KISS: In The Band

Ch 27: Oh Shit (Paul)

Gene hadn't come back for almost an hour after walking out to take a call from Shannon. I frowned, looking at my phone. "Hey, anyone know where Gene went?" I asked. All four of them shook their heads and I frowned. "I'm gonna go find him," I said, setting down my guitar and walking out of the room. 

His bass was just lying in the hall and his car was gone. Frowning even more, I pulled out my phone and dialed his number."I can't talk," he said in a tight voice the instant he picked up. My stomach immediately twisted into knots. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I can't talk. I'll call you later,"  he said before hanging up.

Absolutely baffled and incredibly worried, I walked back inside. "So Gene's gone. I don't know what's up, but he told me he can't talk right now. I say we just call it for today." Ace and Peter shrugged before nodding. "Alright, sounds like a plan. We'll see you later!" Peter said, ushering Frankie and JoJo outside as Ace gave me a parting wave. 

Still feeling worried, I called Gene again that evening. "Hey, is there something I can help with?" I asked. "Nick's...in the hospital. He's sick," he said slowly. "Oh...fuck. I'm so sorry, if there's anything I can do at all to help, please, please let me know." "I don't know what to do," he said, voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sure it'll be fine! Look, just uh...just try and stay calm. It'll be okay," I said, hoping desperately I was right.

"It...has to be okay," he said numbly. "It will be. It will be, I promise." "Paul...if he--if I lose him...if I lose him I'll kill myself," he choked. "No, no don't think like that, don't think like that. He will be okay. He'll be fine." He mumbled something unintelligible and hung up on me. I sat down abruptly, running a hand through my hair. It had to be alright, Nick had to be okay.

I walked into the practice room the next day, still feeling sick with worry. Gene hadn't called me, and I could only hope that in this case no news was good news. "Damn Paul about time! You messing around with Eric instead of showing up on time again?" Peter asked with a grin.

Shaking my head, I took a deep breath. "Yeah so Nick's in the hospital. That's why Gene left so abruptly."

There was an immediate silence as the two of them stared at me in horror. "Oh shit...is he gonna be okay? Do they know what's wrong with him?" Peter asked quietly. I shook my head slowly. "Gene didn't say. I don't know if he'll be okay either." Ace covered his mouth with his hand, eyes filling with tears. "Poor Nicky," he murmured. "And Shannon and Gene."

I nodded. "Yeah. I hope he's okay."

After two days having not heard anything from Gene, I decided to try and find him at his house and see if there was anything I could do to help. I rang the doorbell, waiting, before just letting myself in after no one answered. My heart immediately sank. He was just sitting on the couch, staring at the floor while holding one of Nick's toys with shaking hands.

I sat next to him. "Is there anything I can do?" I asked. He bit back a sob, closing his eyes."No. Shannon's been staying with him in the hospital. They only want one of us with him. I let her stay." I slipped an arm around his shoulders. "He'll be okay, don't worry. It'll be okay."

He shook his head. "He...he has complications from E. Coli," he said miserably. "Oh. W-well I'm sure that'll be okay!" "No! That can kill people, Paul! I don't know what to do! I'm supposed to be able to take care of him, he's my son, my baby, I'm supposed to be able to protect him, and there's nothing I can do! I'm completely helpless!"

I patted him on the back, trying to find a way to get him to calm down. "It's okay, it'll be okay." He jumped to his feet, trembling. "You're not listening! It can fucking kill people! If Nick--if he--oh fuck and it's all my fault," he choked, sinking back to the couch and burying his face in his hands. "If I had just made dinner instead of getting him fucking McDonald's then it would be fine, he'd be fine. It's all--all...oh fuck."

"Gene, you can't blame yourself. You had no idea this would happen, you wouldn't have done it if you knew. He'll be okay. It usually doesn't kill people, and he's in the hospital and it'll be okay." Gene shook his head again, shoulders shaking as he started to cry. My heart sank and I pulled him into a tight hug. "It's okay. It'll be okay."

"Paul I might've killed my baby!" he wailed, clinging tightly to me and sobbing into my shoulder. I hugged him back, holding him. "Gene, shut up! Listen to me! It's not your fault, you didn't do anything wrong! You need to be strong for your sake, for Shannon's sake, and for Nick's sake!"

"I can't, I can't! Paul I'm so scared, I'm so scared I'll lose him! I haven't slept in days because I'm scared I'll miss an important phone call, that I won't be there for him or-or that I'll...that I'll lose him! I don't know what to do!" "You need to sleep. Gene, you need to sleep. Go to sleep, I want you to sleep right now. I'll stay here, I'll have your phone right here, and if anything happens I'll wake you up. But you need to sleep."

"I can't, Paul I can't go to sleep, I can't! I'm so scared, I'm fucking terrified! Dammit, dammit! I don't know what to do, there's nothing I can do! I'm completely helpless!" he screamed, dissolving into hysterical tears. "Gene, take a deep breath and calm down. You seriously need to sleep. You're falling apart, you're not going to be able to help Shannon and Nick if you're like this. Calm down, lie down on the couch, and get some sleep."

He nodded weakly, letting me basically force him onto the couch. The instant he actually laid down he passed out, completely exhausted. I heaved a sigh, sitting next to him and praying that his phone wouldn't ring while he was asleep.

He slept for over sixteen hours before bolting upright, staring at me in a panic. "Did anyone call?" I shook my head, handing him his phone. He immediately called Shannon, chewing on his lip until she answered. "Hey love how is he?" He waited, face pale, before closing his eyes and nodding. "Okay. I'll come over in an hour. Tell him I love him and I'll see him soon. Love you too hon," he said, before hanging up, trembling.

"Is everything okay?" I asked after a pause. He bit back a sob, burying his face in his hands. "He'll be okay," he choked. "The doctor was saying that he'll be able to come home tomorrow and there won't be any l-long term damage. So he'll...he'll be okay." I gave him a smile, pulling him into a hug. "That's good. That's really, really good," I said. He nodded, hugging me back, before starting to cry again. 

"Oh fuck, Paul," he whispered. I nodded, holding him tightly. "It'll be okay. It'll be okay," I said soothingly. "Paul I almost...Paul he almost..." "Shh. Hey, listen to me. You didn't do anything wrong. You didn't know. It'll be okay."