Hunger in my Heart

Chapter 3

Kimberley stepped off the elevator onto the fourth floor of the west wing of the sprawling hospital complex. Noting the signs pointing the way to the ICU she quickly set off in the direction indicated, looking around for anyone she recognized.

Entering a waiting room strewn with couches and chairs, Kimberley noted the double doors guarded by a nursing station which proclaimed in two foot high lettering that the ICU was right behind them.

"Kimberley," a voice in a distinctive Geordie accent said quietly behind her.

Kimberley whirled around to see Cheryl's diminutive Mum, Joan, behind her.

"Joan! How is she? How are you?" Kimberley questioned while gripping Cheryl's mother - who was really like a second Mum to her - in a close hug. Pulling away she noted the lines of strain and tiredness on Joan's face.

Joan smiled weakly back. "She's holding her own so far, you know she's a fighter our Cheryl."

"I know." Kimberley smiled a bit herself, thinking that Cheryl really was a fighter and quite stubborn to boot. "Where is she? Can I see her?"

"Kimberley, come and sit for a bit. We can't go in right now, they're getting her set up on the dialysis machine, once that is done we'll be able to go in," Joan informed her.

Kimberley felt herself blanch, dialysis machine? That sounded really serious, she thought. Kimberley felt her knees buckle a bit and she probably would have crumpled to the floor except Sundraj, their Public Relations head and friend, was suddenly there firmly gripping her elbow and guiding her into a chair. Sitting abruptly, Kimberley glanced around and noted that Hilary, Lily and Cheryl's brother Garry were also slumped in chairs looking more than a little exhausted but giving her wane smiles nonetheless.

"Where are the rest of the girls?" Kimberley asked when she noted that her other band mates weren't there. She thought at the very least Nicola and Sarah would be there considering they both lived in London. Nadine obviously wouldn't as she lived in Los Angeles when the band was on breaks. The were a really tight group, having been together in their band Girls Aloud since 2002, more than seven years later and everyone always seemed to be surprised when they said that they actually all got along and were real friends. Having been through so much together and practically living on top of each other, they really were each other's closest friends. So Kimberley was surprised that Nicola and Sarah weren't here yet.

"We asked them not to come yet, as we didn't want more press attention than necessary," Sundraj informed her.

Kimberley nodded, that made sense as they were under constant media scrutiny being the most successful girl band in UK history, and ever since Cheryl had joined X-Factor and embarked on her solo career, interest in her and the band by default was in the stratosphere. She didn't think that a day went by without one of them being in a tabloid, the press and the paparazzi were constantly hounding all of them, although Cheryl definitely bore the brunt of it. She was sure that once word got out that Cheryl was taken to hospital, most of the London paparazzi were now camped outside the hospital.

"We were going to call them soon and get them over here though, considering..." Hilary started and then trailed off awkwardly while shooting a quick glance toward Joan.

All the hairs on the back of Kimberley's neck rose at the way Hilary said 'considering.'

"Considering? Considering what?" Kimberley asked frantically while looking at Joan.

Joan sat down next to Kimberley and taking hold of her hand she clasped it tightly in both of her own. "Kimberley, listen Cheryl is fighting really hard, but she's in acute kidney failure right now, she's anaemic and her liver isn't functioning well either. The doctors say that the next twenty-four hours are critical. They are treating her aggressively, but she has the most severe form of malaria. They said she'll either respond to the treatment and begin to improve or...." Joan's voice cracked, but she cleared her throat and continued on, "or..or she won't make it," she finished.

Kimberley's head spun, she couldn't wrap her mind around what Joan was saying to her. She, of all people knew the effects of malaria, the way the disease ravaged Africa and was often fatal. Cheryl and her had climbed a bloody mountain to help fund malaria charities, after all. She wasn't ignorant about the disease, but wealthy, beautiful pop stars afforded with the best medical care and facilities in London did not die from malaria. Looking around at everyone, hoping someone was going to tell her that she had just heard all that wrong, she realized by the looks on everyone's faces, that Cheryl was in really big trouble. Kimberley's mind, however, refused to accept that possibility, there was no way she would let Cheryl die, she thought with steely resolve. There was no way that would happen, not if she had anything to do with things.

Kimberley shot to her feet; she had an overwhelming need to do something, anything. After all she was the doer of the group, the one that organized things, made the arrangements, soothed ruffled feathers, fixed problems and generally kept the group on an even keel.

"I need to see her," she said meeting Joan's watery gaze with her own.

"You will, as soon as the doctor's are done, they'll let us back in, but we're only allowed two at a time," Joan assured her.