A/N: I'm back from my break. Here's a quick chapter. Not a particularly exciting one either but it's an important one for Tegan. Sorry there's not more but work's killin' me right now. I'll try and update again soon. Review please.
Chapter 54
An orderly walked into Tegan's room with a wheel chair. "I'm not going in that" said Tegan sternly. "Sorry, hospital policy. Just up to the door" said Kate. Tegan sighed and was helped into the chair. The orderly pushed her into the the waiting area of the hospital to a loud applause from her friends and family. She smiled shyly "You guys... I'm sure there's better places to hang out than this! It's been real but let's roll"
The orderly pushed Tegan towards the elevator that would take them to the basement parking lot. "Wait..." said Tegan. "I want to walk out of the front door... I'm not ducking out through the basement. There are people out there who supported me through all this and... I'm proud to be walking out... so please can we change our plans?" said Tegan. "Ummm are you sure Tegan? It's madness out there" said Sonia. "I need to do this please mom" said Tegan. Sara sighed and shook her head. "Tom, can you please organize that the car picks up Tegan out front" she said. "It will take a few minutes but sure... do you want to say something when you get out there Tegan" he asked. "I don't know... ummm... maybe... I'll play it by ear I guess" she said. "When you get out there make it quick please, you need to take it easy... and no hugging of fans or even shaking hands or anything. We can't afford you picking up any germs now and who knows what's floating around out there" said Kate looking annoyed with Tegan's decision.
Tegan was pushed to the large front entrance. It was made of glass and she could see the gathering crowd of fans and media outside. Her family and friends followed close behind. She sat in the chair quietly for a few minutes until Tom informed them that they were ready with the car and the PA system outside. Tegan breathed in deeply through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. "Let's do this" she said. Lindsey helped her up and held her in her arms and put her forehead against Tegan's. "You ready baby?" she asked. "Yeah... I think so" said Tegan quietly. Camera's were already clicking outside although you could barely make out what was going on inside through the reflective glass. Lindsey put her arm around Tegan's waist and Sara took her other arm in hers for support. The door opened and they walked into the bright LA afternoon sun. Tegan squinted as they slowly made their way forward. "Don't let me fall" whispered Tegan. "Never!" smiled Sara. "We've got you Teetee. One foot in front of the other"
They reached some chairs in front of a table set up for a press conference. Fans were screaming hysterically. Camera's were clicking and press members tried to bully their way past the many security guards. Tegan's legs felt wobbly from the adrenaline rush and she sat down. She smiled and waved a weak wave. Media were already screaming questions at her. She felt overwhelmed and regretted her decision to use the front entrance. "It's okay babe, do you want to go right away? You really don't need to talk to them" asked Lindsey into her ear. "No... I have some things I need to say" said Tegan and looked at Sara. "Sar... you need to help me..." said Tegan looking scared. Sara sat down at the second microphone and started speaking "Thanks for coming out everybody... we really appreciate it. As you can see, Tegan's doing great and she would like too say something" said Sara. Her hand was still in a cast but her bruises had faded and she looked healthy. The media went nuts and were shouting questions at Tegan, Sara, Alex, Erin and anybody that looked remotely famous. "Shhh... everybody just shut up for a second... please guys give Tegan a chance" said Sara loudly. The crowd quieted down a bit and Tegan leaned forward.
"Hi... I... I was about to leave the hospital through the basement parking when I realized that I needed to come out here... I wanted to walk out here" said Tegan into the microphone. The crowd was suddenly completely silent. "It's been a rough couple of months for all of us... my family and friends have been through hell" she said pointing at her support group to the right. She was speaking much softer than usual and seemed tired and winded. "I... at some stage I didn't think I was going to make it through this... but somehow I did... and I give all the credit to firstly my amazing... incredible support structure. The love of my life... Lindsey, my incredible parents, my friends, especially Erin and Alex and of course my partner in crime... always there for me... my sister Sara... Every single minute one of them were next to my bed... holding my hand... talking me through this. Every time I woke up I saw one of their beautiful faces. They were tired, they were scared but they never left. I wanted to give up so many times but they pulled me through and I'm so grateful for their incredible love and support. I love you guys so much... and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you've done. For every minute you spent right next to me... days... nights... you never let me fall and I will be eternally grateful to you. I love you more than words can ever say" Tegan was tearing up fast and she wiped some tears away with the back of her hand. She looked over to the people she cared most for in the world and her heart ached with love. They were all smiling. Erin put her healthy hand over her mouth and blew her a kiss, her other arm was still in a cast and sling. Sara took her hand and squeezed it. Lindsey had her hand on Tegan's shoulder and rubbed it. Tegan put her hand on Lindsey and looked up at her smiling face and it made her feel calm. "Then to the incredible, dedicated, talented, caring medical team that saved my life. To every single one of you I say thank you. You were amazing and I'm in awe of what you do every day. Every single one of is a hero! Thank you, thank you, thank you. How will I ever be able to thank you enough..." Tegan was starting to sound a bit weaker but managed to keep her pose quite well. "I want to give a special shout out to my primary physician... She has barely left the hospital since I got here. She's so dedicated... so talented, compassionate and wonderful... Dr Kate Morgan... you're phenomenal. And you're an amazing friend too... I'm sure I wasn't the most easy or pleasant patient at times but you stuck with me... and you never stopped fighting for me... ever..." Tears were now flowing freely. Kate was leaning casually against a wall and gave Tegan the coolest little peace sign and smile. It made Tegan giggle and relieved some of her anxiety. "And lastly... to the best fans in the world. Your letters, your gifts, your tweets, your emails... facebook messages... they got me through some dark days and I want you guys to know that we care for you... Sara and I appreciate you so, so much. Thank you so much for your love and support... It means so, so much to us. Apparently I have a bit of work to do first but I promise you we'll be back... I cannot wait to start making music again" she smiled. The fans went nuts. "Thank you to those members of the media that gave us some space during this time. I want to appeal to you to please just give us some time to get back on our feet. I guarantee you we'll be doing nothing interesting during the next few weeks so really... don't bother trying to report anything" giggled Tegan. "I'm going home now with the people I love most...my family and friends, thank you again..." said Tegan and moved to get up. The media were screaming more questions, some of them directed at Sara and Erin. Tegan seemed overwhelmed. Sara seemed to be losing her cool "Guys... everybody... shh" she said. "Yes... you've all had confirmation that Erin and I had a... a situation. We have put out a statement. Now... Firstly, we don't want to talk about that right now and secondly we can't since this is an ongoing investigation. But we thank you for your support and we would appreciate it if you could drop it for now... thanks" said Sara looking super annoyed and helped Tegan get up.
A frail looking Tegan walked towards the car supported by Lindsey and Sara. She waved at some fans and got into the Jeep with tinted windows. Lindsey slid in next to her and closed the door. "Let's get out of here please" said Tegan. The entourage followed in other cars. Tegan put her head on Lindsey's shoulder "It's over baby... it's over" she whispered. "I love you" whispered Tegan with her eyes closed. She was still on a bit of an adrenaline high but felt tired. The events of the day so far completely overwhelmed her and she couldn't wait to get into bed next to her love.