying for
something to happen. Brian again let out another moan of pain as he tried to
force his eyelids open. After a few more tries, Brian finally succeeded and
was greeted by the faces of 9 concerned people. He looked up at them with a
look of pure confusion etched in his eyes. Harold quickly reached across his
younger brother’s body and pressed the button to call a nurse. Within
seconds, a middle aged nurse rushed into the room and when she seen Brian
was awake, she ushered everyone out into the hallway and asked them to
please go into the waiting room. When she made sure Brian would be alright
for a few moments alone, she stepped out of the room and quickly found Dr.
Adele. She explained the situation to him and he quickly made his way to
Brian’s room and stopping in the waiting room to quickly explain to Brian’s
family and bandmates that he was going to attempt to take Brian’s breathing
tubes out and see if he can breath on his own and if that is unsucessful they
will keep the tube in him. As the doctor walked toward Brian’s room,
Brian’s family and closest friends joined hands and together prayed for his
recovery.