a moment in time//twenty one pilots

chapter 11

My eyelids cracked open slightly when I felt my body being shaken from sleep. The light, though there wasn't much in the dark bunk, was blinding. My vision was hazy as I slowly opened my eyelids, trying to adjust to the overwhelming light.

A splitting headache tore through my skull when a flash of red and blue peaked from the curtain. I groaned at the pain, quickly squeezing my eyes back closed.

"C'mon sweetheart, we just need to ask you a few questions. We also have some medics here to check those bruises of yours." A female voice came from beside me.

Very reluctantly, I slowly reopened my eyes, putting a hand up to shield them from any unnecessary light that would make the pain worse.

I cried in pain as I made my way out of the bunk, feeling like every single one of my joints had been damaged by Athiritis. Thankfully, the woman, who I soon found out was a cop, let me use her as a support.

Once I was finally in a standing position, the cop slipped her arm around my waist and brought my arm over her shoulder. We made our way out of the tour bus, her guiding me as I kept my eyes covered with my free hand.

There was an ambulance nearby and we headed towards it, the medics already prepared. They said a few quick things to each other as I approached the vehicle. I was only able to uncover my eyes for a split second to see where I was at before having to cover them back up.

"Here you go, be careful, she has it worst around her ribs. She has a headache which is probably why she hasn't spoke a word since she woke up." The cop said as she handed me to what I assumed was a medic. They smelled like lavender with a hint of cologne, it comforted me, and made my half asleep body slip away further into the comfort of sleep.

I felt a pair of gloved hands gently pick me up bridal style causing a dizzying wave of nausea to go through me. I leaned down and gagged, but nothing came up-- yet.

Noticing my motion, the man who was carrying picked up his pace, and soon I was put down on a bed in an ambulance. A hollow thumping was heard from beside me, and almost simultaneously, I felt the contents of my stomach empty out into the garbage can that was set there in the nick of time.

The doors of the ambulance began to shut, and I panicked. Suddenly I stood up, wiping my mouth.

"Wait! Where's Tyler and Josh?  I need to find them!" I slurred out.

"You need to lay down on the bed. You will be able to see them soon." A female medic said firmly.

But before anyone could stop me, I pushed the doors open and stumbled out, ignoring the shouts of the medics from the ambulance. The world careened this way, and that, and I was seeing double. My head started to throb as my breath became uneven.

I my vision was so messed up that I barely saw Tyler and Josh talking to some policemen before I stumbled in their direction. They looked at me and furrowed their eyebrows. I could've swore I heard the police that was next to me gasp. He turned ghostly white at the sight of my bruises.

"Tyjooo and Jishwaa I missed youuuu." I garbled, nearly falling over when I giggled at the nicknames.

"Lila, you should be back at the ambulance, you need to go to the hospital." Tyler spoke slowly so my practically drunken self could understand.

I gasped. "No I can't go back there." I coughed and threw up onto the sidewalk. I groaned at my stomach.

Josh started to guide me back to the ambulance as medics already started to head our way. Panic began to set in.

"No! Please don't make me go back there, please Josh! Don't make me go back there, I don't want to!" I screamed as tears began to run down my face. His face contorted into a look of pain and sorrow.

"I'm sorry, Lila, but you need to go." He said in a low voice as he let go of me so the medics could grab me.

My breathing began to quicken as the pain in my head flared up. My eyes frantically darted around, looking for a way out. But it was no use. I huffed, then stopped fighting, and let myself be dragged.

I was shoved into the ambulance, but I wasn't giving up. Despite the pain, I wasn't just going to lay there. So I started to writhe around in the medics' grip, and screamed incoherent words, anything to get me out of that cramped box.

But that was a mistake.

Two of the medics looked at each other, and the one on the right nodded. Then the one on the left turned around and rummaged through a small cabinet, and pulled out a needle.

My eyes widened and I started to yank my limbs from their grips, but they would always grab ahold of them again and push then back onto the bed.

Just as the woman with the needle brought it down to my neck, I heard a shout come from the distance.

"Hey! That's no way to calm down a panicking teenage girl!"

Tyler.

The medics all looked in his direction, eyebrows furrowed at his statement. Tyler rushed over and pulled his phone out, and a pair of headphones.

Oh.

He jumped into the vehicle, shoving everyone, especially the one with the needle, out of the way. He crouched down to my level, and looked me in the eyes. "I'm going to put the earbuds in your ears and play music, will that help you calm down?"

"Ok." I breathed out in response. Another tear escaped my eye.

Tyler nodded and used his thumb to brush away the stray tear. He plugged the headphones in before going to his music on his phone. He gently put the earbuds in my ears and pressed play. 

The introduction of Implicit Demand For Proof began to flow into my ears. I immediately relaxed, and I could've swore I saw everyone in the cramped ambulance breathe a sigh of relief. I ignored them by closing my eyes and taking in the music. Fatigue suddenly washed over me, pulling me into a peaceful sleep.

• • • •

A/N hello people! Sorry this took so long to publish. The first reason is because the chapter wasn't going where I really wanted it to and I had to rewrite it a few times. The second reason is the past four days or so I was at this state FFA convention (which was super fun btw) and I had no time to write. Anyways I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please vote, and comment, the feedback would surely be appreciated!

As always, stay alive frens, it's worth it, i promise.

-soapy