Welcome to the Jungle

Catherine had stormed out of the RV after she and George had gotten into a heated argument while Anastasia slept soundlessly in the pack and play that Corey was letting Catherine borrow. Actually, he told her that she could keep it because he had no use for it. After Knotfest ended, Catherine would have no use for it either; she had a pack and play at home. As for the argument, it had been over the fact that she hadn’t left Anastasia with George’s mother, Terry. Catherine knew that George had a point, a music festival wasn’t the place for a newborn baby, but Corey had been touring with Slipknot when Anastasia was born, so he hadn’t been able to see her. And London hadn’t been able to see her either because she had been back in the UK with Matt. So Catherine had agreed with Corey to bring Anastasia to Knotfest with her.

She was in the process of storming over to Slipknot’s tour bus, to bitch about George to Corey, when the drummer for Bullet came running towards her. He doubled over, clearly out of breath, and panted a few times before straightening back up. “London just collapsed.” He said.

Catherine stared at him. “What?”

“She collapsed. She and Matt were on their way to the stage and she called out and just fell.”

“Is she ok?” Catherine demanded.

The drummer shook his blond head. “Padge’s getting one of the medics.”

Catherine started to sway, but the drummer caught her before she fell herself. When he was sure that she wouldn’t fall, he let her go then she took off in a dead run with the drummer right behind her. The ambulance was just pulling away by the time she reached where Matt and London had been. She turned her attention to the guy she vaguely recognized as the bassist. “What hospital are they taking London to?” She demanded, catching his attention.

“Community Hospital of San Bernardino I think is what they said,” He replied. Catherine turn, ready to run back to the RV to grab the keys to her Navigator, when the bassist caught her arm. “Here,” He said, handing her London’s iPhone. “Matt mention something about calling your parents.” Catherine said nothing, just slipped the smartphone into the pocket of her hoodie.

She was out of breath when she burst onto the RV, causing George and Corey to look up. She paid no attention to them as she snatched her purse off the counter and dumped the contents onto the counter, not having the patience to dig around for her keys. She heard one of them ask what she was doing, but she paid no attention. Her eyes stung with tears as she routed through the mess to find her keys. One of them, George or Corey, got up from the couch.

“Pussy Cat,” George said, placing his hand on her shoulder. “What’s going on?”

Catherine growled in frustration. “Where the fuck are my keys?”

“They’re right here darlin’,” George said, grabbing them off the counter. “What’s going on?”

“London collapsed. I have to get to the hospital.”

George didn’t give her the keys. “I’ll drive.” He glanced at Corey. “Can you watch Anastasia?”

Corey nodded. “Go, she’ll be fine with me.”

George nodded and turned his attention to Catherine, who was suddenly doubled over the sink. Before he could ask what was wrong, she started to throw up. He made a face, but rubbed her back gently. She continued for a few minutes, then dry heaved a couple times before she finally straightened back up, turning on the faucet. There was no time to go and brush her teeth, so she fumbled with a pack of Listerine Breath Strips until she was able to get it open and popped one into her mouth. Corey stood up from the couch and gave her a hug.

It took a lot longer to reach the hospital than Catherine had liked and she had all but jumped out of the blue SUV after George had pulled into an empty parking space. She ran across the parking lot and nearly got hit by a car. She paused, long enough to bang on the hood to get the driver’s attention. She was in the middle of yelling at them when George caught up to her.

He took her by the elbow and led her away, struggling with the urge to yell at her for running through a parking lot. The finally made it into the hospital without incident and Catherine made a beeline for the desk, catching the attention of the old woman who was sitting behind it.

“May I help you dear?” She asked politely.

“I’m looking for my sister, London McIlrath. She was just brought in...twenty minutes ago.”

The woman nodded. “One moment please.”

Catherine wanted to scream at her for taking her sweet time in picking up the phone, but she gripped onto George’s hand tightly instead. The woman was doing her job and Catherine screaming at her was only going to make it worse. She could be thrown out of the hospital.

“They just took her back for emergency surgery.” The woman said, hanging up the phone.

“What happened?” Catherine asked as calmly as she could.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss…”

Catherine rolled her eyes and George spoke up. “Is there a place we can wait?”

The wound up finding Matt Tuck and a few others in the ER waiting room. Catherine started toward Matt, but George caught her arm and shook his head when she glared at him. He ignored her and led her over to an empty chair that was nearby and he pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her tightly. Catherine groaned as she leaned back against him. She closed her eyes and felt him kiss the top of her head. London’s phone began to vibrate in her pocket and she let out another groan before digging around for the stupid device. When she came up with it, a doctor came out and asked for Matt. Catherine glanced down at the screen.

“Fuck me.” She moaned. She slid her finger across the screen and lifted the phone to her ear.

“London,” Her mother’s voice snapped from the other end. “Why haven’t you come to visit?”

“London’s unavailable at the moment.” Catherine replied. “May I take a message?”

“Catherine,” Her mother said icily. “Why didn’t you tell us that we have a grandchild?”

“Gee, I don’t know, maybe because I haven’t spoken to you in thirteen years?” She snapped. Her mother started to speak, but Catherine cut her off. “I’ll have London call you back.” She hung up before her mother could protest and shut the phone off before slipping the phone back in her pocket. She felt George’s arms tighten around her, but he said nothing. Catherine glanced around the waiting room, looking for Matt, but couldn’t find the Welshman anywhere.

“You wanna talk about it?” George murmured into her ear.

“I want to see my sister.” She pried his arms from around her and stood up. She went over to the nurse’s station and managed to get one’s attention. “Excuse me, I’d like to know what’s going on with my sister, London McIlrath.” Catherine said as calmly as she could manage.

One of the doctors’ came out, the one that had spoken to Matt, and explained what had happened. London had an Ectopic pregnancy and one of her fallopian tubes had ruptured because of the pregnancy, which had caused the severe pain London had been feeling and the bleeding. Catherine had nodded numbly and asked one of the nurses for London’s room number. One of Matt’s band members, the one she figured was his lead guitarist, Padge, approached Catherine before she had the chance to head to London’s room. “Do you mind?”

He grinned at her. “I was hoping you’d tell us what happened.”

“London miscarried.”

His smile immediately fell. “Oh.”

“Now if you don’t mind, I’m going up to go see her.”

She went up to London’s room and slipped inside as a nurse was coming out. Matt looked up briefly before turning his attention back to London. Catherine quietly crept to the other side of London’s hospital bed and kicked off her spiky boots before crawling into bed with her twin, ignoring the look the Welshman was giving her. London stirred as Catherine nuzzled against her. “I’m sorry Lon,” Catherine murmured. “I hoped you’d never have to go through this too.”

London looked at her twin confused. “What are you talking about?”

“Remember that story Corey was telling at my baby shower?” Catherine asked. London nodded. “Before George and the Fag could break up the fight, I was shoved up against the barricade,” Catherine explained. “I felt something tear, but had no idea what happened until the doctor in the ER told me. I had no idea I was pregnant until he told me that I miscarried.”

“That’s why you were so scared when you were pregnant with Anastasia.” Matt said.

Catherine nodded. “The chances of miscarrying are higher when you already have in the past.”

“That’s why they threw you out, isn’t it?” London asked. “I thought it was your friends.”

“Getting pregnant at sixteen was the final straw.” Catherine replied. “It didn’t matter to them that I had no idea.” London nodded, but she was frowning. “She-who-must-not-be-named wants you to call her back.” Catherine continued. “She was demanding that you come visit.”