For Life

Part 36

"Really?" Ant asked surprised "sounds like we'll be better off here if things are so bad at home and what about the tour?"

"It will have to be put on hold" Dec replied.

"All of it?" Ant frowned "Australia,New Zealand,America,Canada,Asia,South America...the lot?"

"I don't think I have any choice" Dec shook his head sadly "this thing is spreading around the world and I thought being ill in Belgium was as bad as it could get...but I was wrong,I want to be with my family...my Mum,if it's even allowed"

"Of course,I understand" Ant rubbed Dec's back affectionately "but where should we go?"

"Not sure" Dec frowned.

"Miami?" Ant asked.

"We don't know how long this thing will go on for" Dec pointed out "and you're not American,so you won't be allowed to stay for longer than three months,they probably won't even let you in at the moment and anyway,I don't want to be that far from my family"

"London then?" Ant suggested.

"No" Dec replied firmly "not with how bad this virus is there,we'd be crazy to go back there"

"Well,that leaves Italy or Greece" Ant smiled.

"Yeah" Dec nodded "I think we should go to the flat in Athens and if we end up having to isolate,that's a nice place to do it,I need to talk to the band and crew though,I don't know what any of them are thinking about this"

When he did that,he found out that everyone else was just as worried as he was and they all agreed that the tour should be put on hold and they should all go home to their families.

Dec's team soon got on to arranging flights out of Australia and a couple of days later,he and Ant were sat on their balcony in Greece's capital city,gazing out at the amazing view of the Acropolis.

"Have you spoken to your family?" Ant asked.

"Yeah" Dec nodded "they're doing okay at the moment,Moyra and Martin are at Mum and Dad's"

"Oh,that's good they're all together" Ant smiled.

"Yeah" Dec nodded "they spend a lot of time there now,helping out with Mum,I just wish I was with them too"

"You can't risk being around your mum in her delicate state" Ant pointed out "not after all the travelling you've done and how fragile she is,it's not worth the risk and looks like a lot of places are shutting their borders anyway"

Dec looked deep in thought for a moment.

"What the hell is going on Ant?" He asked tearfully "I'm really scared"

"I don't know" Ant sighed and reached out for Dec's hand and squeezed it tightly "I guess we just keep an eye on the news and comply with the advice"

"I never in a million years thought my tour would end up like this" Dec whispered sadly.

"I know" Ant nodded "but hopefully this thing will be over with soon and you can take up where you left off"

"Yeah" Dec nodded,but he wasn't convinced,from what he'd read and seen on the news about the virus,it looked like things were only getting worse.

And he was right.

Lockdowns were being introduced all over Europe,including Athens.

"How are we going to get through this?" Dec asked Ant after watching the news one day.

"The same as everyone else" Ant said firmly "We'll follow the rules,keep ourselves safe and hopefully normal life will resume very soon"

"Not sure about that" Dec frowned "it's a pandemic,none of us have lived through anything like this before"