Chapter 2

After the initial shock had worn off. JC had dug through his bags for his cell phone. The entire group had gathered around him to find that the battery needed to be charged. JC swore that it had been charged before they left. The others quickly checked their phones, only to find that they all had something wrong with them. They finally decided they had no choice but to stay the weekend.

The other NSYNC members simply grabbed the nearest rooms, not caring about what the room looked like. Kevin had suggested that they all meet in the playroom. The others readily agreed. When they entered the room, AJ and Justin immediately headed to the pool table. Brian walked over to the antique television and turned it on. The news came on, but the screen was garbled. It eventually flickered off. JC came over to investigate the TV and the screen came back on, the picture clear, but blue tinted. A few seconds later the screen blacked out again.

Lance smiled as Joey cheered Justin on. Howie supported AJ and Kevin stood ready to mediate any disputes. At one point, Joey and Howie even started a friendly banter over who was the better pool player.

Lance frowned. He tilted his head as the whispers started up. He looked from one person to another. He wanted to know which one of his friends were whispering. None of them were. They were all involved in their own thing. Lance stepped back from his friends around the pool table. He glanced at the television. Brian was crouched in front of the flickering TV screen, occasionally hitting the side, with JC beside him. They were still fiddling with the machine, trying to fix it.

The screen flickered once more before exploding outward, causing JC to fall back in surprise. Beside him, Brian cried out as he lept back, hands immediately rising to shield his face as screen shards pummeled him.

It was over in seconds. Random sparks lit up the machine as black smoke obscured parts of its inner workings. Brian backed away slowly, his hands now holding tightly onto his throat.

JC nodded his head shakily from the ground. The others turned to look at Brian, who still had his back to them.

Brian turned toward his friends, his hands desperately clutching his throat. Thin red lines, some small and shallow, others deep enough to draw blood, were scattered across his face and hands. But that was nothing compared to the thick red droplets, which squeezed out from between his fingers. Brian looked at his friends, eyes wide, breath gasping.

Kevin approached him cautiously. “Brian why don't you lie down.” He gently eased Brian down to the floor, placing his head on the makeshift pillow JC had made from his sweater.

He tried to lift Brian's hands away from his neck, but Brian hung on resolutely. Kevin stopped prying at the fingers and looked his cousin in the eye. “Brian, you have to let go. You have to let me see.”

He again tried to gingerly pry Brian's hands away and succeeded. Nick gasped as they all say a jagged, medium sized shard sticking cruelly out of Brian's throat.

Brian tried to raise his hands to his throat, but Kevin and JC were there to grab his hands and prevent him from scratching at the wound.

“Don't touch it Brian.” Kevin took off his t-shirt and dapped gently at the wound, trying to stem the blood flow. In seconds his t-shirt went from light grey in color to a muddy brown.

JC looked up at the others. Blue eyes locked with brown ones. “Joey, please.” Joey nodded and quickly left the room.

“It's okay B-rok. Everything's going to be okay.” Kevin said soothingly. Brian stared at him, eyes blinking rapidly as he tried to get rid of the forming tears. JC grabbed his hand and squeezed gently. Brian closed his eyes briefly before offering JC a weak smile. With his other hand, JC reached up and gently stroked Brian's hair.

Joey returned and handed the towels to Kevin. Kevin gently placed the towels at the wound, being careful not to jostle the shard.

“No,” Howie said as Kevin carefully applied pressure around the shard. “If he removes it, Brian could bleed to death.”

“Oh.” Nick's face paled as he turned from Howie to peer over Kevin's shoulder. Brian looked at him and gave a small smile. Suddenly, Kevin's arm jerked forward and down, pushing on the shard. The shard tore deeply into Brian's throat. Blood began to gush out at an alarming rate. Kevin desperately repositioned the towels, trying to slow the flow. Brian's eyes widened and he squeezed JC's hand tightly before giving one more gurgling breath and releasing his grip.

Kevin looked wide-eyed at JC, then at Brian's unblinking eyes. He gently felt for a pulse. “Brian, come on man. Don't do this.” He shook the body a few times before breaking down. His shoulders shook form the silent sobs.

After a few minutes, Kevin took a few deep breaths before shutting Brian's eyes. Then he whirled around and lept on Nick.

Everyone looked at Kevin in silence. Everyone except Lance, who was staring at Brian's body as the whispers stopped.


	Inner Reflection \| home back to Listen Chapter 2 Brian After the initial shock had worn off. JC had dug through his bags for his cell phone. The entire group had gathered around him to find that the battery needed to be charged. JC swore that it had been charged before they left. The others quickly checked their phones, only to find that they all had something wrong with them. They finally decided they had no choice but to stay the weekend. The other NSYNC members simply grabbed the nearest rooms, not caring about what the room looked like. Kevin had suggested that they all meet in the playroom. The others readily agreed. When they entered the room, AJ and Justin immediately headed to the pool table. Brian walked over to the antique television and turned it on. The news came on, but the screen was garbled. It eventually flickered off. JC came over to investigate the TV and the screen came back on, the picture clear, but blue tinted. A few seconds later the screen blacked out again. Lance smiled as Joey cheered Justin on. Howie supported AJ and Kevin stood ready to mediate any disputes. At one point, Joey and Howie even started a friendly banter over who was the better pool player. “Sssss. . . “ Lance frowned. He tilted his head as the whispers started up. He looked from one person to another. He wanted to know which one of his friends were whispering. None of them were. They were all involved in their own thing. Lance stepped back from his friends around the pool table. He glanced at the television. Brian was crouched in front of the flickering TV screen, occasionally hitting the side, with JC beside him. They were still fiddling with the machine, trying to fix it. The screen flickered once more before exploding outward, causing JC to fall back in surprise. Beside him, Brian cried out as he lept back, hands immediately rising to shield his face as screen shards pummeled him. It was over in seconds. Random sparks lit up the machine as black smoke obscured parts of its inner workings. Brian backed away slowly, his hands now holding tightly onto his throat. “Whoa. Brian, JC, you guys okay?” Nick asked. JC nodded his head shakily from the ground. The others turned to look at Brian, who still had his back to them. “Brian?” Kevin asked. Brian turned toward his friends, his hands desperately clutching his throat. Thin red lines, some small and shallow, others deep enough to draw blood, were scattered across his face and hands. But that was nothing compared to the thick red droplets, which squeezed out from between his fingers. Brian looked at his friends, eyes wide, breath gasping. Kevin approached him cautiously. “Brian why don't you lie down.” He gently eased Brian down to the floor, placing his head on the makeshift pillow JC had made from his sweater. He tried to lift Brian's hands away from his neck, but Brian hung on resolutely. Kevin stopped prying at the fingers and looked his cousin in the eye. “Brian, you have to let go. You have to let me see.” He again tried to gingerly pry Brian's hands away and succeeded. Nick gasped as they all say a jagged, medium sized shard sticking cruelly out of Brian's throat. “Someone get me a towel,” Kevin barked. No one moved. Brian tried to raise his hands to his throat, but Kevin and JC were there to grab his hands and prevent him from scratching at the wound. “Don't touch it Brian.” Kevin took off his t-shirt and dapped gently at the wound, trying to stem the blood flow. In seconds his t-shirt went from light grey in color to a muddy brown. “Where's that towel?” Kevin growled. JC looked up at the others. Blue eyes locked with brown ones. “Joey, please.” Joey nodded and quickly left the room. “It's okay B-rok. Everything's going to be okay.” Kevin said soothingly. Brian stared at him, eyes blinking rapidly as he tried to get rid of the forming tears. JC grabbed his hand and squeezed gently. Brian closed his eyes briefly before offering JC a weak smile. With his other hand, JC reached up and gently stroked Brian's hair. Joey returned and handed the towels to Kevin. Kevin gently placed the towels at the wound, being careful not to jostle the shard. “Shouldn't you take the glass out?” Justin whispered. “No,” Howie said as Kevin carefully applied pressure around the shard. “If he removes it, Brian could bleed to death.” “Oh.” Nick's face paled as he turned from Howie to peer over Kevin's shoulder. Brian looked at him and gave a small smile. Suddenly, Kevin's arm jerked forward and down, pushing on the shard. The shard tore deeply into Brian's throat. Blood began to gush out at an alarming rate. Kevin desperately repositioned the towels, trying to slow the flow. Brian's eyes widened and he squeezed JC's hand tightly before giving one more gurgling breath and releasing his grip. “Brian?” JC asked. Kevin looked wide-eyed at JC, then at Brian's unblinking eyes. He gently felt for a pulse. “Brian, come on man. Don't do this.” He shook the body a few times before breaking down. His shoulders shook form the silent sobs. After a few minutes, Kevin took a few deep breaths before shutting Brian's eyes. Then he whirled around and lept on Nick. JC and Howie pulled him off the startled blond. Nick backed away, wiping blood from his nose and mouth. “How could you?” Kevin's green eyes stared at Nick accusingly. “What are you talking about?” Howie asked. “He pushed me. He pushed my arm” “Uh, Kevin. Nick didn't touch you.” AJ said. “B. . . but. . . “Kevin looked at the others in confusion. “But, someone pushed me.” Everyone looked at Kevin in silence. Everyone except Lance, who was staring at Brian's body as the whispers stopped.