XPLR | Colby Brock

~74~

Colby sat on the exam table in the Emergency Room. It was almost five am now, and it was hard to keep my eyes open. My adrenaline had gone down and it was easy to focus now.

"You seem tired," Colby nodded to me. I shrugged a bit and looked down. "We're all tired. And this thin ice we're on with ad revenue and barely any insurance isn't going to help this hospital bill," Sam said.

"We'll all contribute," I said as I leaned against the seat. The doctor came in the room. "Well, Mr. Brock... I think it'll take an X-ray. Although, I don't think it's broken," Dr. McCormick said. Colby nodded. "Unfortunately your friends can't come with us. You'll have to wait in the waiting room."

I didn't protest, I just stood up and looked towards Colby. He held is wrist as he stood and the doctor helped him. Sam and Corey left the room, and I looked back one last time when Colby cleared his throat. He raised his eyebrows, not caring if the doctor was watching. I rolled my eyes and gently kissed his lips for a moment before pulling away. "Come find us when you need us," I said with a nod and went to follow Sam and Corey out.

I yawned and sat down in a seat in the waiting room. There's a mother with a child in her arms. She seemed tired. Her daughter seemed sick. Really sick. She was coughing up a storm. This must be the mother's first child, because she seems terrified.

The girl laid her head on her shoulder and held onto her, she was facing me. She saw me watching and met my eyes, the little girl, and gave me a wave with her chubby little fingers. I smiled and waved back, trying to offer any positivity.

I bet my mother was like that.

I was lucky. Sometimes the grandparent takes in their grandchild until the mother can care for them, if ever, but my mother found a way. I love her so much. I miss her so much.

Corey laid his head on Sam's shoulder, who was between us and closed his eyes. I had my phone with me, did a quick search for WiFi, and upon my failure I just turned on music. Musicals, one I haven't heard before, started to play in my ear before I started to drift off to sleep.

I was in the first stages of a dream. Colby and I, a telescope, and the balcony of Cavenaugh. We took down constellations, gazed at the stars...

Then I heard a noise from inside the house. I turned around, looking towards the source of the noise. I started inside even though Colby protested. I walked towards an old bedroom and opened the door. And there she was, hanging from the ceiling fan.

I jolted awake.

Sam looked over at me as I sat up. He paused before saying, "you know, I'm surprised."

I rubbed my eye as I looked over. "Why?" I asked and yawned a little. He shrugged. "I don't think I've ever seen Colby so... oh, what's the word... infatuated with someone."

I could feel the heat rising on my cheeks as he said this. "I've heard that from Brennen too," I said. This is how I felt when Brennen told me the same thing.

He shrugged, "I've known Colby since we were fourteen. Besides you he's only ever dated one girl. There's been plenty of people he's messed around with, no fans ever really found out, but they're nothing like you."

I didn't say anything, I just listened intently.

"I guess... I just want to say thank you," he said. "For a long time Colby hadn't been... okay, I guess. "Okay" is the only way to put it. He wasn't very much into videos anymore and he was even talking about quitting YouTube and "finding" himself. Then he met you. He was totally different within days."

I just stared at him. This doesn't feel like the truth... I'll have to ask Colby. Oh, Rose. Shut up. Sam is telling you the truth, you know Colby is in love with you. He told you himself.

Well. I can't argue with that.

"R-Really?" I stuttered. He nodded. "That's why he was so excited to take you out. Bring you with me and Katrina to the beach that one time. The whole time we were on tour, we'd be meeting fans and he would check his phone to make sure you didn't need him. He started calling you his girlfriend and that's how he would tell stories. It wasn't "Rose did this" anymore, it was, "My girlfriend, Rose, did this." He's so proud to be with you."

I looked down the hallway towards Colby's hospital room.

"I was surprised too, the first time he brought you around us for real. For the prank," Corey chimed in. "You weren't like the other girls he occasionally brought around. You weren't flashy, barely wore makeup. And honestly, I like you waaaaaaaay better than the other girls. The girls he usually dated were like... Elena."

Other girls. Elena. And you've never even had a boyfriend. Elena was right, you can't please him like the "other girls" could.

Stop thinking like that, Rose.

Alas, darling, it isn't as simple as that.

I cringed at that thought.

Luckily, or rather, unluckily for me, my thoughts and Sam's next statement were interrupted when we heard yelling from down the ER hall.

A stretcher rolled in and passed us, Corey sat up to see what was going on. Nurses started to bustle and clear way for the rolling bed surrounded by paramedics.

And I recognized the clothes on the victim. Red top. White shorts. Long blonde hair and pink, cut lips. Running eyeliner and an open mouth. Soot and ash all over their body.

And my heart sunk.

Elena...?