=CHAPTER ONE=

In the Waiting room, Near the Emergency Room, Toby, Phil and Andrew were scattered around various areas of the room. Andrew sat on the left-hand row of chairs with his head in his hands. Toby leant against the wall near the window, arms folded, looking out into the darkness. Phil was pacing back and forth slowly, gnawing at his nails and looking at his watch every two minutes. After what seemed like forever, the door opened and a doctor entered the room. He cleared his throat.
“You’re waiting for Michael Tierney, am I right?” he asked.
Everyone shot out of their dismal positions and went over to him, all asking questions at the same time. “Is he alright?” “What’s happening?” “Is he hurt?” The doctor raised both his hands in the air and motioned for them to quieten down.
“I’m afraid that it’s not good,” he informed them sadly.
“Not good?” Andrew bit down hard on his bottom lip to hold back tears.
“No. Michael Tierney was bleeding internally when he arrived, but we’ve managed to stop that. He has a misaligned vertebrae and a pinched nerve. He won’t be able to walk again for quite a while.” "Oh God. Mike..." Andrew spun around and pounded his fist against the wall, allowing a lone tear to fall down his cheek. Toby wound a comforting arm around his shoulder.
“When can we see him?” Phil, remaining calm and composed, asked the doctor.
“Not for a while. He needs his rest. As soon as there’s any change, we’ll let you know. You may hang around if you like, but it might be a long time before anything happens.” The doctor paused. “I’m terribly sorry. If you need me, get one of the nurses to page me. I’m Dr Moore, by the way.”
“Thanks for everything, Dr Moore. Please make sure you notify us of any change in condition,” Phil said gratefully. Dr Moore smiled sadly and walked out of the room.

12 hours later, the group had not once exited the hospital. They agreed to sleep in shifts, promising to wake one another if anything happens. Andrew slept with his head on Toby’s lap while Toby tried to read an old issue of Vogue. Phil opened the door and entered the room with two paper cups filled with fresh coffee. He handed one to Toby and sat down across from him. “Thanks,” Toby whispered. He took a sip, licked his lips and gently sat the cup on the nearby table.
“Sorry I took so long,” Phil apologised. “The public knows about what happened now – there’s a crowd outside. The paparazzi are having a field day. I had to say something to them. Anything to make them go away. Don’t think it worked, though, they’re still hanging around.”
“We should organise a press conference,” Toby suggested. “Otherwise everyone’s going to be left pretty much in the dark. I feel sorry for all those fans who had to witness it all.”
“Who know who I feel sorry for the most, aside from Mike himself? Andrew. He’s taking this really hard.”
“Well, he would, Mike’s his brother. None of us are really coping very well.” Toby paused in thought as he began to stroke Andrew’s hair. “I feel like I’m the reason that Mike is in such a critical condition. I feel like it’s my fault.”
“Toby, it’s nobody’s fault. Well, nobody’s fault except the dudes who set up the lights. Neither of us should feel responsible. It’s just...kismet.”
“Kismet?”
“Fate.”
“Yeah. A cruel fate.” Toby shook his head and re-opened the magazine. A few minutes later, Dr Moore re-entered the room, with more bounce in his step than before.
“Am I interrupting anything?” he asked. Toby and Phil turned their attention to Dr Moore.
“No, you’re not interrupting. Is there a change?” Phil asked. “Michael has just awoken. We didn’t expect him to for another few days. I think he might pull through this successfully after all.” Toby and Phil smiled with relief.
“Can we see him now?”
“He’s been asking for you. Be very quiet, though. And avoid touching him, alright?”
Toby lifted Andrew’s head from his lap and shook him gently. “Andrew? Andrew, wake up. Mike’s awake.”
Andrew opened his eyes and yawned. “What was that?”
“Mike’s woken up. He’s going to be okay.”
“Really?” Andrew beamed and jumped to his feet. “We’d better go and pay him a visit, hey? He's going to be okay. There is a God after all!”
Toby and Phil smiled as they followed Andrew out the door towards Michael’s room. Indeed, Michael was going to be alright. But the road to recovery would not be easy – it would be a struggle, not only for Michael himself, but for everyone else.

=TO BE CONTINUED=

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