Obstruction

Tears in Heaven.

- Eric Clapton, Tears in Heaven -

- May 24th -
The doorbell rang. I flipped over in my bed to check the time.
11.30 pm.
Who'd ring the doorbell at this time on a Sunday?
I went downstairs in my pj's and opened to see a panicked Simon and Ethan on my doorstep.

The confusion of seeing both of them.
Together.
With matching tight faces and worried eyes that threw me off guard.

The week since Oddball's intervention had been awkward. We were still practicing and still functioning as a band. Simon had phoned the scout and set up a meeting for us with the recording company.
All systems were set to blast off.

The trouble was that we were booked to play a series of weddings, which generally meant brushing up on our selection of love songs.
With cutesey, romantic lyrics.
Which I had to sing convincingly.
With Ethan stood right next to me, glaring daggers at Simon on a regular basis.
And avoiding looking at me at all cost.
All conversations between Ethan and me were held in single syllables.
Yeah...
Not weird...
At all.

And now they were both on my doorstep.
For a second I worried if they were there to make me choose, but I saw something more serious must be the cause of their late night visit.

"Odd's in hospital!" Simon said before I could say anything.

I nodded and rushed upstairs. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a jumper and bundled my hair into a ponytail before grabbing my keys and rushing downstairs.
My mum peeked out of a doorway.

"Oddball is in hospital," I said as I ran past and out of the door to jump into the backseat of Ethan's car.

"What happened?" I asked as we sped along the motorway.

"Not sure. Car accident. Elsie is badly hurt," Simon said turning to me from the passenger seat.

I reached out and grabbed his hand.
I still hadn't quite reconciled the friendship, but I needed the physical contact. Anything to keep the cold casing of dread from freezing my heart. I saw the tight set of Ethan's face and rested my other hand on his shoulder. I sensed his eyes on me through the rear view mirror but didn't dare meet them.

The rest of the journey was silent.
We pulled up into the parking lot by the hospital and practically ran in.
Clutching Simon's hand while Ethan asked for directions, I felt terrified.
I could not lose Oddball.
I couldn't imagine my life without his hugs, his smile, his awful jokes.
I felt tears well up as Ethan returned and I saw my worry reflected in his eyes.
We rushed along corridors, up stairs and found the right area. Outside a door a bundle of black clothes and long black hair was sat with his back up against the wall. I released my too-tight grip on Simon and went for what became a sliding tackle by the time I reached Oddball. Wrapping my arms around his pathetic form he welcomed me by enclosing me.
Somehow I ended up between his legs with his face into my shoulder as the sobs shook his body.

He was alive.
Oddball was in one piece.
I kissed his cheek repeatedly in sheer relief, untill I realised that sobs still racked him.
I recalled his sister.
Elsie!
I panicked slighhly.
Simon did say, but all I had registered was the part where Odd might have been hurt.
I didn't dare to ask so I just squeezed him closer and ran my hands over his hair. His arms were locked around me in a vice-like grip and his breathing was coming in hitched bursts.
I registered behind me, Simon coming back from somewhere.

"She's still alive. They are fixing her," he said quietly.

I dared to look up at them. Ethan looked heartbroken. Simon was in full action mode looking for something to do.

I eventually managed to calm Odd enough to heave him into a standing position and dragged him into the waiting area where his parents were. Oddball was clinging to me as if I was the only floating piece of plank in the water and the Titanic was long gone.