Slashed Wings

I Want to Tell You -Part 2- John

Chapter 5

    Back in the waiting room, John was aimlessly messing with the buttons on his sleeves. He tapped his feet a few times and sighed. Suddenly, the door burst open to reveal a crying Paul. Ringo shot up and ran over quickly to comfort him. "I- *hic* j-just couldn't *hic* handle seeing him l-like that!" He sobbed. "It's okay, Paul, this is hard for all of us.." Ringo insisted. Paul nodded and the two of them slowly walked over to sit down, tears still flowing down Paul's face. John scowled, what gives him the right to need comforting when they're all suffering just as much?
    "I guess this means it's your turn, John." Brian stated. John's eyes went wide. He was done waiting out here with these suck-ups anyway. Looking over at the sobbing Paul and then to Ringo, he sighed and stepped up to the door. Taking one last breath for confidence he slowly pushed it open.
    So much for confidence, as he stepped in and saw George's frail body in the bed it all seemed to drain from him in an instant. "Hey George..." George looked up to meet his eyes and slightly smiled, "hi John." John gulped and went to sit down at the vacant chair. "How are you feeling?" It would be obvious for John to ask that, but in fact it was George who brought it up. John was taken aback. "Me? What about you?! M' fine I guess..." George just nodded as a reply.
    "I can't believe a freakin' sicko would go an' do this to you!" John exclaimed. "The nicest guitarist I know! You just got freakin' shot and yer here askin' me if I'm alright?! If I find that bastard he's gettin' in for the beating of a lifetime-". "John, stop." He was cut off by George. "If I don't make it out of this, I don't want you to be this angry because of it." "No, George, you're gonna make it." George just shook his head. "You don't know that John, and even I know the chances are low, I'm not gonna bet on the fact that I'll be alive after this." He said quietly. John just shook his head and huffed, "listen George." He choked out. "You're not freakin' dying, not on my watch.. I'm not losing one of my brothers, not today, and definitely not to some maniac!" George was silent.
    "If this is about the fookin' 'Jesus' thing, why would they need to take it out on you? I should be the one in this bed, Geo." He was becoming out of breath at this point. "No you shouldn't, John. I'm here now and there's nothing any of us can do about it. We just have to.. accept it I guess."
     "And- and while I'm here talking to you, I want to tell you a few things... Never lose your persistence John, it's one of those things that makes you so strong. And keep your hard shell but try and open up more, okay Lennon?" George looked up and tried hopefully. It may have been an attempt to calm him, but also, George wanted to say a few things to each of them in case they were his last impressions he could make. "George you're not freaking dying! You don't have to just accept this, I refuse to. You're strong, you'll make it through." John practically yelled. He was getting more frantic, why couldn't George just have faith he would make it? Did he even care?
    John continued ranting, and at one point George attempted to but in, sitting up. This lead to something offsetting the wound and he began to cough heavily. John stopped his rant mid-sentence. "O-oh god George, you okay?" George's coughs quickly turned into wheezing, and he laid back immediately. John rushed over to the side of the bed to look for something to help. He noticed the emergency button and slammed his palm on it without hesitation.
    A loud beep emitted from somewhere in the room, and lights started flashing around. Within a minute, two nurses and a doctor burst in with more equipment, ushering John out of the room. He was emotionally somewhere in-between fuming, scared, and extremely sorry. He was mostly mad they kicked him out, but couldn't help but think that he caused the coughing fit in the first place. He walked, gaze entirely focused on his shoes, back to his spot in the waiting room. Luckily missing the shocked and worried faces of the others.