The Beatles Short Stories

Paul's Moped Accident

Alright, so this story is also based on a true occurrence. Almost everything that will be mentioned in this story is historically accurate. I used the Beatles Bible website as a reference, by the way. Enjoy!
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   December 26, 1965

   "These things are so gear! Aren't they, Tara?"
   "They sure are, Paul! Thanks for letting me ride with you, by the way."
   "You're welcome! Cousin Bett will probably be glad to see you any road."
   "Yeah, your family is so nice. I wonder why you didn't turn out so," Tara said as a cheeky smirk spread across his face.
   "Get on, ya git!" Paul laughed as he and Tara turned their mopeds onto another one of Liverpool's cobblestone streets.
   It was a beautiful, clear December night and the day after Christmas I might add, so Paul had decided to hire a couple of mopeds in order for him and his mate, Tara Browne, to drive around and enjoy some Liverpool scenery before heading over to Paul's cousin Bett's house. The two were having quite a bit of fun teasing each other and Paul was having a good time showing off his home town to Tara, who happened to be an Irishman.
   "So, did you get anything exciting for Christmas, Paul?" Tara asked after a small break of silence.
   "Well, nothing much other than an Aston Martin, a mansion in Bulgaria, a trip to the Easter Islands, and a Bassett Hound."
   "Wow, you're right. That's nothing much," Tara replied, feeling quite low about himself.
   Paul simply glanced over at his friend before breaking out into a laughing fit.
   "What's so funny, Macca?" Tara asked, confused.
   "You really thought I got all that stuff?" Paul sputtered between laughter.
   "Uh, yeah. You're famous after all."
   "Just because I'm famous doesn't mean I own the world!" he giggled. "I really got a pair of socks and a new guitar strap. How about you?"
   "A tie and some new trousers," Tara answered simply.
   "That sounds nice. It was a wonderful Christmastime, wasn't it?"
   "It sure was! But, I am sorry it's over."
   "Me too," Paul agreed as he shook his head before looking upwards. "Hey, look at the moon! It's huge!"
   Tara then obeyed as he looked up at the giant orb.
   "You're right, it is huge!" Tara exclaimed.
   But, just as he said 'huge,' he heard a thud before noticing that Paul was no longer riding beside him.
   "Paul!" he yelled out before smashing down on the brakes in order to find out why Paul had seemingly disappeared.

   Paul's POV

   I had just noticed how beautiful and large the moon was. I always enjoy full moons and such beauties of nature. I told Tara to look up too, which I don't know if he did or not, because, just as I told him to, I suddenly had this freeze frame image of myself being a few inches from the pavement. It was then I realized that my face was going to hit the pavement, no matter what I did. It was too late.
   Just like that, I felt my face collide with the pavement with a sickening whack. I then felt a searing pain on my left cheek as I struggled to regain my composure, for I was in a lot of pain, but I didn't want Tara to discover such. I put my hand up to my lip before realizing that blood was gushing out from it. "That's probably not good,"  I thought before I heard footsteps making their way over to me.
   "Paul! Are you okay?" he yelled.
   "Um, yeah. I think so," I said as I attempted to get back on my feet, but Tara ended up helping me get up.
   "Oh, gosh, Macca. Your lip is bleeding like crazy. I think it's split," he said as he examined my injury.
   I just nodded and forced a weak smile, which caused his face to drop completely.
   "What's wrong, Tara? Why such a face?" I inquired, worried.
   "Well, um, your tooth is kinda chipped there, Macca," he answered gingerly. "I'm sure it can be fixed, though, don't worry."
   "I'm sure it can. Well, I guess we need to get to Bett's then. We don't want to keep her waiting," I said suddenly as I positioned myself back on the moped.
   "Are you sure about this, Paul? We could just walk, y'know."
   "It's alright, besides, it would take forever if we walked. We'll be there in a jiffy anyways."
   "Okay, if you're sure."
   And so, we hopped back onto the hired mopeds and continued our ride to my cousin Bett's. Thankfully, without another casualty, we arrived and we both hopped off and parked the mopeds by the front porch. We then made our way up to the door and I rang the doorbell. After a short moment, a voice sounded from inside the small house.
   "Come in!" she yelled.
   "It's Paul and Tara, Bett!" I yelled back as I twisted the door handle.
   "Oh, goody! Come in then, come in!" she exclaimed from somewhere in the house.
   "Now, Bett, don't worry, but I've had a bit of an accident," I said as we walked fully inside.
   It was then that Cousin Bett appeared from down the hall. As soon as she got a look at me, her face must've fallen twenty feet. At first, she was speechless with her mouth hanging wide agape and then her face turned to utter worry.
   "Holy...Paul what happened?" she cried.
   "Well, I came off a moped just a moment ago, but it's really no big deal," I said with a crooked smile.
   "Yes, it is a big deal, Paulie. Why, your lip is bleeding terribly and, oh my goodness, your tooth is chipped," she said as she raised a hand and examined my misfortune. "You need stitches for that lip now, so I'm calling a doctor."
   "Please, Bett, that's not necessary," I tried as I watched her beeline over to the telephone.
   "Yes it is, now you sit down and hush while I call him up. He's a friend of mine, after all."
   "But, Bett..." I started.
   "No, buts! Now, Tara...that is your name, correct?" she said as she dialed the doctor's phone number.
   "Yes, ma'am," Tara replied bashfully.
   "You take Paul over to the couch and make him sit down while I, hello? Yes this is she. Look, I need you over here right now. Paul had a moped accident and his lip is in terrible shape."
   She then continued on, much to my dismay, but I didn't hear the rest because Tara pulled me into the living room and pushed me down on the couch.
   "Cousin Bett's orders," he said with an upraised finger as I looked at him like he was the plague.
   Momentarily, Bett joined us in the living room and said:
   "Alright, the doctor is on his way. How are you doing, Paulie?"
   "Oh, Bett, I'm fine. Really!" I cried before a slight wince.
   "Yeah right," she said as she sat down next to me and rubbed my back in circles.
   "Anyways, Bett, you weren't properly introduced to my mate. Meet Tara, Tara this is my cousin Bett," I said, obviously changing the subject.
   "Well, hello, Tara. It's nice to meet you," she said as she shook his hand.
   "Hello, Miss Bett, it's nice to meet you as well."
   "So, how long have you and Paul been..."
   But, just before she could finish, the door bell rang.
   "That's probably the doctor. Just sit tight, I'll be right back," she said as she approached the door. "That was quick!"
   I immediately felt my stomach knot up and my hands begin to sweat and tremble. I always was afraid of doctors, even though I'm 23 years old at this point. Not a moment too soon, Bett came in with a doctor who looked quite close to her age. Not too young, not too old.
   "Alright, Paul, this is the doctor and he's going to fix you up," she said as they walked over to me.
   I instantly stood up, for some reason, and greeted him.
   "Hello, how do you do?"
   "I'm fine, Mr. McCartney. But I don't think you can say the same. Here, come into the light so I can take a look," he said as he placed his trembling hands up to my swollen lip.
   He then felt around, which caused me to tense up quite obviously.
   "It's alright, Macca," Tara cooed.
   "Ta," I answered.
   After careful examination, the doctor finally spoke.
   "Lad, it seems that your lip needs stitches. I've got a needle and thread here, so I can fix you up rather quickly," he said as he held up a needle and thread after digging through his black bag.
   I gulped before telling him to do what he must. I was really trying to hide it, but, in all reality, I was really nervous and scared. I mean, this was probably going to hurt, right?
   "Okay, here we go then. I don't have any anesthetic, so you'll just have to bite the bullet. Sorry, lad," he said as he inched closer to my lip with the needle.
   This was it. "Deep breath, Paul. Deep breath,"  I thought. With trembling hands, he pierced the needle through my split and bleeding lip. I couldn't help but let a cry of pain, which caused Bett and Tara to sigh in regret for me. Slowly, the doctor pierced through the skin, sowing my lip together each time he did so.
   "You're doing fine, Paul. Almost done," he soothed.
   I simply nodded in response, for I was in too much pain to do otherwise. Suddenly, the doctor let out an exasperated sigh, before looking at me with a dreadful remorse.
   "The needle has come unthread. I'll have to do it again," he said, which practically mortified me.
   "Oh, gosh," I heard Bett sigh.
   Thankfully, without too much trouble, he rethreaded the needle and finished sowing my lip. Now, all I was left with was a chipped tooth and a still bloody lip.
   "Alright, I think that finishes you up, lad. Are you alright?" he asked.
   "Yes, sir, I'm fine. Just a little dizzy," I said, trying not to sound weak.
   "Well, you probably need rest. I suggest that you take it easy."
   "Thank you, sir. I will."
   With that being said, he bid his farewell. Bett paid him and showed him to the door while I continued to stand in the same place, feeling a bit dazed.
   "Paul, why don't you sit down," Tara recommended as he took notice of me, for I must have looked flustered.
   "Okay, thanks."
   And so, I wobbled over to the couch and collapsed onto it. I suddenly felt really sleepy and decided to lay down while Tara sat down in the rocking chair and Bett talked to her doctor friend. In seconds flat, I closed my eyes and drifted off into a peaceful, yet painful sleep.
  

   Omniscient POV

   "Okay, Paul, have you taken any medicine for the pain?" Bett asked as she entered the living room.
   "Sshh, he's sleeping, Miss Bett," Tara whispered.
   "Oh, good!" she also whispered as she looked down to find Paul lying in an uncomfortable position on the small couch. "Oh dear, that won't do."
   She then began to buzz around the living room gathering a blanket and a pillow. She then knelt down to Paul. Very carefully, she lifted his head and placed the pillow underneath it. Next, she straightened him out a little bit, in order to make him more comfortable. To finish, she unfolded the fuzzy blanket and draped it across the Beatle's small frame.
   "There, that's better," she said as she placed a hand on Paul's shoulder. "Now you get some rest my poor Paulie."
   As she said that, he stirred a little and winced in pain, but didn't wake up.
   "Poor dear," she said as she patted his shoulder before turning to Tara. "So Tara, I guess this means we can get acquainted."
   "I suppose it does, ma'am. Where shall we start?"
   And with that being said, Bett and Tara talked the night away while Paul slept contentedly on the couch, presently unaware of the pain that would grip him if he was awake.

Okay, so Paul's lip did heal, but he was left with a scar which is why he grew a mustache, or that's what he says on the Beatles Bible or on the Anthology. Fun fact, in the music videos for "Paperback Writer" and "Rain," you can see Paul's chipped tooth. You probably already knew that, though. XD. Anyways, thanks for reading! I really appreciate it as always. Lastly, I will try my best to get a New Year's story done. To be honest, I didn't realize it was so soon, but I will try. Thanks!