Someone Get Me a Doctor, Someone Call the Nurse

(Maddie POV)

The last three months flew by, and each day began to blur into the next, broken only by my friends’ cheerful and fun get-togethers. As I trotted down the hallway to the next patient, I swallowed down my rising excitement. Tonight was the Thirty Seconds to Mars concert that I had been waiting for since Shannon told me about it, and my skin seemed to buzz with anxiety over it. All day, my mind had been filled with thoughts of what I was going to do, what I was going to say, etc. It was like being a teenager all over again, and I tried again to calm myself before stepping into the room.

Working at a hospital was a sobering situation for me, and as I looked down at the poor woman’s leg, I fought the urge to cringe. Her leg was swollen to about three times the normal size, and the skin looked like it was fit to burst. Sitting down on the rolling stool provided, I whipped out my pen and the standard blank files to be filled out.

“Mrs. Jenson, have you been in any accident, like a fall or crash?”

“No ma’am.” Puzzled, I continued to try and figure out why her leg was so swollen.

“Alright, well do you have arthritis?” She shook her head, and I crossed another question off the list. “Well, tell me what you have been doing in the last few weeks.” As the woman began to explain her whereabouts and activities, I began to eliminate diagnosis after diagnosis.

“Oh…I forgot to mention that I flew to Africa on vacation about a month ago!” Stopping the woman right there, I built a hypothesis in my mind.

“Did you by any chance go into the jungle or get bit by mosquitoes?”

“My friends and I were nearly eaten alive by the mosquitoes…why?” I stood up slowly, my idea slowly being confirmed.

“Mrs. Jenson, I think you may have contracted a parasite while there. I’m going to go get a few things to gather samples from you in order to confirm my diagnosis. Please wait here.” Ducking out of the room, I rushed to the nearest mini-lab and snagged a technician, pointing them down to the room with Mrs. Jenson. After 30 minutes and several microscope slides, my hypothesis was confirmed absolutely and I trekked down the hall to give the unfortunate, but fixable news.

“Mrs. Jenson, you seem to have contracted Wuchereria Bancrofti.”

“Will I be ok?” The woman looked understandably worried, and I smiled gently to ease her fears.

“You will be perfectly fine as long as you are treated now. I’m going to give you some medicine that will take care of the problem. Just be sure to follow the instructions absolutely.” I scribbled the woman’s prescription on a notepad and tore it off for her. She thanked me as I walked out the door, seemingly relieved. Noticing the time on a clock as I passed by it, my heart leaped in joy. My shift was over for the day, and I could now head home and get ready for the night’s festivities.

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Bodies pressed around me and I grinned widely as lights blinded me. It had taken me the two hours before show-time to finally choose an outfit and style my hair and makeup. I don’t know why I felt the need to get dressed up for a concert, but as butterflies filled my stomach and appreciative eyes glanced at me here and there, I felt like it was worth it. Tight jeans hugged my legs like a second skin down to my knees, where they flared softly around my converse-covered feet. My black and white pinstriped corset revealed a few inches of smooth skin before my studded belt and pants hid the flesh, fitting every curve. Around my neck dangled the horseshoe necklace Jared had given me, catching the lights whenever they flashed. My hair fell in soft waves that had taken nearly an entire can of hairspray to hold, the reddish brown color glowing green under the new wave of colored lights.

My ribs ached against the barricade as everyone pushed to get closer. The house lights dimmed and a roar went up from the crowd. It was time to go nuts. Letting myself go, I joined in the chaos as the first band came on and wowed the crowd. I jumped around with the people around me and my heart sang in joy. The music boomed out of the huge speakers and rocked the very foundations of the venue. Catching the eye of some guy beside me, I laughed and threw my hands in the air with everyone else. My only thoughts were on having a good time. As the band ended their set, I took a moment to try and cool off.

“Some band, huh?” I blinked up at the male beside me and nodded with a large smile.

“Yeah…they really got the crowd moving.” I brushed back the hair sticking to my neck, sure that it was already going flat.

“Who are you here to see?” Mentally rolling my eyes, I answered enthusiastically.

“Thirty Seconds to Mars of course. I think they’re absolutely amazing!” The guy nodded, his short dark hair nearly plastered to his skull with sweat.

“Me too…I can’t wait for them to come on.” As if on cue, the lights dropped and the triad symbol in the back of the stage lit up with pale white light. Sucking in a sharp breath, I felt my heart twist in some kind of sweet agony. Scanning the stage, I spotted Shannon already on drums and Tomo sneaking to the right side of the stage. With the whole area darkened, I was sure they couldn’t see me, so I refrained from frantically waving at the two males. Feeling like my chest was about to burst, I let my cheer echo with the crowd’s own roar.

Like a cat, Jared gracefully strutted his way onto the stage and snatched the mike. As he greeted the mass of people, I felt my vision tunnel briefly and gripped the metal barricade in front of me. The spotlight on Jared reflected off of every piece of metal on him. His black pants had numerous zippers on various places, giving him a punkish air. His white shirt had the sleeves cut off nearly all the way down his side, leaving holes large enough to see his muscles underneath. My smile grew to the point of being painful as I caught sight of the gloves I had given him. My stomach knotted as he looked out at the crowd. Would he see me?

“Hello Charlotte! I hope you all are doing wonderful tonight!” The crowd cheered in response, making him smile wider. Brushing back his brown hair, he stepped back and motioned for the start of their first song—The Kill. I grinned, my mind sinking away. It was so great to see him, and I vaguely wondered if it was normal for friends to feel as anxious as I did when they were meeting up for the first time in months. The music halted my thoughts, pumping through my veins and taking over my nervous system. Screaming the lyrics, I felt like time stood still. Song after song slid by until hours had passed since the start of the concert, and I began to feel disappointment rise in my chest as I realized the end was approaching.

“We’d like to dedicate this last song to someone very special to us. Without them, we would be lost.” As Jared walked over to the piano, recognition of whom he was referring to brushed my mind like gossamer wings, making my heart thud against my lungs. My favorite song started, and emotions flooded me too quickly to pick any singular one out. I swayed to the soft music and Jared’s angelic voice, feeling more alive than I had in awhile. The lights slowly flowed over the crowd, stopping right over the front section where I was along with numerous others. In the middle of singing, Jared’s icy blue eyes met mine and stayed, a smile breaking across his face like a wave.

So here we are, the witching hour
The quickest tongue to divide and devour
Divide and devour

If I could end the quest for fire,
For truth, for love and my desire
Myself

Singing with him and the whole crowd, I felt my heart squeeze tightly and fought the urge to close my eyes. Jared’s cool gaze remained on me still as he sang.

And I fell apart, but got back up again

Way, oh, way, oh
Way, oh, way, oh
Way, oh, way, oh
Way, oh, way, oh
Way, oh

I fell apart, I fell apart
I fell apart, I fell apart
I fell apart

But got back up again

“Thank you and goodnight!” He broke our eye contact and turned to leave the stage, disappearing behind the black curtain. Stomach tightening further, I stood in place as the people passed me by, waiting for more room to open up. Walking slowly, I worked my way to side-stage and leaned against a pole. Not sure why I was waiting or what for, I let my gaze wander the sea of faces. A sense of longing filled me, accompanied by the dismay of having to leave to head home. I happened to look up right as a large security guard walked up to me, looking deadly serious.

“Um…Yes?” Standing up straight, I met the man’s countenance with a brave face, attempting to be polite while nerves sent anxiety through me. Did I do something wrong?

“Mr. Leto requested that you are brought backstage. Follow me please.” Blinking in mild surprise, I trotted quickly after the large man’s wide gait. I hadn’t expected to see them directly after their concert, but I smiled with pleasant surprise as I entered the white and grey toned hallway. Directed into a black-doored room, the man shut the door, presumably to stand guard outside. Three smiling men greeted me by dragging me into a very sweaty group hug, pulling laughter from me as I was flooded with happiness.

“You guys were amazing! I’m glad you seem to be drinking more water, Shannon.” With a deep chuckle, said man ruffled my hair and sat down in the nearby chair with a huff.

“Of course I am. I wouldn’t go against doctor’s orders.” I laughed softly and turned toward Jared, trying not to notice his shirt clinging to him.

“You really were fantastic. Thank you for the dedication.” Feeling a blush creep across my cheeks, I distracted myself by brushing back some strands of hair. Jared’s smile widened impossibly and he gave me a one armed hug.

“I meant every word.” I ducked out from under his arm and leaned against the table near my left, stomach doing flips. Tomo sat in the other chair, munching on a sandwich of some sort. Shannon looked pointedly at him, stomach growling for all of us to hear.

“Hey, Tomo…where’d you get that at?” Gesturing to the door, he finished chewing before answering.

“Down the hall and around the corner. They have a table full of stuff to eat.” Shannon stood up and looked at Jared and I.

“You guys want anything?” I shook my head, not even remotely hungry. “Help me find it, Tomo!” I laughed as the poor man made a face, clearly wanting to just sit down and eat.

“Save me something!” As Jared walked over to the rack of clothes, I felt a bubble of apprehension rise in my gut. Muscles rippled as fabric disappeared, stealing all the moisture out of my mouth. Like a marble statue, Jared’s body was utter perfection, and my whole body heated up at the unexpected sight. “Man…I feel nasty.” Digging through the various other shirts, he failed to sense my awkwardness, and I found myself grateful for it. Numerous thoughts flickered through my mind, and each one was progressively worse than the one before it.

“So…did you guys have a good time?” Desperately trying to distract my thoughts, I attempted conversation.

“As always.” Grabbing a black shirt, Jared turned back to me, and my heart skipped a beat. “I’m really glad you could come tonight.” The smile softened on his face as he approached, the scent of sweat mingling with his own spicy musk in a not altogether unpleasant smell. “I’ve really missed you…” Smiling softly, I looked up into his face, his gaze melting my heart.

“I’ve missed you too. It feels like forever…” A strange expression flashed across his face, taking his handsome smile with it.

“I know.” Sighing heavily, he wrapped me up in another hug, squeezing me tightly. Sadness seeped into my veins while heat simultaneously blossomed in my chest at the contact between us. “I don’t want to leave again.” This confession shocked me—he lived for his fans. Feeling mildly selfish, but agreeing wholeheartedly, I nodded against his chest.

“I wish you could stay too…but your fans would call out a search party. They adore you.”

“Come with me…” As the words brushed across my ear, I felt Jared’s body tense up, as if he hadn’t meant to say it. I leaned back slightly, his arms preventing me from exiting the hug entirely. Blue eyes stared intently into my own, searching for something.

“Jare…” I hated this. My heart felt like it was breaking as his face fell, already knowing my answer. Chest tightening, I knew I didn’t want to say no and struggled for air.

“Please?” His voice cracked slightly under some emotion, and I felt all the worse for what I had to do. Seeming to fight an internal struggle, Jared opened his mouth a few times before finding his voice again. “I…Damn it!” His fist slammed against the wall behind me, and panic flooded my system as memories swamped my mind. As he turned away, I sank against the table and tried to master myself. “Maddie?” I looked up to see him facing me, his expression morphing into worry, and I waved him off.

“It’s nothing…” He lifted his arm slowly towards me, and ashamedly, I flinched. Realization dawned on him and horror twisted his face into an angry scowl.

“It is not nothing…You know I wouldn’t ever hit you.” Nodding, I lost my voice as shame filled me for my reaction. Of course he wouldn’t. My mind knew that, but my body reacted regardless. “Who did it?” Glancing to my feet, I let out a small mumble. “Maddie?”

“Jare…please don’t?” My voice was so tiny as I sank into myself. Sensing this he let it go and slowly approached me, wrapping solid arms around my waist.

“Ok…alright, Maddie.” Resting my head on his chest, I closed my eyes and let go of the tension in all my muscles. Only Jared could calm me so easily and so rapidly. “If I ever find him, I’ll kill him…” I felt the muscles under me tense up briefly and sighed.

“I got him pretty good after he did lay a hand on me. It’s just a stupid reaction really. Please don’t say anything?” Feeling him shift, I tilted my head and met his gaze.

“If that’s what you wish…” Nodding softly, I let a faint smile trace across my lips. Rough fingers brushed my cheek, and I leaned into the touch. “God…you are just so…” Blinking in confusion, I waited for him to finish, but he merely shook his head.

“Jare?” His sigh ghosted across my face.

“Nothing.” Giving me a lopsided grin, he stepped back and started to tug on the tee in his hand. “I like your outfit. Very…cute.” The last word was more of a question, like he wasn’t sure how I’d take it. I smiled at him, resisting the urge to smooth out the cowlick he gave himself.

“Thanks. I haven’t gotten to wear it in awhile.” Stepping up to me, he slid warm fingers across my collarbone, hooking the necklace and lifting it.

“I’m glad you’re still wearing this. It looks good on you.” I blushed slightly and smiled.

“Of course. It’s my favorite one.” It was his turn to smile as the door opened to reveal Shannon and Tomo, both carrying sandwiches and drinks. Stepping away again, Jared went to grab the food Tomo offered him, leaving me to stand by the table. Feeling my stomach flutter, I leaned back onto the edge of the table and watched the guys’ interactions. Oh how I’ve missed them.