chapter 20

I stared at the TV then back at Dorothea who sat by Jon's bed after I said that. How the hell was this happening. Was this what Pop had been doing the last two weeks when he wasn’t' here with Jon. I looked over at my friend the blankets tucked up around his shoulders. It just hurt to look at him his body had shrunk down so much his complexion the same white as the pillow his head rested on he looked like he was fading away in front of me. He had no colour and I knew that if we didn't get him the kidney that he so badly needed he would fade from our lives. I was damned if that was going to happen. We all had been tested we were just waiting for the damn results to come back. Matt Jon's younger brother was upset as he had been forbidden from doing it as he was far too young at fourteen to donate a kidney to Jon.

I stared as the news as they continued to talk about Doctor Manning how he had been arrested but had escaped I swore figures the slimy asshole would get away. I turned to see Dorothea brushing the hair from Jon's face being careful of not hitting his oxygen line. It broke my heart once again to see the hell my best friend was going through and the hell his wife was dealing with. I wanted to wrap my hands around Doc and that assholes throat that did this to him.

Sitting next to him I jumped as the door opened and two men were shown into the room by a nurse.. as she closed the door behind her, I Reacted to their presence and got up.

"Mr Sambora?"

"yeah"

"we are sorry to interrupt but, we need a few minutes of your time,....

"Who are you?" Ok that was possibly a stupid question as Detectives screamed out to me, but I needed to be sure.

"I'm sorry, I'm Detective Martin Bramble, and this is my colleague Detective Paul Rose, flipping their Id at me, as quick as they showed there badges they were flipped closed and put away, he continued talking,

" we tried to reach you at home, your neighbour told us where you were. I'm sorry we have to come here but we have questions we need to ask regarding the investigation, is there somewhere else we could go and talk?"

"Yeah, give me a minute I'll go check."

I left the room and headed over to the nurses station. The nurse that had showed the Detectives in to the room minutes earlier was back sitting behind her desk. I asked for a private room, she suggested the relatives room as it was vacant and she would make sure we were not interrupted. Thanking her I went back to get the Detectives. Opening the door, Dot was already talking to them;

"No, I am his wife, so anything you want to talk to Richie about, you can talk about to me too. I need to know. I am sick of being kept in the dark."

"Madam, we have to speak with Mr Sambora in the first place, now if you will excuse us..."

I placed a hand on Dots arm, "It's ok Dot, I'll let you know what its about when I get back ok?"

reluctantly she nodded in agreement. I lent forward and kissed her head as I led the Detectives out of the room and across the corridor to the relatives room. Inside with the door closed, the elephant walked in behind us. silence enveloped us. I spoke first to break the tension.

"So what do you need to know?"

"it's quite personal"

"Personal, on what level?"

"its relating to an accusation from your Manager"

"Ex Manager, What is it the asshole has said?"

I could feel my patience wearing, my nerves were shot too and I was sick of playing the good guy, on top of that the mention of Doc McGhee name just sent my blood pressure soaring...

“he said that you were the one that brought the drugs to Doctor Manning.... that he had no idea that they were from the black market. That you were getting a cut of the profits...”

I just stared at them like they had lost their ever loving minds. “why the FUCK would I give something like that to my best friend that is an outright lie... I had no freakin CLUE what the hell he was doing to my best friend I didn't even know about the drugs till I saw him injecting them into Jon. We were barely speaking to each other on the damn tour why would I give my best friend something that could potentially KILL HIM!.. that is my best friend.... so anything Doc has to say is a lie. I had no contact what so ever with the damn doctor he hired to take care of Jon. Funny that he took off right after Jon collapsed on stage and no one could find him! Doc knew him HE hired him ...then he came in here when they were fighting to save my best friend …. claiming that it was Jon's fault that this all happened. Jon trusted him and that Doc to take care of him and now my best friend's laying in a hospital bed fighting for his life!! Its his fault that my best friend is in the hospital...” I took a deep breath. When I saw the door to Jon's room open and someone walk in. “now if you excuse me I need to get back to Jon...” I moved to leave the room when one touched my arm,

“What do you know of this man George Manning...”

“I know he caused what's happening to my best friend …. that if he was a real doctor I'll eat my guitar ...” I spat as I walked out of the room with the detectives I was shocked to see Alec standing in the room talking to Dorothea. “Alec what are you doing here...”

“I saw the news cast …. and I saw the doc he was at a gas station... I saw him get onto a bus

. That was before I saw the news cast though otherwise I would have called.” He shrugged and took a breath. “I'm also here to get tested for Jon.... he might be a pain in the ass and not get along with me but I want to help too..”

I just stared at Alec in shock. “you want to help Jon... why what's in it for you..”

Dorothea looked at me “what did those detectives want?”

“Doc is trying to pin this whole shit on me.... “ I spat. “I had no clue whatsoever abut the shit they gave Jon … something's fishy.” I turned to see Jon waking up again though he was half awake. “hey bud... go on back to sleep..” He just gave me a tired look turning to see Alec standing there his eyes widen with shock. He motioned for his board

Dorothea gave it to him and he slowly wrote. “what's Alec doing here?”

Alec sighed “i want to help Jon I might not get along with you but you don't deserve what's happening to you … and I am sorry about earlier.... I saw the Doc leave at a gas station.”

“what station?” One of the detectives asked. “And who are you?”

“Alec Such I was the bass player …. I saw him at the Tesco just outside Red Bank he got onto a Greyhound..”

I swore “shit.... “