Redesign the Broken

ME
The older of the two tended to think about the younger a lot.
It had just passed the two month mark, since the Australian girl moved countries and met Blue Eyes.

On occasion, they would refer to each other as “Blue Eyes” and “Blondie”, now that they’d found humour in her first words to him.
They’d spent most of those months together, sharing each others memories - Good and Bad - and on the sunniest of those days, Blue Eyes would take her out and show her around; each time taking her further and further out of the town centre (as she suggested on the day of their first outing) and on the rainiest of those days, Blondie would drag the boy from his apartment, to the back patio area of their building, and make him watch the rain with her.

She would make him think; tell him to dig deep and let his deepest, darkest emotions wash away as the rain cascaded onto and down their fully clothed bodies.
She would tell him to really, really think hard.
She would tell him that he shouldn’t be afraid of the rain and on the 43rd day of those two months, when the rain turned to hail and the sky lit up with strikes of electricity, he cried.

On the 43rd day, when his blue eyes spilled over with salty tears, his emotions became crystal clear.

On the morning of the 44th day, she left her apartment.
5 steps and 7 knocks later, she was listening closely, expecting to hear the heavy footsteps of the boy she was slowly falling for but they never came.

For 3 days, they never came.

By the 50th day, worry was a constant in the pit of the young girls stomach; scared that she had done something to provoke his anger, but she stopped knocking anyway.

Day 54 was when she realised how much it really hurt. As if her mentality wasn’t unstable enough, the silly crush that had formed just threw her about even more.

On the 56th day, the final day of those two months, the Australian girl had gone out and treated herself to some more items for her music room - a futile attempt to take her mind off of the musician she was becoming increasingly infatuated with. Ironic, right?

On the 56th day, that same girl was taken to hospital - Status: Critical.
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He saw the headline…

“7 DEAD, 18 WOUNDED IN GUILDFORD TOWN CENTRE SHOOTING”

He read he article… Or at least the start…

“A man has sent Surrey into lockdown when he opened fire at the Guildford Town Centre, killing 7 and wounding 18.
The man, aged in his early 30’s, entered the centre through the main entrance, screamed a string of profanities and then began shooting blindly in all directions, a witness said.
The families of the fallen have asked to keep the names anonymous.
The list of the wounded has been released:
Redd Kacie, 21.
Kaitlin Denzel, 14.
Quinton Gerry, 47.
Cece Bower, 31.
Jesse Francis, 24.
Joshua Haywood, 23.
Matthew Abbey, 15.
Katey Lewin, 27.
Pamella Brooks, 52.
Maria Jones, 33.
Gabrielle Jones, 11.
Sierra Lewis, 38.
Elsa McKinley, 79.
Stella James, 23.
Miles Johnson, 56.
Christal Julianne, 44.
Jen Godfrey, 37.
Arlo Graham, 68.

The worst of the injured, Stella James, was rushed to Frimley Park Hospital where she was stabilised for a short period of time until falling back into critical condition just 1 hour after arriving.
She suffered three bullet wounds: one to the upper right leg and two to the stomach.
Doctors are hopeful she will make a full recovery but until further notice, are concerned for her health.

As for the gunman, he was identified as Peter Baker. Baker, 32, is still on the run and a manhunt is underway.
Police have advised all people to stay indoors and lock all doors and windows, particularly around the centre area, as they have a feeling he remains in close proximity of the incident.”

He hoped, he prayed to the greater being above that the “Stella James” wasn’t his Stella.
He was kicking himself, hard, for not telling Stella he was leaving; that a small country-based tour, a string of in-store signings came up and he wouldn’t be back for 2 weeks.

He had two more days.

Nevertheless, the guys didn’t want to chance it.
Their tour manager, Rob, postponed the remaining shows until further notice and You Me at Six rushed back to Dan’s home.
Every second, even in his dreams, he was hoping to god that the Stella James listed in the papers, the Stella James laying critical in Frimley Park Hospital wasn’t the Stella James that lived across the hall from him.

He didn’t talk for the entire ride home.

After he practically screamed at Rob to get him home, he didn’t say a word.
Dan was too nervous to speak. He had this feeling that if he spoke, more than just words would spill out… Tears, sobs, sweat, vomit. Anything his body could conjure up, he was adamant that if he opened his mouth, it would end up in front of everyone.

And he was right.

The night the boys got back to Dan’s, Chris (being the most level-headed one at this point) ushered him to his bathroom and sat, rubbing his back in such a brotherly love, while Flint let the last of his energy spill into the toilet bowl.

Chris virtually dragged Dan’s almost lifeless body, with the help of Josh, to his bedroom.
Leaving the door open a small crack, he left Dan to try and catch some sleep, for in approximately 9 hours, You Me at Six + Rob would make the gut-wrenching journey to the hospital and hope for the best.
The best being that A) The lady at the front desk would let them through or B) The “Stella James” was not the Stella James that they were so worried about.

The boys knew, Josh specifically.
He saw the way Dan’s posture lifted, the way his eyes lit up just a little bit more when the infamous Stella was brought up.
Josh, despite that one night 2 months back, hadn’t met her. That night, he was too hung up on beating Matt at yet another game of Fifa along with drinking a whole lot of the alcohol that had appeared in Dan’s fridge.
Regardless, Josh knew what Dan was feeling. He felt it too.

His relationship with Abigail was a force to be reckoned with; a one-in-a-million pair that would fight for each other just as much as they would fight for themselves.
It was never Josh or Abigail, it was Josh and Abigail. They were a team. They were 100% in love and Josh was 100% positive that Dan was well on his way to being in the exact same position as he was.
And he was damn sure that he was going to make sure Dan didn’t bitch out and let her go, because that’s what brothers do; they push each other and break down their walls. They help each other get better.

On the morning of the hospital visit, it was soon found that none of the guys got more than 2 hours sleep. Dan, the worst affected by sleep deprivation, barely made it to the car without tripping over his own feet.

Arriving at the hospital was no better.
The newest reports said that “Stella James remains critical”.
Of course, that had to be the one thing Dan retained throughout the morning. The one fucking thing he focused on couldn’t have been something positive or uplifting, could it? Just his luck.
How Rob got them past the lady at the front desk, I will never know but they didn’t dwell on it.

Room 279

Dan was positive that those numbers would haunt him forever now.

As the nurse pushed open the door to her room, he lost it.
Josh, Max, Matt, Chris and Rob watched as Dan’s face paled and his whole body began to trembled.
Despite wanting to look away more than anything, Dan’s stupid brain couldn’t get his stupid eyes to look away from the girl laying critical in the hospital bed.
His jaw hung open slightly, tears stinging his tired eyes.

He barely heard the sound of his bandmates and tour manager frantically trying to grasp his attention, he barely registered the sound of the door opening and closing but he sure as hell heard the doctor say she was in a coma.

She was in a fucking coma, probably mad or upset at me because I left without telling her, now this fucking happens. Punch me in the face, repeatedly.

Josh asked the doctor for details as to when they think she would wake up, fixed on the hope that she would wake up any minute and break Dan from his spell but as the doctor sighed and cast his eyes downward, he knew.
He knew he would never get a definitive answer. Dan wouldn’t get a definitive answer.

Matt asked the same doctor if they were confident that she would wake up, but again, he just sighed, except this time he stole a glance at the pale boy standing next to the critical patient.

Max had asked, repeatedly, if there was anything more they could do, but all the doctor said was that they put her in the coma so her body could heal itself without the added stress and strain of being awake and that they had done all they could for her injuries.

Rob had simply thanked him for his efforts.

Chris had made the doctor promise to call as soon as anything changed, because he knew Dan wouldn’t, even though he would be here when it happened.
When the doctor asked what Chris meant, Dan spoke up.

Tearing his eyes away from the girl and speaking for the first time in approximately 49 hours, he turned to the doctor.
He asked, trying not to beg, if he could stay. He just wanted to stay.
He was sure he’d fucked up enough and if he couldn’t apologise and get a reply out of Stella, he wanted to be here when she woke up. He wanted to make sure that he was the first person she saw, so he could hold her; apologise profusely and just… Feel her with him, again.
Because, in actuality, he missed her.

Although the doctor was apprehensive and expressed that it wasn’t technically allowed, he let it happen. Dan let the ghost of a smile grace his lips and spun on his heel so he could sit by her bed, hand in hand until her eyes opened.

Turning to Josh again, the doctor asked if Dan had known her for long.
Josh explained that all of the boys, minus Rob, had known Stella for about 2 months, Dan had known her longer but only by a couple of days.
The doctor, who had not only earned the respect of Rob, Matt, Max, Chris and Josh but Dan as well, chuckled lightly, looking down at the linoleum floor.
When questioned by Matt as to why he was laughing, the doctor plainly stated that Dan was “in love and there was nothing he could do about it. He could deny it all he wants but one day, that boy will come to his senses and realise what he’s missing out on. I can guarantee that when he grasps that notion, he’ll pull her into his arms, smile down at her and kiss her before she has the chance to question his motives.”
The band proceeded to ask how he knew, to which he replied, “He reminds me of myself. It took me 18 months just to grasp the concept of loving my best friend but when I did, it was the best moment of my life. Now, my best friend and I are married with 2 children. 33 years on, we’re still best friends and still in love. That will be him, hold me to that if you wish.”

And with that, the doctor strode out of the small room, feeling a small tear break through the barrier and fall down his scruffy cheek.

All of the guys thought that Dan was too engrossed in keeping an eye on Stella to hear their conversation, but he did. He heard loud and clear.

He believed it.