Ambulance I'm Calling You Now, Accidents Bring the House Down

“…I've got real big plans and such bad thoughts, I've got real big plans and such bad thoughts!” Josh belted into the microphone as the song closed, the final notes hung in the air only to be drowned out by the screams of the crowd. The boys relaxed from their positions, and took a step back either to grab a drink of water or tune their instruments for the next song. Josh, panting slightly harder than usual, clambered forward over his own cables and flicked it forward, putting the microphone back into it’s holster. Josh smiled out into the audience, squinting slightly, were the lights always this bright? This warm? He ran a hand through his hair, and teased the ends sweat soaked hair by ruffling it randomly. He blinked involuntarily a few times and focused on the hundreds of beaming faces gazing up at him.

“How’s everyone doing?” That always caused the crowd to respond eagerly, each person enthusiastic to express their opinion through various sounds. He laughed and then coughed, he still hadn’t caught his breath back. He shrugged off his jacket and threw it to the bottom of the stage. He revisited the urge to laugh when people tired to reach it.

“Hands off!” he warned them playfully, that caused another wave of cheering. The boys were almost ready behind him; he could hear Max strumming randomly. He was still really warm, he ran a hand over the back of his neck and dropped to pick up his water. He drank it, almost the entire bottle. He threw it out into the audience, gasping. A blond girl at the front caught it, a millions hands closed over the bottle. He was struggling to breathe. He took deeper and sharper breaths and leant against the stand.

“Who’s ready for another one?” They responded eagerly. He loved that sound, the crowd begging for them.

Someone aimed a kick to his left.

“Ow!” He grunted, the audience laughed, and turned to face Matt. “What?”

“Are you alright?” he asked, too quiet for everyone to hear. Josh nodded automatically, although he wasn’t all there, he wasn’t going to let the kids out there down.

“You all know this one, if you don’t... get the fuck out of here!” he teased to rounds of ‘woops’ and giggles. His guys started playing. The crowd went wild. It was a favourite after all.

“Keep your hands to yourself!” he sang, grasping the microphone tightly. His breath left him and he sucked it back in quickly, causing his head to spin. “And these lips belong to someone else, and you know that you, you’ll never get one in.” Josh staggered backwards pulling the microphone with him. He could feel his friends watching him carefully. He pulled it off by throwing himself forward into the next line. “Keep your lies to yourself, every lie I've heard from someone else, and you know that you'll never keep with it!” He paused for breath, sucking it in desperately. The crowd sang the next line for him. The lights changed and flashed but the heat didn’t leave him.

“Well I sussed you good, you knew I would!” they chanted as one.

“Oh haven’t you heard you’re just another mark on my shirt,” he joined in, now using the stand for support. “Another night and another girl, oh I taste so good, you knew I would…”
Josh closed his eyes and leant forwards to belt out the next line. “So who's keeping score on who is a whore?” He raised his hand and beat it in time with the lyrics. “With you by my side, that look your eye! I hope you know.”

Josh gritted his teeth brielfly, and pushed himself away from the mic stand, he tried to tell himself he was fine. He climbed over a wire and to the very front of the stage. “Go home and wash those jeans, 'cause theres dirt on the knees, yeah jealously doesn’t sit with me.” Bad move, his head spun madly, the heat of the lights beating down on him. He took a sharp breath. “You love, I love you too, below the waist I’ll start charging you, cause that’s just how the players play the game.” He had to stop there, he couldn’t breathe! The crowd carried on for him. It was the last sound he heard. The heat consumed him, his spinning head closed around him along with the darkness.

*

I raised my hand and I caught it! I caught the bottle! There was a struggle behind me as everyone tried to snatch it from me. I tugged it forwards and pulled it to my chest. Euphoria shot through me, I’d caught his bottle! Josh Franceschi’s bottle! And he’d looked right at me! The knowing sadness of my fan girl pleasure was drowned out by the high of the moment. Nothing could beat this right now, the night was fantastic! The atmosphere in the packed room was electric, it was easy to feel. My heart slammed against my chest, the bass pumping through my very core. To my right, pressed as tightly against the barriers as I was, were my two best friends. One wearing an expression of pure jealousy, the other excitement. It had taken us three hours to get here, six hours in the freezing cold in the queue to secure an excellent spot at the front, but it was worth it. Tonight was proving to be the best night of my life and you me at six were on fire!

“Who’s ready for another one?” Josh asked them. The room roared behind me and I jumped up with elation, my free hand raised. Then Matt kicked Josh who responded grumpily and the mass burst into joint laughter. Matt said something to Josh, his face concerned, and Josh shook it off with a nod. He turned back to face the room, he looked very pale, or was that the lights? Boy, the kid was sweating.

“You all know this one, if you don’t... get the fuck out of here!”

“WOOO!” I chorused with those around me. Then the opening rift to save it for the bedroom kicked in and the room erupted. Perfect. I jumped up, ignoring the pain as my stomach bashed into the metal pole.

“Keep your hands to yourself!” Josh sang, his voice sounded a tad shaky to my but I ignored it. Josh relaxed too quickly from the mic, like he’d been winded and his eyes shut tightly.
“And these lips belong to someone else,” he carried on. “And you know that you, you’ll never get one in.” Then Josh staggered, we all watched as his footing was lucky enough to miss a looped wire. I tore my eyes away from him to look around the room. Was there something wrong? Dan was oblivious to everything, his full focus on the drums. Chris, Matt and Max were all watching their singer very, very carefully. Josh shook his head and threw himself forwards, his left foot missing the microphone wire again. Lucky bastard. “Keep your lies to yourself, every lie I've heard from someone else, and you know that you'll never keep with it!” He stopped there and doubled over again, his eyes closed as he took an obvious deep breath.

“Well I sussed you good, you knew I would!” we all yelled.

“Oh haven’t you heard you’re just another mark on my shirt,” he kicked back in, his voice was wrong. He was panting, struggling to sing. The left side of his body sagged, using the microphone to hold the side up. I glanced desperately at the girls next to me, they seemed more oblivious than me. Jenny, my jealous friend was eyeing up the boy behind her who was jumping enthusiastically up and down. Sarah was frowning at the stage, her mouth was miming the words, the noise lost in her confusion. She looked at me; her face was a mirror of mine. Everyone raised their hands and punched the air. I looked back up, Josh was leading them “With you by my side, that look your eye! I hope you know.”

He seemed to have pulled himself together and climbed down the stage towards us. Everyone pushed forwards, the breath was knocked from me. “Go home and wash those jeans, 'cause theres dirt on the knees, yeah jealously doesn’t sit with me.” He sang to us, he voice croaked. We could hear his desperate gasp in the microphone. “You love, I love you too, below the waist I’ll start charging you, cause that’s just how the players play the game.” We carried on with the rest of the lyrics, Josh had stopped completely. He had frozen, his eyes balled up tight, his audible panting echoing through the room over the music. Then everything went wrong. We all knew what was going to happen before it did. We all held our breath in utter shock. Josh swayed on his feet for a total for two seconds before we knew he was out. He fell forwards and off the stage. It didn’t slow down like it did in the movies. The security guards had been oblivious the entire time and so he fell, head first, towards the ground. The crowd gasped and screamed in horror as the boy crashed to the ground. My heart stopped. Everyone pushed forwards again to get a better view. The security guards grasped what had happened and ran over to the unconscious Josh. The music stopped with protesting whines from the instruments as they cut off at bizarre notes, his boys ran forward, as far as their instruments would let them to look down over the stage. They all unhooked themselves and clumsily put their expensive guitars anywhere on the stage.

“Shit!” Max yelled and he jumped down off the stage. I looked at the height of the stage, it was a good 4-5ft, Max staggered to regain his balance. Chris jumped down next but the security wouldn’t let them near him. The crowd was silent, well the first few rows were, those that could see. Everyone else was crying to know what had happened. My mouth was dry and I wanted to cry. It was a horrible thing to watch. The way he fell replayed in my mind. He’d hit a speaker on his way down, his forehead had smacked against it. The guards backed up slightly to give him some breathing space. He was still out, his left arm was twisted awkwardly, a wire wrapped around it. The mic wire had wound it self around him somehow, it looked painful. Not so lucky bastard. Then my eyes dropped to his face. He was face down and there was blood pooling onto the floor. Blood. My stomach heaved. I looked quickly away. Those around me were staring in shock horror, the girl next to me was crying. Sarah’s hand was clasped tightly around her mouth and Jenny was white as a sheet. My fingers clenched and unclenched against the barriers. Dan and Matt had jumped down and watching anxiously as the security guards carefully rolled Josh over and onto his back. We found the source of the blood. There was a sizeable gash about his right eye; the blood ran all the way down his face and onto the floor. It was horrible. I blocked my nose, I really, really didn’t like blood. Cries and screams echoed around the room again as the new revelation washed over the crowd. The front row said nothing or even made a sound. Josh was lifted and taken away backstage. The rest of the band followed hastily after him. As soon the door swung shut the room burst into anxious cries. They watched their heroes walk away, one extremely injured.

*

They stood in silence. The four of them said nothing. An ambulance had been called but it was struggling to get her due to the awkwardness of their venue. Their tour bus was parked in the only available spot. The first aid woman of the venue was now examining their unconscious band mate. Dan was leant against the wall, his arms folded, frowning. Chris just stood there, looking down at Josh, he looked pale. Max was bouncing anxiously up and down on the spot, he couldn’t stay still. Matt just stood in the corner, looking extremely concerned. Josh was white; the rich blood stained his face and his white t shirt. The bold colour contrasted against the paleness off his skin. There was a thin layer of sweat masked over his face, giving him a clammy look. The cut on his forehead was still bleeding, badly.

“Trust the microphone to be Josh’s downfall,” Max whispered darkly. No one laughed.

“He didn’t trip,” Matt said. “He looked terrible.”

“I think he passed out. Didn’t you hear him? He was gasping and panting. He could barely stand up.” Chris muttered.

“Then why didn’t we stop?” Dan asked his tone annoyed, but it was more with him. He’d never blame any of them.

“I didn’t think he’d pass out,” Matt countered. “The boy’s too damn proud sometimes.”

“That was quite a fall,” Chris whispered. “It’s got to be 5 ft high. Did anyone see what he hit his head on?”

“No idea, floor?” Max suggested.

“No it’s too direct to be the floor,” the woman answered. They fell silent again.

*

The first thing he registered was pain, in lots of places. There was a searing pain on his forehead, like someone had kicked him and then shoved a bottle into his head. There was a shooting pain up and down his arm and his shoulder ached like fuck. His chest and ribs ached, so did his right knee and left palm. He opened his eyes.

“Shit!”

“Fuck sake!”

He blinked confused.

“What?” he asked. His voice was weak. His four boys were standing over him, all of them looked relieved. “What happened?”

“You passed out,” Dan answered simply.

“And fell…”

“Off the stage,” Chris finished for Matt.

“Head first,” Max finished for all of them.

“Shit,” Josh responded. That’s why he was in pain. His eyes passed over the room behind his friends. He noticed the cluttered tables and the smell. They were in their dressing room. “We’re still at the concert? You douche’s, why didn’t you take me to hospital?” His tone was still playful.

“We would have, your highness, but they can’t get here,” Max responded.

“You’re okay though, Valerie said,” Chris said.

“Who?”

“The on-hand first aider. She says you’ve got mild concussion. Now you’re awake we can move you properly.”

They all looked desperate to leave.

“And get me to the hospital?” he asked, one eyebrow raised.

“Yes!” Matt pointed towards the door.

*

The night glared down at us, the cold air sending fresh shivers through everyone in the group. Just over half the concert had stayed behind to see if Josh was okay. We were all grouped around the back door, huddled together and talking worriedly about the events of the night.

“No ambulance did you notice?” a girl behind me said. “That must mean he’s okay.”

“Or dead.” We all turned to glare, horror struck at the girl.

“What?” she responded under the stares. “It’s possible.”

“I can’t believe it!” I hissed to Sarah. My night had taken such a dramatic down turn. I felt sick, my stomach was twisted uncomfortably. I’d never been more worried about someone in my life. No one had entered or left the building. No paramedics, no you me at six. None of us were moving until we knew something. Several people had their phones out, spreading the gossip or checking the lad’s twitter sites for any updates. I chewed my lip nervously as I gazed at the backdoor, waiting.

*

It was absolutely freezing. I mean, we’d all dressed for a concert, a night of jumping and sweating. Only the odd few were wearing hoodies, the rest of us were in just t shirts and jeans, many in shorts or skirts. It had been warmer earlier today; when we’d queued we were all fine in our clothes. It was night, the sky was clear and there was a slight breeze. This was Britain after all, we were freezing!

“It’s getting late,” Sarah said through chattering teeth as she glanced down her mobile. I looked over at her phone; eleven.

“We should really go,” Jenny muttered. I glanced around, no one had moved. None of us really wanted to go. It had been just under an hour since he’d fallen off the stage.

“I don’t understand why there’s been an ambulance called!” a girl protested behind me. On cue, a blaring blue light lit up faces as the ambulance parked behind the tour bus.

“Shit,” a boy hissed. “Must be bad.”

No one else said anything as two paramedics jumped out and headed towards the throng of people. We parted to allow them easy access.

“You should all go home,” one of them shouted over his shoulder as he vanished through the door.

“Like hell.”

“PFFFT!”

I smiled weakly at the protests around me.

*

“Can you walk?” Valerie asked wearily. She looked uncertain, like the rest of the room.

“Man, you don’t look too good,” Max commented.

“I wonder why.” Josh rolled his eyes, his tone thick was sarcasm, but he really didn’t feel up to much. His arm and head hurt like fuck, he had a blinding headache and his vision was slightly blurry. He sat up gingerly, everyone held their breath, and he strongly resisted the urge to throw up. Everyone’s head, except Josh’s, snapped up at the sound of the door entered.

“Thank god,” Chris breathed as the two paramedics entered the room. Josh ignored them; he was too busy focusing on getting his vision right. He looked up at the men leaning over him. One gently examined his gash. They questioned the band for a while to find out what had happened whilst they examined Josh over.

“I’m fine,” he murmured as he sat up further, he winced and cried out when his arm protested. He didn’t need to look at them to know his friends were exchanging sceptical glances.

“Josh, let’s just get you out of here,” Dan said anxiously. He wasn’t going to argue, he let the paramedics help him to his feet. He swayed a bit but remained upright. He took a few steps and was fine, if a bit unsteady. A paramedic fastened his arm to his chest using a sling. Josh bit his lip hard to stop from crying out.

“Hey, what was wrong with you earlier? Before you passed out I mean?” Matt asked curiously. Josh thought about it for a moment. He’d been fine before the show, no sign of any illness.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I was fine today, you saw me in sound check.”

“We’ll test you,” one of the paramedics stated.

“Test me?” he asked.

“For fast acting viruses, signs of drink spiking, you know,” the paramedic answered. “Sometimes it can be down to lack of sleep or dehydration but we’ll check anyway.”

“Shit,” echoed around the room. Josh ignored them, he was focusing on his day. Had he left a drink unattended? How much had he drank today? How late out were they last night?

“Come on,” he muttered as he took a few step forwards again. He could walk fine but one of the paramedics grabbed under his arm. Max and Matt ran ahead of him and lead the way down the corridor towards the exit door.

“You may want to wait a moment and send security out, there’s a massive crowd out there,” one of the paramedics warned.

“Seriously?” Josh asked, surprised. Max disappeared to find someone.

“How many?” Dan asked.

“One hundred?”

“Wow!”

“Fuck!”

“They stayed behind? Ahh, I bet we ruined their night, we only got to ‘save it for the bedroom’ we had another...” He paused to count. “Six songs to get through.”

“You mean, you ruined their night,” Matt teased. Max returned with a few security guards and they exited the building. Cries and talking escaped through the door and flooded into the hall way. Josh couldn’t believe it, unsupported he hurried towards the door. He opened it using his good arm and froze in shock. Almost the entire concert was out there.

“Talk about dedication,” Matt whispered behind him. Every eye outside locked on them, each face strained and concerned.