3 Chandler in Clare's apartment

When the night falls on you, you don't know what to do, nothing you can say, can make me love you less. I'll stand by you. I'll stand by you. Won't let nobody hurt you, I'll stand by you.

Chandler had tried to call Joey three times that following half-hour. He called for a fourth time, and when there was still no reply, he whipped on his coat and headed for Clare's appartment.

"Joe?...hello?..Clare?" Chandler knocked on the door but there was no reply. Instead he heard the fast-approaching 'clack' of stilletto-heeled shoes.

Chandler twisted the door handle, and found it was already open. Immediately he saw Clare, she had a distressed look-upon her face.

"Chandler, it's, it's Joey, he...had an accident with the kitchen knife."

Chandler knew she was lying. He made a fist and walloped her on the nose. She staggered onto the floor, her angry eyes suddenly seemed as red as the blood on her face.

Looking around, Chandler could not see his friend, so he called for him again...and again. Then his eyes widened as he spotted Joey's legs on the floor in a pool of blood. He slung his jacket on the floor and dashed over to his friend.

"Joey! Wha-- Nooo---!" He was lost for words, Joey was on his back, barely moving apart from his curling fingers and heaving chest. Chandler clutched Joey's head in his hands, he was trying to say something to him. He took a quick glace at the knife covered in blood next to him. Chandler cradled his best friend on his knee, wrapping his arms tightly around him.

Joey spoke.

"Chandler..." But Chandler wouldn't let him finish.

"Joey!...don't worry, you're gonna be OK... just..." He carefully placed Joey back onto the floor "...I'm right here, just calling an ambulance..." Under his breath he cried "Oh god..." as he lunged for the phone, he dialed frantically and missed all the right numbers. Then he paused and dropped the phone, holding in his hand the telephone wire, which had been cut. "Phone lines are cut off" He rose to his feet, his mouth open and looking to Joey, "I...Joey, I won't be long, I'm going accross the hall to..." before he could finish, Chandler heard a latching sound on the door, he caught the door knob and twisted it hard several times but it was useless...they were locked in.

"THAT BITCH!" Chandler screamed. Still he jerked the door knob in frustration, his breathing becoming unbalanced. With his fists he slammed at the door, "Monica! Ross, anybody, are you there? We need help...Help!" But there was no reply. Chandler beat and kicked the door, he stubbed his toe, angered at his own fault. Of course no one's there...his wife was at home and his friends were all busily involved in their own lives. He tried all the windows and even looked for an emergency fire escape. Every exit and escape route locked, it dawnedon him. Chandler on his account blamed himself for being perhaps too incapable of saving the life of his own best friend. His weaknesses were blatently comforted by the fact that he was physically incapable of openening a door. The last thing on his mind was to give in to his weaknesses, but he was soon running out of options on which not to. He needed not to try hard, the inevitebility had already caught up with him. Chandler's face had turned pale and his hands were shaking uncontrolably. He leaned with his back against the door looking up, his breath was stuttered. He looked to Joey and tried to harden up. Chandler felt a hard lump clinging in his throat and he swallowed in spite the pain.

He kneeled into the pool of blood beside Joey. He gently petted Joey's shoulders in an attempt to comfort him. Joey was breathing but non-responsive, and Chandler assumed he was unconscious. Nevertheless Chandler found the wound immediately after he unbuttoned Joey's shirt. Then he went into a storage cupboard and emerged with a First-Aid kit which he put on the floor to keep close at hand. From it he grabbed the biggest bandage he could see and clumsily started to empty the rest of the contents onto the floor, casting aside all the medicines which he didn't have use for. Then Chandler jarred as something crashed into the door, he immediately lunged himself at Joey, to protect him.

Then a voice, "Chandler, you in there?"

Chandler's eyes widened in response to the familiar voice. "Ross! You're here, Oh my god!" He replied.

"Chandler what's going on? Monica said you were going here to see Joey, is he with you?" Ross' voice seemed tense.

"Yes he is. Listen...Joey is hurt...but he's OK..." His voice was shakey and unsuttle.

"Wha- What hapened?" There was a moment of silence as Chandler couldn't begin to explain what had happened. Ross comtinued, "I'm going to get an axe, stay away from the door..." Ross' crashing footsteps faded, soon leaving Chandler and Joey in silence again.

Chandler sat wide-eyed and determined next to his friend.

"We're saved, Joey." he comfort-talked. "We're saved, just hang on in there, buddy!"

Chandler was on the floor, they were both covered in Joey's blood. Chandler hated blood. He brought himself again to look at the wound, then he took the bandage from the first aid box, "Joey, I'm going to bandage you up now, OK?" Joey mumbled something under his breath, his eyes were closed.

"Joey, please don't give up on me." Chandler applied some of the bandage to the wound, and Joey winced. He then opened his eyes and began to look around wearily. Chandler supported him as he tried to prop him up against the counter.

"Just sit up, I'll bandage you like this." Chandler put the bandage around Joey, it immediately turned red from the blood. Chandler wraped it loosely and his hands were still shaking. Joey looked wearily at the wound himself.

"Oh man..." He moaned, "This is how I'm gonna die."

Chandler looked him firmly in the eye, "No. No, I won't let that happen."

There was a call from outside the door, "Hey, guys?", it was Ross again, he had returned.

Chandler answered, "Ross! You got an axe yet?" Before there was a reply, the metal edge of an axe hacked through the middle of the door, and Chandler jumped. There was another three seconds of silence.

"We're gonna need a bigger axe!" Yelled Ross.

"Ross, use the small axe!" shouted Chandler.

"OK. Here I come..." The axe smashed into the door again, and again. Several hacks later, the door had been chopped at enough for Ross to squeeze through. As he got into the room he dropped the axe.

"Oh my god..." He looked down at the pathetic state of Chandler and Joey on the floor. Chandler's hands were red and some of his shirt was too...Joey was lying down again, this time only his head and shoulders were being propped up by Chandler's knee. He had blood all over him.

Ross leant down and undid the front of Joey's shirt, with it's buttons already open. He was wearing a T-shirt underneath which used to be white.

"You bandaged this?" Ross finally asked.

"Who else?" Said Chandler. "It was all I could do..."

Ross went straight to the first aid box, "We need to re-bandage this. Properly." He glanged back at Chandler angrily as he said properly. Then he gasped, "You used up all of the bandage? Oh don't tell me, you used them to fling waterballoons off the roof!" There was an unsettling tension about him.

Chandler felt there was no need in arguing and simply sighed. Ross knelt back down, "This needs stitches."

Chandler became increasingly frustrated with Ross. He felt he was supposed to be reducing the tension, but was simply creating more.

"Stitch him up? What good will that do? Just get a doctor, a doctor is what he needs." He got up and turned to face a wall, placing his forehead onto his thumb and forefinger. He tried to hold back his tears, but failed.

Ross was silent as he worked on the bandage. He had soon made do with tightening it up himself. He had shortly found that the availability of stitching supplies were non-existant. Joey felt an increase in pain as Ross pulled the bandage tight.

Then Ross looked searchingly at Chandler.

"...I'm sorry about before." His voice had calmed, "I guess I was just..."

Chandler too had calmed slightly, "...scared?" Ross simply nodded in reply. "Me too." Chandler looked down at his friends.

"But Chandler," Ross began, "You should be going for a doctor right now, and my cell phone is outside the door, I dropped it, if you need to use it, go ahead! GO!" Chandler needed no more prompting and made an immediate dash for the door.