"Peace of mind is less than never"
Chapter 11 - Rest;
Zacky gently closed the door on Johnny's room, leaving a small gap so that he could look in during the night.
He decided that he would stay up a while longer, just incase Johnny needed him for any reason, he didn't want to be asleep when he friend needed him most. So heading into the kitchen Zacky turned on the oven and began to prepare an evening meal of pasta bake, making sure he made enough for his new lodger upstairs. Preparing the meal took his mind off of everything, the simplicity of chopping the ingredients and planning the portion sizes altered the mood slightly, Zacky felt at peace.
After he'd finished he grabbed his own plate and ate mindlessly in front of the tv, he had just settled in when he heard a loud bang coming from upstairs. Fast as lighting Zacky bolted upstairs just in case anything had happened. He smiled to himself at the thought of what the noise could be. On tour Johnny had a habit of rolling out of his bed when he was asleep and Zacky would have to carefully convince him to get up off the floor.
His heart pounded as he reached Johnny's room, the door was completely open and the covers on the bed were thrown back. Zacky slowly turned around to see that the bathroom door was closed and the light was on inside. He crept towards the room, hoping that Johnny hadn't decided to try and hurt himself again.
Zacky lightly tapped on the door "Hey....Johnny? Are you in there...what're you doing man?" He paused waiting for a response, them knocked again, only slightly louder.
"I'm starting to panic, open up please!"
Suddenly the door swung open to reveal Johnny standing there, tattooed chest showing, sleeping eyed and hair everywhere.
"I....I forgot that the nurses told me to remove my main bandages and to apply this 'special' cream to help with infection". He held the tube of white cream in front of Zacky's eyes, obviously aware as to why his friend initially panicked.
Zacky saw for the first time in full light the extent of his friends injuries. The cuts and gashes that spanned Johnny's arms were vast. Some of them still fresh and dark red in colour, others had partial bruising and additional plasters covering them. Either way, Johnny was in a bad way.
"I was taking so long because I'm....I'm struggling to reach parts of my arms..." He looked down to the floor, searching for a less pathetic reason.
"Do you want me to help?"
Johnny looked back up at his friend and solemnly nodded he was going to get all the help he could when he was here, no matter how much it hurt his pride. Johnny stretched up his arms, one at a time and allowed Zacky to rub the cream in. He winced every so often as Zacky reached a particularly sore spot, eventually Zacky was finished.
"Have you taken your pain medication?" He questioned, reaching for a small prescription bag with Johnny's real name on it. "If you take two of these you'll fall straight back to sleep".
Zacky poured him a cold glass of water from the tap and held out two big, white pills which Johnny dutifully swallowed without complaint. In complete silence Zacky led him out of the bathroom and across the hall, back to his bed. He pulled up the covers to Johnny's neck and sat on the edge of the bed until he fell asleep again. There in silence Zacky decided that he couldn't do this by himself, he'd have to tell someone.
Zacky went downstairs and made the decision to ring the only other person he'd think could help.
Matt.
He decided that he would stay up a while longer, just incase Johnny needed him for any reason, he didn't want to be asleep when he friend needed him most. So heading into the kitchen Zacky turned on the oven and began to prepare an evening meal of pasta bake, making sure he made enough for his new lodger upstairs. Preparing the meal took his mind off of everything, the simplicity of chopping the ingredients and planning the portion sizes altered the mood slightly, Zacky felt at peace.
After he'd finished he grabbed his own plate and ate mindlessly in front of the tv, he had just settled in when he heard a loud bang coming from upstairs. Fast as lighting Zacky bolted upstairs just in case anything had happened. He smiled to himself at the thought of what the noise could be. On tour Johnny had a habit of rolling out of his bed when he was asleep and Zacky would have to carefully convince him to get up off the floor.
His heart pounded as he reached Johnny's room, the door was completely open and the covers on the bed were thrown back. Zacky slowly turned around to see that the bathroom door was closed and the light was on inside. He crept towards the room, hoping that Johnny hadn't decided to try and hurt himself again.
Zacky lightly tapped on the door "Hey....Johnny? Are you in there...what're you doing man?" He paused waiting for a response, them knocked again, only slightly louder.
"I'm starting to panic, open up please!"
Suddenly the door swung open to reveal Johnny standing there, tattooed chest showing, sleeping eyed and hair everywhere.
"I....I forgot that the nurses told me to remove my main bandages and to apply this 'special' cream to help with infection". He held the tube of white cream in front of Zacky's eyes, obviously aware as to why his friend initially panicked.
Zacky saw for the first time in full light the extent of his friends injuries. The cuts and gashes that spanned Johnny's arms were vast. Some of them still fresh and dark red in colour, others had partial bruising and additional plasters covering them. Either way, Johnny was in a bad way.
"I was taking so long because I'm....I'm struggling to reach parts of my arms..." He looked down to the floor, searching for a less pathetic reason.
"Do you want me to help?"
Johnny looked back up at his friend and solemnly nodded he was going to get all the help he could when he was here, no matter how much it hurt his pride. Johnny stretched up his arms, one at a time and allowed Zacky to rub the cream in. He winced every so often as Zacky reached a particularly sore spot, eventually Zacky was finished.
"Have you taken your pain medication?" He questioned, reaching for a small prescription bag with Johnny's real name on it. "If you take two of these you'll fall straight back to sleep".
Zacky poured him a cold glass of water from the tap and held out two big, white pills which Johnny dutifully swallowed without complaint. In complete silence Zacky led him out of the bathroom and across the hall, back to his bed. He pulled up the covers to Johnny's neck and sat on the edge of the bed until he fell asleep again. There in silence Zacky decided that he couldn't do this by himself, he'd have to tell someone.
Zacky went downstairs and made the decision to ring the only other person he'd think could help.
Matt.
Notes
Only a short chapter because I've been working 9 days straight without a break so I'm pretty damn tierd! Hoping to update soon as possible though!Thanks for reading :)
xxx
11/17/13