Tiny Voices (A Calum Hood fanfic)

chapter twenty-four

-- Brooke's POV --

I woke up to the sound of some kind of metal crashing outside the door.

My neck was so stiff; I had fallen asleep with it basically touching my shoulder in this stupid plastic hospital chair. I sighed and rolled my neck to try and waken it up.

Chloe was still asleep/under drugs. A nurse walked into the room and gave me a small smile.

"She hasn't woken up yet?" she asked me, moving closer to Chloe. She had a clipboard in her hand and wore sky blue overalls.

"I don't think so," I said.

I was still wearing the outfit I had on last night after I came offstage and I could feel my hair sticking up on the left hand side of my head. Hot.

"Her heart rate is getting back to normal anyway," said the nurse, reading a monitor that stood beside Chloe's bed. I sighed and rubbed my eyes.

"Will she be here for long?" I asked, hope dripping from every syllable. The nurse gave me a sympathetic smile.

"We don't know yet, sweetie," she said. "Once she is lucid again we can run a few tests and see how things are," she said to her clipboard while scribbling something onto the paper.

I nodded and thanked her as she left the room. My gaze drifted to Chloe. I could see her chest rising and falling, and her cheeks puffing out every so often as she breathed in the pure oxygen that was being forced into her body.

I reached over and held her hand, resting my head on the available space on her bed. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but I knew I wasn't going to let go.

🌸🌿

"Hey, B," she whispered, her words barely audible. I felt her hand tighten around mine, and I shot up, my eyes trained on her face.

"What's up, loser?" I said softly. I discreetly pressed the button beside the bed, calling for an available nurse to come to the room.

"Same old," she said. Her voice was coarse, and it sounded like she had been smoking 40 a day.

"I've never tipped before..." she trailed off, clearing her throat in an attempt to make her voice louder and clearer.

The effort of doing so made her flinch and squeeze on my hand. My heart felt like someone was dragging it to the pit of my stomach at her words.

Two nurses entered the room, and began to talk brightly to Chloe. I was told to leave the room, and did so begrudgingly.

I sat beside the vending machines and pulled my phone out of my back pocket. I had multiple texts from Danny and a few missed calls from the other finalists of The Voice.

It hurt to think about the competition, but it also hurt to see my best friend unconscious in a hospital bed for almost 2 days. I didn't even bother to open the texts, placing my phone back in my pocket and massaging my temples, listening to the hum of the vending machine beside me.

🌸🌿

- Calum's POV -

I lay on the floor of my bedroom, too restless to stay anywhere else. The navy walls of my room seemed suffocating, like they were going to close in on me at any given moment.

My brain had been in constant thought, trying to come to a conclusion on what the frick I should do about everything that was happening around me. It had been around 6 hours since Brooke's phonecall and I was still as stuck as ever. Still in my bedroom, still thinking about Brooke and Chloe, and still in a mess.

Sighing, I stretched for my phone, which was just out of reach. I didn't want to move, but I needed my phone. I audibly groaned at the thought of having to move.

I stretched further, my body rolling slightly to the side and inadvertently making a strained noise. I triumphantly grasped my phone and pressed the number 1 on my speed dial. I set my phone on the floor beside me and allowed the call to be played on loudspeaker.

"Hellloooooo?" my sister answered, her voice filling my small room.

"Hey Mali," I answered.

"Cal!" she said excitedly. "What's up, why are you awake?" she added sarcastically.

"First of all, rude, it's like 1pm. Second of all, I need your help," I replied.

"I hope you know you're interrupting me getting my nails done for tomorrow," she said. "But shoot."

I didn't know how to say the words I wanted to. I was scared in case, when I vocalised my thoughts, they would sound petty or as if I was making a big deal out of something that didn't seem like a big deal to anyone except me.

"Brooke's friend is in hospital, she's hurt really bad. Brooke called an she sounded so scared...I just don't know what to do" I sighed.

"What does your heart tell you?" she replied simply.

"I want to be with her," I said without thinking.

And I did. I missed holding her; I missed the scent she left on my clothes, I missed the way she hummed under her breath when she was happy, I missed how her eyes sparkled when she was telling a story. I missed everything.

Mali sighed on the other end of the line.

"I don't want to miss your wedding, Mali. You're my best friend, my whole world. That's why I have no fucking clue what to do," I choked.

"Cal, it's up to you, mate. I know how much Brooke means to you and I know you want to be with her. Missing someone hurts like hell, I know it. I can't make this decision for you bro, despite how much I'd like to," she said. "I need to switch hands to get these nails done so uh.." she trailed off.

"I know when I'm not wanted," I joked. "Thanks Mali," I said before hanging up.

I lay on my floor, staring at my ceiling. I couldn't miss my sisters wedding. I didn't want Brooke to be alone. I wanted to scream and/or fall asleep, and get someone else to make this decision for me. Fuck.

🌺

Okay i am sorry that was so crap hella filler chapter but idk its needed to keep this going and im gonna update again soon soRRy

also i think you really should check out my Michael fic 'an encounter' that i just started bc why not michael is hella cute?!?

lol im so annoying bye ily if you're reading byE