Get It Straight, Or Say Good Night

Help! - Me if you can

It was like being underwater and that is where she thought she was. 

With the fishes, dead, washed to sea perhaps she would be reborn, made a mermaid.

She felt it again the squeeze, the fingers surrounding her palm touching her gentle pressure coasting along her knuckles. Coursing heartbeat ricocheting along her tired arms to her heart. Squeeze 'Louise' Squeeze 'Louise' Squeeze.

It was lulling in a way and she hovered somewhere between the bottom of the deep blue sea and heaven. Lou fell back again, sleep whisking her away....

"John, you need to go and eat" Paul shook his mate as he leaned toward Louise to check her over, her hair fanned in lovely disarray about her face and it looked like John or maybe even George must have brushed her hair. Paul grimaced, as he again shook his bandmates tired hunched shoulders.

The flight to Heathrow and back, although relatively smooth sailing, had made George resentful of Johns absence and even the arrival of a bonny niece was not stirring George to relent his grumblings. Paul and Mal had to physically remove George from the doorway to allow John entry to see Lou, Johns eyes had been black rimmed showing sleep deprivation and worry and he had failed to even acknowledge Georges harassing words thus was his awful state. "John, I'll sit with her. Go grab a sandie and coke, mate"

"I think she moved her fingers I'm not going anywhere in case she wakes. Be a la' and bring something in here Paulie"

"Ham? Pickles?" Paul offered up suggestions but John ignored "Egg Salad.... You're not listening are you?" Still nothing "Fried toad and toe jam sauce?" Paul sighed in annoyance ".... I give up" Paul went to get something for John to consume.

The chair scrapped a little closer to the bed and John relaxed then tensed his tired bunched muscles to get them working and feeling again.

Louise never said a word and John knew she was never so quiet ever before and it disturbed him tell the truth. She was buzzing and humming, floating and zipping about always, so her lying here so still was foreign, just plain wrong.

"I know you're coming home Lou. I can feel you getting closer. I can feel your determination girl. Come give me a bloody great hiding would ya" John placed his hands over both of hers and dropped his forehead low to the sheets of the bed, he was stuffed tired, the time zones and flights all working against his internal clock and his brain. "Ya gotta come box me ears girl"

"I need me ears boxed badly" John rubbed his eyes and looked upon their hands sadly, then dipped to press a kiss to her wrist, breathed deeply then fell asleep right by her side.

"He can't just nick off for three whole days then decide he has the right to lord over her visiting hours" George scratched his ear and turned about on his heel, watching Paul pay for the sandie and coke. "Give the food to me"

"No" Paul countered tiredly. They were all running on near empty, all waiting about, all wishing she would open her eyes.

"I'll be nice to him" George grimaced "Come on both of you, Richy... let's all go in and see her"

"Do you think the nurse will like that?" Mal watched the three boys start off toward the ward Louise was located on.

George spun around and squared his chin, he was sick of being soft and knew he needed to front up "Stuff the nurse she's my sister and I'll do what I like" George marched off to sit with his sister with his friends.

Pausing in the doorway George let the anger finally fall away, his sister lay there still but the look on the sleeping man's face beside her was what really made him understand a little better how John felt. The utter exhaustion and frown lines of worry marred his face even in sleep, with his hands securing hers he was protector and tragic partner all in one.