How To Save Rock And Roll

Chapter 15 - You're gonna be okay

Five years ago...

"Patrick...Patrick?" Joe, vocalist and guitarist for The Fray, spoke into a mic. He was sitting at a desk in a dark room lighted by red lights. On the desk were machines that you would see in movies - a microphone, speakers, a computer, recording tape, all that kind of stuff. "I can't find his frequency," He said as he turned to look at Dave, who was looking at the window, "What do you see?"
"Still nothing," He replied, "Wait..." He remarked before looking out the window for a little while.
"What?" Joe asked. He stood up from his chair and walked toward his friend.
"There are girls coming out of the building...with some of the guys too." Dave answered.
"Is that smoke?" Joe inquired, looking out the window.
"Uh...yeah," Dave replied.
"Okay, I'm calling 911," Joe announced as he returned to the desk and grabbed his phone that was sitting on it.

*****

The girls came out of the building with some band members - bags thrown over their heads - and hurried them into vans, leaving the unconscious or dead ones inside the building. It wasn't long before the vans sped away from the building.

The doors of the big building opened and out came Joe, carrying a body - Nick's body. Once outside of the building, he fell to his knees and coughed due to the smoke that made its way into his lungs.

Sirens echoed through the silence of the night, the sound growing louder, indicated that were coming toward them. A few minutes later, firetrucks arrived in front of them. A man got out of the truck and ran toward Joe.
"Sir, did you call us?" He asked.
Joe looked up at him, confused, "No, but...there's a fucking fire inside that building and two of my friends are still in there," He explained.
The firefighter nodded his head. "Alright, we're going to do everything we can to save them." He turned on his heels and walked toward the other men. "Carter, Simons, I need you to go in there. Two men are still inside. Jackson, take care of these two." He ordered, motioning to Joe and Nick, "The others, we have to stop that fire."

*****

Isaac woke up in that little room in the abandoned hospital with a grunt. He straightened up on his elbow and looked around him. Smoke and an orange light were coming from the crack between the floor and the door. His gaze met the body of Patrick; he stood up in a jump and ran toward him. He kneeled down next to him and put his fingers on his neck, feeling a pulse, although it was very faint. He examined his body to find where he was hurt and saw a hole in his blood-stained t-shirt. He put his hands on the wound to try and stop the bleeding.
"Patrick, do you hear me?" Isaac asked, his voice was shaky.
Patrick groaned in response.
"Oh perfect!" Isaac exclaimed, "You're gonna be okay. I promise."

Isaac turned his head toward the door as he heard shuffling behind it. The smoke was filling up the room. His eyes started to get watery and he coughed.
"You heard that?" A voice sounded from behind the door. "Someone coughed. I think it was in there." The sounds of the steps came toward the door and it opened, revealing two firefighters.
Isaac didn't leave his eyes off the door the whole time and when the men appeared, he heaved a long sigh. "Oh, thank god!"
"Sir, are you okay?" One of the fire-fighter asked as he kneeled in front of Isaac. Isaac nodded.
"Alright, take this." The man said as he gave a gas mask to him.
Isaac took the mask and put it on. He glanced down at Patrick. The other firefighter had put a mask on his face too, "He's losing a lot of blood. We have to take care of him right now."
"It's not safe to stay here. We have to go out." The man next to Isaac retorted.
Patrick groaned in pain again as the firefighter picked him up. They walked out the door and out the building, making sure to avoid the flames as they exited the hospital.

Parked in front of the building were the firetrucks and an ambulance. However, something wasn't right. The other firefighters, paramedics, Joe, and Nick were all on their knees in front of the vehicles, six girls pointing guns at them.
"Come here right now," One of them commanded.
Isaac and the two other men cautiously walked toward them.
"You." She said, pointing at the man holding Patrick, "Put him in the ambulance."
The man walked to the ambulance and placed Patrick carefully on the stretcher. He turned around to leave the vehicle but a girl and a paramedic entered the ambulance and closed the door behind them. Soon after the engine started and drove away.