I Kissed a Boy [complet]

The Wound

At first, Gavin didn't understand what had happened. He thought at first that Marc had tripped. He tried to join him but the security guards surrounded him. He heard screaming to call an ambulance so he thought Marc had broken his leg... but when he finally got to him and saw the singer's blood and stillness, his breath caught. His heart stopped for a fraction of a second and his mind went totally blank before he accepted that the blood was Marc's and that he was motionless. Then the noise hit him. Fans screaming in terror, people fidgeting and shouting contradictory orders... And Marc standing still. Gavin started shaking and he called out the singer's name. When he tried to approach, he was surrounded by two security guards.

— Everything is under control. Don't approach. Help arrives. He is alive.

The following events passed in a thick fog for the manager. The crowd was evacuated. Rescuers arrived and carried out first aid before taking the still unconscious singer away. Gavin found himself two hours later, sitting in a hospital hallway, staring into space, clutching his phone. He had managed to regain his composure on the way to the hospital and call Peter and Marc's family. He was now waiting for Marc to come out of intensive care. A paper cup containing a coffee smelling pungent was placed before his sight. He wrinkled his nose as he moved up towards the face of the person handing it to him. Peter was there, his face worried and lined. Gavin then noticed that the rest of the group was present as well when he hadn't noticed their arrival. He took the coffee mechanically. A nurse in a hurry asked them to wait in the rest room at the end of the corridor because it was too crowded.

The room was almost empty. The group took the back of the room. The television was muted on the news channel and sure enough, the first thing they saw were pictures of the attack. Nelly gasped and Jordan hugged her. Peter put a hand on Gavin's shoulder.

— How about you tell us what happened?

— I...

At this moment Inspector Pierre Montgomery entered followed by a man in a suit and a security guard. The man in the suit was the director of the hospital and the other man the head of security. They addressed Peter.

— Mr. VanCluff, I'm sorry, but we have a security problem. There is, in front of the hospital, a... a...

The head of security resumed.

— A crowd of fans that prevents the proper functioning of the emergency room and the hospital. These people need to clear the area quickly.

Peter nodded.

— I'm taking care of it. Fans are worried.

The hospital director smiled appropriately.

— We all are. Your artist is in good hands. Our staff is very competent.

— I have no doubt about it.

Peter motioned for the two men to pass in front of him and he went out after them to disperse the crowd. Pierre Montgomery approached in his turn.

— Can you tell me what happened, Gavin?

Hands over his untouched coffee, Gavin shook his head.

— I...I didn't see anything. I didn't understand. I should have...

— Come on, don't berate yourself. You reacted in the best possible way for you at that moment. Do you want to try to remember? It would help us a lot.

— But it's chaos in my head!

Pierre smiles.

— This is perfectly normal. If you want, we'll do it together.

Gavin stared at the inspector. He had salt-pepper hair and wrinkles in the corners of his eyes, but his green gaze was reassuring. The manager nodded. Under Pierre's orders, he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths and focused on the moment of the assault.