Chapter 4

When I woke up I couldn't move my wrists. My head felt full of fog and my mouth was drier than the desert in Las Vegas. I opened my eyes then had the close them again as the light seemed to burn into my eyeballs. Where the hell was I. The last thing I remember was coming off stage with Richie. He had been harping on me to get some rest. Then nothing I know we did the show and I knew I was tired but what the fuck where was I. I slowly opened my eyes again seeing where I was shocked the fuck out of me. I was laying in a bed a mask over my face. The room was completely white there was a nurse standing by the one side of the bed I could hear something beeping over my head. I lifted my eyes a bit and saw a monitor. I tried once again to lift my hands but was shocked at how weak I felt. I looked down seeing my wrists were bound to the bed by soft restraints what the hell. I tried to pull on them and even though they were made of gauze and not really restraining my hands I couldn't break them.

I moved my head slowly around trying to get my bearings there was a guy with gray hair standing over to the left with a chart must be my doctor. I tried to open my mouth and talk but nothing came out. Oh something came out a raspy cough did god that hurt. My eyes started to water in pain. The sound must have alerted the doctor that I was awake as he turned to me. The other doctors that were in the room seemed to stop what they were doing and backed off.

“Aah Jon you're awake .. this is good don't move too much...” He moved to the bed and started to look me over. I couldn't do much but stare up at him with my hands bound the way they were. “do you know where you are?” I shook my head slowly. “you're at Robert Wood Johnson Wood University Hospital you were brought here by ambulance when you collapsed coming off stage. Your friend Richie and your parents are waiting to come in to see you. You are in ICU right now because we are still running tests on you to see what is going on with you.” He leaned down to check something on the side of my bed when he shook his head he didn't look happy.

I shook my head and mouthed though they couldn’t see it with the damn mask over my face. “No let me out..” Unfortunately he couldn't see it and I didn't seem to be able to make any sounds but coughing. God that had hurt.

“I will allow your parents to come in ….along with your friend don't worry Jon you are in good hands..” he patted my hand like I was some sick little boy. I scowled at him but couldn't do much. A few scant seconds later my mom was in the room with my pop. She immediately moved to the side of the bed and brushed my hair back from my face and kissed my forehead like she did when I was a little boy.

“baby shhh its okay ...” She looked like she had been crying. That tore my heart out I never wanted to hurt my parents. My eyes swung over to my dad he looked like he had aged over twenty years. I tried to say something once again it was barely a whisper one not even loud enough for them to hear. This was frustrating.

I tried to sit up but it tugged on something on my chest I looked down my eyes widened a bit to see the needle tapped there. My eyes shot up to looking at my best friend who walked into the room. Yet was he my best friend anymore. We fought more than we talked lately especially this last fucking tour. He kept staring at me I tried to convey what I wanted with my eyes. Something Richie and I always were able to do was converse without talking. When He shook his head I knew he had got the message. I nodded my head but again he shook his head. I even tried to give him the stink eye but he shrugged. “no Jon... I am not helping you get out of that bed...” He moved to the side of the bed and winced when he saw my hands were bound to the bed. “you must have got the restraints cause you ripped out your iv and shit..” He leaned on the bed rail looking down at me I could see deep into his dark brown eyes. Richie's eyes were always a way to see how he was feeling. It kind of hurt looking into them now as they were full of concern for me. Even though all we been doing is fighting lately and sick at the sight of each other we still were brothers. I turned my face away from him.

My father walked over to the doctor who was talking to the nurse “He's trying to talk to us but he's not said anything...” I could hear him all the way over in the bed.

“That's because Jon's vocal chords are extremely swollen is best if he didn't talk at all he'll just make it worse and possibly destroy them...” He gave me a look. “let me see how his breathing is if its better I'll move the mask to a cannula.” he moved back over to the bed and told me to breath in and out slowly. I did only wince or twice when I coughed. He nodded moving his hand to the back of my head lifting it up to remove the mask. I took a deep breath and grimaced as the green tube was slid back under my nose. He slid the rest around my ears I grimaced but it wasn't like I couldn’t argue with him. I looked at my hands then at the doctor. “right now lets keep them on … you woke up before and started to rip out everything I had to reinsert your central line and I don't think you want the iv in your throat. So I'd leave them alone.

I glared at him and mouthed “I want out of here...now! Where's Dot....”

Richie seemed to be the one to answer anything. “one you ain't going anywhere you're in fuckin ICU .. Jon... the other we are trying to get a hold of her.” I just glared at him at him when he said I wasn't leaving the hospital. We'll see is all I could think.

As I was watching the determined look appear on my best friend's face I couldn't help over hear Jon's doctor talking to a couple of his colleagues an the nurses on what they needed. I walked over to the doctor letting Ma and Pop talk to Jon to try to talk some sense into his brain. “Doc what's wrong?” My hands went into my pockets. I wasn't sure I wanted to know what was going on. Yet I needed to do what I could to help my brother and his parents.

He turned to look at me then over at Jon as if he was trying to decide whether to tell me anything or not. Yeah he told us something was up when we first were brought to see Jon. He finally nodded folding his arms. “Jon's dealing some serious issues Mr Sambora or Richie if I may.”

I motioned for him to continue. “go ahead...”

“The heavy touring ..add in with the barely sleeping, eating ...add in the serious amount of Steroids in Jon's system... we are worried about his kidneys... they aren't putting out the amount of excess fluid they should. Especially with the amount of fluids we are pushing in order to flush the drugs in his system.... We are concerned also about his weight... do you know that Jon weights exactly one hundred twenty five pounds currently?”

My eyes nearly dropped out of their sockets “he weights what?” I looked back at Jon who was laying with his eyes closed. Now that he was no longer hiding into those damn long coats or that huge ass leather one it was shocking. I honestly didn't notice that until the Doctor said something. Yet didn’t' I say he looked tiny in the big bed. “is that dangerous?”

“Yes Richie it is …it can affect his kidneys his breathing and his system...this is serious … its not something he can blow off …his blood pressure is also low … which is why there is a cuff on his upper arm. I am only telling you this Richie in hopes you can help him and us.”

I looked back at the doctor before looking back at Jon “don't worry Doc I'll help as much as I can.” I made a promise in my head no matter how much I was pissed off at Jon I would do whatever I could to get my best friend/brother better.