In The Dark

68 - November 9th

Mel flung open the door of the group suite and immediately made her way over to the dining area. She was ravenous after nearly fourteen hours without food. Andrea, Pauline, Melanie, Sam, and Howie were already settled in the kitchen with a table full of breakfast foods they'd ordered in. Mel rushed over to the table and sat down, dishing herself a plate stacked with eggs, bacon, toast, and fruit, so focused on the food she forgot to greet everyone in the room.

"Well, you're feeling better," Andrea chuckled, watching her daughter with amusement.

"I'm starving!" Mel groaned, jabbing some of the scrambled eggs onto her fork and putting it in her mouth. She moaned with satisfaction and flopped back against her chair dramatically.

Howie snorted back a laugh and pushed his eggs around on his plate. "Weird. They didn't have quite the same effect on me," he humoured, taking a bite of the eggs. Mel smirked and playfully tossed a piece of her bacon at him.

Mel looked over at Melanie, who was still quite pale and had a blanket tightly wrapped around herself. She was sitting sideways on her chair with her feet up on the seat and she was resting her head against the back of the chair. Her eyes were half shut and she seemed to be struggling to stay awake.

"You all right, Melanie?" Mel asked with a mouthful of half chewed toast. Melanie looked up at her tiredly and nodded.

"She's still not feeling very well," said Pauline, gently running her hand over Melanie's shoulder. She's going to stay here with Andrea and I today while you lot go to work.

"See, I knew you didn't have the as same as us," said Mel knowingly. "It was only Emma, Brian, Nick, and me that had that noodle salad thing last night. You didn't have any, did you?"

Melanie shook her head, hugging the blanket closer.

"I had chicken and potatoes," she replied quietly. Andrea looked at Melanie curiously, standing up to check her temperature. They were interrupted as the remainder of the musicians burst into the room, hurried along by Simon who was trying to reign everyone in to eat before they had to head to their first interview of the day.

"Food!" Emma moaned, sitting next to Mel and helping herself to some toast, slathering it with Nutella and licking the remaining chocolate hazelnut spread from the knife she'd used.

"Eat quickly, everyone," said Simon. "Our car will be here in twenty minutes."

"Chill, Simon," Geri chuckled. "We don't have to be in a race to get somewhere all the time."

"I disagree," said Simon, picking up an apple from the table and walking over to the picture window overlooking the busy street below, keeping an eye out for their car. The musicians quickly ate breakfast while visiting enthusiastically and talking over one another.

Spotting their car, Simon quickly alerted the musicians and began herding them toward the door, wanting them to start their day on time. Everyone rolled their eyes, placing their dishes in the dishwasher and walking out into the hallway where JP and Vern were waiting for them.

"Hey," said Brian, looking back at Melanie as he closed the dishwasher. "Are you not coming?"

"I don't feel good," Melanie replied quietly, looking up at Brian.

"You look really tired," Brian commented, taking Pauline's seat as she got up to put her own dishes away and tidy the kitchen. "Did you sleep last night?" Melanie shook her head, letting Brian pull her toward him and resting her head on his shoulder, still holding the blanket tightly around herself.

"Quickly, Brian," said Sam from the door of the suite. "Before Simon has an aneurism." Brian nodded and hugged Melanie close, kissing the top of her head.