Recount the Seconds (Muke)

Chapter 2

Present

“He’s stable.” Dr. Mark Wright breathes a sigh of relief and stands back from the patient. It’s been a two hour battle, and he’s tired.

“You’d hate to have the blood of that one on your hands,” comments one of the techs.

“Yeah?”

“Boy’s famous. In some boy band…5 Seconds of something…”

“Summer?”

“That.”

“Oh God…Tam– my daughter’s in love with them all; she’d freak out–”

“Confidentiality, Mark.”

“Yeah…plus, we’re not nearly out of the woods with this one. He’s stable; that’s all.”

“Think he’ll wake up?” the tech frowns.

“Never know with head trauma. If he makes it through the night, he stands a chance. Not sure what he’ll remember, of course, or where he’ll be cognitively…we’ll see.”

“Should I call someone to tell those boys in the waiting room?”

“Not yet,” Mark sighs. “Let’s just make sure this lasts.”

He wishes he didn’t know about the boy. Considering the kid’s condition, they were in for trouble.

*****

Present (Michael)

There was darkness at first…but then I started floating, visiting one memory, then another.

A stream of images runs through my head now. My parents’ house; plucking at the strings of my first guitar; yelling at Luke in the school hallway while Calum pushed me away from that shiny blue-eyed boy; a screaming crowd; Luke grinning at me; Calum’s wide eyes; a tour bus, Ash and Cal whispering in the lounge while Luke napped on my shoulder and I feigned sleep; a deep sigh after a great concert…

…Up all night texting him, I realized something important and forgot it in the morning, tried to ignore it and push it away, but there is was, oh God, there it was, not going anywhere, he promised he’d never go anywhere, his hands in my hair and I was lost in the curve of his cupid’s bow and the pale blue moons in his eyes…

Everything went still when he kissed me. 

*****

Present

I inhale sharply when I see Calum. He’s bare-chested, but his entire torso is wrapped in gauze.

“Hi guys,” he whispers as Ash and I step nervously into the room.

“Cal.” Ash rushes to our friend’s side, but I hang back by the door.

“No hugging allowed.” Calum attempts to grin, but he grimaces instead. “Don’t cry now, Ash.”

“You’re–”

“Pretty banged up, I guess. Nurses say I was in a car crash and I broke myself — ribs mostly — fucking steering wheel…got some fun scars too, though–”

“Do you remember anything?” Ash interrupts him.

“Nah,” Calum sighs. “I guess I was pretty wasted.”

“Yeah,” I mutter, fighting fierce…anger? Am I angry? I’m not even sure.

“Lukey,” Cal perks up when he looks at me.

I close my eyes.

“Hey, you guys weren’t with me, right?” Cal asks all of a sudden. “They say I swerved to avoid someone and went of the road, won’t say much else–”

“No, we weren’t there,” Ashton returns.

“Thank God…Hey. Where’s Michael?”

My eyes shoot open, and I see Ash glaring at me.

“Guys?” Cal demands.

My hands start shaking again. “You need to be okay,” Ashton’s voice rings in my ears.

“Michael wasn’t with me, right? Guys–”

“Michael’s fine,” Ash lies.

I turn and scowl at him.

You promised, Ash mouths to me.

“Ashton.” Calum’s voice is flat. “Where’s Michael?”

I turn on my heel and storm out of the room, slamming the door behind me.