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Chapter 5

Ant's POV

It was 10:00 pm when I received the call. The pain stabbed at my heart like millions of needles in a pin cushion. But that was after today. After Dec and I had woken up late. After we had performed on the show. After the smiles and laughs and prizes that had been won. It was after and then it was now and then it was before. And you can't change before, it's stuck like that forever and you can't do anything to change it. And it's terrible. And you wish and you wish that this was all just a dream, but it's not and you wake up every morning having to deal with it. But that was after and now this is before the after, before the pain. Before the call.

Dec and I rushed through the doors of Saturday Night Takeaway just as the clock ticked to 8 am. We had made it and we ran to finish the last minute changes and go over the script again and again and again. Finally, by the time it was 4 pm, Dec and I had gone over the show so many times that I couldn't keep count. So we decided to to go to the lunch area and grab a bite to eat. After finally settling down, Dec looked up at me.

"So, do you know drunk we got last night? Or what happened last night?"

I looked back at him wondering why he brought this up now. "I don't know man. Why do you care?"

"Well, I don't want to be make things awkward, but you were cuddling me a little much, don't you think?"

"We were drunk! I didn't know what I was doing. And don't play innocent, Dec, you were hugging me right back." I said when he looked at me disbelievingly and blushed. Truth be told, I did know what I was doing, at least I was more aware than he had been. I had woken up in the middle of the night. I remember walking back to Dec's room, I thought it was my house. When I saw him, I remembered what had happened. I was going to go home but I was really tired. Ya, that's it, I was tired and I laid back down. And Dec, well, I only cuddled him because he looked so, um cold. Ya, he looked cold. I was only going to give him a hug, but I guess I fell asleep.

I guess I was staring off into space because he cut off my thoughts, "Ant, helloo, anyone there?" He called waving his hands around.

I smiled and looked up, "Ya, just thinking."

I could tell Dec was going to ask what about, but we were called to rehearse once again. Then it was after the show. The show seems so far away now. It was happier then, happier than now at least. After the show Dec and I went back to mine.

"Hey Dec," I called as he walked into my kitchen. "You wanna just spend the night? I mean, I know you live right next door, but I have an extra room and.."

I was cut off by Dec, "Sure." he said popping his head back where I was. "Now shh, I'm terribly tired."

Dec ran back to his place to get some night clothes, I thought. That's when I heard the ringing. When I picked up, I heard a doctor on the other end.

"Hello is this Mr. McPartlin?" He asked, seriousness deep in his tone.

"Yes, is there a problem?" I replied.

"Well, we have Lisa down here. It's pretty serious. I suggest you get to the hospital ASAP. She was a victim of a hit-and-run. You were on her emergency contact list."

"Ok, ok." I said slipping on a jacket and my shoes, worry in my voice. "I'm on my way." I hung up and scribbled down a quick note for Dec. I ran out the door and drove like a mad man to the hospital.

"I'm here, I'm here!" I called bursting through the doors, causing the nurses to look up at me. I ran to the front desk, "I'm here to see Lisa." I huffed, out of breath.

The nurse looked at me in a sad way. No, don't do that, I thought. Don't pity me, that can only mean... The nurse stood up and led me to her room. Lisa was laying there with bruises and cuts all over her body. She had a bandage wrapped around her head and her eyes were shut.