Chapter 2

We all stood there waiting in the waiting room .. for word on Jon. I couldn't stop pacing all I kept seeing was my best friend, my brother laying on the floor of the stage not moving barely breathing. I bit on my nail as I paced back and forth the guys hadn't arrived yet I didn't even know if they were coming. I was just going to make another circle around the waiting room chairs where Ma sat with her head bent praying when a man in a white coat came out holding a clipboard in his hand.

“family for Jon Francis Bongiovi?” His voice was clear and distinct. He had graying hair at his temples and wore glasses. He had a serious look on his face this did not bode well for news on my best friend's condition.

Momma B stood up “ that's my son...” She reached out to grab my hand as if to give her strength. “how is my boy..”

“follow me please..” he held the door open for the three of us. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. We were taken down a hall as he talked. “your son is serious condition right now. He was brought here he was unresponsive his blood pressure was Extremely low... a fever of a 103 and low respiration.... “ he sighed “to put it bluntly ma’am his body is trying to shut down he's extremely underweight for a young man his age … and height … he's running on nothing...he's dehydrated ” he continued to elaborate just how bad Jon was. With each word I could feel Ma shaking.

“God damn Doc..” was all I could say as we were escorted into the small cubicle. I froze in the door staring at the bed. Now Dave and I do tease Jon about his height compared to ours, nicknames like shorty .. and little fuck … were just something we did. But staring at him now twisted my guts. Jon usually had a larger than life presence but its all smoke and mirrors, looking at the small figure in the bed all I wanted to do was back away. Jon was propped up against a mound of pillows his long hair pushed back from his face, a clear blue mask was laying over his face taking up most of his features. His complexion on the stage had been almost gray now he looked as white as the sheets on the bed. God Jon looked so tiny in the huge bed, the monitor over his head beating out his slow heart beat. What was scary is I have been to the hospital I know what an Iv is but they usually put it in your arm your hand … but Jon's wasn't. It went under his hospital gown.

His doctor noticed me looking “We couldn’t find a vein for the IVs … so we had to do a central line … its why his IV’s in his chest. He's still not conscious I am afraid … we are running tests to see what else might be wrong...”

Pop moved to the bed holding ma's hand. He lifted the hand on blankets running his fingers over the long fingers of my best friend. “how did this happen...” He turned to me. “Richie … how the hell did this happen...” He was careful not to hit the little node on Jon's finger as he held his hand. “how did my son get into this condition...”

I closed my eyes god I wish it hadn't laid on me to answer this. I wished Jon would wake up and talk to his own parents. Yet as I watched my unconscious best friend I knew he wasn't going to. I watched as he breathed in and out the condensation beading up inside the mask. “I don't know what to tell you pop...” I looked at Jon's parents. “I honest to fuckin god don't know …. just know that I got rid of Doc … “ I shook my head. “But one thing I do have to tell you JON didn't inject the shit they kept pumping him with .. himself... no .. the damn fuckin doctor that Doc hired did. I should have kept a closer eye on him or questioned what the hell the guy was up to but I didn't.” I looked back at Jon and swallowed. “All I can say is I am sorry ...”

The doctor turned to Mom and Pop. “right now we are keeping your son into the ICU he will be monitored very closely hopefully once we have a ore concrete idea of what's going on with him ….we will be able to treat him. Currently we are trying to flush his system of the toxins... in his blood stream namely the steroids...” he leaned down to check a bag hanging from Jonny's bed. We all could tell what that bag contained from the color.

I swallowed “will he be alright...” I hated seeing Jon iike this. I should have watched everything better. Now my best friend was basically fighting for his life. I went to the other side of the bed taking the other hand. We sat there for hours with him once or twice once the guys arrived they would come in and sit for a second or two.

We had to keep it down to only two to three in the room as Jon was still in ICU.