Immolate

III. Damage

III - Damage

"Hey, she's waking up!" Remy yelled, patting his other band members on the back, who were engrossed in a video game. They all whirled around to gather alongside Saida's bed, as her eyes slowly fluttered open.

"What are you all doing?" she asked incredulously, not sure why all three guys were in her room at once. They were all close friends, touring on the road together for quite some time, so it wasn't a huge surprise to see them making camp near her, but it was unusual that they had been watching her sleep.

"Making sure you don't get into trouble again," Alex teased, causing Dave to elbow him in the ribs.

"Trouble? What trouble?" she asked, staring at Alex in confusion.

"You don't remember? I guess that makes sense with a concussion," Dave piped up with concern.

"Why would I have a concussion?" she stared incredulously at him. The pounding in her head seemed to start on as if on cue. "Ouch!" she groaned, bending her head into her lap.

"They found you passed out on the floor next to Jules. Looked like you two had a scuffle," Remy chimed in, placing an arm around her shoulders.

The memory came rushing past her in that instant. She squirmed in disgust, hating Jules for cornering her. She wanted nothing more than to make sure this tour went smoothly, and now it was all ruined.

"Was he harassing you? I could smell alcohol on him from a mile away," Dave asked carefully, his hands balling into a fist, not wanting to believe the otherwise mild-mannered singer had hurt his friend.

"He tried, well, he didn't get as far as he'd like," she said, flushed with embarrassment. "I'd rather not talk about it," she added in remorse. She wasn't ready to go into any details.

"He didn't-" Remy hesitated in shock. "He didn't go that far, did he?"

"No, he didn't," she answered quietly.

"You must've given him a good whack in the head since he was knocked out cold."

"Me? No, h-he hit me first, and I went down hard," she recalled vaguely.

"Then someone got him good. Maybe it was Lestat. I didn't even know he was here!" Alex exclaimed.

"Lestat?" she asked in shock. "But Jules and I were alone in the dressing room. There wasn't anyone else there."

"Well, Lestat rushed you straight to the hospital before any of us had a clue as to what happened."

"I was in the hospital?? How long have I been out?" she asked while groaning from the throbbing pain in her forehead.

"About a day and a half. Today's show got canceled." The young men all looked down at their feet, not wanting to give away their disappointment.

"I'm so sorry, this is all my fault!" she responded sadly. "He came out of nowhere. I didn't even have a ch-chance to think-"

"Why are you sorry? You were the victim!" Alex shook his head.

"This was our chance to make it big..." she said sullenly, looking down at her lap.

"Who cares about that? What matters the most is that you're alright. We don't work without you. Thankfully, they put the asshole in jail for now."

She let out a big sigh of relief and gave them all one of her big bear hugs. The guys dismissed themselves from her room. "Get some rest!" Remy called out once exiting.

Saida looked around the room and caught sight of herself in the vanity mirror, her forehead swollen and bruised, a nasty black eye formed beneath it. She shook her head in disappointment. There was no going on stage for a while looking like this.

She rummaged through her bag, finding the small white card she had received earlier. She pulled out her phone and began texting the number printed in tiny font.

"Hello, Lestat! This is Saida," her fingers moved hesitantly, not wanting to sound more helpless and foolish than what he made her feel.

About a minute after twiddling her thumbs, she heard a ping on her phone. It was from him. "Saida, so good to hear from you. I hope that your recovery is going smoothly."

Nervousness now setting in, she continued her message. "Yes, I'm doing fine now, it looks worse than it feels."

"Thank goodness. I was worried about you, but I knew you would pull through."

She smiled to herself. "I wanted to thank you, for everything. My bandmates just told me that you brought me to the hospital. You didn't have to do that."

"I couldn't leave you next to that savage, now, could I?" His response was rather quick that time.

"No. I guess not. I'm sorry if it caused any inconvenience to you. I know you are a busy man."

"I would never be too busy to help a wounded woman. Who knows what other damage he could have done?"

She paused at that, exhaling slowly. "Yes, that's true. I'm indebted to you."

"Think nothing of it," he responded.

She rolled her neck from side, not knowing what to say next.

"Would you like to come down to my studio, once you feel better surely," he replied.

No way, she gasped, her phone trembling in her hand with excitement."Yes! Of course!" This almost made the sordid experience Ieave her mind.

She could use a distraction after the days she had. What better way to spend her time alongside one of the best in the business.

Where to go from here, she thought. Her luck seemed to bounce back and forth, unable to steer her in a clear direction. Should she say yes to a virtual stranger?

She doubted Lestat would try anything sketchy, but was it against her better judgment to go and see him alone? Maybe she should bring one of the guys with her, just to be safe.

That thought seemed top put her at ease. "Would it be alright if i were to bring along one of my bandmates?" she texted, not knowing if that would be welcomed.

There was a pause before he responded. She inwardly groaned, immediately wondering if he was against extra visitors. They would be entering his inner sanctum from where he produced his best work, after all.

"Of course! It would be a pleasure to meet more of your talented group."

She couldn't make out his true feelings from the tone of the text, but assumed he did not mind her choice. "Thank you so much! After everything that's happened, I would feel more calm if a familiar face comes along."

"I can send a car for you. Bring anyone you like. Your safety is the highest priority. I will never let the likes of him near you again."

She looked quizzically at his last statement. How could he guarantee safety wherever she goes? She shrugged before typing,"Oh, there's no need for that. we can always call an Uber!"

"Nonsense, you are my guests. The car will arrive for you at 6pm. Make sure to warm up that angelic voice."

Color rose to her face. She was used to receiving compliments about her voice since she was a child, but coming from him, it seemed to take on a different meaning. She shook her head, trying not to swoon at his every kind regard. "Well, thank you. Looking forward to seeing you."

"And you as well, Miss Saida."

You can just call me Saida."

"As you wish."

Catching her appearance in the vanity mirror, her eyes went wide. There is no way I can go meet him looking like this! She reached for the nearest foundation and makeup sponge, doing her best to hide the damage.