Steamy Love

Part 13: All For One and One For All

*So I don't know what encephalitis is like personally. I've read up on it though, so hopefully I get it right. Yes, Brian Quinn has been diagnosed with it (and possibly meningitis). You can look it up if you don't believe me. And there was an episode of TESD where they talk about it. (I think it's episode #254 or something.)*

Sal's POV

"Bri? Brian, what's wrong?!" He's holding his head and yelling, so I just back away from the bed and watch in horror as my best friend suddenly starts vomiting all over the bed. I call Joe.

"What the hell man?" says an exhausted Joe. "It's like midnight." Idiot, it's only like 10:30.

"Brian's screaming and puking and I don't know why or what to do!"

"What? Tell me exactly what happened."

"We..." I don't really want to give him details. "We were just getting into bed! One minute he's perfectly fine and talking to me and the next he's holding his head and yelling!" Q manages to stumble to the bathroom, grabbing his boxers on the way. I hear him throw up in the toilet.

"Shit, maybe it's his illness? Murray and I will be right there." I hang up and quickly throw a shirt on and go into the bathroom. Brian, who's now in his boxers, is sitting against the wall, panting and sweating.

"You okay, bud?" He just barely shakes his head no. "Do you need to go to the doctor?" That's a yes. Joe and Murr get there and I let them in the room. "He's in the bathroom. He says he needs to go to the hospital." They nod and we help Brian get dressed. I throw on some pants and shoes before helping Joe walk Q out. We get to the rental car and Murray drives, Joe navigates in the passenger seat, and I sit in the back while Q lays on my lap. He's burning up like he has a fever, and his breathing sounds labored.

We almost get lost because driving in the UK is the opposite of how driving in the US is. Thankfully, we finally make it to the ER. Joe runs in and comes back out with a couple doctors and a stretcher. Q starts puking again as they help him onto the stretcher and wheel him inside. We're allowed in the room with him but I almost don't want to be there. He's so pale and weak, it almost feels like I'm watching him die; something you never want to see your best friend or the love of your life do. I hear the doctors asking us questions, but I don't talk to them. Joe and Murr can do that. I sit next to Q and stare at his beautiful, pain-stricken face. I see his hand move slightly towards me, and I take it in both of mine and kiss his fingertips. That seems to relax him a little bit. The doctors eventually leave, saying there's not much they can do since it's not life-threatening and we're from another country. But they do shoot him up with some painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs that make him really drowsy before they dim the lights and leave.

"So," Joe starts, "are you two okay now?"

"Yeah," I say in a whisper, "We made up."

"Well that's good," Murr says just as quiet. "Unfortunately it looks like we won't be able to film tomorrow."

Joe responds before I can. "Well, his health is more important than a stupid TV show anyways."

"Oh I know, I know."

The doctors let us take him back to the hotel a couple hours later. Sleep overtakes him again as soon as his head hits the pillow, and I watch him sleep for while. I hate seeing him like this. His skin warm to the touch, his breathing uneven, and his face scrunched up in pain. Not to mention the fact that he doesn't move. At all.

Suddenly he wakes up at about 4 AM. I must've drifted off because I could've sworn the clock said 1:09 AM just a second ago. "Sal..." I hear him whisper.

I yawn while saying, "Yeah?"

"I don't... feel... good..."

"I know, Bri, I know." A moan of discomfort escapes his lips and I gently stroke his hair. It's soaked with sweat so I get a cool, damp rag and dab his forehead, lips, and neck with it and throw off the comforter to cool him off. After a few minutes I have him take more medicine. I have to help him sit up and even hold the glass of water to his lips so he can drink. If he didn't have any energy before, he has like negative energy now and quickly falls back asleep.

The next day contains much of the same thing. Murr, Joe and I stick around the hotel, tending to Q's needs. Even some of the crew members pop in and out trying to help. But I think they're mostly trying to get the three of us to do something so the show isn't at a complete standstill. And we do. We do things like photoshoots and go over the new plans for the next couple of weeks. But there's not much we can do without Q. That's the one thing that sucks about the Tenderloins and the Impractical Jokers; if one of us is out, we're all out. Kinda like the saying 'all for one and one for all'.

Miraculously Q is able to sit up on his own by nightfall, and we all mentally sigh with relief when he says he should be able to film a little tomorrow as long as he takes it easy. Nobody wants to overwork him so we tell him that if he needs to take a break or stop all together, don't be afraid to say something. He's more important than the show.

One can only hope that tomorrow will be a better day.  

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