Scratches // DNF

Chapter 10

They hadn't spoken a word yet. There hadn't been a chance between George's gasps of breath from the uncontrolled sobs escaping his mouth like clockwork.

Dream had managed to guide George out of the lobby and into his room. Their stumbling had been made difficult with George clinging onto Dream as if he were a lifebuoy capable of preventing his drowning.

They'd staggered into Dream's room and collapsed onto the floor. George's face quickly attached onto Dream's shoulder. The material of his t-shirt darkened as it dampened under continuous, falling tears.

Dream seemed lost of direction as he sat and brushed his hand over George's back. George sought to gather composure, the confused attempt at comfort from Dream proving to be sweet, but of little use.

Alas composure was never George's strong suit. This didn't prevent him from trying, at least. He would gather steadying breaths and sit a little straighter, just for a melancholy wave to crash over his head and force him to crumple into Dream's arms again.

I wasn't sure if even he knew why he was crying so. A few tears of worry or relief over Dream's missing would have been understandable. But this seemed... excessive.

On another attempt, he finally seized triumph. He managed to stay sitting straight with limited sobs tumbling through cracked lips. He took a deep breath whilst Dream peered worriedly, his arms ready to collect George if he was to crumple over again.

Insead, George brought a hand to Dream's chest and pathetically pushed him backward. Dream barely tilted, George's frustration distilled by his weeping and consequently leaving him weak.

"Where the hell were you?" he snapped.

Dream blinked. The sudden change in George's attitude appeared almost amusing.

"I - I..." he, too, sat up taller, preparing himself to tell the tale. "I passed out."

"What?" George's face scrunched up in concern. "When? Why?"

"It was just after the concert."

George stared, waiting and expecting a full explanation. And even though I suspected Dream was unexcited and too tired to explain, he did so obediently.

"After I left your side, I spoke to the band and staff a bit more - just thanking them mainly," he said. "I knew there was a crowd out the back, and I knew they would erupt when Lovejoy would greet them. So I hoped to escape before that.

"I left as planned, but a couple people in the crowd were sweet and asked me some questions. They didn't know who I was, but they said they enjoyed my performance. So I talked when I instead should have left.

"And then all I'd hoped to avoid appeared. Lovejoy emerged and the crowd suddenly started pushing forward and shoving one another to get nearer to the front. There were so many people, pushing and pushing and eventually swallowing me whole.

"I tried to... free myself. To get out of the crowd. But there was no one to contain the pushing and after only a few seconds I couldn't breathe. I was suffocating amongst the many bodies crammed against each other."

He took a brief break to gather breath. He glanced at George, sitting still and listening. George passed sniffles occasionally, still recovering from his weeping.

"That's when I passed out," Dream continued. "I couldn't gather enough air and... well, y'know - that's never ideal.

"I woke up in hospital. I wasn't out long, but long enough for an ambulance to come and go without me knowing. I wasn't the only one, there were a couple people who were also squished. Luckily they must have gathered control of the crowd or something.