The Silenced Drummer

Chapter 21: The Deal

George sobbed quietly as he rolled over onto his side, hands still secured behind his back.

His whole body ached with pain, and he felt something warm slowly leak out of him, and it made him want to throw up.

He didn't want to look.

"So," Harold said, finishing getting dressed, "you're willing to go this far to spare him, huh?"

The guitarist, facing away from him, did not answer.

"Hello?"

Even more tears fell on the wooden floorboards as George turned his head, staring at Harold with squinted eyes.

"Y-you a-already... know..." He panted, turning his head back to face the wall.

"Well," Harold started, standing up, "if you excuse me, I have a letter I need to write, and..."

He smirked down at the shaking musician.

"I guess I'll have to go see Ringo another time, huh?"

George's eyes opened wide instantly.

"W-wait!"

Harold furrowed his brow.

"What?"

"L-listen... d-don't hurt him, p-please. I'll do anything you want!"

A smirk appeared on Harold's face as he studied George's bare back.

"Anything?"

Chest heaving with suppressed sobs, George rolled over to face him, not caring about what he would see.

"A-anything... I s-swear..."

It was then that Harold got an idea.

He knelt down to George's level, placing a hand on his neck that still had hickey bruises on it.

"Well then, I need to let them know that I'm not joking about have you with me as well... Hmm..."

He formed a fist.

"I guess I'll just..."

Before George could react, a fist came slamming full force into his clenched teeth, and he let out a little scream as he felt a tooth come loose from his gums.

He spat onto the ground, blood dripping from his mouth as he started sobbing again.

"Now, here, I can make a deal."

George's gaze focused on the man above him.

"I'll save all the special treatment for you, and I'll leave your little drummer alone. You said that you would do anything to save him from this, didn't you?"

"I-it's a deal."

Harold picked up the tooth in his hand and stood up, studying George's body all the while before staring at the pile of clothes on the couch a few feet away from them.

"Oh, I almost forgot... sorry about your shirt. I couldn't just untie your hands, you know. I had to cut it."

George did not respond, instead trying to ignore the pain that came from...

"Aw, come on. It doesn't hurt when Ringo does it, right?" Harold asked in a sarcastic tone.

George closed his eyes, just wanting Harold gone already.

"F-fuck you..."

"Hey now, that wasn't very nice."

Harold crossed his arms.

"You know, if you hadn't been drunk when you ran into me on that alley way, neither of you would be here right now, you realize that?"

"J-just go and write yer s-stupid letter already!"

Harold took a step back, surprised at George's tone of voice.

"Wow, someone wants to be left alone huh?"

George swallowed the blood that formed in his mouth.

"S-shut up..." he replied weakly, feeling more tears slide down his cheeks.

Harold chuckled as he turned around and walked over to the staircase that led to the second floor, looking at the daylight that shone through the windows.

"You know George?" He began, taking his first step on the staircase, "I'm impressed. I never thought that you would be as brave as you were, you know?"

George only responded with a whimper.

He kept his eyes closed as he heard the steps creak as Harold went upstairs.

Once it was silent again, George took in a deep breath and tried to get up on his feet.

However, a stinging pain prevented him from going on, and he just rolled over and laid on his back, not looking at the three splotches on the floor next to him.

One was red.

The other two were...

George clenched his teeth again, wincing at the pain it caused.

His own body had acted against him.

The Beatle opened his red and wet eyes and stared at the plain white ceiling. He knew that John and Paul were going crazy by now. 

He didn't want Paul to blame himself for coming up with the idea to go out together. He was right in the fact that they had to do something.

It was him who had made it all go wrong.

George knew that Ringo only went outside because he wanted to check on him.

The pain in his heart grew as he began to cry.

"W-why... w-why d-did... I h-have t-to be s-so... s-stupid?"