Nis Gerpm

Chapter 3

Ringo suggested that George skipped a performance or two, but the lanky Beatles insisted he shouldn't miss a concert. It was Friday evening, and he managed to keep his guts calm. The four met from their rooms and went down the hotel elevator to their gig van. As George made his way to his seat he winced and held back from clutching his sore stomach. Shoot, not again, not today. John gave him a confused glance, noticing George's tense expression, and nudged Paul to get his attention. Paul gave a worried glance over.

"Your gut still not agreeing with ya?" Paul said in a concerned voice.

"It's nothing," George scoffed, hoping Paul's comment didn't reach Ringo, who was looking out of his window in the seat ahead.

George let out a heavy sigh and couldn't help but glance down at his abdomen. For the last while it had began to make an odd tingly feeling, or at least, that was how he could best describe it. It was as if something inside him was tickling his stomach. Sometimes it lead to queasiness, but other times it felt oddly cathartic. George prayed that it would let up, whatever it was, just this night so that he didn't have to get dragged out to some bloody hospital.

"-The Beatles!" On their cue, the four men rushed onto stage and waved their arms high to greet the audience. Paul introduced the first song, then John the second... third... fourth... George's stomach seemed to be holding up, and by the fifth song- his turn to sing the lead- he let his mind slip away from his body...

Sweat beaded from the four musicians' foreheads as they rocked into the night. It was their last track, which was Twist and Shout, when George realized that his guts were beginning to ache again... but this time the pain just kept getting fiercer. He grimaced, just barely holding himself upright on shaky legs, his mind set on not throwing up in front of the sea of fans.

When Ringo noticed that George didn't sing his cue in Twist And Shout his face grew pale. The drummer hoped that the stubborn Beatle missed his cue by accident, but suspected worse. The four strummed a final chord and George began to hobble off before Paul could finish his farewell to the audience. Ringo raced after him and offered a shoulder, which the lead guitarist slouched on until they reached backstage. At once George found the nearest trash can, and without a word deposited the contents of his stomach into it. Ringo knelt by his side, rubbing the lead guitarist's back and exclaiming,

"I knew you were sick! When we get back to the hotel you're getting a change of clothes and then I'm driving you straight to the clinic." George was too overtaken by shaking to argue. Paul and John came over as well, and Ringo informed them on George's sickness and how he had told him to visit the doctor about it weeks ago. Maybe Ringo is right, I should get this checked out...