Not Just A Roadie / Queen Fanfiction

31 • Hospital

jolting up in response to the pain only made it worse and I fell sideways off the wooden chair in agony, vocally wincing in pain as my vision became obscured and all feeling in my body stockpiled into my left shoulder.

it felt like I had just been shot in the back with a rifle and I groaned in pain, helplessly lying on the floor, unable to put any weight on my shoulder or back to get up.

JENNY's POV

I was in the kitchen making tea for Roger and I, when I heard a noise coming from down the hallway. checking the clock, I noticed it wasn't yet 9 and Roger was usually up by now, so I went to investigate the source of the noise.

it continued and as I stepped closer to the office, a whine became more coherent. except this wasn't an ordinary whine, this was one filled with terror and I barricaded through the door to come face to face with horror.

Roger was lying on the floor next to the desk, twitching in a ball with his hands clenched into the roots of his hair. what the hell had happened? I darted to his side, my hands beginning to shake as white hot adrenaline was being pumped through my body at the speed of light.

"Roger? Roger!" I shook his shoulder to get his attention, which caused me to physically jump back as if I'd been electrocuted as he screamed in agony.

"Roger, sweetheart, please answer me, where does it hurt?" there was no hiding the alarm in my voice, tears coming to my eyes. He was just laying there, a huddle of pain that I couldn't even bring myself to imagine.

after a moment, three words escaped his lips between the cries of agony, "call an ambulance."

taking a deep breath, my legs barely holding me up, I darted through to the living room and dialled 911. hang on...that wasn't the emergency number here, was it? I racked my brain, thinking about something Brian was telling me about how he had to call the emergency number when he had come down with a nasty case of hepatitis whilst on tour.

oh, Jen, think! this wasn't a good time for my brain to shutdown. then it clicked, 999! I tugged on the dials in a fluster. "oh, are you taking the piss?!" I yelled at the stupid telephone as the little dial whirred round, carelessly taking its time as if Roger wasn't potentially dying in the next room for all I knew.

finally, I'd managed to dial 999 and spoke into the receiver with as much collection as I could which, for the record, was not that much.

ROGER's POV

the pain was making no attempt at subsiding, but I was becoming steadily accustomed to it and tried to organise my thoughts the best I could. in the next room, I could hear Jenny reciting my address. fabulous, she was calling an ambulance.

I was working late at my desk on a song last night where I must have fell asleep. then I woke up with an agonising pain in my left shoulder and I haven't been able to get off the floor since.

it didn't take long for the paramedics to get here and when they did, they took one look at me dishevelled on the floor before heaving me onto a stretcher and out of the house.

every movement they forced out of me sent new waves of pain slamming full pelt into my shoulder and I felt my eyes prickle with tears of pain when they put my body weight on it to lay me down on the stretcher. obviously they didn't realise the pain was in my shoulder and quickly flipped me round to the right side.

on the way to the hospital, I felt a sweaty yet comforting hand in mine, which I took to be Jenny's. even above the ruckus of the road and sirens, I could hear her words in my ear. "I promise you'll be okay." "we're nearly there." "not much longer now."

even the sound of my name rolling off her lips helped the pain subside a little bit, knowing she was there with me.

when we arrived at the hospital, I was rushed to the x-ray room and then to a vacant bed. all I wanted right now was strong pain killers and to be finishing off that song from last night, I knew this wasn't a good look for me. I could see the headlines now: Queen's drummer Roger Taylor rushed to hospital, drummer and rockstar Roger Taylor near-death experience!

just piss off, I thought to myself about what would happen if the press magically arrived. I sat in the bed, the pain subsiding from the dosage of strong painkillers i'd been given, waiting for my x-ray results to come back.

it was incredibly boring. there was nothing to do at all. all of my stuff was at home, I'd told Jenny to go down to the cafe for a coffee, and the ward was desolate of nurses to chat to. not only was I bored, but I felt extremely groggy and there was absolutely nothing here to take my mind off of it.

the lack of sleep catching up, the drowsiness from the painkillers kicking in and how my body was screaming at me to rest after the stress it'd been under in the past couple hours led me to gently slide further under the thin covers of the hospital bed and fall asleep on my right side. within mere seconds I was out like a light, drifting into a deep, deep sleep I didn't know I needed.

"Mr Taylor," somebody was shaking me awake. "Mr Taylor," I felt a small tap on my elbow and a soft voice calling out to me, dragging me out of my blissful state. I opened my eyes slightly, realised where I was and shut them again.

the nurse sighed and shook me again, "Mr Taylor, your x-ray results are back," she said, which alerted me. I sat up abruptly, startling her and causing pain to my left shoulder. it was evident that the painkillers were wearing off and I felt worse than I had earlier.

"you poor thing," the nurse cooed and I realised two things:
1) I must look absolutely dreadful
and 2) this kind nurse must have taken a liking to me as she wore a soppy expression as she spoke to me and tilted her head slightly as she spoke her sympathies.

"what did they say? where's Jenny?" I asked, trying and failing to get comfortable.

"one question at a time, there'll be plenty of time for that, Mr Taylor" the nurse giggled and for the first time ever, I felt sickened that she was flirting with me. I wanted answers, I wasn't here for leisure.

just then, I heard voices and three herds of footsteps enter the ward, rounding the corner to my bed. I'd never felt more relieved to see Brian, Freddie and Deaky standing at the end of my bed, brandishing music magazines, a chocolate bar and alas! clothes! I felt like a right twat in this hospital gown.

"I'll bring through the print-outs whilst you converse with your band," the nurse walked away and then I realised why she was acting flirtatiously around me. she knew who I was and that I had visitors coming soon, giving her the opportunity to meet the band.

"where's Jenny?" I peered around, trying to see her, but she wasn't there.

"nice to see you too," Brian rolled his eyes, dropping the pyjama set on the end of my bed.

"sorry," I mumbled. this hospital business was beginning to make me very stressed. "ughhh, get me outta here Bri!"