Deteriorate

Diagnosis.

Mitch

Scott doesn't look right.

He just messed up.

He seems off.

"One more time!" I belt out my line and hear a bang.

The crowd goes silent as feedback rings across the stadium.

I look to my left and see Scott lying on the ground.

"Scott? Scott!"

He doesn't respond.

I'm kneel down to him.

"Scott!" I shake him gently.

"We need an ambulance." Kevin says and runs off the stage.

"Scott, wake up for me!" Kirstie kneels down beside him.

I shake him harder. "Scott!"

Avi kneels down beside me. "Stop shaking him. You'll make it worse."

I check his pulse and feel my heart beat faster.

"He has a pulse."

"He probably just hasn't eaten or something." Avi says, trying to keep his composure.

I nod, trying to reassure myself but failing.

"Ambulance is on the way!" Kevin says, running back onto the stage.

I grab his larger hand in mine and close my eyes, letting a tear fall.

Esther runs out with a washcloth and a towel.

"Is he overheated?"

"His hands feel fine." I whisper.

"His body temp seems okay. Thanks, Esther." Kevin confirms.

"The ambulance should be here any minute, we're not far from the hospital." Esther says.

I hear chatter from the crowd and decide that we should tell them what's going on.

"Um, should we..." I point towards the curtain.

"Yeah. I'll make an announcement." Kirstie says and gets in front of the curtain.

I hear sirens outside.

"They're here!" I nearly scream and try to lift Scott off of the ground.

"Woah, woah, woah, Mitch. They will take care of him, it's okay." Esther says and pulls me back.

I knew he didn't feel well, but I didn't think of it as anything.

I watch them lift him onto a stretcher and into the ambulance.

"We can have one person ride." A medic says.

Everyone points their eyes towards me and I run outside to the ambulance.

Someone helps me get into the small back area.

I look at Scott's face and feel tears well up in my eyes.

"Is he okay?" I ask quietly, not wanting to disturb anything.

A young woman takes my hand. "He's okay for now. We're gonna check him when we get to the hospital, okay?"

I nod and try to keep my composure.

I should have known. He's been complaining of weakness and he was sick a few days ago.

Idiot.

"Okay, he seems stable, just passed out." A man says and steps away from the stretcher.

I feel my phone going off in my pocket.

I know it's the others asking me what's wrong, but I keep a grip on Scott's hand.

We pull up at the hospital and get Scott out of the ambulance.

I follow the nurse from earlier into a small, quiet room.

"I just need to ask you some questions about Scott. I know you're not in the mood for this, but we have to do it." She says with a sympathetic smile.

I nod.

"Relationship?"

"Um... Best friend. We're in a band."

She scribbles something down on her paper.

Pentatonix.

"Please don't tell anyone that we're here." I whisper.

"I won't. Any info you give me is confidential."

She asks things like age, height, birthday, any medical conditions and so on.

"Okay, Mister Grassi. You can stay in here if you'd like. I'll let the others know that you're in here when they arrive."

I thank her and she closes the door.

Why won't they let me see him?

**

"Mitch?" I slowly crack open the door of the private waiting room.

"Hey Kirstie."

Avi and Kevin come in behind me and close the door.

"Have they said anything yet?" Kirstie asks.

"No. They just asked for his information."

Kirstie puts her arm around me. "He'll be okay."

Her actions said that she believed herself but her trembling voice didn't.

We all sit there in silence except for the sound of cartoons on the TV.

Kevin has his head in his hands, Avi is tapping his foot- a nervous habit of his, Esther is sitting with Avi and Kirstie and I are cuddling.

We stay like this for a few minutes until the door cracks open.

"Family of Scott Richard Hoying?"

"Yes." Kevin speaks up.

She enters the room and closed the door.

"I'm doctor Sanchez, nice to meet you all," The doctor says, shaking our hands.

"Scott is stable and we've gotten him to wake up, but the X-Rays have shown something in his brain."

I get handed a photograph.

"The growth you see is called Oligoastrocytoma, or Mixed Glioma. We caught it early, but Scott will need to go through either chemotherapy or radiation, or both. We will decide that later."

Cancer?

My lips part slightly but nothing comes out of my mouth.

"Any questions?"

"Will he be able to perform?" Kevin asks.

"Yes. He can keep doing things as normal but he will need to take it easy."

"Thank you." Kevin replies.

"I'll leave you guys to it. You may come visit him now and another doctor will help you decide what's best for Scott."

She leaves the room and I break down in tears.

Why Scott?

I'm engulfed in hugs as I collapse onto the floor in a sobbing heap.

I calm down after a few minutes and I'm able to go see Scott.

I walk down the hall, squeezing into Kirstie's hand.

As we approach his room I take a deep breath.

What's going to happen to my best friend?