Johnny’s eyes snapped open as he heard the definite click of the hotel room door shut tightly.

“Hello?” His fellow band mate Zacky called. “Hello Johnny? I didn’t feel like going out, I’m pretty sleepy myself and the guys were on about heading to this strange bar in SoHo, I’m not up for any weird shit tonight”.

Zacky crossed the room and placed his keys on the table opposite the two beds within the room, noticing the pile of clothes in front of the mirror he crossed the room and banged on the bathroom door.

“Johnny! Are you in there? Please tell me you’re not messing up the bathroom again; I want to take a shower before going to bed. Open up!”

Panic raced through Johnny’s body, his clothes were out in the main room and knowing how small hotel towels are he worried as not how he would hide the gashes on his wrist. He shut the water off and quickly rushed to grab a towel.

“Erm all the towels are wet dude, could you look away as I run out to grab my boxers?” Johnny shouted through the door back. “Please?” He had decided that perhaps he could use a small hand towel to pretend to wipe his face, thus concealing his wrists whilst Zacky’s back was turned and quickly pull on a long sleeved shirt.

“Whatever. I’ve turned my back”

Johnny inhaled deeply and threw open the door, storming across the room, seeing the guitarist’s broad shoulders waiting impatiently as he rushed to throw on his old long sleeve ‘Megadeth’ jumper that was folded over a back of a chair, yet another reminder of his happier past. He had recently cut a small hole in each sleeve for his thumbs to fit through, keeping the sleeves firmly covering his arms.

“Thanks man, you can look now” Johnny managed to pull on his boxers finally and force a fake smile on his face.

As Zacky turned around he noticed the bassist’s still wet, messy mohawk hanging down into his tired brown eyes, he looked sick and exhausted.

“You okay Johnny?” quizzed Zacky, eyeing his friend up and down.

“Yeah, you just made me jump that’s all” he replied, running a covered hand through his messy hair. “I’m just going to head to sleep now, that last show really took it out of me”

Zacky’s concerned expression suddenly burst into life. “Yeah that was one hell of a show! I think that the others are painting the town fully red tonight!” the guitarist rolled his head back and let out a laugh. Johnny liked seeing his friend like this; it made him feel as though life wasn’t so bad after all.

Johnny turned and climbed into his bed for the night, it was a warm welcome in comparison to his small apartment back in California. Between the clean, crisp white sheets he felt at home, safe in the knowledge that a good nights sleep would temporarily cure all of his worries and concerns.

“Okay dude, well I’m just going to clean myself up, read a few pages of my book and I’ll probably not be to far behind you in terms of sleep”. And with that he turned away and wondering into the bathroom, locking the door tightly.

Johnny rolled over to face the window and clicked off the lamp at the side of his bed. The darkness again surrounded him as he snuggled further down into the bed. His thought flickered onto his friends and his future and more importantly how much he wanted to recover from this hell.

Slowly, carefully sleep took over his eyes, drawing them into a peaceful sleep.