ONE MONTH LATER
The guys had just finished sound check at the venue in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were given a short fifthteen minute break before they had to do a run-through of the show. They didn’t say much as they downed water and stretched for rehearsals. Jacob was doing better; he had managed to tell the guys with Erik’s help. He still had yet to tell the Mikes though. He was relieved to know that the guys were on his side and were being very supportive of him.
“Okay guys,” said Mike C., “You have five minutes until rehearsal.” Dan nodded.
“Five minutes, got it,” he said. Just then, Jacob’s cell phone rang. He pulled it out and looked at it. Recognizing Janie’s number, he tore himself away from the group to take the call in private.
Ten minutes passed and Jacob hadn’t returned. “Where is he?” Mike M. said. “Rehearsal was supposed to start five minutes ago!”
“Chill Mike,” Trevor said, “That was a very important call, I’m sure he’ll be here soon.” But when another thirty minutes had passed and Jacob still hadn’t returned, he began to worry. He could tell the other guys were worried as well.
“I’ll go see what’s taking him,” Ashley finally said. He sounded nervous but got up to go check anyway. The others nodded and watched him go.
When Ashley entered the dressing room, Jacob wasn’t there. He knew that was where he had gone, Jacob always took private and important calls in there. “Jacob?” he called but there was no answer. “Jacob?” he called again. Still, there was no answer. He was walking around searching in corners and anywhere Jacob could be. “Jake? Come on man, this isn’t funny!” he called louder, hoping Jacob might respond. But again, there was no answer.
That’s when he noticed the door to one of the five separate bathrooms ajar. He walked over to it to get a better look. It was only open a crack but it was enough for to tell him it had been opened. A closer look told him it was Jacob’s bathroom.
“Jacob?” he called softly as he slowly pushed open the door. The first thing he caught sight of was the fact that Jacob’s cell phone was lying on the floor as if he had dropped it. Getting worried, Ashley pushed the door the rest of the way open and ran inside. He gasped at what he saw.
Jacob was slumped against the wall in an awkward sitting position. He was unconscious, a pool of blood on the floor at his hands. A thick stream of blood was running down the wall behind him. His hair was matted with dark sticky red blood and a few dry drips ran down his face on the side and his forehead.
Ashley sprinted out of the room and all the way back to where the others were still waiting on the stage. He was breathing frantically.
“Ash, what is it?” Erik asked. “What happened? Where’s Jacob?” Ashley wasted no time trying to catch his breath.
“Call an ambulance!” he cried, “Jacob’s unconscious!” Tears were running down his face. “His head is busted open! Whatever that call was, it couldn’t be good!” The other guys looked at each other and ran off for the dressing room. Mike C. pulled out his cell phone and dialed 9-1-1. After a moment of shock, Ashley followed his band mates to the dressing room.
Moments later, they all ran into the dressing room. “Where is he Ash?!” Trevor asked in a frantic voice. Ashley pointed to Jacob’s bathroom. Trevor ran ahead and pushed his way into the bathroom. “Holy shit!” he cried. The others ran in after him. Ashley dropped his head into his hands and Dan and Erik stopped in their tracks. Jacob was still unconscious but the pool of blood at his hands was bigger. Trevor went to touch him and Dan grabbed his hand.
“Don’t. He’s sustained a serious head injury. It will be best to let the professionals handle him.” Trevor looked at him for a moment.
“He’s right Trevor,” Mike M. said, coming into the room. “Never try to handle or move a victim of a head injury without the proper training. It’s too risky and could cause further damage to the victim.” Trevor dropped his had. He looked at Jacob with a sad and worried expression on his face.
“Well, is the ambulance coming?” Erik asked.
“Yes, they’re on their way,” replied Mike C., making his way into the already crowded bathroom.
“What about the concert?” Ashley said quietly. Tears were still running down his face. Both Mikes sighed.
“I had no choice but to cancel it,” Mike M. responded. “All the fans will either get their money refunded or complimentary tickets to a future concert. Those tickets, of course, will be free to use at any date, seeing as we have no idea when Jacob will be able to perform again.”
“Or if he will be able to perform again,” Ashley said in terror. That brought tears to all the other guys’ eyes.
“Why’d you have to bring that up, Ashley?” Mike C. asked. ‘Don’t be putting a negative outlook on O-town’s future. We need to stay positive about all this.” Ashley nodded but he knew it would be difficult to do.
“What about the rest of the tour?” Dan asked, his eyes glistening with tears. Erik and Trevor glanced up at the Mikes with looks that said they had been wondering the same thing. Mike M. sighed again.
“I will have to temporarily postpone the tour.”
“Postpone the tour?” said a sudden voice. Everyone turned to see Alyssa standing in the doorway. “Why?” That’s when she saw Jacob. She clasped a hand to her mouth, gasped, and backed away from the door slowly. Ashley stepped out of the room to go comfort her.
Dan stooped and picked up Jacob’s cell phone which he had just spotted lying on the floor. He was relieved to see that it hadn’t been damaged. He looked through the received calls and recognized the number on top as Janie’s. “Guys, it was Janie.” The others looked at him.
“What?” Erik asked.
“It was Janie. Janie was the one he was talking to when it happened. Whatever she had to say must’ve shocked him pretty bad.” Erik pulled out his cell phone. “What are you doing?” Dan asked, watching him dial and put the phone to his ear.
“Calling Janie,” he responded. “I want to know what it was she told him.” No one say anything. They waited in silence so they could hear every word of Erik’s end of the conversation. The Mikes had left the room to go wait for the paramedics.
“Hello?” Janie answered in an anxious voice. Erik guessed she had been waiting for news on what had happened to Jacob while they had been on the phone. He also realized that her voice was a bit scratchy as though she had been crying.
“Janie?” It’s Erik.”
“Hi Erik, is Jacob alright?”
“Never mind that now, I need to know what you called him for.” There was silence on the other end of the line. “Janie, it’s important, I need to know.”
“I’m sorry Erik but that’s confidential information. I can’t tell you that.” She sounded as though she were about to cry again.
“This is about the baby isn’t it?” Erik heard her gasp.
“Jacob told you?”
“Of course he told me, I’m one of his closest friends. Congrats, when is it due?” Erik heard her sigh heavily.
“It isn’t.” Erik’s eyes widened.
“What do you mean it isn’t?”
“Exactly what I said. You see Erik, the baby is what I called Jacob about. I…I lost it, I had a miscarriage.”
“You did? How? I mean, what happened?”
“I tripped and fell down the stairs the other day. My friend took me to the hospital. She drove as fast as she could but it was no use. By the time I finally saw a doctor, the baby was already gone. I had to tell Jacob. He told me to keep him posted.”
“But you should’ve called him when it happened or at least earlier today or after the concert. Now, the concert has been cancelled.”
“Cancelled? But why has it been cancelled? Is Jacob okay?”
“That’s none of your concern anymore. Seeing at the two of you are no longer together and Jacob has not agreed to a continued friendship yet, what happens to him is now none of your business!” Erik hung up the phone, smirking.
“Well?” Trevor asked. “What did she have to say?”
“She fell down the stairs and lost the baby.” Ashley’s mouth dropped open.
“You’re kidding!” he cried, his arm wrapped around Alyssa’s shoulders, still trying to comfort her. Erik shook his head.
“No, I’m not.”
It was at this moment the Mikes returned, paramedics in tow. They quickly pushed their way through the group and started preparing Jacob to be taken to the hospital. “One of you will need to come along in the ambulance to provide information,” one of them said, “Who’s it gonna be?” All the while, he kept working on Jacob, never once looking up. The guys looked at each other.
“Ash should go,” Trevor said, “He found him.” Ashley shook his head.
“No, Erik should go, he’s the one Jacob’s closest to. He would be able to provide the most information and might be the most comforting person for Jake to have by his side.” He, Trevor, and Dan all looked at Erik.
“Alright, I’ll go,” Erik said quietly. By this time, the paramedics had strapped Jacob to a gurney. His head had been secured to keep it from moving around to much. Erik took one last look at the guys and followed them out of the venue and to the waiting ambulance.
“Come on guys,” said Mike C., “We’ll follow in the limo.” The other three nodded and followed the Mikes as they left Jacob’s bathroom. Not wanting to be left behind, Alyssa hurried after them.
Chapters
Chapter 7
O-town Fan Fic
Home
