As always, thanks very much for the reviews :)
* * *
Skwisgaar idely plucked at the strings of his Explorer, listening without interest to the conversations going on around him. Charles had called a band meeting yet again in the hopes of forcing them to focus on their next album, but without Toki, the exersize seemed pointless. Not that the rhythm guitarist ever contributed anything creatively, but still. It wasn't right.
"As I was saying," Offdenson continued after being interrupted by Nathan for the fifth time. "The new album is due out in September. You'll need to start recording by May at the latest. Hopefully Toki will be able to contribute, but if he can't, we may need to look at, ah, alternatives."
"What kinds of alters-natives?" Skwisgaar asked suspiciously. He didn't like where this was going.
"Well," Charles began, looking uncomfortable. "It may happen that someone else will have to record his parts. If he is unable to play."
"Man, fuck that guy!" Nathan said, pounding his fist on the table. "It's been like six weeks he should be better by now."
"Well, Nathan," Charles said, looking nonplussed. "Toki was severely injured at the last concert. He came very close to not making it through surgery. It's going to take a lot longer for him to recover fully."
Skwisgaar said nothing, only began tinkering with a new melody. He'd tried to visit Toki in the hospital. He really had. But the Norwegian had been cranky, drugged, and in a great deal of pain. It had been obvious that he didn't want visitors, didn't want a reminder of what he was missing out on. And for once in his life, Skwisgaar both understood and respected his wishes.
He was pulled from his thought's by the sudden ringing of Offdenson's Dethphone. After looking around at the band to make sure none of them were pranking him, he answered.
"Offdenson. He is? Are you sure that's wise? All right then, I'll let them know." He hung up and cleared his throat slightly. "It seems that Toki has in fact been released. He's, uh, on his way here."
Silence fell over the room. No one had been expecting this.
Nathan was the first to speak. "So uh....is he gonna be all deformed and shit?"
"I don't think--"
"Yeah, isch he gonna be like a fucking zombie or schomething?"
"No, William, he--"
Skwisgaar tried to tune them out, but he couldn't help the feeling of apprehension that was spreading over him. Would Toki be hideously disfigured? Would he be disabled, a shell of his former self? Would everything be changed now, would nothing ever be the same?
And before he could even try to reign in his thoughts, the door opened, and Toki stood there, supported by a pair of crutches.
Skwisgaar let out the breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. Toki looked like shit, true – he was pale and tired – but he wasn't disfigured. He was still Toki.
The Norwegian seemed to shrink away from the intensity of their stares. Wordlessly he maneovered around to the side of the table and dropped into his seat.
Charles was the first to break the silence. "Toki. How..ah, how are you feeling?"
"I'm okays," Toki responded. "Stops looking at me likes that."
As if suddenly aware that they had all been staring, they all suddenly found the table in front of them very interesting.
"Well, there's a number of things you'll need to be caught up on," Charles continued. "Perhaps when you're feeling up to it, you and Skwisgaar can work on --"
"I said I'ms feelings fine!" Toki interjected hotly. "I cans starts workings on dem todays."
This time, Charles knew better than to ask if he was sure. Instead, he merely nodded and turned his attentions to other things.
* * *
"Dat ams wrong, Toki! Plays it again!"
Sighing in frustration, the younger man tried again to play the riff he'd been taught. He wasn't even halfway through before Skwisgaar shook his head, stopping him in his tracks. Skwisgaar picked up his Explorer and demonstrated, once again, the correct way to play it.
"That's whats I did," Toki grumbled. He shook his head, then had to put a hand on the wall of the recording booth to steady himelf.
"Toki? You's okay? Maybe we's takes a break, hah?"
"No! Skwisgaar, I cans do this!" He straightened up with a wince of pain, and tried once more. To his credit, the riff sounded a little closer to how it was supposed to sound. Unsatisfied with his own performance, he played it again, and then a third. And then he stopped.
"Skwisgaar?" he asked, his voice wavering. "Maybes we cans takes that breaks now?"
Skwisgaar looked up to see a very pale and shaky Toki slowly make his way out of the recording booth.
He rushed forward, and was just in time to catch him as he collapsed to the floor.