Jaded by Bright Colors and Faded Walls

Opening his eyes the dim lights made the details of the room harder to see. The pungent smell of bleach, plastic, and dirty eggs filled his nose. Coughing he turned his head to the side.

“Sisky get your feet out of my bunk.” He grumbled lightly, knowing the smell of dirty eggs as Sisky’s feet or socks. “Sisky!” He barked. Groaning as his hand slowly lifted, he lowered it at the heavy weight to it. Taking deep breath he turned his head and slowly lifted his head looking down at his brick heavy hand.

“William?” Letting his head fall back and to the side he stared at Michael. “How ya feelin’ mate?” Michael asked gently.

“Why is there a needle in my hand?” William asked gently. Michael licked his lips nervously.

“You’re…you’re in the hospital.” Michael stuttered out nervously. William’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “You had your head beat in mate.” He whispered gently.

“What…to my what?” William whispered. His head pounding as he tried to process what was going on around him.

“You don’t remember?” Shaking his head, William stared at the ceiling at a lost.

“How long have I been out?” William took notice to the heavy scratch to his voice as he spoke.

“About three days, but you were with us the day after it happened for at least four days. Then you kinda passed out…” Michael stated truthfully. Watching his friend closely he tried to gauge William’s reaction. He couldn’t tell if he was reflecting or simply trying to see the objects above him. “William…” Michael asked gently.

“Who would want to smash my head in?” William mumbled, clearly confused.

“It wasn’t your head he was going for…yours just happened to be in the middle…” Michael whispered. Rubbing his chin he bit his bottom lip, hoping he didn’t have to say it.

William closed his eyes.

“What?” He whispered.

“Hey! Look who’s up!” Lifting his head William groaned at the pain shooting down his neck. “Easy buddy easy.” Butcher laughed as he, Sisky and Mike entered the room. Tony and William’s family sat around the room asleep.

“I’m going to go tell Dan.” Mike nodded at Michael. Nodding back Michael licked his lips.

“What about Dan? Why do you have to tell Dan?” William whispered.

“He’s watching Jade, he wants to know what you know about what happened.” Sisky stated while poking William Sr. with a set of chop sticks.

“What?” William whispered.

Slowly Michael’s words instantly clicked.

“Oh fuck.” He groaned as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. His heart monitor began screaming wildly as it began beating rapidly, while his blood presser spiked, and breathing became shallow.

“Whoa!” Butcher and Michael yelled as William began coughing wildly as he fell back into bed. Sisky leaned out the sliding glass door as he screamed for a nurse.

“What happened to Jade?” William coughed out. His heart beating wildly in his chest, his lungs burning as his head suddenly grew light.

“Same thing that happened to you.” Butcher stated, finger pointed in William’s face. “And stay down!” He teased strictly, a smile etched on his face.

“How bad?” William cried. Nurses rushed into the room trying to get him into calm down and fix what was going on.

“We’re turning up his morphine.” A nurse stated. William’s head swiveled around quicker than it ever had in his life.

“My what…no.” He barked.

“It’ll make you feel better.” She stated. William shook his head.

“What’s wrong with jade!” He yelled at her. The woman blinked at him confused by the sudden out burst from her head trauma patient.

“She’s fine.” William turned to look at the tall blonde in the doorway. “She’s fine.” He stated simply as he entered the room. “Now lay down and take your medicine like a good little boy.” He teased.

“She’s really okay?” William whispered. Smiling Dan nodded. A sense of deep relief washed over William as he suddenly as he relaxed, willingly, back into his bed.

“Do you know what happened?” Dan asked as Michael moved to give Dan his chair. “You’re fine.” Dan stated, waving a hand at the tall aussie of a man. William shook his head still confused. “About a week Jade’s father showed up at the show. Jade had just gotten off stage and went to get you from the back room for your set, it seems,” Dan licked his lips. “He must have followed her. He had a bat. We heard her scream over the crowd.” Dan sighed as he pushed his hair from his face, staring straight into William’s eyes. William swallowed. “By the time we got there we found you have her, him standing over you with a bat. Both of you bleeding from your heads. It looks like you may have forced yourself between them to save Jade.” He stated as William nodded slowly.

“So I got the worse of it?” William whispered. Dan shrugged.

“It’s hard to tell.” Dan stated as he crossed his arms. “It really is.” He stated. William nodded.

“Oh my baby” Dan closed his mouth as William’s mother and sister attacked the tall man.

“I’ll come back.” He whispered over at Mike. Nodding Mike patted him on the shoulder.

Sighing Dan traveled down the brightly lit hallways of the ICU. The room he was headed for was clear as day to him. The tan colored curtain drawn, the lights were dimmed on the other side of them making the room look more dreary than the one next to it with a whole crying family in it.

Pushing the glass door open he stepped inside and closed it behind him.

“Hey Dan.” Snorting at the voice from beyond the curtain he shook his head.

“How’d you know it was me?” Dan asked as he stepped past the curtain looking at the only two sitting awake. They were both huddling in the dark corner, wrapped in each other’s arms.

“You have a very dreary and uptight aura to your steps.” Albert smiled at him.

“You’re shoes.” Jake stated pushing the other man lightly. Laughing softly Dan nodded.

His smile vanished the second his eyes landed on the bed. Under the dim lights she looked like a doll with her strings cut. The wire running off her to the different bags, and machines were slack giving her actual strings. A blue cover over her mouth with a small plastic bag to it showed and helped her breath; the tube running down her throat could be place through the odd shape running down the middle of her throat. Her eyes were closed and old blood was still matted in her hair just beyond the large white, and slightly pink, bandages.

“I hate lying.” He whispered gently while pressing the nurse button. It only took seconds for a nurse to enter the room. “Can you change her head bandages, they’re turning pink.” He stated pointing at them. Nodding the nurse left to get the items.

“What’d you lie about?” Albert asked gently, watching Dan closely.

“That William got the worst by being in the middle.” Dan whispered as he feel into the empty he’d been occupying for nearly a week.

“Can’t really get the worst if you’re not the target.” Albert whispered truthfully.

“Or if you get knocked out before someone gets there to help.” Jake grumbled. Albert spun around and began swatting at him. “It’s true.” Jake gasped trying to defend himself self from his better half.

Dan looked away from the fighting couple to the small woman hidden under a mile of wires, tubes, iv’s and thin white sheet with old blood stains on it.