Long Away

Chapter 57

"Remember that prank I pulled on him when we first started shooting?"
Rami and Gwil soon realized it was impossible to take Joe's mind off of Ben. Instead, they were now cuddled up on the sofa, reveling in positive memories of their time together with him.
It was of course still painful, but every now and again all three of them had to chuckle.

Joe's face lit up when Rami mentioned his prank.
"Oh, vividly. He was so terrified when he thought he had to play the drums in front of Rog and Bri. It was glorious."
Gwil, whose chest Joe was resting his head on, shifted slightly to put his arm around him.
"That was a good one," he agreed with a nostalgic smile on his face.
"Thank you, I have to agree," Rami said without a trace of humbleness in his voice. It was one of those moments where it became apparent that he had never fully left all of Freddie's characteristics and mannerisms behind himself.

It was already well after midnight. They had decided to sleep in the living room together. Joe had to admit to himself it was quite nice to be lying between two out of three of his best friends like this. And a massive load of pillows and blankets of course. The day could have ended worse.
"Guys?", he mumbled, holding back a jawn.
"Hm?", Rami hummed.
"Thanks for being there for me."
Gwil tightened his embrace.
"Always."
"Always," Rami repeated with a nod.

Joe's eyelids were starting to get heavier. He didn't fight it when they fluttered shut. Rami and Gwil kept quietly talking to each other. Their voices, together with the soft rising and sinking of Gwil's chest under Joe's head, soon lulled him to sleep.

~~~~

The following days were all about keeping Joe busy. Rami had the idea that they could film some videos for Joe's YouTube channel. They planned out a few skits together. It was good for all of them to get their creativity flowing again. Joe could tell it was helping his friends cope as well, which made him feel a little less like a bother.

One afternoon, they decided it was time to call Roger. They were sitting at the dining table together, Rami had his phone on speaker.
"Hello?" Roger's voice sounded tired.
"Hello Rog. It's Rami. I'm here with Joe and Gwil."
"Hey Roger," Gwil let himself be heard.
"Hey." Joe hoped he sounded at least a little less depressed than he felt.
"Oh, hey boys. Nice to hear from you!"
"We wanted to ask how you have been faring since you got your diagnosis," Rami got straight to the point.
"We are so very sorry for you."

Roger cleared his throat.
"Well," he sighed, "it certainly could be better. They gave me painkillers for my headaches, so at least those aren't such a huge problem anymore. But that's about all they can do for me now."
Joe swallowed. He didn't know what to say to that.
"That's awful." Gwil frowned.
"Oh, don't pity an old man like me." Roger was clearly uncomfortable talking about his situation.
"But say, have you heard any news from Ben? Brian told me about the accident."

"He is still at the hospital. They put him in an artificial coma, so we haven't been able to see him yet. Which is what I actually came to the UK for," Rami briefly explained.
Roger was silent for a moment, taking in the information.
"That is terrible," he eventually said.
"To think this happened because of me..."
"He wouldn't want you to think like that," Joe said.
A sigh on the other end of the line.
"Would one of you be so kind as to keep me updated on his condition?"
"But of course," Rami promised him.

Gwilym shifted in his chair, leaning in closer to the speaker.
"Rog, we wanted to ask you if you might want to have dinner with us while Rami is still here. Only if it is not too much for you, of course."
"No, that sounds like a nice idea," Roger said.
"Rami, how long will you be staying for?"
"I haven't booked a flight back yet. But I am definitely staying for at least another two weeks."
"In that case, I would love to have you at my place for dinner sometime next week. Maybe Bri would like to join us as well. I will talk to him, and of course Sarina, and get back to you when we have picked a date. Is that alright?"

"Sure. Thank you for the invitation. We appreciate it," Gwil said.
"No, I have to thank you. I was already worried I might not get to see you boys again."
"That won't happen," Joe assured him.
"Well, I'm glad. If you don't mind, I should take my pills and lay down for a bit. It was nice of you to call."
"Of course." Now even Rami was was tearing up a bit. Joe put a hand on Rami's, hoping to provide some sense of comfort.

"Good bye, Roger. Get your rest," Joe said.
Rami and Gwil both said their good-byes as well.
"I will call back sometime tomorrow," Roger said.
"Good bye." He hung up, and so did Rami. With a heavy sigh, he let go of his phone and his head sank against the surface of the table.
Joe's hand made its way up to Rami's shoulder.

"This was a bit much, huh?", Gwil said quietly.
Rami hummed in agreement. Joe and Gwil exchanged a concerned look. A feeling of guilt came up that Joe couldn't push aside. He had been so caught up in his own struggle, he didn't realize just how much everything was affecting Rami, and surely also Gwil, as well.