wear your heart on your sleeve

Luke couldn’t remember anything that had happened. He couldn’t remember the light rig falling. He couldn’t remember the stage collapsing. He couldn’t remember being knocked unconscious for fifteen minutes while stage crew and venue staff panicked, and he certainly couldn’t remember being put into the back of an ambulance and taken to the hospital, the paramedic calling the most recent caller in Luke’s phone — Laelia.

Geneva had been spending the evening rearranging the house with various Christmas decorations. She had promised Michael that she would save the tree until last, seeing as it was their tradition every year to decorate it together. Still, Geneva smiled proudly at the sight of the living room, going to stroke the cat that was perched happily on the window sill. But when her phone rang with Michael’s number, Geneva smiled and answered, but her heart sank with the words she was told. There had been accident at the venue at Michael was injured.

Laelia was curled up on the sofa with Petunia, stroking the dog’s fur as she sipped at a mug of hot cocoa. It'd been a long day of decorating the house, and she couldn't wait for Luke to get home so she could use his height to their advantage to get the star on the tree. When her phone rang, though, she reached for it, grinning when she saw Luke's name, and answered the phone. “Hey, babe, how'd the show -” she started before pausing when an unfamiliar voice began to speak, informing her Luke had been in an accident at the venue, that he was injured, and what hospital he was being taken to. Her eyes watering, her hands shaking, she'd nearly dropped her mug, but she quickly stood up and went to set the mug where Petunia couldn't get it before she rushed off to go to her car to drive to the hospital Luke was being taken to.

After the accident, Michael had found himself waking up in the ambulance, only for a few moments, in and out. He couldn't remember what had happened, he wasn't even sure what had happened. Each time he became conscious, he was left with the same confusion, the same fear of the unknown, and he tried not to panic, unsure of why he was in so much pain. The last time he'd come to, he was being taken out of the ambulance and he could hear the paramedics and doctors rushing him through hallways, the lights above his head passing quickly. He couldn't focus, not on anything, and it made things all that much more difficult to really process what was going on. After he'd been placed in a room, he could feel himself slipping off again, his eyes drifting closed and he fell unconscious again.

Geneva had tried to collect herself as much as she could, but she found it near impossible. Making sure South had food and water down, Geneva, with shaking hands, grabbed her jacket, slipping her phone into the pocket of her jeans as she wiped her tears away. Michael, her Michael, was hurt, and Geneva felt the anxiety, the worry that was building up in her chest. Still, she grabbed her car keys, making her way to the loyal little Beetle sat in their driveway. Climbing into the drivers seat, Geneva started the engine, making the journey to the hospital that the paramedic had informed her Michael was being taken to. The journey was a short one, admittedly, Geneva had probably broken a few speed limits, but she didn't care. Seeing a crowd of people outside the hospital, Geneva swore under her breath as she parked her car and exited the car, seeing Laelia's car not far from hers. Relief flooding through her, Geneva began hoping her best friend was still there. Geneva tapped the car's rear window, her hands still shaking as she wiped her face with the sleeve of her jacket.

Ashton exited the hospital after being checked over by a couple of Doctors and nurses, wiping tears from his eyes, rolling his eyes as he was greeted by the crowds of paparazzi, flashing cameras and raised voices, all trying to get his attention. Turning to make sure Calum was still beside him, Ashton made his way through the crowd, noticing Geneva's and Laelia's cars, his heart sinking with the thought that their boyfriends - his best friends - were in there, fighting for their consciousness, and he and Calum had gotten away with barely a scratch. "Cal!" He called, hinting subtly towards the cars.

Laelia jumped slightly, startled when she heard the tap, but she quickly swiped at her eyes, trying to reign in her emotions before she climbed out of the car. She couldn’t bring herself to say anything, but she quickly moved around to her friend, wrapping her arms around Geneva tightly, certain her friend was going through similar emotions. “God, I can’t believe this is happening,” she whispered, her voice breaking slightly, because she didn’t know what condition Luke was in. “Are you okay?”

Calum scrubbed roughly at his face, wiping away his tears, processing everything that had happened. He and Ashton had been lucky, he knew that, but his concern for their other friends made his heart twist with concern. He did his best to ignore the crowds but, seeing Ashton motioning towards the cars, he spotted the girls and nodded. The least they could do was help get the girls into the hospital without the paparazzi blocking them or making things harder. “Come on,” he quickly said before he made his way over to the girls, wanting to do whatever he could to help them.

Geneva wrapped her arms around Laelia, trying to keep her own emotions at bay as she listened to Laelia's words. "I know," she murmured, her own voice broken and full of concern for Michael, and the worst part was the not knowing - she didn't know if her boyfriend was alive or dead or hurt or what. "I'm so scared, Laelia, I just..." Geneva swallowed the lump in her throat. "Are you okay?" But when she heard a pair of voices, Geneva turned to look, grateful to see Calum and Ashton. "Oh, thank God." She murmured. "Are you two okay? Is there any word on Michael? Or Luke?"

Ashton pushed his dyed red curls from his face, quick to make his way past the crowds of flashing cameras and raised voices, annoyed that the vultures would be so quick to act when Michael and Luke were inside, struggling. Ignoring the rage burning within the pit of his stomach, Ashton followed Calum quickly. Hearing Geneva's questions, Ashton shook his head, wrapping his arms around the girls and holding them tightly. "They're not conscious." Ashton murmured. "But we don't know the extent of the damage until they wake up." He sniffled, clearly distraught. "I'm so sorry, girls, this -" Ashton's voice broke. "It was a freak fucking accident."

Calum shook his head slightly, his heart breaking for the girls, and for their friends, because he knew this had to be hard. “Let’s get you two inside, okay?” he said quietly, certain the last thing the girls needed was to have to deal with the paparazzi.

Laelia listened quietly to the boys, but she could feel herself panicking slightly, her eyes watering with the knowledge that Luke hadn’t woken yet. Her heart ached for her boyfriend, wondering how serious the accident had been, but she was too afraid to ask about it. “They’ll be okay, right?” she asked, looking between Calum and Ashton, her heart pounding in her chest, “I mean, they have to be okay, right? They have to…” Her voice broke and she swallowed hard.

"Get away, vultures." Ashton shoved past paparazzi to help make a path for Laelia and Geneva, protective of the two he considered to be like his sisters, his heart breaking for the little family that had built up since 5 Seconds of Summer had hit the mainstream. "Fuckin' assholes." Ashton murmured, ignoring the flashes of cameras as he lead Laelia and Geneva inside, where it was warm and they could see the damage caused to Luke and Michael. "It's touch and go right now," he looked over his shoulder with a sympathetic gaze. "C'mon."

Geneva swallowed hard as she heard Ashton say that Michael and Luke were in a touch and go condition, staying to Calum and Laelia's sides, chewing her lip nervously. Inside the hospital was Michael - her Michael - hurting and unaware of his condition, and the possibility, the reality, was that he could get worst as the night progress. "Oh god." Geneva whimpered, unsure if she was ready to see how Michael looked. Looking to Laelia, Geneva moved closer. "I dunno if I can do this, Lae."

Calum did his best to help the girls inside, though he looked to the girls, concerned, worried, wanting to be hopeful, for their sakes, and for their friends’. “I’m sure they’ll make it through,” he told them quietly.

Laelia blinked when she heard Geneva, and her gaze went to her friend, watching her for a moment before she moved to hug her tightly. “I know, Gen,” she murmured quietly, “But we have to, okay? They need us right now, they need us to be strong for them, alright?”