Page 39 of In the Shadows

Joey was upstairs in the ICU ward. Nervously, I bounced my leg in the wheelchair as time crawled by at a snail’s pace on our way to his room. My brothers flanked my sides, assuring the nurse that they wouldn’t let me overexert myself.

The sight that I was met with as we entered Joey’s room was one I never want to see again. The love of my life laid motionless in his bed, his father asleep in the recliner in the corner. There were so many wires hooked up to him, monitoring every brain wave and every external motion, for which there were none. But his face, his face was the one that drew the tears from me. His head was shaved to accommodate the staples in the back of his skull closing the four inch gash. His eyes were swollen shut, his entire face was every shade of black, blue and yellow imaginable. Joey’s left arm was casted from his fingers to his shoulder.

“He’s gonna come back to us, Ricky.” I hadn’t heard Joe get up nor move across the room until he’d spoken from beside me. “He has to, he’s all I’ve got.” Joe lost it, the guys flanked him, sharing in his misery while hugging him.

I couldn’t take my eyes off Joey. He had to come back to us, our lives had only just begun. I threw my head down on the bed beside his hip, sobbing uncontrollably. Someone’s hand was rubbing my back, trying to soothe me, but I hated to tell them it wasn’t working.

“I can’t go on without him by my side. He’s my life. Without him I can’t breathe,” I managed to get out between sobs. “I love him so fucking much it hurts.”

“Ricky,” my mom’s whispered voice drew me from my self-imposed pity party. “The nurse asked me to bring you back down to your room.”

“Hey guys, help me stand so I can say goodbye.” Diamond and Joe helped me up. Diamond by my right elbow, Joe wrapped an arm around my waist on my left side to help lift me. I winced, drawing in a breath to hold back the pain I felt where their hands gripped damaged skin. I bent forward, carefully placing my lips to Joey’s dry, cracked ones. “I love you,” I whispered as I pulled back. I knew once I was released I’d be camped out at his bedside.

“Joe,” Diamond said, “why don’t you head to the hotel? Get something to eat and take a nap. Mickey and I will stay here so Joey’s not alone.”

My heart just grew ten times larger hearing those words. Our mantra came to mind,We fight like brothers, we love like brothers, we share like brothers. When one of us hurts, we all hurt. Blood Brothers for all intents and purposes.And today saying we all hurt was putting it mildly.

When Mom and I got back to my room, we found Easton sitting alone inside.

“Are you okay?” was the first thing out of his mouth. Not straight to business, justam I okay?In my opinion, Easton was one of us. He and his father were a part of our extended band family.

“That’s a loaded question, my brother,” I told him as he and my mother helped scoot me back into bed.

“Can I hug you?” he asked, which surprised me.

“You never have to ask for a hug, those are always welcome.”

He leaned over my bedside, the best I could give him was a one armed hug, but as soon as my right arm wrapped around him his chest began to quiver. I felt my mom’s arms join in the mix. I never thought to ask Easton about his mom and I’d never heard him or his father mention her, but now was not the time or place for that conversation. When Easton stood, Mom kept her arm wrapped around his waist and he kept his head against her shoulder.

“My dad was here the first couple of days, but I sent him back to Seattle to do damage control. He insisted on making and paying for all the funeral arrangements for Rob.” He stopped to grab some tissues from the box on the side table as his tears once again flowed. “I’ll never be rid of those images.”

Remembering what Diamond had told me earlier, I’d forgotten for the moment that Easton had seen most of what had happened. I felt for him, I couldn’t even imagine. Just seeing Joey’s face did me in, if I would have seen what happened to Rob…I just couldn’t…

“Everything was lost. Dad had a crew try to sift through the wreckage, but nothing was salvageable. I’ve gotten everyone new cell phones.” He grabbed his bag, pulling mine from it and handing it to my mom. “Here’s Stoli’s, I mean Ricky’s,” he quickly corrected himself.

“It’s okay, sweetie,” she told him. “I happened to be privy to the day that nickname came to be and my lamp was destroyed.” We laughed, lightly, but still it was a much needed lift in spirits just the same.

He sat down on the bed beside me. “We hired extra security at the hospital’s request. Seems their guards couldn’t handle the onset of traffic Social Sinners was bringing to their doors.”

“Ugh, what a nightmare.” As soon as the words were out, the doctor came in.

“Well Mr. Branson, you’re looking much better today. I understand you got to see Joey?” he told me, tossing the blankets aside to start assessing my injuries.

“That’s my cue to leave. I’ll go check on Joey and be back later. I hate to say this, but we have a couple things to go over if you’re to be released tomorrow, Stoli.”

I nodded, as Easton left the room knowing business needed to be attended.

“Stoli, huh?” the doctor laughed, “I can’t say I follow your group’s music, but based upon that nickname I can only imagine.”

“The sad part is that name came about long before the band even formed,” my mom informed him.

He shook his head from side to side, but was at least grinning. “Outside of your clavicle still healing, I’d say releasing you tomorrow is likely to happen. You will be on restricted, light duty, but I’m assuming you probably won’t be leaving the hospital?” His question, which was meant as more of a statement was spot on.

“You assume correctly, doc. I’ll be camped out in Joey’s room until he’s released.”

Dr. Stone took a seat beside me on the bed. “Ricky, may I call you Ricky?”

“Yes, please or Stoli.”

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