George's POV
I run in the direction of the bar Joe typically is at. I know because Kara has said she's afraid to even walk down that street because of him. I shove open the doors. My eyes are wild as they scan the place. I spot his meaty body at the end of the room.
He doesn't know I'm here because his back is turned to me. He's alone at the bar counter. That sick son of a bitch. Sipping down a cold one as if he didn't try to kill Kara. I start to advance to him but someone grabs me from behind. I whirl around, ready to deck the person. I am faced with Ringo.
"What the hell?!" I spit.
"Check it." He warns, his voice low and steady. I try to shake him off but his hand is firm around my arm. "Don't do this." Ringo says.
"I have to... For Kara." I say, determined. Ringo stares at me.
"I have to." I repeat more quietly.
"Gah what am I doing." My face drops in defeat. He lets go of my arm and we take seats at a nearby table.
"At least wait for John and Paul?" Ringo says after a moment. A waitress lady comes up but Ringo waves her away.
"I just... I know it was him." I say. Just then John pushes me and he sits next to me, Paul next to Ringo.
"Come 'ed lads!" John nearly shouts. Paul and Ringo shush him. We don't need to attract attention.
"That him?" Paul asks, pointing to Joe's back.
"Yeah." I say. I am suddenly overwhelmed by anger and adrenaline. I get mad and stand up.
The lads warn me to stop but I've blocked them out. All I can see is my beautiful Kara, wires and tubes attached as she lays helpless in the hospital bed.
"Hey Joe!" I shout as I approach him. He turns, I pull my arm back and take a swing with all my might.
Kara's POV
I awake and find it to be seven hours later. I look around. I am alone. Where's George? I wonder. I start to panic. I didn't think I'd be this unsettled by his absence but I am. I don't feel comfortable as a nurse comes in to do the hourly check of my vitals.
She tells me to breathe when my heart rate monitor begins to race. I want to tell her why it's beating so fast but the words just don't come out. She leaves the room after a few moments. She says she'll go get me some more medication. She tells me to breathe. I struggle with relaxing. I hear footsteps and turn my head towards the door.
I gasp at what I see.
Ringo walks in first, followed by Paul, John and George in that order. Ringo and Paul's faces are flushed, their clothes twisted out of place. John's holding a napkin to his bleeding lip, his hair, tousled. My heart drops into my gut when I see George. His hair messed, his clothes dirty and ripped, his eye already black, his lip cut and his nose clogged with tissues to stop the blood from falling.
"Oh my god." I breathe. None of them have met my eyes yet, all seemingly ashamed. George finally raises his eyes slowly and meets mine. I spot a small tear in his left as he slowly approaches me. We both reach out our hands to each other.
"George?" I manage a whisper. He looks down at his lap. There's a few minutes of silence. Us five all so quiet, we would be able hear a pin drop from hundreds of yards away.
Finally George speaks. He says one word. The one word that will always make my heart drop into my gut with dread.
"Joe."
