In Sickness and In Health...

"So, the US tour?"

"Yes, I'm going to give my babies the tour but that's the thing. Manny, we need to get everything started now. We cannot wait until last minute to secure venues. You saw what happened last time."

"Right."

"So we need to secure venues for rehearsal, too. Everything needs to start getting done now. No more last minute shit."

"Got you. When do you want me to get started on that?"

"Now. I'll call Laurie Ann and I'll have SB call Headache."

I looked over at Manny nodding and I guess making a note of that in his phone.

"Okay, so the third fragrance. They want to set up a meeting."

"When?" I took the lid off the pen and grabbed the notebook.

"The 13th." I nodded and wrote that down. "What else?"

I looked up at Manny scrolling through his phone and looked over at SB. You would never know he's so quiet and shit when it's just us. I stared at him as he messed with his phone remaining unbothered and shifted my head in Manny's direction when I heard him speak.

"Clothing line. Final meeting. That's on Thursday at 9 in the morning."

"Okay." I said as I wrote that down.

"It's just a quick run down of how you want the display for your section to be."

"Did they get that one boy that I liked to design it?" I said getting a little too excited. It's really crazy, I always pictured me becoming successful and following my dreams, but never like this.

"I called the lady and she said yes."

"Yay!"

"The meeting will be at K-Mart. They don't open until 12 specifically for you. They're gonna have like a set up display, 3 of them they said. And you pick which one you like best."

"That's amazing.Okay, that's everything right?" I looked at the list and marked off all the things as I counted them.

"Yeah, that's... yeah, that's it. I'll meet you at K-Mart on Thursday. SB." I looked at him as he looked over towards SB and SB looked up from his phone.

"Yeah?"

"Make Nicki have an early start on Thursday. We can't be late."

I rolled my eyes. "I'll see you when I see you. Thanks, Manny." I got up from the table and dropped the pen down.

"See y'all Thursday."

"Mhmmm." I grabbed my snapple out of the refrigerator. I heard the door slam shut and snapped my head back in the direction of the door. Did this nigga really just slam my door? Ugh. He knows I hate that. I walked back over to the table and grabbed my notes. I looked over at SB who was off in a daze.

"Are you coming with me or are you going to continue to sit here and stare off at nothing?"

He finally looked my way and said nothing besides putting his phone in his pocket and standing up. I paused to stare at him. He's acting mad weird right now. Whatever. I walked around the table headed for my roo- well, SB's room. Putting my notes down on his dresser, I turned around when I felt his presence.

"Why are you being so quiet?"

Last time SB was this quiet he went to go "get something to eat" and came back with our promise rings... :) Hmmmm? I took off my shirt and my jogging pants. I need to take a nap before this studio session tonight. I grabbed one of SB's t-shirts out of his drawer and put it on. I looked over at SB who was still not saying anything. He had his face buried into his pillow. I walked over to the bed and took a seat next to him. I raised his hat up in the back just enough for me to caress the back of his head.

"What's wrong with you?" I stared down at him and watched his arm shoot up and point to his neck before he dropped it back down. "Again?" he shook his head yes. Awww, my poor baby. I stopped caressing the back of his head and stood up from the bed. "I'll be back." I said before I walked out of his room and to his bathroom. I really hope this medicine can fix this because I don't want SB to have to have surgery. It's so weird how this always happens right before the tour. I opened his cabinet and grabbed the medicine that our doctor gave him the last time this happened. Turning to walk out of the bathroom, I opened the bottle and poured two pills into my hand.

"Here, sit up, take this." I put the medicine on the nightstand and extended my hand out to him. He rolled over slightly and grabbed the two pills out of my hand. He went to put them in his mouth before I stopped him. "Sit up." He gave me a blank stare and I slightly smiled. He hates when I treat him like a baby. He sat up and took the medicine. "You need something?" I said referring to his face and assuming he wanted something to wash it down.

"Nah." He said barely audible which made me instantly nervous.

"Does it hurt that bad?" I stared at him as he laid back down to the bed. He didn't say a word just groaned. I sat down on the bed on the free space beside him and looked down at him. "Come here, let me feel." He didn't move and I rolled my eyes. "Just lay on your side, let me see." he slightly rolled on his side and  I placed my hand gently on his throat. I sighed closing my eyes for a second and dropped my hand from his throat.


"We might as well just go, c'mon, get up."

"Lay down."

"Huh?"

He tapped the space beside him and moved the cover back. I stared at him for a second before I felt his hand gently pull at my wrist. I gave in and laid down beside him. "We're going as soon as we wake up, SB." I said as I cuddled back into his body frame. "Hold me." I said right before I took it upon myself to grab his arm and place it around me tightly. I placed my hand on top of his before I locked our fingers. I closed my eyes and sighed.

"No. It's too...not clean, do you understand what I'm saying? If the girls are doing one dance move, then make- just make the boys do the same thing."

"Okay." LaurieAnn said with a nod.

"Because if not it looks so, all over the place and not well put together. So have them do the same thing."

"Okay, from the top! Boys, you know what to do." 

Nicki folded her arms across her chest waiting for the music to start. As soon as the music started she heard her phone ringing. She walked over to the table that her phone was sitting on and grabbed it. She picked it up and looked over the screen at it being a number she didn't recognize. She twitched her lip before she answered it.

"Hello?"

"Yo, Nicki, get up here."

"Rex? What number are you calling me from?"

"Nic, just get up here."

"Where?"

"SB. He's in the hospital. It's not that serious but it could be. Bring-"

"What the fuck do you mean it's not that serious?!" Nicki said as she scrambled to get her purse and everything together. In the midst of grabbing her things she unknowingly hung up the phone. She sped past the dancers and LaurieAnn.

"What's wrong, love?" LaurieAnn called out to her but Nicki kept walking. She rushed out to the parking lot and didn't miss a step rushing to her car. She hopped into the car and immediately cursed herself.

"Fuck!" she said as she fumbled through her purse for her keys. She found them and pulled them out of her purse jamming her keys into the ignition. Not even looking and checking her mirrors Nicki rushed, backing out of her parking spot. As soon as she was fully out of the parking spot she rushed down the street wasting no time to get down to the hospital.

Walking in, she bypassed everyone that noticed her and focused on getting to the front desk. As soon as she made it through the crowd of people that were all turning in shock of her presence, she stopped at the main desk.

"Hi, how can I-"

"Samuels."

"Okay,  just a second." Nicki stood anxiously as the lady clicked through the files on the computer. "Ah, Samuels. First door down the hall on the right." Before she could fully finish the last word Nicki had walked away to make it down the hall. She ignored the people who were purposely in the way trying to get her attention and made it to SB's room. She opened the door and all of the Vaks stood up more so out it scaring the shit out of them how Nicki opened the door rather than them awaiting news. Rex walked over and stood in front of Nicki.

"Chill out, he's good-"

"Get out of my fucking way, are you serious right now? SB's in the hospital and you're telling me he's good? Move!" Nicki said before she moved him to the side as much as she could. She walked over to the side of SB's bed where he was sleep. She felt tears on the verge as she looked at SB with the IV in his arm. "What's wrong?" she said barely above a whisper while looking down at him.

"His throat been acting weird all day." Chris John spoke up. "He kept saying some shit about his throat feeling weird but we thought it was whatever. Then he went to spit up the shit in his throat and he was spittin up blood."

Nicki sighed of relief that it wasn't nearly as bad as she imagined. She quickly wiped at a tear that escaped and continued looking down at him. "What did the doctor say?"

"He's good for now. He shouldn't talk much. They said if his throat starts hurting again he'll need surgery."

"Surgery? For what?" Nicki said as she finally looked up and over in the direction of the Vaks. "They don't know exactly what's wrong?"

"Nah. They said the way SB described it they've never heard that before."

Nicki sighed and dragged her feet over to a chair in the corner. She sat down and adjusted her sunglasses and the hood that was on her head. 

"We bout to leave though, you alright?" Rex said. Nicki licked her lips and nodded her head before sighing again. "Have SB call us when he's better." He said before they all walked out of the room. Nicki sighed again trying to calm her racing heart that she hasn't had time to slow down. She looked over at SB who looked to be so peaceful and silently thanked God for that. Not a second later did the doctor enter the room and Nicki stood up.

"Oh, wow. Ms. Minaj, you're his bestfriend right?"

"Yes."

"Okay, well he's fine right now." The lady stated as she looked over the clipboard in her hand. "Make sure he drinks a lot of water. No alcohol whatsoever, it could cause the throat to react. Uhm.." she continued looking over the chart to make sure she covered everything. "That's really all, he can go home when he wakes up. I'm sure the boys told you, but if this happens again he will need to have surgery."

"Do you know what's wrong?"

"No, but the doctors ran some tests and x-ray scans and will be contacting in the morning. Any further questions?"

"No." Nicki said as she sat back down. "Thank you."

"Thank you, you have a good day."

"You too."

Nicki watched as the lady walked out of the room before she looked back over at SB.

My eyes fluttered open waking me up from my nap. I yawned and stretched. That was one of the best naps ever. I rolled over when I didn't feel SB's arm around me and laughed quietly when I saw him. His hat was covering his face while he was sleep. I tapped his arm. "Faree, get up. C'mon, let's go."

"I'm good."

"No, you're not. Let's go."

"I am. Look." he moved the hat from his face but kept his eyes closed. "Feel." I rolled my eyes. Nah, this nigga just doesn't want to go to the hospital. I placed my hand on his throat and it was surprisingly better. "Told you."

"Shut up." I tossed the cover off of my body and stood up off of his bed. "You still need to get up. Meeting at 4."

"What's it for?"

"You'll know when you get there. Let's go."

"No."

"Come take a shower with me and shut up." I said before I walked into the bathroom. I laughed when I heard the bed shift. Of course he gets up now. Pig.