Becoming

The Trooper

All of them peered out the windows at the busy streets of New York as they rode to the hospital to visit with Bruce. Upon being told no more than two visitors at a time, they decided that Steve and Rod would go up to see the singer first, then Dave and Ade. Nicko, still suffering from a lingering cough of his own, elected to not go upstairs at all, just to be extra careful. The drummer and guitarists relaxed and chatted over paper cups of coffee for Ade and tea for Dave and Nicko. Ade used one of the pay phones to call his mother and let her know that Dave would be getting married and to look for the upcoming invitation.

Rod and Steve came back down about an hour later. When they joined the others, Rod pulled out his wallet and handed Dave a five-dollar bill. "Bruce said there's not much good on telly here, and asked for a puzzle magazine," he said. "Would you two stop off at the gift shop and get him one before you go upstairs?"

"Yeah," Dave answered, taking the money. "We sign in at the desk over there, right? Then I think I saw the sign for the shop, along with the sign for the lifts."

"That's right," Rod said. "Sign in, and then you'll pass the shop on the way to the lifts."

The two guitarists got signed in and purchased the magazine Bruce requested, then headed up to the singer's room.

"Feeling any better yet, mate?" Dave asked as they tapped on the door and then entered the hospital room.

Bruce gave them a pale version of his usual cocky grin. "Oh, I'm just brilliant," he croaked out. "Still can't talk for shite, but I'm doing a lot better than I was during that last show, so it seems the antibiotics and all are working."

"That's good to hear," Ade said. "Have they hinted when they might let you out again?"

Bruce shrugged. "I heard it might be day after tomorrow if my tests show enough improvement, but I don't know for sure yet." He coughed a bit and sipped from the cup of tea on his bedside table, then asked, "So what's this big secret that Harry hinted about when he was up here? Said I needed to ask you two what I missed for being stuck here."

Dave took a deep breath. "Plan on sticking about in Hawaii for a couple of days after our Honolulu date, so you can attend my wedding."

"What? Pull the other one, mate, it's got bells on," Bruce said. "Good delivery, though, you looked like you meant that."

"Yeah, cos I did," Dave said. "Remember us telling you lot about taking in that girl Tamar that I met at the meet'n'greet after her boyfriend chucked her out in the middle of the night? She came to New York on business, she works for her da, and ended up at our hotel same night Rod dragged your arse here. We introduced her to Harry and Nicko, then they went off to get drunk and we invited her up to catch up. Turns out she had more on her mind than wondering how Rock in Rio went. She's up the duff and that bastard of an ex refused to even consider marrying her."

"So Davey played knight in shining armour once again," Ade put in. "And he offered to marry her."

Bruce looked gobsmacked. "Why?" he croaked out before taking another gulp of his tea.

"Why not?" Dave countered. "Tamar's a good friend and I'm fond of her. We're gonna write up a pre-nuptial contract and all to be safe, but I'm not worried she's a gold-digger or anything." He grinned a bit and added, "I might not know details, but I know her family's got serious money, if her da can afford to send his employees out from Hawaii to New York just to get some papers signed, instead of sending them by courier and all. In fact, I'm pretty sure her mum thinks I might be a gold-digger!"

Bruce laughed, triggering another coughing fit. "Bloody hell, Dave!" he said once he could speak again. "Don't it bother you that you'll be considered the father when it might not be your kid?" He assumed, as had Steve, Nicko, and Rod, that Tamar and Dave slept together when she stayed with him and Ade in Chicago.