Four

What idiot decided to call it morning sickness!?!

I’ve got this crap ALL DAYY!!!

When Ariana had to spend the first night of the tour in the medical tent hooked up to an IV drip and surrounded by EMTs she knew it was going to be a long nine months. The dehydration hit her after the fourth song, and it was downhill from there. Jeanie called Dr. Barnes’ emergency service to let her know what was going on and requested Ari come in first thing in the morning to be evaluated.

 

After discussing it with her doctors, they felt it was time to reach out to Dr. Cummings to see if she could join us for the rest of the pregnancy. Without her, Ari was left with two options: find another doctor or spend the rest of her pregnancy watching the world go by from my bed.

 

Throughout the first pregnancy, Dr. Cummings was an invaluable source of support, both as a doctor and as a friend. Lily’s arrival meant she didn’t travel with them anymore but would call to check in, and even attend a few extra shows. Their last conversation was to wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday. 

 

Sighing, Ari reached under the pillow and carefully pulled out her phone, taking care not to tug on the IV tube. Reluctant fingers hovered over the screen before finally tapping on the good doctor’s name and sending up a silent prayer that the woman on the other end would say yes to signing up for another tour of duty in the Bon Jovi army.  

 

The call connected.  “Hello.” 

 

Guess we’re about to find out.

 

“Hi, Nic. It’s Ariana. How are you?” 

 

“Oh, hey, Ariana. I wasn’t looking at my screen.” Her reply was bright, but with a hint of hesitation. 

 

“Did I catch you at a bad time?”

 

“Nah. I’m finishing up some paperwork.  How are things? How’s your little girl?”

 

“She’s getting bigger by the minute.”

 

“I can imagine. And how is Jon doing? Is he managing to stay out of trouble?” She laughed softly, no doubt remembering their many shared adventures last year.

 

“For now, yes. They’ve kicked off the next part of the tour.”

 

“It sounds like you’re back on the road too.”

“Sort of.” A brief pause filled the air. “I actually have some news—I’m pregnant.”

 

“Ari, oh my goodness. Lily is what, six months old now?”

 

“Almost seven, believe it or not. I know it’s a big surprise. We didn’t exactly plan this,” she said with a laugh.

 

“Still yet, congratulations! That’s wonderful news. How are you feeling?”

 

“That’s actually why I’m reaching out. I’ve been struggling with nausea constantly, and it’s kicking my ass.” 

 

“Fair warning, I’m shifting into doctor mode now.  How far along are you?”

“Nineteen weeks now.”

 

“Wow, you two wasted no time at all.”

 

“Ha, tell me about it.” 

 

“What are your doctors doing to help with the nausea?”

 

“At this moment I’m connected to an IV drip to stay hydrated. Most days, when I’m feeling okay, I can manage to eat things like bread, soup and occasionally a cheeseburger. But when it’s bad, it’s usually just Fruit Loops that I can keep down.” Her voice held a touch of humor as she explained her situation.

 

“Do they think it’s hyperemesis gravidarum?” Nic cautiously added, knowing how serious that condition could be

 

“No, thank God. It’s not that severe.”

 

“That’s definitely a positive sign. So, what can I do for you?”

 

“What’s your schedule looking like for the next four months?”

 

“As a matter of fact, I just finished my latest assignment, so I might have some availability coming up.”

 

“Would you be interested in joining me on tour again? I could really use your support.” 

 

“I think I could make that work. I’ll just need to get your latest medical records and have a chat with your doctors first. You’re still under the care of Dr. Barnes and Dr. Laurent, right?

 

“Yes. Would you like me to call them and give them a heads-up?”

 

“That won’t be necessary. I’ll take care of it from my end. You focus on taking care of yourself.” 

 

“Nic, you have no idea how much this means to me. I was staring down the possibility of months of bed rest if you said no, and you know how well that went the last time.”

 

“Just because we’re friends doesn’t mean I’ll let you get away with anything,” Nic teased.

 

“Oh, I’m very aware of that.” 

 

“Good. I’ll call you once I’ve spoken with the doctors and sorted everything out.”

 

“Perfect. I’ll have Jeanie send over your contract so we can get the ball rolling. Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome. Talk to you soon.” 

♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱

 

Leaving Ari home was tough for Jon, but the show must go on, right? True, he could have flown home after tonight’s show, but it just didn’t make sense, especially with the foundations meeting early in the morning and a second show that night. 

 

He glanced at the empty side of the bed with a grumpy sigh. 

 

At least she wasn’t totally alone since Lydia offered to stay and help with Lily until he was back. His parents were only a phone call away, too, but to further ease his conscience, he called Cliff. It was a short conversation where Jon explained there was a change in plans, and the other man was needed in New Jersey with Ari. 

 

Cliff, God love him, had only one question:  How soon?

 

Jon’s mind wandered to his wife and daughter with gratitude that Dr. Cummings had agreed to join them on tour.  Jeanie had delivered the finalized contracts today, after which he’d had his own short call with the doctor and gotten the assurance that she would meet them in Toronto on the thirteenth. 

 

With his girls cared for and a tour plan in place, he should be able to relax, so why was he pacing around his hotel room after one in the morning?  It would take a good couple of hours or a few bottles of wine for him to come down from his show-high and sleep was the furthest thing from his mind. Looking at the clock, he realized he missed the chance to call home. What he needed was a distraction. 

 

His phone buzzed on top of the nightstand, breaking his thoughts. Picking it up he saw it was a message from Cliff. 

 

[1:36 am] All’s quiet on the western front boss. Don’t worry about a thing. 

 

Maybe that was what he needed because a sense of comfort washed over him, reassuring him that his family was in good hands.   It didn’t make him any closer to closing his eyes, though, so he typed a quick message to the one person he was certain was still awake at this late hour—his brother. 

 

[1:40 am] keep your dick in your pants and come to my room right now. 

 

Twenty minutes later Matt was knocking on his door.

 

“What the fuck kinda text was that?” he snapped walking through the door his brother held open.

 

“It took you twenty minutes to get here. You know exactly what it meant.”

 

“I was taking a shit. I’m sorry if I didn’t have my phone in there with me.”

 

“Right. So, If I called down to the hotel bar to ask if you were there, they’d tell me no.”

“Okay, I was there, but so was two-thirds of your band. I don’t see you policing their dicks.” 

He walked over to the bar and poured himself a drink. “And for the record, my dick was in my pants, I was hanging with Jeanie and Kennedy.”

 

“Good,” he said, pouring the rich, crimson liquid from the second bottle of wine into his glass settling back into the plush cushions of the couch. “Just a heads up, Nicole will be joining us for the remainder of the tour. She’s meeting us in Toronto.”

 

“Everything all right with Ari?  Besides, the morning sickness and dehydration?”

 

“Yeah. The doctors feel it would be best to have Nic on hand, just in case.”

 

“Is this what prompted your text?”

 

“That’s one of the things, yeah.”

 

“Hey,” Matt interjected. “Just so we’re clear, nothing happened between me and Nicole.  She was cool to hang with—fun, you know?”

 

“If you say so.”

 

Matt shook his head and jokingly flipped him the bird. “What else you need?”

 

“Does Des know anyone looking for a job?” he asked, shifting the conversation.

 

“Why? Are you firing your wife already?”

 

“Very funny. No, I am not. I mentioned to her that we should consider hiring a nanny, but you know Ariana.  She’s not going to just hire some stranger.  If I can hint to her that this person is reliable and trustworthy, Ari might actually agree to getting some help.”

 

“I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head, but I’ll call Des in the morning and ask.”

 

“Thanks man. Maybe we can have Des suggest it would be a good idea to hire someone.”

 

“You are such a pussy. Using my wife to do your dirty work so yours don’t rip you a new one.”

 

“Whatever. Now get the fuck out of my room, I’m going to bed.”

 

Matt set his glass on the coffee table with a roll of his eyes, too used to Jon’s sometimes nature to really be surprised about the abrupt dismissal.  He did, however, pause after pulling the door open, looking back at his brother.

 

“It’s been a fucking pleasure as always, Boss.  And just to let you know, my dick and I are heading back downstairs.”

 

Jon was unable to reply before the door slammed shut.