The Devil In Her Heart (Beatles Fan Fiction)

Chapter 50

“Ringo! RINGO!” John shouted after him, hanging out of the mini, as Ringo stalked off down the country lane.

John pushed the chair out of the way and struggled out of the car, getting his foot tangled in the seat belt in the process. “Ringo!” he shouted again. “Ritchie!” He was a good way off down the road now.

“Wait here,” he ordered Pattie, leaning back into the car. “And watch her,” he pointed to the nurse, still tearfully wiping her eyes on the corner of her shirt cuff.

John slammed the door and chased after Ringo, half jogging and half running after the errant drummer, still calling his name. “Ringo, stop,” he panted as he caught up to him, dodging in front of him and blocking his path. John put his hands out and caught him, a hand on each shoulder.

Ringo stopped and looked up into John’s face. Large teardrops filled Ringo’s baby blue eyes. “I… I can’t cope with this…” he mumbled. “I feel sick.”

John, being a strong-blooded Northern Englishman reacted the only way he could, and completely ignored the display of emotion. “I’m… I’m thinking of starting a band. Do you know any good drummers?” He grinned hopefully.

Ringo gave a small laugh and pushed John away. “How do you do it, John?” he asked.

“Do what?”

“Carry on like that. Laughing, joking, when the whole world’s falling to pieces.”

John straightened his back. “If you don’t laugh, Ring, you’ll cry,” he replied.

“Well, that’s right,” Ringo agreed and looking round, went to sit on a wooden stile which broke the hedgerow up. “I’m sorry,” he said, sniffing loudly. “I had to get out then, otherwise I might have smacked that woman.”

John leaned on the stile next to him. “There’s still time.”

Ringo shook his head. “You heard her. He might die anyway. We’re too late.”

“I meant there’s still time to go back there and give her a damn good slap.”

Ringo smiled. He folded his arms across his chest and shook his head. “What the hell do we do now?” he asked, looking down at his feet.

John glanced back up the lane at the two women waiting in the car. “Well,” he said, taking a deep breath. “First, we enjoy the wonderful country air for a moment, then second, we go back there, get Brian out of that place and third, get the hell out of here.”

“Should we call the police?”

“I don’t know. I just want to get Brian and go home.”

“There might be more. Other patients they’re systematically poisoning.”

“Somehow, I think it will be just Brian. Poor sod.”

Ringo nodded. “Still, we can’t let them get away with it, can we?”

“No, and we won’t. But we haven’t got time to hang around here while the boys in blue try and sort out this mess. Hey, look on the bright side,” John added. “At least we should be shot of Archer, once all this gets out.”

Ringo smiled thinly. “Always a silver lining, eh?”

“Yeah, maybe him and George will be cell mates.” It was meant to be a joke, but John regretted it as soon as he’d said it. Ringo’s smile faded.

“I hope he’s alright,” Ringo said quietly.

“He will be.”

“I wonder how they’re getting on.”