The Silenced Drummer

Chapter 11: As Time Goes By

"And so, the search for the suspect has been fruitless."

The sound of the newscaster on the television filled the room. 

Ringo was facing away from his friends, wrapping himself in the white blanket. He couldn't bare to focus his gaze on anyone else. 

The sight of the outside world did not calm his nerves, no matter how bright the blue sky was. His mind had skipped over the rest of the event and the drive back to the hotel. All he kept on thinking about was how they were reacting to it.

He did not know how long he had been laying there.

A few minutes.

An hour.

It all felt the same to him.

He did not care about how John or Paul thought about him.

George, on the other hand, was different. The fact that he was doing everything he could to comfort him was flattering, but he knew that it was pointless.

'I just wish that he stops wasting his time on me. I'll never get me voice back...' He thought.

Three other Beatles were on the other bed, having a conversation.

"Well, it was nice for Brian to get us food afterwards," George said.

"Yeah, it was..." Paul responded.

"So..." John looked behind him for a moment.

"W-what should we do about him?"

"I don't know. I j-just don't l-like seeing him like this..." George said, looking at the drummer.

"Ya see how acted during the conference? He barely looked at the crowd," Paul stated, worried.

"I just hope that he's feelin' alright," John said.

George could not tear his gaze away from the drummer. He wanted to go over to him and hug him, but he did not know if Ringo wanted him to.

They all knew that Ringo wanted to have some time alone, but they could not stand to see him all alone.

"I'm gonna go to him," George said, standing up.

Quietly, he walked over to the other bed and laid down next to Ringo.

"Ringo?" he asked softly.

'Not now, George, please,' Ringo thought. He did not want the guitarist to waste his time.

"Ringo?" George asked again, this time placing a hand on his shoulder.

Ringo exhaled and turned around so that he was on his back. He looked tired as he glanced up at George.

George pulled him in so that Ringo was up against his chest. He placed a hand in his hair as he closed his eyes.

"It's okay, Ringo..." he whispered.

'If only you understood, George,' Ringo thought. 

John and Paul did not look over. They both wanted them to have their privacy. 

"So, John... um..." Paul started, not knowing how to continue.

John sighed.

"Paul, do ya want to, ya know, um... go out for now? I want them to have some time alone."

"Um... Yea. T-that sounds good," Paul responded.

The two got up from the bed and made their way towards the door.

"George, we're goin' out. I'm keeping the key here," John said.

"Oh... okay," George responded.

He heard the door open and close, but he did not shift his gaze from Ringo.

Ringo began to pull away from him.

"Ringo... w-wha-"

Ringo pressed his lips up against his for a moment. George, not expecting the action, did not move. Ringo pulled back and placed his head on the guitarist's shoulder.

'George, at least you're trying your best,' Ringo thought.

George closed his eyes and hugged Ringo tightly. 

For a while, the two stayed like that. Time was not important to either of them now. All that mattered to them was that they were together.

Eventually, Ringo's chest began to convulse as he started to silently cry. 

George began to cry as well. 

"O-oh R-Ringo... I... e-everything's okay... I..." George could not continue. Hearing Ringo's voiceless cries tore at his heartstrings.

Ringo buried his face in George's neck, tears leaking onto the younger man's skin.

'I wish I could believe you, George' He thought.

George put a hand on the drummer's back and clenched the brown sweater.

"R-Richie..." He choked. After a few minutes, he was able to calm his sobbing.

"Shh," He said.

Ringo calmed down a bit upon hearing George.

He felt a hand in his hair.

"I l-love you, Ringo. Shh."

After a few moments, Ringo was completely silent. He just closed his eyes and exhaled.

He didn't care what time it was. All he cared about was the fact that George still took care of him, even though he thought that it was a pointless effort.

George smiled softly when Ringo calmed down.

"I love ya, Richie, you know that," he said softly.

Neither of them cared about what John and Paul were doing right now. They only cared about each other in that moment.

But, they knew that this moment had to come to an end sometime.