Any Other Day - Part Two

Callie wiped her brow, she'd swapped out her coffee for water. She watched her husband finish Wanted, to a crowd that still cheered like it never wanted to leave. She had seen the signal, Jon was feeding off the crowd and they were in store for at least a couple more songs.


"Another?" Matt handed her a fresh bottle of water.


"Sweet baby Jesus it's a sauna tonight." She popped the top and sucked down half.


"I ran a couple out to Stella and Jacob as well. They're having fun with Mom and Dad."


Callie glanced out where her children and Jon's parents were sitting. "Yeah, they love seeing him play. They had a blast in London; it's been hard to get everyone settled since we've been home. Especially him," she nodded out to her husband as he hooked his fingers into his mouth and ripped out a whistle. He turned and threw a wink her way as the band roared into the old Dave Clark song. "Oh jeez," she laughed snorting out water.


"What?" Matt asked.


"My husband thinks he's being funny." She chuckled to herself, glad all over indeed. She couldn't wait to whisk him home and have her wicked way with him, she'd learned quickly over the years about the benefits of after show sex when he was wound up tighter than a spring. She took a long sip and watched her husband bust a few moves. He'd found his niche all over again this tour, and it was exciting to see him having fun like he was born all over again. She swiped her hair back from her face and the bottle slipped through her fingers as Jon bent back and then doubled over.


"Oh hell," she clutched her chest and felt her belly bottom out. He struggled to compose himself and grasped his mic stand while he keeled over, still belting out the words of the song. "Shit," she turned to Matt but he'd gone and backstage started to buzz as the song went on. Jon was good at saving his vulnerability to those moments with just her, so showing clear cut pain in front of thousands was bad. Very very bad. She blinked away the tears, she felt so helpless watching unable to do a damn thing to help him.


Rob and Matt were barking into walkies, she glanced over behind them where Carl his trainer was armed with his medicine bag.


"I'll take him into work, get the car ready." She instructed Rob who nodded and disappeared backstage. "Oh god Jon, what have you done?" Jon winced and told the audience he'd blown his calf muscle, he flicked a glance in her direction but she nodded, he'd finish the show. The band ripped into Living on a Prayer and he stood anchored on one leg by his mic stand. She smiled as the crowd hummed, louder than they had before, that alone would get him through.


"I'll get a shot ready," Carl said as he dug through his bag.


Callie shook her head, "he won't take a shot. Get a chair ready, ice pack and we'll give him three Advil to tie him over till the hospital. I want to see what the damage is first. She scanned the crowd for her children and his parents "get him in the chair as soon as he gets off stage k?" She should have checked how much water he'd be drinking, clearly it hadn't been enough and he was partial to his tea on stage. She'd seen it with athletes that came into the hospital a thousand times, too much heat, too little water and they'd blown out their muscles, some of the damage irreversible. God what if this was irreversible? She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and felt her heart quicken. She hurdled a couple of rows of seats until she reached her family.




"Hey. I'm taking him to work after he gets off, I'll call you from there as soon as he we know what's going on ok?" She swiftly held her children tight as they nodded, she crouched down and brushed back her daughter's sunny blond hair and looked into her dad's blue eyes. "Hey, Daddy's tough. He's just hurt his leg so we'll take care of him, k sweets? I'll call Nana and Pops as soon as we know anything. Mommy is going to take good care of him."


"I'm scared," Jacob said, she hauled them both into her chest. "He's superman, remember? Just be good for Nana and Pops ok?" She kissed both foreheads and stood up.


Carol hugged her, "it's bad isn't it?" she whispered in Callie's ear. She pulled away and nodded, "I think he's torn it so it's going to be painful, Christ if I can ever make him sit still." She mouthed into her ear over the crowd roaring the chorus.


Carol squeezed her arms. "Give him our love, and call us as soon as you can. We'll look after these two, don't worry."


Callie sighed and kissed John Snr's cheek. "Thanks guys, I'll be in touch soon." She waved at her kids and quickly disappeared backstage as the band took their bows, Jon supported by the rest of his band. "Holy shit," she muttered as Matt and Rob had cleared the path to the exit.


"Car's ready to go, you want me to come?" Matt asked.


She squeezed his hand, "No, he’ll hate too many people--- get him into the chair."


Matt smiled, "I'll get him into the chair."


There was a shuffle as they moved Jon backstage, she held herself back and bit her lip. His face was scarred in agony. She rolled up her sleeves and bent down as they lowered him into the chair, "left calf?"


"Son of a fuck!" he landed on the chair and tipped his head back.


She took the ice pack and pressed it against the calf and looked up into her husband's stormy eyes. "Drink the water and take the pills."


He took the water and threw the pills into her mouth, Matt, Rob and the band circled around them.


"Don't think we're going home, because we're not," he snapped.


"Jon," she warned. Trust her husband to be thinking of that at a time like this. Of course the thought had run shot through her mind, what if they had to cancel? It wasn't just about Jon here.


"Well we're not---son of a bitch." He grabbed the towel and wiped his face and arched back in the seat as she applied the ice to his leg.


"We'll move you to the car shortly, I'm taking you to Riverview."


He groaned, "I don't need---"


"It's not negotiable." She ignored his growl, he wasn’t getting a say in this.


Richie stood behind him and rested his hand on his shoulder, "listen to your wife Jon."


Jon tightened his jaw and nodded. "Callie, let Carl do that."


She should but she wasn't just going to stand there and watch. No fucking way. She wanted to feel the calf for damage but she guessed her husband's foot would lodge in her chest if she did that.


"How bad is the pain?"


Jon's face fell, "you're not really asking me that are you?" His fingers curled around the edge of the chair.


She ignored his snap, "ok let's get him to the car. I can't tell what sort of damage is done, we'll need scans." Matt nodded, and Rob helped lift him between them, Jon wound his arms around their shoulders. This was as a doctor your worst nightmare, she was used to all sorts of sights but nothing really compared to her husband, her strength in that much agony. They'd been blessed with a lot of good health over the years she just hoped this was a strain or a pull, something that wouldn't halt her husband's life.


"You should stay with the kids Callie, Matt can come with me" Jon hissed as they glided him through the hallway.


"Like that's going to happen." She slipped into the other side of the car as they sat him across the back of the car with his leg elevated. She handed him a bottle of water, banded her arm around his middle and rested her chin on his shoulder.


He did so and tipped his head back against her, "fuck me."


She brushed back his fringe and kissed his cheek. "I know Jonny just hold onto me, the pills should kick in a little soon. I'll give you more at the hospital."


"I'm so stupid, the tour...god..." He linked his fingers through hers and his other hand dug into the seat.


"Shh, Jon don't. I know it's not in your blood, but just try and switch off for now, we'll deal with that once we know what's happening ok?"


"Ring Obie, tell him we're not cancelling."


"I'm not ringing Obie, he was there. He knows we'll wait to see what we're dealing with." She felt for him as Jon took such disciplined care of himself during a tour but god, he needed to just focus on himself for more than one minute.


“We’re not cancelling,” he repeated as he tightened his jaw. His eyes clamped closed as they pulled away from the stadium, she jumped when a fist pounded against the passenger window. The door popped open and Richie jumped in the front seat.


"Sorry, carry on as you were." He said to the driver and twisted around in his seat. "You're getting old man," he threw a wink at her.


"Fuck you," Jon muttered but Callie smiled through her tears graciously. Thank god for Richie.


"And you thought it would be one of those ducky buses that would get you, huh?"


Callie laughed, and squeezed Jon's hand.


"I swear to god Richie..." Jon grunted and arched back, his body was so tense against her riding out the pain.


"Shhh, we'll be there soon."


Callie blew out her breath and with her spare hand reached for her phone. She hit work and told them to be ready with a private room and Dr Colbert, who she knew was working tonight and was one of their top orthopaedic specialists, it was about time she used a favor.


"Is it bad?" Richie asked as she clicked her phone closed. Jon had curled his head into her neck, and was too still for a guy in this much pain, but that was Jon.


She nodded, "I want Dr Colbert to look at it, I'm pretty sure it's a tear."


Richie screwed up his face, she knew what he was thinking. Hell, her husband was certainly thinking about it, what did this mean for the rest of the summer tour they had this month? He would be disappointed this happened tonight, the first night back in the country after such a good run in England. They'd just have to wait and see. As the familiar lights of Riverview bled through the windows she took a deep breath, here we go.