Standing By

Stuck

(Rob)

 A few people—more like five Pentatonix people—were just a little bit jumpy when it came to cabs. Scott waved one over then peered in, giving the driver a once-over then waved him away. Kevin hailed another cab but took one look at the driver and changed his mind. He was rewarded with an aggravated honk. Tim caught one and was ready to get in but then Avi got suspicious of the guy's hat and pulled Tim back out.

"Honestly!" I cried, frustrated. I threw my arms in the air. "Just get in!"

"I don't trust people," Kirstie admitted, squinting into the distance.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I squealed, turning around quickly. Ugh. That Diaz guy. I gave him a good scowl and turned my back on him.

"Hey. We're on the same side here, OK?" he tried to reason. "I'm sorry about earlier. But let's consider it, OK? What if—"

"—you butted the hell out?" Mitch suggested snidely.

Diaz eyed him. "My point is, if it were a bunch of fans trying to get in through an unauthorized entrance, you all would want me. You don't want frantic fans crawling all over your theatre, would you?"

"Well....," Kevin considered as Kirstie waved another cab over.

Diaz's friend, some dude called Greene, judging from the name badge he was wearing, came up behind him. "I know you needed us earlier this afternoon. I was just coming around the corner when Kevin and Tim here managed to get rid of the paparazzi."

"Why didn't you come to help then, Mr., uh, Greene, is it?" Kevin challenged him.

"Tony Greene," he introduced himself. "I saw you having trouble on camera E and was coming out to help you. Just when I got there, the last two paps ran off. I apprehended them on the corner and confiscated their film."

"Oh, well, um. That's good," Chance admitted begrudgingly.

"And..." Diaz pulled a keyring out of his pocket. "I have access to a vehicle that can carry all of you to the hospital."

Sold! For me, at least! "Deal!" I told him immediately.

"Eurgh!" Kirstie snorted. "He stunk! That cab driver smelled like he mated with a skunk!"

Mitch, Scott, Tim, Adam, and I all cracked up at that.

"Mated with a skunk?" Avi asked incredulously as Diaz let us to our ride.

"Well, he did," she laughed.

We found ourselves a nice large limo, and we all piled it. It did not smell either.

"This meet with your olfactory satisfaction, Kirstie?" I teased, my mood having improved tenfold since we were going to go get Austin. We just weren't us without him. I'd felt lost, myself, without my best friend, my confidant. I'm close to all four of them, obviously, and love them all more than I could ever say, but Austin and I got along especially well. Like peas in a pod, like he always said. I felt lonely without my fellow pea. And hated to think about him sick or injured or anything. Leaving him in the hospital last night nearly killed me. I may not have been having panic attacks like Tim had been, but I definitely had been upset. I will admit that, for the first time in a long time, I'd cried myself to sleep last night. I don't think I'd done that since my dad died several years ago. Seemed like everyone else was in good mood too, as we all jabbered all the way to the hospital.

We all jumped out and started to make a beeline to his room. I was not a happy camper when Diaz grabbed my shoulder.

"Let go of me!" I snapped, wriggling out of his grasp and darting in the sliding glass door to the elevators.