The Silenced Drummer

Chapter 18: Taken

The noisy interior of the bar was a sharp contrast to the cool and quiet night outside.

Ringo was sure of that fact anyway.

He knew that Paul was right about the fact that they all needed to do something with each other, but the noise was drowning out any potential joy that he could feel.

Even so, he didn't feel like drinking right now. But, he couldn't gather the nerve to protest. 

How could he even protest?

Ringo once again looked away from his full glass of alcohol to spot his friends.

John was busy hitting on a few of the waitresses, who either blushed or looked annoyed.

Paul was trying to win a game of pool, and he pointed towards one of the other players, saying something about how much better he was at the game.

And George...

It was just then that Ringo remembered that he had asked to go outside for a smoke earlier. The guitarist had been much more intoxicated than he was, for sure, and that made Ringo anxious about him being outside for so long.

And, who's to say that he didn't get in a fight with a drunk with someone?

Sighing, he took one last glance at his untouched drink and stood up.

If Brian allowed them to go out together tonight, then being right outside a bustling bar with a friend was considered safe too.

Ringo just didn't want George to spend too much time alone with himself, drunk especially. He knew how George could get if he drank too much.

Slowly, he made his way to the entrance doors, making sure he left in an unnoticeable manner. He would only be outside for a second, after all. It wasn't worth telling John or Paul about it, seeing how they were busy.

As he pushed his way through the doors and out onto the sidewalk, the sound of shouting made him give pause.

"And for the last time, I'm not a queer, you bloke!"

He exhaled loudly as he saw George stumble out of an alley way, an angry expression on his face.

Recognizing Ringo, George made his way to him, grunting.

His mind was to clouding to think about why Ringo was even out here, and he had to stop himself from bumping into him as he stopped.

"Some lad wanted to know if-" he hiccuped.

"If.. er... how I felt... or what... no, that's right... how I felt about... you after everything that's happened lately, and I told him that I'm not a queer!"

He hiccuped again.

"I suppose that-"

He stopped.

Ringo was glaring at him, looking disappointed.

George lowered his head, sighing loudly.

"Okay... so maybe that wasn't what he was askin'. But..."

Ringo placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look at the drummer.

"Alright, I'll go apologize..."

George started to walk back to the alley way, but his eyes widened a little when Ringo went along with him.

A small smile appeared on his face.

"aw, Ritchie, you don't-"

Another hiccup.

"you don't... er... I'm fine on me own... is... is that what I was going to say?"

Ringo exhaled again.

The pair slowly strutted up to the alley way, only to find it empty,

George let out a small chuckle, the alcohol on his breath so potent that even Ringo could smell it, and he rolled his eyes.

"Looks like he left, now, can we go ba-"

Clang

Suddenly, something hard hit George's head, and he fell face forward onto the ground, blacking out.

Ringo took in a sharp breath and turned around.

Before him, stood a man.

The same man that he had seen on the wanted posters.

Harold let out a loud and sickening laugh as he brought a metal pipe down on Ringo's head, and the drummer fell to the ground.