"Carlos Garcia!" Kendall practically shouted to the receptionist at the desk in the emergency room. The guys and Alexa had run all the way from the parking lot into the hospital and didn't want to stop for anything, but they did have to find out where Carlos was.
Although the receptionist did some fast typing she seemed to be taking her sweet little time getting the information.
Kendall opened his mouth to shout again when she finally said, "He's currently in surgery at the moment."
"S-surgery? Do you have any more details?"
"I'm sorry. Are you family? I can only give out details to family."
"My mom was named his legal guardian when we moved to LA about four years ago."
"We're his brothers," Logan interjected.
"I'll have someone come talk to you about his condition."
"My last words to him were 'I hate you,'" Alexa said softly as they sat down to wait.
James reached for her hand. He didn't know what to say and maybe she didn't need anyone to say anything.
"I knew those boys were trouble," Kendall spat. "If I get my hands on them, so help me god."
"Where are they?" James asked. "You think they'd be waiting here."
"Some friends they are," Logan sputtered.
"It was actually a girl who called me," Kendall said.
"A girl?" Alexa questioned.
"She didn't give her name, said she was Tom's girlfriend. I hate that Tom kid. I could, I could—"
"Getting mad at him won't do any good," Logan said.
"This is all my fault." James buried his head in his hands. "If I hadn't gotten in that fight Carlos never would've stayed away and…"
"He might still have gone with them today and this might still have happened," Kendall tried comforting. "You can't know."
They sat there for an hour mostly in silence after that not knowing what to say or do.
"You're Carlos Garcia's brothers?" A young doctor stepped into the waiting room and toward the group of young adults. They were the only ones there.
"Yes," Kendall said tentatively. "What happened? All we know is I received a phone call that he was in an accident and being brought here."
"OK. All I know is that he came from the skate park. He's got a few broken ribs, a sprained neck and so far we think he's suffering from a grade II concussion. We also believe he damaged his liver when he broke his ribs. We have stabilized him but because we are such a small facility we are transferring him to Denver." He pulled an object from behind his back. "Also, I'm told to give you this."
"Oh my god," breathed Alexa. She held the broken object in her hand.
"It can't be good if his helmet is cracked down the middle like that," Logan observed.
James's phone chose that moment to ring.
"Gustavo," he said before answering.
"Does he know?" Kendall asked.
"How can he know so fast?" Logan questioned.
"Hey, Dog, I've been talking to Lucy Stone's manager, I'm sure you know something about that. She's performing in the New Year's Eve Bash and has asked you to sing a duet with her. Great news, I'm allowing you to do that and I've signed BTR up to perform as well."
"Oh, um, thanks." James glanced at Kendall, Logan, and Alexa before continuing. "I've got something to tell you, too."
"I'm going to have to cut your break short and have you come home before Christmas so we can prepare for the show," Gustavo kept going.
"OK, Gustavo, I've got news for you. Carlos was in an accident." James waited for Gustavo to respond. When he didn't he continued hoping his manager/producer was still on the line. "We don't know what happened, but he's being airlifted," he looked at Logan for confirmation and received a nod that was correct, "to the hospital in Denver."
"He better be ready in time for the New Year's Eve show!" James could have taken that insensitively but he knew anger was Gustavo's way of dealing with his emotions, so he let it slide.
"I don't know. I'll call you when we get more information."
"Do you need me to fly down there?" Gustavo softened.
"I—I-," James was taken aback by the sudden change in mood. "It's up to you," he decided.
"I'll think about it. Thanks for telling me."
"That was weird," James said after hanging up his phone. "He was…concerned."
"Someone needs to call Carlos's parents." Logan pulled his phone out of his pocket.
"I'll call my mom," Kendall said. Logan and Kendall went to opposite ends of the room to make their phone calls.
"I need to, um, yeah." James went to the restroom which was just a small room located near where Kendall went to make his phone call.
Alexa placed the cracked helmet on her head, put her elbows on her knees, her head in her hands, and burst into sobs. James returned from the restroom before Logan and Kendall got off the phone. He reached for her hand and pulled her into him, rubbing her back as she sobbed into his chest.
"Mom wants to know if you think she should come here." Kendall asked walking back over to the two.
"There's nothing…she can do, but yeah," James answered, "I think we need her."
"The Garcias are trying to get a seat on the very next plane out of Minnesota to Denver," Logan announced. "And it should take us between three and a half and four hours to get to Denver so we need to get a move on."
"OK, and Mom said she and Katie will get here as soon as they can," Kendall said.
While on the road with Logan driving each guy called his girl. Each girl said she wished she could be there but she had work and/or auditions. Lucy was hesitant to talk to James but when he said he had news on Carlos she listened.
"You're texting her!" Kendall, sitting in the middle seat next to Alexa, peered over James's shoulder at his phone.
"I'm telling her about Carlos!" James shouted back.
"Who are you texting?" Logan asked knowing full well who she was.
"Fallon. I want her to pray for Carlos."
"Prayer's good," Alexa commented.
"Yeah, prayer's good," James repeated.
"Sure, but come on, she's the reason you and Lucy are fighting right now," Kendall retorted.
"And whose fault would that be?" James shot back.
"It's my fault. If I hadn't called Kendall he wouldn't have called Logan and then said something in front of Lucy and then you could continue going to church with this Fallon girl without your girlfriend ever knowing," Alexa said.
"It's nobody's fault!" Logan spoke. "Just...let's…just stop!"
"OK." Kendall sat against the backseat and James quickly sent the text and put his phone away.
Watching football on TV and every time they say "four man rush" you know what I'm thinking…
Wow, today must be really special for I updated all three of my stories on the same day. Never happens. Mark your calendars. It may never happen again!