I'm being shaken awake cautiously a few hours later, I guess and see that Nano has made a reappearance at my hospital bed.
He holds up a bag, "I went back to your place and brought you some essentials. Toothbrush, Contact lenses, pyjamas, uhm underwear..." he trails off embarrassed.
I admit it makes me uncomfortable to think he went through my private stuff like my underwear drawers but I also really appreciate him being so thoughtful and organised, quite the opposite of me. I smile at him and whisper, "thank you Nano, that's awesome, thanks for everything really,"
He just nods with a serious face, I guess, he is not overly excited to have to spend his free time looking after me considering we are pretty much strangers.

He pulls my phone and charger out of the pocket of his coat and drops it on top of the blanket that covers me.
"I brought your phone as well, call Jack, will you? He's is going out of his mind worrying about you." He is about to leave when he turns around one last time. "I'm gonna go now. I'm glad I brought you here in time Mickey you already look a bit better, I was worried you know."

"Yeah," I sincerely agree, "thank you, I'm glad, too."

After he left I take my phone and see I have multiple missed calls from Jack.

I reluctantly press his contact and he picks up after the second ring sounding out of breath.
"Oh my god Mickey, Nano told me he brought you to the hospital, how bad is it? I was so worried, you didn't answer your phone, I'm coming to see you." He fires immediately.

"No, Jack, listen," I slowly reply because I was told to not talk too much because it triggers the coughing, so it's more of a croak, "I'm okay, they want to keep me here for a few days to check if the medication works but mainly because there is no one to look after me at home. No reason to freak out and cancel shows." I stop and breath out slowly because I'm trying to suppress the urge to cough my lungs out.

"Really?" Jack seems not convinced, "promise me you will be okay? " I hear someone talking in the background again. "Alex is worried too."

I roll my eyes, as if!

Then there is rustling on the line and I hear Alex, "Hey, Mickey," he breathes then there is a pause. "You will be okay, right?" He asks hesitantly and I hum in confirmation.

"Don't let Jack do something stupid, I don't need him here, we see each other when tour is over in a few days, okay?" I whisper starting to wheeze again.

"You don't sound so good, Mickey are you sure? " I can hear his voice wavering.

"Yes, Alex" I try to keep my voice strong and steady. "Give me Jack." I order.

There's rustling again, some arguing, then my boyfriend comes back on. "Jack, I promise I will be okay but I can't talk too much and need to rest so I can get better. Okay?"

"Okay," he answers hesitantly, then "don't speak, just listen. Mickey, I'm sorry for everything. I was so shocked when Nano called you have no idea. Just the thought of you being sick makes me want to drop everything and come to see you. I love you, get a rest and get well soon, please. I will call you tomorrow. Alex says he loves you too. Bye Baby." He makes kissing noises and then hangs up.

I let my head fall back and close my eyes taking a slow and long inhale. Although I feel a bit better than this morning I'm still extremely exhausted and after the nurse brought my dinner, ironically it's soup as well, and I was actually able to eat and keep it down I fall asleep quickly.

I had forgotten though that you cannot really get a rest in a hospital because every couple of hours even during the night a nurse comes in and fusses about. Checking on you, changing the infusion bags, asking if you want or need anything, checking your temperature or just walking around in those squeaky shoes and with every start of a new shift the whole thing repeats itself with a different nurse again. It is impossible to actually stay asleep for a decent amount of time especially when awoken by frequent coughing fits.

So I'm not the happiest cookie when I'm being served my 'delicious' hospital breakfast at 7am sharp. Truthfully I'm being an ungrateful brat, everybody here is so nice and I'm being looked after so well but I'd just wish they would leave me alone and let me sleep! I'm sick! I don't need to be up at seven because I'm not gonna go to work today! Why not let me sleep in til like 11 or so?

Anyway, I just drink my tea and don't touch the weird porridge they served because it looks and tastes like goo and then I finally get a few hours of rest where no one enters my room.

It's around noon when a doctor appears and checks on me. I'm being told that the fever has gone down and my lungs are sounding better which means the medication is working so he tells me that I could go home the day after tomorrow which happens to be Friday.
Oh my! Friday is when Jack comes back! The week went by without me realising probably because I was in a fever induced haze most of the time.
I smile at the thought of going home AND seeing my boyfriend and thank the doctor wholeheartedly. He just grins and pats my arm before he leaves.

Sleep, cough, eat, sleep, cough a little less, eat a little more and it's Friday morning.

I am up and packing my things when the doctor comes in to check and sign my release forms. He reminds me that I am to rest for another week at home, keep taking my antibiotics for five more days and call the hospital if anything gets worse. I nod and agree like the good patient I am and then he signs my papers and I'm free to go. He asks if anyone is picking me up and I tell him I just call a cab or an Uber when I'm in the lobby.
"Funny, " he muses, "there are two guys sitting outside and I could have sworn they are here to see you."
My eyes go wide in surprise, that can't be possible, they had a show last night, they were scheduled to arrive this afternoon.
I grab my bag and scurry out of the room and look around the place. Doctors, nurses and patients walking around, beds being parked and monitors wheeled along the corridors when I spot him standing at the office counter in discussion with the head nurse.
"....Yes, sir, you can see your girlfriend but there is doctors visit at the moment so you need to sit down and wait until that's over, please..." I hear her say in an exasperated manner. Obviously she has been telling him that a few times already.

I approach Jack from behind and tap his shoulder and he swivels around.
"Hey, baby, what are you doing here?" I ask throwing my arms around his neck. I now realise Alex has been standing beside him obstructed from my view.

Jacks shocked face changes into a wide grin when he recognises me. "Oh my god Mickey," he beams and gently pushes me away to have a look at me, "how are you, Alex and I have been driving through the night to get here, the boys are packing up without us."

I smile right back at him but frown when I look down at his hands, "I'm so much better, but don't hold me like I'm made of glass, I want a real hug, I'm so glad you're back baby." I throw myself at him again and he obliges and hugs me lifting me up and swirling us around one time chuckling before he gently sets me down again.
I look over and beam at Alex , "Hey Al, thanks for coming with him, so good to see you." I warmly greet happy to finally have him here.
He smiles back but it doesn't look sincere and he keeps his hands buried in the pockets of his jacket and makes no move to hug me or touch me at all. "Hey, Mickey, good to see you are better, we worried so much about you." Then he looks down scuffing his shoes on the tiles on the floor.

I am taken aback, why is he being so distant, is he still mad at me? Jack and I hadn't really talked about our fight because it seemed insignificant now and I probably overreacted due to the sickness already lingering in my body. So there was this unspoken agreement between us to just move on. But how about Alex, was he angry that I made Jack feel bad?

I have no time to overthink this as Jack takes my bag and throws an arm around my shoulders and leads me down the corridor towards the elevators.
"Lets get you out of here, baby." He shudders with disgust, "god, I hate hospitals. Can't wait to get home and sleep in a real bed and just relax."

I couldn't agree more. So we make our way to the hospital parking lot, Jack not letting go of me once and Alex trailing behind like a third wheel. They took a rental car to drive here and so Alex gets into the drivers seat and Jack and I sit in the back cuddled into each other.
Jack tells me about tour while we drive to my apartment, the radio is playing and Alex is not joining in on the conversation.

"What's up with Alex?" I whisper to Jack.

"What do you mean?" He whispers back pulling me closer so my mouth is at his ear.

"He seems so detached, he didn't even give me a hug. It's just weird, he normally loves to be close to his friends. Is he mad at me?"

I lean back to see Jack's reaction and he rolls his eyes, "it's been like that the whole week, he was super nice and we hung out together but I didn't get so much as a pat on the back from him, it's honestly frustrating. He claims it's the only way he can keep a distance from us, like we asked him to do."
I let myself fall back into the seat and process this new information while I catch a glimpse at Alex in the rear view mirror. His eyes are concentrated on the road but his shoulders are slumped, is it tiredness or sadness, I cannot tell.

When we arrive at my place I don't have to ask if Jack is staying with me as he had already jumped out of the car and was currently pulling our bags from the boot so I walk to the drivers window that Alex had opened and say my goodbye to him.
"Thanks again Alex, I appreciate what you did for me." I touch his shoulder and give him a slight squeeze to show my affection but he almost recoils and his eyes are wide when he stares up at me. He gulps and blinks rapidly, "you're welcome Mickey, you know I would do anything for you, get a rest and take care." It is almost a whisper as if his voice fails him.

"Come on Mickey, let's go" Jack shouts bumping the hood of the car as a goodbye and trying to grab all our bags himself.

I have to laugh at his struggles, "hey, you can leave some for me to carry!" But he denies and shoves me away determined to do it alone and when I turn around to look at the car I realise Alex has already driven away.

Notes

As they are finally back from tour, things are gonna pick up from here. :)