Fic: Purple when bruised...part 2
Title: PURPLE WHEN BRUISED...part 2
Author: Clarkangel
Rating: R for language
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me ::pout::
Summary: David gets whumped and his friends help him deal. Whump and angst galore.
PURPLE WHEN BRUISED...part 2
Neal noticed David fading out on him and panic set in. He looked up at Joey and snapped, “Did you call a fucking ambulance?”
Joey knelt down beside them, reaching out towards David with a shaky hand, but pulling it back suddenly as if afraid his touch would hurt his friend. “I called, they’re coming. Oh god! I can’t believe this happened!”
Before Neal could respond to that he heard voices and looked up from David’s - deathly pale - face to see campus security surrounding them.
“What happened?” Asked the tallest of the three, as he crouched down at David’s feet.
“Hell if I know!” Neal replied, scowling. “I wasn’t here when it happened! If I had been it wouldn’t have happened!
Andy reached out, gripping Neal’s shoulder in a gesture of gentle chiding and comfort combined, then he focused on the security guy. “We found David stumbling towards the building,” he replied, his voice gritty with emotion. “Before that I’d tried calling him on his cell a few times and when he didn’t answer I got spooked so we went looking for him.”
Joey had jumped to his feet and was pacing nervously, but he interjected to say, “He was fine not even half an hour ago. I was with him and he was fine!” He looked scared and sick and remorsed line his features, making him look like he’d aged ten years in just minutes.
“We called for an ambulance,” Neal snarled. “It should be here by now!” As if on cue a siren pierced the air around them.
“I’ll direct them over,” the pudgy security guard offered, taking off at a trot.
Neal wanted to scream at him to run faster, but he knew Andy would tell him to chill out. Only it was hard to be calm when Dave was so pale and still in his arms. Neal couldn’t believe this was happening. He couldn’t believe that David was lying there, forearm bruised and swollen, blood streaking his temple, body limp yet quivering even in unconsciousness. When they found how who did this, Neal was going to kick the bastard’s ass. Repeatedly. He knew Joey and Andy would side with him on that one, either helping him kick ass or cheering him on.
“What happened?” asked a female voice.
Neal looked up to see that the EMT’s had arrived. The woman was probably in her thirties with dark hair and a kind face. She nudged Andy out of the way to kneel next to David and she touched him with a gentleness that Neal appreciated.
“We don’t know what happened, beyond the obvious,” Andy replied, his tone a bit sharp, revealing his worry for David. “Someone beat him up.”
The woman ignored Andy’s tone, nodding instead as she reached out and patted David on the cheek. “Mr. Cook, can you hear me?”
For some reason Neal wasn’t the least bit surprised that she knew who Dave was. His friend had fans from all over the place and was drawing more and more attention by the day. But all he cared about now was making sure David was okay. So he watched everything the EMT did. He willed David to wake up as she continued tapping his face. Relief washed over Neal when Dave’s eyes flickered open.
The EMT was smiling as her partner took David’s blood pressure. “Mr. Cook, my name is Elaine and my partner and I are going to take good care of you. Can you tell me what happened?
David blinked a few times before seeming able to focus on her face, which worried Neal more than a little. “Wha…” he mumbled, looking confused.
“Do you know where you are, Mr. Cook?” Elaine asked, her tone soft and even, but Neal had a feeling she was just as concerned as he was.
“D-david…call me David.”
Neal felt a twitter of relief at David’s response. His friend was polite to a fault at times, but it was a good sign that Dave was okay.
Elaine smiled at that. “It’s nice to meet you, David. I’m a big fan.” As she spoke her hands ran over David’s arms, starting at his shoulders. He didn’t react to her touch on his left arm, but he flinched and whimpered when she touched his right side.
“You’re hurting him!” Neal snarled, fighting the urge to push her away. He knew she was just doing her job but it hurt to see Dave hurting.
“S’kay,” David replied, gritting his teeth.
Neal stared at his friend, seeing the pain that darkened bright eyes to stormy gray. He wished to hell there was something he could do to take the pain away. Instead he was helpless. He wasn’t an EMT and he didn’t know who the hell had done this to his friend so he could kick some ass. Neal was glad he didn’t have high blood pressure issues, otherwise he would have popped right now. He was that fucking mad and upset.
Elaine glanced at Neal, as if reading his thoughts, nodded, then went back to her examination of David. “Can you tell me what happened?” she asked him.
David blinked a few times, as if to steady his focus on her, then grimaced. “Felt like I got hit by a cement truck,” he whispered, wincing a bit as he shifted position, as if trying to sit up.
Elaine pressed a hand to his left shoulder, keeping him still. “That’s okay,” she told him. “Just relax and we’ll get you loaded into the ambulance and on the way to the hospital.”
“I have a show!” David was trying to sit up again, gasping and cradling his ribs, but still working against the obvious pain in an attempt to get up.
“Fuck the show!” Neal snapped, bluntly, startling Dave enough that he froze. “We can reschedule the show. You need to get checked out!” Neal could feel Dave searching his face and he locked eyes with his friend, letting him see that there was no compromise on this. David had a habit of downplaying any sickness or injuries. Even when he’d come down with Meningitis he hadn’t mentioned feeling sick until he’d nearly passed out while in the recording studio, working on Analog Heart. Neal had wanted to smack David upside the head for being so damn stupid about his health.
“We’re doing the show,” David insisted, getting that *stubborn as a damn mule* look in his eye. The look that usually got him the result he wanted, but it wasn’t going to work on Neal this time.
And he said as much. “You’re going to the hospital, Dave. This is non negotiable. I’ll go with you.” Neal looked at Andy. “Go find Art and Michelle and meet us there. He nodded at Joey next. “Grab Kyle, he’s gonna want to be there.”
Elaine’s partner was bringing the gurney over and she stood up to get it ready for David, but interjected with, “We’ll be at Mercy Hospital. It’s straight down highway 108, first exit on your left and about two miles down. Close and easy to get to.
Neal was grateful to her. He got up so he could help get David on the stretcher, but of course his friend refused to let them do all the heavy lifting, so to speak. Instead David held out his good arm to Neal and Neal gripped it in his own. As carefully as he could, he hauled David up enough to get on the gurney. He bit back a wince as David swallowed a moan, stepping away as his friend was strapped in. He watched Andy and Joey say a few words to Dave before heading off to inform everyone else about what happened. Then Neal followed the gurney to the ambulance, resisting the urge to light up a cigarette to soothe his nerves. Instead he got into the back after they had loaded Dave in, and spent the next fifteen minutes praying to a God he wasn’t sure he believed in.
***************
Amy stared at her closet, eyeballing her shirts and frowning. Nothing seemed right for tonight. She was excited about seeing David Cook, live, in concert. She had loved him on American Idol and had texted for him until her fingers went numb. Now she had the chair to see him in person. To be close to him. She had a front row ticket and the hope that she might be able to meet David after he concert, because she knew that he often came out for pictures and autographs after a show.
Since she couldn’t make up her mind about a shirt, she grabbed her cell and called her best friend, Sarah. They were going to the concert together. Sarah didn’t watch Idol, but Amy had gifted her with David’s album when it came out and she was totally codified now.
The moment Sarah answered, Amy blurted out, “Come over and help me pick out the perfect shirt for tonight.”
“You haven’t heard?” Sarah sounded shocked.
“Heard what?” Amy countered, feeling her stomach twist into a knot. She sensed it was going to be bad news.
There was a long moment of silence before Sarah replied, “I don’t know the details, but Kayla texted me she heard that David’s concert for tonight is cancelled.”
Amy was stricken. “No!” she screamed. “Why would they cancel. Didn’t the buses arrive like three hours ago? David wouldn’t cancel!”
“Kayla’s not sure what happened, but rumor has it that David was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.” Sarah sounded remorseful. “Didn’t you tell me that David has blood pressure issues?”
“Yeah…he does.” Amy was suddenly terrified for him. “I’ve gotta go, Sarah. Call me if you hear anything more. I’m gonna go ask around and try and get details.” She hung up before Sarah could reply.
Amy was at the door when a heavy knock sounded. She flung it open to find her boyfriend, Brian, looming in the doorway. They had been fighting for the past week about her going to tonight’s concert. He hated the fact that she was a David Cook fan. Amy had tried to tell him, over and over again, that didn’t mean she didn’t love him. But in regards to anything David Cook, Brian seemed to have selective hearing an inability to get over his overwhelming jealousy. To the point where Amy was seriously considering breaking up with him in the very near future.
Whatever his issues at this moment, she wasn’t ready to deal with him. “Brian, this isn’t a good time. Sarah just told me the concert might be cancelled.” She didn’t care if he bitched at her again, she just wanted to find out what was going on. She had been waiting for over two months for this night.
“I bet it is,” Brian drawled, smirking at her. “Pansy ass Rocker boy isn’t going to make his gig. He’s going to be too busy crying over his boo-boos.”
“What?” Two things occurred to Amy at that moment. One, that Brian was drunk and, two, that he knew something about what had happened to David. “What are you talking about, Brian?”
He shrugged before pushing his way past her into the room. “We had a little talk, your little rocker boy and I. Well, not a whole lot of talking went on. Unless you consider my fist and foot kicking his ass as talking.”
Amy felt horror wash over her, making her feel dizzy as Brian’s words sank in. She stared at him in disbelief, then forced herself to ask, “Are you telling me that you beat up David Cook?”
“Little pansy boy made it easy,” Brian boasted, swaying on his feet and knocking into Amy’s bed stand. “I knocked him down and he didn’t even try to get up.” He looked pleased with himself as he spoke.
“You bastard!” Amy hissed at him, before heading out the door at a run.
THE END...of part 2
Author: Clarkangel
Rating: R for language
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me ::pout::
Summary: David gets whumped and his friends help him deal. Whump and angst galore.
PURPLE WHEN BRUISED...part 2
Neal noticed David fading out on him and panic set in. He looked up at Joey and snapped, “Did you call a fucking ambulance?”
Joey knelt down beside them, reaching out towards David with a shaky hand, but pulling it back suddenly as if afraid his touch would hurt his friend. “I called, they’re coming. Oh god! I can’t believe this happened!”
Before Neal could respond to that he heard voices and looked up from David’s - deathly pale - face to see campus security surrounding them.
“What happened?” Asked the tallest of the three, as he crouched down at David’s feet.
“Hell if I know!” Neal replied, scowling. “I wasn’t here when it happened! If I had been it wouldn’t have happened!
Andy reached out, gripping Neal’s shoulder in a gesture of gentle chiding and comfort combined, then he focused on the security guy. “We found David stumbling towards the building,” he replied, his voice gritty with emotion. “Before that I’d tried calling him on his cell a few times and when he didn’t answer I got spooked so we went looking for him.”
Joey had jumped to his feet and was pacing nervously, but he interjected to say, “He was fine not even half an hour ago. I was with him and he was fine!” He looked scared and sick and remorsed line his features, making him look like he’d aged ten years in just minutes.
“We called for an ambulance,” Neal snarled. “It should be here by now!” As if on cue a siren pierced the air around them.
“I’ll direct them over,” the pudgy security guard offered, taking off at a trot.
Neal wanted to scream at him to run faster, but he knew Andy would tell him to chill out. Only it was hard to be calm when Dave was so pale and still in his arms. Neal couldn’t believe this was happening. He couldn’t believe that David was lying there, forearm bruised and swollen, blood streaking his temple, body limp yet quivering even in unconsciousness. When they found how who did this, Neal was going to kick the bastard’s ass. Repeatedly. He knew Joey and Andy would side with him on that one, either helping him kick ass or cheering him on.
“What happened?” asked a female voice.
Neal looked up to see that the EMT’s had arrived. The woman was probably in her thirties with dark hair and a kind face. She nudged Andy out of the way to kneel next to David and she touched him with a gentleness that Neal appreciated.
“We don’t know what happened, beyond the obvious,” Andy replied, his tone a bit sharp, revealing his worry for David. “Someone beat him up.”
The woman ignored Andy’s tone, nodding instead as she reached out and patted David on the cheek. “Mr. Cook, can you hear me?”
For some reason Neal wasn’t the least bit surprised that she knew who Dave was. His friend had fans from all over the place and was drawing more and more attention by the day. But all he cared about now was making sure David was okay. So he watched everything the EMT did. He willed David to wake up as she continued tapping his face. Relief washed over Neal when Dave’s eyes flickered open.
The EMT was smiling as her partner took David’s blood pressure. “Mr. Cook, my name is Elaine and my partner and I are going to take good care of you. Can you tell me what happened?
David blinked a few times before seeming able to focus on her face, which worried Neal more than a little. “Wha…” he mumbled, looking confused.
“Do you know where you are, Mr. Cook?” Elaine asked, her tone soft and even, but Neal had a feeling she was just as concerned as he was.
“D-david…call me David.”
Neal felt a twitter of relief at David’s response. His friend was polite to a fault at times, but it was a good sign that Dave was okay.
Elaine smiled at that. “It’s nice to meet you, David. I’m a big fan.” As she spoke her hands ran over David’s arms, starting at his shoulders. He didn’t react to her touch on his left arm, but he flinched and whimpered when she touched his right side.
“You’re hurting him!” Neal snarled, fighting the urge to push her away. He knew she was just doing her job but it hurt to see Dave hurting.
“S’kay,” David replied, gritting his teeth.
Neal stared at his friend, seeing the pain that darkened bright eyes to stormy gray. He wished to hell there was something he could do to take the pain away. Instead he was helpless. He wasn’t an EMT and he didn’t know who the hell had done this to his friend so he could kick some ass. Neal was glad he didn’t have high blood pressure issues, otherwise he would have popped right now. He was that fucking mad and upset.
Elaine glanced at Neal, as if reading his thoughts, nodded, then went back to her examination of David. “Can you tell me what happened?” she asked him.
David blinked a few times, as if to steady his focus on her, then grimaced. “Felt like I got hit by a cement truck,” he whispered, wincing a bit as he shifted position, as if trying to sit up.
Elaine pressed a hand to his left shoulder, keeping him still. “That’s okay,” she told him. “Just relax and we’ll get you loaded into the ambulance and on the way to the hospital.”
“I have a show!” David was trying to sit up again, gasping and cradling his ribs, but still working against the obvious pain in an attempt to get up.
“Fuck the show!” Neal snapped, bluntly, startling Dave enough that he froze. “We can reschedule the show. You need to get checked out!” Neal could feel Dave searching his face and he locked eyes with his friend, letting him see that there was no compromise on this. David had a habit of downplaying any sickness or injuries. Even when he’d come down with Meningitis he hadn’t mentioned feeling sick until he’d nearly passed out while in the recording studio, working on Analog Heart. Neal had wanted to smack David upside the head for being so damn stupid about his health.
“We’re doing the show,” David insisted, getting that *stubborn as a damn mule* look in his eye. The look that usually got him the result he wanted, but it wasn’t going to work on Neal this time.
And he said as much. “You’re going to the hospital, Dave. This is non negotiable. I’ll go with you.” Neal looked at Andy. “Go find Art and Michelle and meet us there. He nodded at Joey next. “Grab Kyle, he’s gonna want to be there.”
Elaine’s partner was bringing the gurney over and she stood up to get it ready for David, but interjected with, “We’ll be at Mercy Hospital. It’s straight down highway 108, first exit on your left and about two miles down. Close and easy to get to.
Neal was grateful to her. He got up so he could help get David on the stretcher, but of course his friend refused to let them do all the heavy lifting, so to speak. Instead David held out his good arm to Neal and Neal gripped it in his own. As carefully as he could, he hauled David up enough to get on the gurney. He bit back a wince as David swallowed a moan, stepping away as his friend was strapped in. He watched Andy and Joey say a few words to Dave before heading off to inform everyone else about what happened. Then Neal followed the gurney to the ambulance, resisting the urge to light up a cigarette to soothe his nerves. Instead he got into the back after they had loaded Dave in, and spent the next fifteen minutes praying to a God he wasn’t sure he believed in.
***************
Amy stared at her closet, eyeballing her shirts and frowning. Nothing seemed right for tonight. She was excited about seeing David Cook, live, in concert. She had loved him on American Idol and had texted for him until her fingers went numb. Now she had the chair to see him in person. To be close to him. She had a front row ticket and the hope that she might be able to meet David after he concert, because she knew that he often came out for pictures and autographs after a show.
Since she couldn’t make up her mind about a shirt, she grabbed her cell and called her best friend, Sarah. They were going to the concert together. Sarah didn’t watch Idol, but Amy had gifted her with David’s album when it came out and she was totally codified now.
The moment Sarah answered, Amy blurted out, “Come over and help me pick out the perfect shirt for tonight.”
“You haven’t heard?” Sarah sounded shocked.
“Heard what?” Amy countered, feeling her stomach twist into a knot. She sensed it was going to be bad news.
There was a long moment of silence before Sarah replied, “I don’t know the details, but Kayla texted me she heard that David’s concert for tonight is cancelled.”
Amy was stricken. “No!” she screamed. “Why would they cancel. Didn’t the buses arrive like three hours ago? David wouldn’t cancel!”
“Kayla’s not sure what happened, but rumor has it that David was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.” Sarah sounded remorseful. “Didn’t you tell me that David has blood pressure issues?”
“Yeah…he does.” Amy was suddenly terrified for him. “I’ve gotta go, Sarah. Call me if you hear anything more. I’m gonna go ask around and try and get details.” She hung up before Sarah could reply.
Amy was at the door when a heavy knock sounded. She flung it open to find her boyfriend, Brian, looming in the doorway. They had been fighting for the past week about her going to tonight’s concert. He hated the fact that she was a David Cook fan. Amy had tried to tell him, over and over again, that didn’t mean she didn’t love him. But in regards to anything David Cook, Brian seemed to have selective hearing an inability to get over his overwhelming jealousy. To the point where Amy was seriously considering breaking up with him in the very near future.
Whatever his issues at this moment, she wasn’t ready to deal with him. “Brian, this isn’t a good time. Sarah just told me the concert might be cancelled.” She didn’t care if he bitched at her again, she just wanted to find out what was going on. She had been waiting for over two months for this night.
“I bet it is,” Brian drawled, smirking at her. “Pansy ass Rocker boy isn’t going to make his gig. He’s going to be too busy crying over his boo-boos.”
“What?” Two things occurred to Amy at that moment. One, that Brian was drunk and, two, that he knew something about what had happened to David. “What are you talking about, Brian?”
He shrugged before pushing his way past her into the room. “We had a little talk, your little rocker boy and I. Well, not a whole lot of talking went on. Unless you consider my fist and foot kicking his ass as talking.”
Amy felt horror wash over her, making her feel dizzy as Brian’s words sank in. She stared at him in disbelief, then forced herself to ask, “Are you telling me that you beat up David Cook?”
“Little pansy boy made it easy,” Brian boasted, swaying on his feet and knocking into Amy’s bed stand. “I knocked him down and he didn’t even try to get up.” He looked pleased with himself as he spoke.
“You bastard!” Amy hissed at him, before heading out the door at a run.
THE END...of part 2