Categories > Celebrities > Slipknot > Heartache every moment
Chapter 10 - 'I Love you (Prelude to Tragedy)'
Even after the food had arrived, Mick let Joey sleep on. He couldn't bring himself to wake him up, and he enjoyed watching him sleep. Joey was curled up on his side, impossibly small. Mick smoothed the blankets over him, and checked his forehead. It was still hot, but not as hot as he had been. It was his skin that worried Mick, it felt quite clammy and sweaty.
Reluctantly, he patted Joey's shoulder, trying to encourage him out of sleep. Joey tossed his head to the side and back again, not opening his eyes. He muttered something that Mick didn't catch, and tried to go back to sleep. Mick hated doing this, but he knew he really had to make Joey eat something.
"Doll? You need to wake up," he said sympathetically.
Joey slowly opened his eyes, and sighed. He was struggling to keep them open, and it was only Mick trying to help him sit up that stopped him from falling back into a doze. Mick fluffed up the pillows and Joey lay back against them, grateful for the support.
"Here," Mick said, and Joey found a cup of water being pressed to his lips. He drunk thirstily, and drained the cup.
Mick smiled, and carefully wiped a drip of water running down Joey's chin with his finger. He sat the glass back down on the nightstand, and reached for a plate of food. Joey's face seemed to fall as the food was put before him, and Mick knew he didn't want to start throwing up again. With his other hand, he cupped Joey's chin.
"You need to eat, babe." Joey looked up at him, anxiety written in his eyes. Mick scooped up a forkful of the macaroni cheese, and lifted it to Joey's mouth. The smaller man closed his eyes and turned away, trying to avoid eating. Mick felt awful pressuring him like this, but knew he had to. With his hand back on Joey's chin, he gently tilted his head back again.
This time, Joey acquiesed, opening his mouth slowly. He chewed the food sluggishly, and swallowed with a grimace. He made it through half of the plate before refusing again. He shook his head at Mick, who put the fork and plate back on the tray. Mick helped him lay down again, settling the pillows for him and tucking the blankets around him. Joey curled up, desperate to go back to sleep before his stomach decided to take offence at the food. Mick stroked his back, and urged him to relax, and slowly Joey began to feel sleepy again. The last thing he felt before he succumbed was a soft, sweet kiss on his forehead.
*
Mick dozed off for an hour as well, one hand draped over Joey protectively. He was woken at 4.30pm by a call from Cory. Glad that this was the last show for a while, and that soon he would be able to concentrate on getting Joey better, Mick packed his stuff up and put the few things of Joey's that were out back into his suitcase.
A knock on the door, and Mick knew someone was here to help him. He thrust the suitcases at Paul with a "thanks", and the bassist headed down to the bus. Trying hard not to wake Joey, Mick picked him up carefully.
He got a few odd looks carrying Joey through the lobby, but ignored the stares. The bus was parked right out front, and Mick carried straight up to their couch. Chris was sitting up in the living room, and waited patiently for recognition of his presence while Mick settled Joey down. He passed Mick a blanket, and watched as the bigger man gently covered the sleeping drummer.
He raised his eyebrows at Mick in a question as they looked at each other.
"He seems a bit better. Really tired though. Got some food down him. Hope it stays there," Mick said gruffly, sitting down on the table.
"I guess you just wanna get him home, huh?" Chris asked sympathetically.
Mick nodded. "All this going places... it wakes him up. Disturbs him." He sighed, and lay his heads in his hands.
Chris could see the exhaustion on his face and the worry in his voice. If he wasn't careful, Mick would get sick soon as well, and that really wouldn't be good. At least they would be heading home soon, and Mick could start to relax as Joey could be taken care of properly. That reminded him.
"Cory tried to get us a flight back to Des Moines, but there's nothing from here until Wednesday. So we're just gonna drive. Probably better than getting Joey on a plane anyway."
"We leaving straight after the gig?" Mick asked.
"Yeah. We'll be home by morning. At least we aren't in fucking Florida or some place like that."
Mick nodded. He started to feel relieved, and then checked himself. They still had to get home first, and then he could start to feel better. But he knew he wouldn't be back to normal until Joey was. As if to check he was still there, Mick reached out a hand to Joey, and brushed the hair falling down his forehead back over his ears.Chris watched them silently, not wanting to disturb the exchange. Mick seemed to have forgotten he was there, and so Chris crept away slowly. It wasn't until several minutes had passed that Mick remembered the percussionist, and turned to acknowledge him. But he was gone.
Even after the food had arrived, Mick let Joey sleep on. He couldn't bring himself to wake him up, and he enjoyed watching him sleep. Joey was curled up on his side, impossibly small. Mick smoothed the blankets over him, and checked his forehead. It was still hot, but not as hot as he had been. It was his skin that worried Mick, it felt quite clammy and sweaty.
Reluctantly, he patted Joey's shoulder, trying to encourage him out of sleep. Joey tossed his head to the side and back again, not opening his eyes. He muttered something that Mick didn't catch, and tried to go back to sleep. Mick hated doing this, but he knew he really had to make Joey eat something.
"Doll? You need to wake up," he said sympathetically.
Joey slowly opened his eyes, and sighed. He was struggling to keep them open, and it was only Mick trying to help him sit up that stopped him from falling back into a doze. Mick fluffed up the pillows and Joey lay back against them, grateful for the support.
"Here," Mick said, and Joey found a cup of water being pressed to his lips. He drunk thirstily, and drained the cup.
Mick smiled, and carefully wiped a drip of water running down Joey's chin with his finger. He sat the glass back down on the nightstand, and reached for a plate of food. Joey's face seemed to fall as the food was put before him, and Mick knew he didn't want to start throwing up again. With his other hand, he cupped Joey's chin.
"You need to eat, babe." Joey looked up at him, anxiety written in his eyes. Mick scooped up a forkful of the macaroni cheese, and lifted it to Joey's mouth. The smaller man closed his eyes and turned away, trying to avoid eating. Mick felt awful pressuring him like this, but knew he had to. With his hand back on Joey's chin, he gently tilted his head back again.
This time, Joey acquiesed, opening his mouth slowly. He chewed the food sluggishly, and swallowed with a grimace. He made it through half of the plate before refusing again. He shook his head at Mick, who put the fork and plate back on the tray. Mick helped him lay down again, settling the pillows for him and tucking the blankets around him. Joey curled up, desperate to go back to sleep before his stomach decided to take offence at the food. Mick stroked his back, and urged him to relax, and slowly Joey began to feel sleepy again. The last thing he felt before he succumbed was a soft, sweet kiss on his forehead.
*
Mick dozed off for an hour as well, one hand draped over Joey protectively. He was woken at 4.30pm by a call from Cory. Glad that this was the last show for a while, and that soon he would be able to concentrate on getting Joey better, Mick packed his stuff up and put the few things of Joey's that were out back into his suitcase.
A knock on the door, and Mick knew someone was here to help him. He thrust the suitcases at Paul with a "thanks", and the bassist headed down to the bus. Trying hard not to wake Joey, Mick picked him up carefully.
He got a few odd looks carrying Joey through the lobby, but ignored the stares. The bus was parked right out front, and Mick carried straight up to their couch. Chris was sitting up in the living room, and waited patiently for recognition of his presence while Mick settled Joey down. He passed Mick a blanket, and watched as the bigger man gently covered the sleeping drummer.
He raised his eyebrows at Mick in a question as they looked at each other.
"He seems a bit better. Really tired though. Got some food down him. Hope it stays there," Mick said gruffly, sitting down on the table.
"I guess you just wanna get him home, huh?" Chris asked sympathetically.
Mick nodded. "All this going places... it wakes him up. Disturbs him." He sighed, and lay his heads in his hands.
Chris could see the exhaustion on his face and the worry in his voice. If he wasn't careful, Mick would get sick soon as well, and that really wouldn't be good. At least they would be heading home soon, and Mick could start to relax as Joey could be taken care of properly. That reminded him.
"Cory tried to get us a flight back to Des Moines, but there's nothing from here until Wednesday. So we're just gonna drive. Probably better than getting Joey on a plane anyway."
"We leaving straight after the gig?" Mick asked.
"Yeah. We'll be home by morning. At least we aren't in fucking Florida or some place like that."
Mick nodded. He started to feel relieved, and then checked himself. They still had to get home first, and then he could start to feel better. But he knew he wouldn't be back to normal until Joey was. As if to check he was still there, Mick reached out a hand to Joey, and brushed the hair falling down his forehead back over his ears.Chris watched them silently, not wanting to disturb the exchange. Mick seemed to have forgotten he was there, and so Chris crept away slowly. It wasn't until several minutes had passed that Mick remembered the percussionist, and turned to acknowledge him. But he was gone.
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