Wake Me Up Forgotten Faces
..Twenty Seven..
"Are you okay sweetie?" Matt asked, standing behind Val and placing his large hands on Val's stomach.
"Just a bit sickly," His wife replied, leaning her head back against his chest. They were back on the bus again for the 3 dates before New Years.
"It's just being on a moving bus," Michelle said sympathetically as she ruffled her twins hair. Because she had time off over Christmas she had decided to join the tour until their 3 days off over New Years; still under the assumption that Brian and Emily were engaged. She watched as Emily laughed at something Brian whispered in her ear. She rolled her eyes as the normal wave of hurt passed through her body.
"Hey Chelle!" Emily called to her across the bus' living room with a wave.
"Oh hey Emz," She replied with a small, uneasy smile. The only free bunk was below then and she wasn't looking forward to sleeping underneath the happy couple.
"Me and Gena were gunna go check Atlanta out. Val, Leana and Lacey are gunna help with the merch but you can come if you like?"
Michelle shook her head "Sorry hun but I think I'll stay and look after my sister."
*
"Come on Emz!" Gena called in impatience from outside the bus.
"I'll miss you," Brian pouted as Emily unlaced their fingers.
"I'll miss you too but you'll be doing your millionth hour sound check," Emily replied with a soft smile, quickly kissing him.
"Have fun!" Brian called after her as she ran to catch up with her cousin, leaving him alone in the bus. He ran a hand through his dark hair as he turned, bumping straight into Michelle "Ooh, sorry," He smiled.
"It's no problem," She replied, placing her hands on his chest, allowing them to slide up until they were resting behind his neck - her fingers playing with his hair.
"Chelle? What're you..."
"Brian, you talk too much," She whispered, closing the distance between their lips.
"Hey baby, I forgot my..." Emily's sentence trailed off as the scene unfolded properly before her eyes. Michelle - one of her only girl friends - was kissing Brian. Her Brian.
"Emily!" Brian exclaimed, pushing Michelle away from him and spinning round, his heart breaking slightly when he saw the tears roll down her face. "It's not what it looks like!"
"Why lie Brian?" She cried slowly backing up "I thought I could trust you..."
"You can! I-"
"Y-you're just as bad as...as...him!" She added, the pain in her heart much worse than any pain Alan had ever inflicted on her.
"Em, please don't say that," He begged, his own tears glistening his eyes.
"Just...leave me alone," She sobbed, she pulled her ring off her finger and threw it at his feet before turning on her heel and running out of the bus.
Her went to run after her but Michelle grabbed his hand and pulled him back "Just leave her to it Bri."
Bending down and retrieving the ring he turned his back on her, climbing into his bunk "Fuck you Chelle."
*
"Are you sure you want to be here?" Gena asked softly as both her and Emily set up camp on Zach's side part way through A7x's set.
"Yeh," She breathed, keeping her eyes on her hands "I just wanna see my last concert before I leave."
Gena placed an arm around her cousin, she'd be leaving with Emily first thing in the morning - the only one who had been told about what had happened. "Are you sure you're okay?" She asked as Emily nervously shifted from foot to foot.
At that moment the younger girl finally allowed herself to look up regretting it as soon as she had when she spotted Michelle stood proudly on Brian's side. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I don't know Gee," She sighed once more, the pain increasing in her chest when she allowed herself to look at Brian. he was sat down in the chair he no longer needed, his eyes concentrated on the guitar he was playing, his posture slumped. "Am I doing the right thing? Am I-"
Her sentence was cut off by a loud bang, the crowd no longer screaming for their idols but in fear.
A gunshot.
"Everybody take cover!" Matt shouted, panicked, down the microphone as he rushed to Val's side.
Brian jumped to his feet, fear showing in his body as he anxiously glanced round until his eyes met Emily's "EM! Run!" He shouted waving frantically.
Another shot rang out and Brian jumped, blood flying as he fell to the floor.
"NO!" Emily screamed, Gena caught her around the waist as she went to run on stage "BRIAN! No! Not again!" She tore out of her cousin's grasp and ran towards him.
"Emily no!" Brian shouted, clutching at his right arm "It just clipped me! RUN EMZ!"
"I'm not leaving you Brian I-" Her sentence was stopped and her eyes became wide as - just after the third gunshot rang out her right side exploded with pain.
"Emz?" He whispered as her face paled, as she collapsed next to him fear ran cold as ice through his veins when he saw the blood pulsing from her body. Acting on impulse and ignoring the pain in his arm he ripped off his Iron Maiden hoodie and gathered her small frame up in his strong arms - the hoodie wedged tightly between his body and her wound. Crawling along so the gunman couldn't see them he rested her at the side of the stage.
"Emily?" He asked, kneeling in front of her slumped body as she groaned in pain "Can you hear me Emmey?" He asked, applying more pressure to her wound "Don't leave me okay? You promised remember, you promised you wouldn't leave."
She groaned again, allowing her head to flop onto her shoulder as her eyes flickered from open to shut.
"Please Em, stay awake. For me?" He pleaded, glancing around him. The gunman could still be in the venue and they were so easy to find.
He had to get her out.
*
"Let. Me. In!"
"I'm sorry Ms...?"
"Paulhus."
"Ms. Paulhus but we are not allowing members of the public back into that building until we are positive its secure!" The policeman warned Gena as Zach tightened his grip on her.
"But my cousins in there!" Gena screeched, tears of worry escaping her eyes.
"And my best friend," Zach added, his own worry showing in his voice.
The officer sent them a sympathetic glance "We're doing the best we can."
"BRIAN!" Gena suddenly screamed as a tall, muscular figure emerged from one of the fire doors, clutching a lifeless looking body. Both her and Zach ran over to him, horrified looks on their faces when they saw Emily "No..." Gena moaned, her tears flowing more frequent as she softly stroked her cousin's hair.
"She'd not dead Gee," Brian said in his usual stubborn tone. He knelt down and softly placed her on the ground, his strong hands pressing his jacket even harder against her side as Zach ran to get help.
Gena choked back a sob as she ran her fingers through Emily's long dark locks. "Will she-"
"She'll be fine," Brian cut in, unable to take his eyes off the pained look on Emily's face "She'll be fine," He repeated, sounding like he was convincing himself more than anyone.
"Okay, help is here," Two paramedics announced as they knelt down beside Emily's limp body. They worked quickly and soon Brian felt Emily be pulled away from him.
"Where are you taking her?" He demanded following the hospital trolley they were wheeling her away on, Zach and Gena close behind.
"The hospital, don't worry she's in good hands," One of the Paramedics assured him, he winced as she rested a comforting hand on his arm "Mr-?"
"Haner."
"Mr. Haner I think you should get checked out yourself," The paramedic said in concern "One of our colleagues will bring you to the same hospital as Emily."
With that she climbed into the back of the ambulance, slamming the doors shut and speeding out of sight.
"Just a bit sickly," His wife replied, leaning her head back against his chest. They were back on the bus again for the 3 dates before New Years.
"It's just being on a moving bus," Michelle said sympathetically as she ruffled her twins hair. Because she had time off over Christmas she had decided to join the tour until their 3 days off over New Years; still under the assumption that Brian and Emily were engaged. She watched as Emily laughed at something Brian whispered in her ear. She rolled her eyes as the normal wave of hurt passed through her body.
"Hey Chelle!" Emily called to her across the bus' living room with a wave.
"Oh hey Emz," She replied with a small, uneasy smile. The only free bunk was below then and she wasn't looking forward to sleeping underneath the happy couple.
"Me and Gena were gunna go check Atlanta out. Val, Leana and Lacey are gunna help with the merch but you can come if you like?"
Michelle shook her head "Sorry hun but I think I'll stay and look after my sister."
*
"Come on Emz!" Gena called in impatience from outside the bus.
"I'll miss you," Brian pouted as Emily unlaced their fingers.
"I'll miss you too but you'll be doing your millionth hour sound check," Emily replied with a soft smile, quickly kissing him.
"Have fun!" Brian called after her as she ran to catch up with her cousin, leaving him alone in the bus. He ran a hand through his dark hair as he turned, bumping straight into Michelle "Ooh, sorry," He smiled.
"It's no problem," She replied, placing her hands on his chest, allowing them to slide up until they were resting behind his neck - her fingers playing with his hair.
"Chelle? What're you..."
"Brian, you talk too much," She whispered, closing the distance between their lips.
"Hey baby, I forgot my..." Emily's sentence trailed off as the scene unfolded properly before her eyes. Michelle - one of her only girl friends - was kissing Brian. Her Brian.
"Emily!" Brian exclaimed, pushing Michelle away from him and spinning round, his heart breaking slightly when he saw the tears roll down her face. "It's not what it looks like!"
"Why lie Brian?" She cried slowly backing up "I thought I could trust you..."
"You can! I-"
"Y-you're just as bad as...as...him!" She added, the pain in her heart much worse than any pain Alan had ever inflicted on her.
"Em, please don't say that," He begged, his own tears glistening his eyes.
"Just...leave me alone," She sobbed, she pulled her ring off her finger and threw it at his feet before turning on her heel and running out of the bus.
Her went to run after her but Michelle grabbed his hand and pulled him back "Just leave her to it Bri."
Bending down and retrieving the ring he turned his back on her, climbing into his bunk "Fuck you Chelle."
*
"Are you sure you want to be here?" Gena asked softly as both her and Emily set up camp on Zach's side part way through A7x's set.
"Yeh," She breathed, keeping her eyes on her hands "I just wanna see my last concert before I leave."
Gena placed an arm around her cousin, she'd be leaving with Emily first thing in the morning - the only one who had been told about what had happened. "Are you sure you're okay?" She asked as Emily nervously shifted from foot to foot.
At that moment the younger girl finally allowed herself to look up regretting it as soon as she had when she spotted Michelle stood proudly on Brian's side. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I don't know Gee," She sighed once more, the pain increasing in her chest when she allowed herself to look at Brian. he was sat down in the chair he no longer needed, his eyes concentrated on the guitar he was playing, his posture slumped. "Am I doing the right thing? Am I-"
Her sentence was cut off by a loud bang, the crowd no longer screaming for their idols but in fear.
A gunshot.
"Everybody take cover!" Matt shouted, panicked, down the microphone as he rushed to Val's side.
Brian jumped to his feet, fear showing in his body as he anxiously glanced round until his eyes met Emily's "EM! Run!" He shouted waving frantically.
Another shot rang out and Brian jumped, blood flying as he fell to the floor.
"NO!" Emily screamed, Gena caught her around the waist as she went to run on stage "BRIAN! No! Not again!" She tore out of her cousin's grasp and ran towards him.
"Emily no!" Brian shouted, clutching at his right arm "It just clipped me! RUN EMZ!"
"I'm not leaving you Brian I-" Her sentence was stopped and her eyes became wide as - just after the third gunshot rang out her right side exploded with pain.
"Emz?" He whispered as her face paled, as she collapsed next to him fear ran cold as ice through his veins when he saw the blood pulsing from her body. Acting on impulse and ignoring the pain in his arm he ripped off his Iron Maiden hoodie and gathered her small frame up in his strong arms - the hoodie wedged tightly between his body and her wound. Crawling along so the gunman couldn't see them he rested her at the side of the stage.
"Emily?" He asked, kneeling in front of her slumped body as she groaned in pain "Can you hear me Emmey?" He asked, applying more pressure to her wound "Don't leave me okay? You promised remember, you promised you wouldn't leave."
She groaned again, allowing her head to flop onto her shoulder as her eyes flickered from open to shut.
"Please Em, stay awake. For me?" He pleaded, glancing around him. The gunman could still be in the venue and they were so easy to find.
He had to get her out.
*
"Let. Me. In!"
"I'm sorry Ms...?"
"Paulhus."
"Ms. Paulhus but we are not allowing members of the public back into that building until we are positive its secure!" The policeman warned Gena as Zach tightened his grip on her.
"But my cousins in there!" Gena screeched, tears of worry escaping her eyes.
"And my best friend," Zach added, his own worry showing in his voice.
The officer sent them a sympathetic glance "We're doing the best we can."
"BRIAN!" Gena suddenly screamed as a tall, muscular figure emerged from one of the fire doors, clutching a lifeless looking body. Both her and Zach ran over to him, horrified looks on their faces when they saw Emily "No..." Gena moaned, her tears flowing more frequent as she softly stroked her cousin's hair.
"She'd not dead Gee," Brian said in his usual stubborn tone. He knelt down and softly placed her on the ground, his strong hands pressing his jacket even harder against her side as Zach ran to get help.
Gena choked back a sob as she ran her fingers through Emily's long dark locks. "Will she-"
"She'll be fine," Brian cut in, unable to take his eyes off the pained look on Emily's face "She'll be fine," He repeated, sounding like he was convincing himself more than anyone.
"Okay, help is here," Two paramedics announced as they knelt down beside Emily's limp body. They worked quickly and soon Brian felt Emily be pulled away from him.
"Where are you taking her?" He demanded following the hospital trolley they were wheeling her away on, Zach and Gena close behind.
"The hospital, don't worry she's in good hands," One of the Paramedics assured him, he winced as she rested a comforting hand on his arm "Mr-?"
"Haner."
"Mr. Haner I think you should get checked out yourself," The paramedic said in concern "One of our colleagues will bring you to the same hospital as Emily."
With that she climbed into the back of the ambulance, slamming the doors shut and speeding out of sight.