I open my eyes. Still my left side hurts. However I'm relieved to find myself in a hospital setting. They'll be able to fix me. They'll be able to make me right again.

Slowly, I remember bits and pieces. I'm extremely groggy. It's really hard to think straight. Suddenly my stomach lurches and I move to the side, unceremoniously getting sick everywhere. When I cautiously begin to sit myself back, the same thing happens again. I grope around until I find a call button. A second later, a nurse appears.

"I'm sorry," I moan. Vaguely I can tell my side hurts from getting sick, but it's just a dim, far away ache. Whatever pain meds they have me on are good.

"Whoopsie daisy!" she says chipperly. "It's okay, we'll have this cleaned up. I'll get you some anti-nausea meds. The anesthesia probably isn't agreeing with you. It'll pass soon."

"W-what happened?"

She grabs a bedpan and puts it on my lap, then helps me lean back. She pauses to call someone to bring her a mop and bucket, and then answers me.

"You had surgery. Your spleen was ruptured in the accident so it had to be removed. You'll be fine though."

My eyes widen. Holy shit.

"You're in recovery. You'll be moved to another room soon."

"W-what about my friends? The others that were in the accident?"

She looks at me sympathetically. "I'm not sure. I could try and find out for you though, if you'd like?"

"Yes please," I tell her. "I'm especially worried about Orion and Amy. I think everyone on the other side of the bus just needed stitches...I don't even think Ben was hurt..."

She smiles and pats my shoulder. "I'll see what I can do Tristan, okay?"

Still not knowing if anyone died just makes me puke more. When I'm done I lean back and shut my eyes.

When will this nightmare be done?

~

"Amy!"

Ben rushes over and gives her a big hug, rocking them back and forth dramatically. She laughs and hugs him back, clinging to him so she doesn't topple over.

Afterwards Jake pulls her into a quick hug and then gives her a grin. "Welcome to Hell!"

She laughs.

Orion asked me along. We're in a recording studio. I sit on a rolling stool by the corner, back peddling until I can lean my back against the wall.

Ben waves at me. "Always good to see you, Tristan."

"What's Yoko doing here?" Jake says teasingly, jamming his thumb in my direction.

I flip him off, causing him and Orion to laugh. Meanwhile, I try to call myself down. Jake and I haven't seen each other since Orion and I got back together. I don't know if he knows that I know about their hook up after Orion and I split up. A flare of jealousy bubbles up in me--he doesn't know me giving him the middle finger was genuine.

"I thought we were going to Ben's place," Amy says, looking around.

"The studio isn't done yet," Ben replies, making a face. "Construction is running behind unfortunately."

"So we're here. This is where we usually record." Jake says, pulling up a chair to the middle of the room and sitting down. He gestures to another chair. "Please, sit."

Amy, Orion, and Ben quickly grab chairs, bringing them to the middle of the room and create a small circle. Well, square I guess.

"Okay, before we get started," Amy says, her eyes darting to everyone, "could I just say one thing? I have to get something off my chest."

"Sure," Ben replies.

She takes a deep breath and when she speaks it's squeaky. "OhmyGodIloveyouguysandyou'rethebestbandeverandIcan'tbelieveI'mreallyhere,it'sliterallyadreamcometrueohmyGod!"

Ben laughs. "What was that?"

"She said, 'Oh my God, I love you guys and you're the best band ever and I can't believe I'm really here, it's my dream come true oh my God," Jake says.

"Literally," Amy squeaks a slight correction.

"I'm fluent in teen girl spaz," Jake jokes.

Amy sticks her tongue.

Jake looks at Orion. "Yup! She's your sister."

Proving his point, Orion sticks his tongue out.

"Alright! So," Ben says, rubbing his hands together and leaning forward. "Orion here tells us you're some sort of musical genius."

She turns bright red, shooting a glare at her brother. "Orion!"

"What?" he asks innocently. "You are."

"How so? He didn't tell us," Ben says.

"You have to see it for yourself," Orion says, getting to his feet. "Guys, let's play 'Pictionary'. Amy, get out your flute."

As the other two get up and go to their instruments, Amy looks at them in question. "What's that?"

"The working title to a new song we're doing," Ben tells her over his shoulder.

"The name sucks," Jake says. "We'll probably change it."

"Hey," Orion snaps. "There's nothing wrong with my name."

"It doesn't fit the song," Jake replies.

"It is kinda weird," Ben adds, sitting down at his drum kit.

Orion snaps his fingers at them. "Guys, we'll talk later. Play now."

Jake rolls his eyes but they plunge into the song. There's a couple mistakes here and there, and at one point they have to restart, but it comes out to be about a three minute song. I admittedly could see why Orion named it that; it's heavy on visualism.

"Amy," Orion tells her, "play that."

She turns bright red and doesn't move.

"Well come on," Orion tells her impatiently, "if you're gonna do this you can't get stage fright."

"Go easy on the kid," Ben tells him.

"I'm not a kid," she grumbles, but she's still pretty red.

"Orion, put yourself in her shoes," Jake chides him gently, "we're her favorite band. Wouldn't you be intimidated to play in front of like, Muse or something?"

"No," he says, "I'd make it a point to knock their socks off."

"Sorry," Ben tells her, "he can be a bit of a bear."

"He's very serious about his work," Jake adds, looking down as he re-tunes his guitar.

Orion rolls his eyes. "Amy, please play what we just played." He looks at Ben and Jake. "There--better?"

Amy clears her throat and lifts her flute to her lips. The notes come out quivering and squeaky for about the first minute, but the more she plays the more confident she becomes. She finishes up the song with a flourish, adding a little something to the ending they hadn't played. It's on the complicated side but it definitely fits. Amy then removes her instrument from her lips, beaming at them, looking proud of herself.

Jake's jaw is literally hanging open. "Holy fuck almighty."

"She played it better than we did," Ben says in a raspy voice.

"That ending was amazing," Jake says, mouth still open.

Orion claps. "Bravo, bravo!" He turns to Ben and Jake. "See?"

"Alright," Jake says as everyone comes back to sit in the middle of the room. "Do you play any other instruments? I'm not sure how we'd fit a flute into a rock band..."

"Not looking to be a Jethro Tull cover band," Ben adds with a chuckle.

"Er, I can sing..."

"I don't think Orion's ego would like that very much," Ben says with a wolfish grin.

Orion gives a noncommittal noise and shrugs. I nearly laugh since he neither confirmed nor denied that statement.

"I play piano."

"You do?" Orion asks. "Amy! Why didn't you tell me?"

She rolls her eyes. "I didn't think of it? We don't have room to fit a piano in the house so I never brought it up. I only play it at school."

Orion growls and points to a piano that's sitting in the corner of the room. "Go."

She rolls her eyes once again and goes to the piano. Cracking her knuckles, she peeks over the top. "What should I play?"

"Anything."

"Helpful. Well, since we're a rock band..."

She plays Billy Joel. Then she switches to Queen. After that is some Coldplay. Her final piece is something I'm not familiar with. When she's done, I have to ask.

"What was that last one?"

She looks over at me. "A band called Keane. I love them."

"Well she passed the audition," Jake says with a grin.

Orion rolls his eyes. "She was in, anyway..."

"Orion!" she says excitedly, standing up, "you know what we should do?"

"Hmm?"

"We should do a classical set for the next concert. You play viola and I play piano."

He colors a little and shakes his head. "Nuh-uh. No way."

"Oh c'mon! It'll be fun."

"Nope."

"Please?"

"Are you looking to alienate our fans?"

"Don't think of it as alienation--think of it as broadening their horizons."

Ben snorts.

"Oh c'mon, please? We could just do one song--please?"

Orion shakes his head, a small smile on his lips. "I'll think about it..."