sanctuary // george joji miller

forty

"George? George!" I screamed as I knelt on the ground, shaking his unconscious body.

There was a lot of reaction coming from the crowd and the music immediately stopped, overlapping conversations filled the hall.

The bodyguards rushed to carry him to the backstage, one was about to stop me but Brian and Sean held them back, saying that I'm close to George. I barely had the chance to say my thanks because I was so fixated on where they're taking him.

Not long after Ezra was already tailing me, he was put on the couch backstage and some backstage people called for an ambulance.

"George," I tried calling him out but there was no response. "What happened?" I asked when Brian and Niki approached me, sitting down.

"We told him if he was sure about performing today because he really looked like he's sick since this morning, but he insisted." Brian explained.

"I think he has a fever." Niki elaborated, then I checked by putting my palm to his forehead, and he is indeed burning hot.

"What the fuck," I almost whimpered, burying my face in my hands.

"He will be okay, the ambulance will be here soon." Ezra reassured me, giving me back pats. "Maybe he just overworked himself,"

I sighed after realizing that, maybe he did rushed and overworked himself to finish the album and been on a tour ever since the release. I also realized that he's been home for a long time, maybe he didn't get to adjust to his surroundings and new routines as fast.

"Can you check up on him next time? Is he drinking his medications?" I asked Ezra and his friends and they just shrugged, not knowing what to answer to me.

I sighed in exasperation. Is he even taking care of himself?

I was shook from my train of thoughts when they signaled that the ambulance arrived. They assisted and carried George to the stretcher. I can't shake the nervous feeling I have in me, Sean and Ezra came along.

"He will be okay." Sean reassured me and I just kept looking at George, his eyes fluttered close and his mouth slightly agape as he breathed. They gave him supplemental oxygen on the way.

I held his hand and even I'm not the type of person that prays, I prayed with all the belief in God that I have in me.

When we got to the hospital we were advised to stay outside of the ER. I sat on the chairs, fidgeting with my hands. Ezra left for a while, leaving me and Sean alone.

"What happened to you guys?" Sean asked me. "I never got the strength to ask him all these months but I heard about the break up."

"I honestly don't know how to answer you," I told him, my voice shaky. "He just...left."

"He never told you why?" He asked in a soft tone. I slowly shook my head. "Oh.."

"Yeah,"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

We sat in silence for the next few minutes. The place was in complete quietude but inside my mind shows otherwise, thoughts are running inside my head in a fast pace. I feel like I'm going to explode.

What has been happening in those few months? Did he ever told anyone about how he truly felt?

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I felt a tap on my shoulder, it was Ezra.

"Let's wait at the lobby." Ezra told me with a bottle of water on his hand. "And drink this, please."

"I want to stay here. I'll wait for him."

"Just put the trust on the doctors, he will be fine." He said to my softly, and my body became less tensed. "Let's go to the lobby."

"Alright." I sighed. I stood up from my seat and followed Ezra as he guided our way to the lobby, the hospital wasn't that crowded and he found us a table to stay and sit.

He put the bottle of water in front of me. I looked at it then to him, he gestured for me to take it so I did.

"I'm just really worried, Ezzy." I told him with obvious discomfort in my voice. "I noticed beforehand that he wasn't looking good the moment he showed up on the stage."

"I'm so sorry for not noticing it earlier, we should've just let him rest." Sean apologized and I shook my head.

"It wasn't your fault, Brian and Niki told me he's the one who still insisted to perform." I told him, exhaling the weight left in my chest. Trying to convince myself that he's just fine and he just pushed himself too far.

"He's been really happy performing, I can see it." Sean told me, "It's like when he was with you, I see and sense that happiness coming from him."

"It means a lot to him," I explained. "Music. It's been there for him for all those years."

They just nodded to my statement and we were left in silence once again. I didn't feel the need to talk more, I just let that silence comfort me, calm me, while waiting for any update from George.

"Are you George Miller's acquaintances?" A nurse approached us and we all nodded.

"We're family." Ezra replied, she gestured for us to follow her, I grabbed my water bottle and stood up, Ezra and Sean following my movements.

We followed her to the second floor of the hospital. She then led us to a room, and George was there, looking a little better than earlier.

"He's resting." The doctor informed us when we got inside, the nurse who went with us excused herself. "I'm his doctor, you can call me Dr. Shauna."

"Thank you for taking care of him, Dr. Shauna." Sean said and Dr. Shauna just gave him a small smile.

"Please, sit down." She said, gesturing to the free seats near the bed.

"What happened?" I asked her and she just looked at him, probably thinking about her response.

I looked at George and noticed small bruises all over his arms, my anxiety grew.

"He's been here before, but it's the first time I'm seeing him again after months." She sighed.

"What is going on?" I asked again, agitated about what I'm seeing.

"He's not in a critical condition at the moment thankfully, but he could be exposed to more risks if he won't take treatments." She told us and we furrowed our eyebrows in confusion.

"Treatment for what?"

"Didn't he told you?" She said, shocked.

"About what?" Sean asked curiously, with nervousness in his tone.

"He has Acute Myeloid Leukemia..." She trailed off. "And it has continued to spread for the last few months."

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