"Cancer? What the fuck do you mean he has cancer?" Steve slammed his beer down on the table, getting it everywhere in the process. Rod knew this was going to be his reaction, "Fuck Steve, what do you think I mean. Bruce has fucking cancer of the throat and head. As soon as he was done recording he went and got checked out. I just got off the phone with him. He wanted me to tell you lot." Adrian spoke up from the back of the room, "He did sound kind of off at times, I could see him grimace in pain when he'd sing some of the notes. But Bruce being Bruce, would push through." "Fuck!" Steve yelled, throwing his glass across the room. Nicko wrapped an arm around his mate's shoulders, "It'll be OK 'Arry. Before we know it, we'll have our old Bruce back and we'll be hitting the road once again. No one will be none the wiser that he was sick." Steve shrugged Nicko's arm off of him, glaring at the drummer as he began to pace the conference room, "Is that all you think I care about? The fucking tour? My fucking mate has cancer. Fuck the tour. Fuck the band. My mate has cancer....fucking cancer Nick. Do you know what that means? He can...." Steve couldn't bring himself to say it, he sat down on one of the couches, he ran his hands through his hair, "Fuck...." his wall came down at once, he began to cry, "He can't fucking die. My mate can't die. Not my lead singer, not my business partner..no, my mate. He's a father, a husband...Fuck." The rest of the guys sat around in silence, the reality of the situation hitting them all as well. Nicko sat next to him, "Steve, C'mon mate, this is Bruce we're talking about. If anyone is going to kick cancer's ass. It's going to be him. I can guarantee it. I've already said a prayer to the man upstairs, but I'm telling you, he's going to get through it. You know what a stubborn bastard he is." Steve looked at Nicko and gave him a shy smile, "Tell me about it, I've never met anyone as stubborn as him." Janick sat across from Steve, "I've know Bruce since we were in our teens, he's always been a fighter, I have no doubt he'll get through this. I'm as worried as you are Steve...as we all are" he gestured to everyone in the room, "but I'm telling you, this is Bruce we're talking about." Steve looked at his bandmates, he sighed as he got up, "You're all right, I'm just...I'm fucking scared for him. I've gotta go. I'll see you guys later." He looked back before he left, giving them all a smile and a thumbs up, "I'll keep in touch."
——————————————————————————————
"Hey Paddy, It's Steve. Is Bruce around?" it had been a while since they had last spoken on the phone. They usually either e-mailed each other or spoke in the studio. Usually kept it formal. "Hey Steve, it's good to hear from you. Yes, he's around. He's watching telly with the kids. He's trying to spend as much time as he can with them before his treatment starts." Steve cringed when he heard the word "treatment", it made things real, "So, he really hasn't started anything. How's he feeling? How's his morale?" Paddy sighed, "You know Bruce, it'll take him dying to get him down. But I have noticed a change in him. I can tell this has knocked him down a peg or two. It is cancer after all, it's not just a cold or an infected toe-nail." "Fuck, that's what I was afraid of" Steve said, more to himself. Paddy heard him though, "Don't worry Steve, he'll be back in top shape and will be ready for the tour in no time." Steve felt as if he'd been slapped across the face, this was the second time someone had brought that up. Did he give off the vibe that the band was more important than his mate's health? "Paddy, please, I don't give two shits about the band right now. I care about Bruce and his health. I want my mate to be healthy." Paddy chuckled, "Well, why don't you tell him that, here he is." Steve was prepared for Bruce to sound somewhat like Darth Vader, his voice completely distorted by this growing mass in his throat, he was surprised when he heard that he sounded like Bruce, maybe like Bruce with a cold, but he sounded normal, "'Arry, how's it going mate, checking in to see if I'm still alive and kicking?" Steve let out a shy laugh, "Fucking hell Bruce, scared the shit out of me when Rod told us. I thought he was pulling our leg." Bruce chuckled, "That would be a cruel prank to play on someone, but nope, it's true, I have cancer." Steve shuddered at the word, "Fuck mate, why you?" "Why not me?" Steve thought about that, "Well, I know we've butted heads in the past, I know I've wanted to fucking kill you..." Bruce laughed, "The feeling was mutual, trust me." "....but Bruce, mate, you're one of the best people I know." Bruce was silent on the other line, "You're getting soft in your old age "Arry." he said quietly. Steve gave him a shy laugh, "Fucking hell Bruce, I'm serious. I love you mate." That was the first time Steve had uttered those words to any of his bandmates. He did love Bruce, he actually loved all of his bandmates, they were his family. Now it was Bruce's turn to give Steve a shy laugh, "Fuck 'Arry, we sound like a couple of birds. I love you too mate. Let me kick the shit out of cancer's ass and we'll get together to celebrate. Give me a couple of weeks, OK? I don't want any of you to see me in the state I'm in. It's bad enough having Paddy and the kids seeing me, but I can't kick them out of the house. We'll keep in touch." Steve nodded, "Sounds good Bruce. Please, get better, don't worry about Maiden, music, lyrics, singing...just worry about your health, Paddy, and the kids." "Don't worry Steve. You'll have me back in no time. I love you mate." "I love you too Bruce."
