For two weeks, Raddeus hadn't been able to shake a feeling of foreboding that had overcome him. It had driven him nearly to distraction with his constant diving for the telephone for news of anyone close to him, particularly his brother, Nick.
He and Nick had been there for one another through the tough times more than just ordinary brothers and sisters would have. They had almost a psychic connection, and when one was drastically ill, depressed or ecstatic, the other could sense it. And this was one of those times…but it wasn't a moment of ecstasy, it was a moment of physical pain and suffering. Somehow, he knew that Nick was gravely ill.
"Rad, are you okay?" Sariah asked, after her husband had dived for the phone once again, only to find that it was a telemarketer.
He sighed. "Ever since Nick and I were kids, we always had this...sixth sense about each other. We could tell when we were happy, sad or sick...and I've just got this feeling that something's wrong with Nick..."
"Do you want to call him?"
"I've already tried...it seems like they're not in New York right now. All Tony Dovolani was able to tell me is that he's in Colorado on some kind of freelancing assignment."
Rising to his feet, Raddeus paced the floor as 12 year old Nick the Second came into the room. "Hey Dad, have you heard from Uncle Nick?"
"No...why do you ask?" Raddeus questioned curiously.
Nick looked his father in the eye, calmly. "Something's happened to Uncle Nick."
Before Raddeus could answer this statement, the phone rang. He raced over and picked it up. "Hello?" He asked, almost fearing the response.
"Raddeus?" Lena asked, praying that her voice sounded steady.
"Lena! What happened...how's Nick?"
She drew a sharp breath. "How did you know?"
"It's something we've had since we were kids...something's wrong...I can feel it..."
"He's..." She paused to take a breath. By saying something to Raddeus, she was admitting that her greatest fear was indeed happening: Nick was dying. "He's not doing so good..."
Raddeus closed his eyes and Sariah's heart almost broke as a look of agony crossed her husband's face. "What can I do?" He choked out.
Lena bit her lip before answering. "He's...been calling for your mother..."
"I'll go get her and be on my way as soon as I can...it's been long enough since they've seen each other." He said quickly.
"We're in Colorado Springs right now. I'll have someone meet you at Denver International."
"Well, Mum and I will be catching the first flight out of here as soon as we possibly can." He said, urgently.
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me. I'll see you in a day or so…"
Raddeus hung up the phone and turned to face his wife and eldest son. "I have to go get my mother...Nick is very sick."
"Go...we'll follow you in a couple days." Sariah told him, embracing him. He clung to her for a long moment before walking over and also hugging his sons.
Hunting around for his shoes, Raddeus pulled them out and ran out the door to his car. He climbed in and headed for Perth, driving well over the speed limit.
--
Marie Kosovich was puttering around her house, a similar sense of foreboding overwhelming her. She, however, had become accustomed to ignoring the feeling and going on with life. After all, Raddeus was safe, and Nicholas wasn't speaking to her. This was the source of her perennial foreboding.
It was as if someone had driven a stake into her heart as she remembered the son who had pulled away from her at the death of his brother.
The door opened to reveal a frantic-looking Raddeus. "Mum!"
"Raddeus, what's the matter?"
"Nick. Let's go."
Her eyes widened. While her nonexistent relationship with Nicholas was always a touchy subject, Raddeus didn't mention him unless it was to put his mother's fears to rest. This, however, did not seem to be the case.
"What's the matter with Nicholas?"
"He's gravely ill; I can fill you in on our way to the airport."
Without asking any further questions, Marie flew upstairs to fling some clothes into a suitcase before meeting her son back in the living room a couple minutes later.
He tossed the suitcase into the backseat of his car and they drove off, Marie slightly alarmed by how fast Raddeus was driving, but one look at his tensed hands clenching the steering wheel told her that he had a good reason for the haste.
"What is going on, Raddeus?" She asked gently.
He sighed, and made a right hand turn into Perth International Airport. "For the past two weeks, I had the feeling that something was wrong with Nick. Lena called me tonight and told me that he's really sick; that he could die."
Tears welled up in Marie's eyes and all she could ask was, "How?"
Raddeus shrugged helplessly. "I didn't ask. All I know is that he's asking for you."
--
Back in Colorado Springs, Lena hung up the phone, ironically having a burden lifted from her shoulders. She turned to Janet. "Is there any way that Daniel could meet Raddeus and Marie at Denver International tomorrow?"
"Of course." Janet said, with a supportive smile.
"Thank you."
She looked back at her husband's bed. "I don't want him to die, but...part of me can't keep living like this..." Lena finally admitted.
"It's hard." Janet acknowledged. "Maybe you should go home and spend some time with your boys..."
She looked down. "I don't think that would be best..."
"Lena, your boys are hurting too...they need you...we're all trying to play 'mom,' but none of us are you..."
Lena nodded. "Okay...just let me say good-bye?"
She nodded. "Of course. And then I'll have Kinsah drive you home."
Lena stiffened. "I can drive myself..."
"No, Lena, you can't…you haven't slept well in days…I don't want to see your boys orphaned…"
"Janet...it's not that I don't like Kinsah, it's just...he's begun looking at me the way Nick used..." Tears welled up again. "Anyone else, and I would gladly accept the ride..."
"Well, I don't know if Sam's on the base..."
"That would be perfect..."
Janet nodded. "I'll check and see if she's still here and get back to you. If not, perhaps Alan could."
Lena nodded, her attention focused back on her husband. "Nick, I'm going for a little while to see Danny and Tommy, but I'll be back...I promise. Please try, darling." She whispered, her hand gripping his tightly.
Janet returned to the isolation room. "Lena, Sam isn't here, but Alan's waiting for you at the elevator."
Lena nodded before leaning down and kissing her husband's forehead. "Please...I can't lose you now...We can't lose you now..."
She returned to her upright stance, and she held his hand, almost not wanting to leave. She tried to keep the tears from welling up in her eyes again, and she released his hand with the same reluctance as was in her voice. She closed her eyes as his hand fell back to the bed, fully out of hers. Then, with her head high, she walked out of the room. It was at that time, that she fell apart.
Alan Barrows had dealt with a lot of things in his twenty-two years...but a sobbing woman had not been one of them.
Sure, he had been raised to be a gentleman by his mother, and so...he had an idea of what to do, but...this was the wife of his friend. And that friend was dying.
Lena saw his insecurity and reached for a Kleenex. "I'm sorry..." She choked out.
Making a decision, Alan stepped forward and enfolded her in a comforting hug. "Nothing to apologize for." He said quietly.
She allowed herself to lean on him on a moment before pulling away. Alan released her and followed her into the elevator. "Danny and Tommy will be glad to see you."
"I'll be glad to see them too..."
They lapsed back into silence as they continued up to the surface. She had finished crying and had wiped the tears from her eyes. "So...how're you and Rihana?" She asked, managing a smile.
Alan blushed slightly. "We're...good." He said, studying the ground intently.
"Why're you blushing?"
He shrugged. "I always do that when people ask me about girls."
She smiled sadly. "You and someone else I know..."
Guiding her over to his beat up old Ford Turino, he saw her raise an eyebrow. "Hey, as long as it still runs..."
"As long as we don't di..." She choked on her words. "As long as we get home safely. That's all that matters..."
"Exactly." He said, opening the car door for her. "I just had the brakes changed last week."
"Then, we're good."
"Yep." He agreed, climbing into his car and starting the engine. It sputtered for a minute, then roared into life. "Thank you, God." He muttered, looking heavenward.
"You know, we have a rental...we could take that." Lena said, chuckling at the young man's honest circumstance.
"Oh what, my ghetto sled ain't good enough for you?" Alan teased.
"Oh, it's fine." Lena said, a hint of a teasing gleam back in her eye. "For a sled..."
Alan pulled out of the parking lot, giving her a look of mock hurt. "See if I ever take you cruising!" He pouted.
She managed to smile. "Thank you." She said, quietly.
He returned the smile. "Not a problem." Turning slowly, Alan pulled into the O'Neill's driveway where his engine proceeded to die. "Aw man! Come on!" He groaned.
"Do you still have to get back to the base?"
"Yeah, but Bernie's just being stubborn. All I have to do is kick the tires a couple of times, then get down on my hands and knees and beg...it's a ritual." Alan joked.
"Bernie?" She asked, outright chuckling at the young man's eccentricity.
Alan grinned. "Yep. Named after my Uncle Bernie, whose toupee is the exact color of the shag carpet on the interior."
Lena shook her head. "Wow...you have quite the family, don't you?"
Alan considered this for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah...I've gotta say we're a pretty weird bunch."
Just as Lena stepped out of the car, a gaggle of kids rushed out of the house. "MUM!" She could hear her boys call.
Alan smiled, then turned his attention back to his car. "C'mon Bernie...please work." He begged.
Sam came out of the house just then, and she chuckled at the sight of Alan on his hands and knees next to his car. "I can give you a jumpstart if you need it." She said, trying to stop the staring that was occurring by the neighbors.
Alan shook his head. "Nah. Bernie doesn't take being shocked very well."
"I see."
Reaching out, Alan patted the hood of the car. "All I have to do now is kick the tires a couple of times, and it's all good."
She pulled the O'Neill children from Lena. "Okay, kids...come inside. Let's let Aunt Lena, Danny and Tommy talk."
The kids protested, but obediently followed her inside while the Kosovich family remained outside.
"Mummy, when's Daddy coming home?" Tommy asked. "Aunt Sam said you probably wouldn't come home until he was getting better!"
Danny was silent, regarding his mother with a hopeful look on his face.
Lena swallowed as she knelt down beside her boys. "Your father is...well, he's still very sick."
Tommy nodded and Danny's face fell, though he still said nothing.
"Your Uncle Raddeus and your Grandma Kosovich are going to be coming. Okay? So, I want you both to be on your best behavior."
"Okay, Mummy." Tommy said.
Danny merely nodded and Lena wondered why her eldest was so quiet. By nature, he WAS the quieter of the two, but this was worrying her.
"But no matter what happens to your father, I'm still here, and we're going to get through this, okay?"
Danny just turned around and went back into the house as Tommy gave his mother a hug. "Yes, Mummy."
There was a thump and Lena turned to see that Alan had thrown himself on top of his car. "Come on, Bernie!" He pleaded. "You can't die on me...it's not even payday!"
He got out again and dropped down onto his knees before the car. "Bernie, baby, I just put new engine oil in you last week! Come on...I have to get back to the base!"
Sam came out again, keys in hand. "Alan, why don't you just take our car?"
"I wouldn't feel right doing that."
"Look, you're having car trouble...we all have that sometimes...instead of getting a rental, you're borrowing from a friend." Sam reasoned. "It's either the car or the bike..."
Alan's eyes lit up at the mention of the bike.
She grinned and threw the keys to him. "It's in the garage."
There was a moment of silence as Alan stared at the keys in his hand.
"And...we're thinking of selling it, if you know anyone who's interested..." She said, eyeing the gleam in his eye.
Alan smiled wryly. "I've got about 200 dollars...that's how I ended up getting Bernie in the first place!" He joked.
Sam considered this, carefully. "Well, we were only hoping to get 200 dollars out of it...okay, you got it!"
He looked at her and chuckled. "Yeah right...I heard about what you did to restore that thing...It's got to be worth five times what I could put into it."
Sam could hear the note of honesty in his tone, and she looked at him seriously. "I wasn't kidding, Alan. It's yours."
He looked taken aback for a moment, and then nodded. Even though Alan wasn't in the custom of accepting charity from people, he had to have reliable transportation to get to the base.
"Thanks..." He whispered softly.
"Besides, don't you have to have something to take Rihana out tonight?"
"I could just borrow Liam's car..."
"No, you'll take the bike. Rihana will enjoy the ride."
"She probably would...that girl is wild." Alan chuckled. "Not that I mind, however!" He was quick to point out.
Sam smiled as she began humming a song that her husband and Nick often had playing in the house. "Wild Thing/You make my heart sing/You make everything groovy..."
"Oh, you DIDN'T just sing that song!" Alan said, placing his hand on his forehead in mock exasperation.
Sam merely gave him a cheeky grin.
He shook his head, chuckling. "Well...I guess I need to get back to the base."
Looking down at the key in his hand, he grinned again before heading into the garage to get the bike.
As he pulled away, Sam turned to Lena who was standing alone, as Tommy had run inside to join his brother. "Jack's gonna kill me."
Lena cracked a smile. "Well...you could always say that you didn't have the heart to disappoint the poor boy..."
"The thing is that Alan is such a great guy...he doesn't make all that much, and what little he DOES make goes to whomever is in the most dire need of help...no matter what he has to sacrifice."
"Ah, then…he's a battler." She said, almost channeling her husband for a moment, using the Australian slang.
Sam raised an eyebrow, and Lena smiled, sadly. "I'm sorry, it's the Aussie term for someone who's working really hard and only just making ends meet…" She closed her eyes in pain. "I guess Nick's rubbed off on me…"
Sam nodded in understanding as they stood silently for a moment. "Anyway, that's not why Jack's going to kill me..." Sam said, smiling as she tried to lighten the mood.
Lena arched a questioning eyebrow in her direction.
"You see, Jack wasn't even allowed to touch the bike until we got married…and he didn't get to ride it until after we were expecting Grace…"
Lena chuckled. "You two are CRAZY."
Sam shrugged as she looked back at the weary figure of her friend. "How're you holding up?"
"Well enough…"
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I'm just worried about Danny. He seems really withdrawn."
"He is." Sam admitted. "I'm worried about him myself."
Lena took a deep breath. "He's always been particularly close to Nick..."
Sam put a reassuring hand on Lena's shoulder. "You will get through this." She promised.
Lena nodded as she looked back at the house. "Yes, I will...I have to...for the boys."