I'll Cry Instead

Chapter 4

"Paul!" they cried as each Beatle knelt down to his level.

"Are you okay?" Ringo asked as he took Paul's cold hand.

"E-everything h-hurts!" the bassist moaned as he tried his best to take a breath, but his chest felt quite heavy and his head was so dizzy. Tears were brimming his droopy eyes and it was taking everything in him not to break down completely.

"Aww, I know it does, Paulie, but help is on the way. Don't worry," Ringo soothed as he stroked Paul's silky hair.

"H-help? How?" Paul croaked.

"Officer Brown called an ambulance," George explained to his disoriented friend.

"A-ambulance!" Paul gasped as he suddenly wrenched upwards and almost out of the girl's arms.

Paul, having just become awake, hadn't yet noticed the fact that he was being cradled by a stranger, and it wasn't until she gently eased him back onto his back did he realize she was there.

"Who a-are you?" he asked, almost angrily, for he was becoming quite irritated with the lack of information.

"My name is Jackie," she blushed as she tried her best not to cry in front of her favorite Beatle. It was starting to get quite hard for her to see Paul in such pain and disarray, but she didn't want to cry. Not in front of him.

Paul, entirely ignoring her, went back to his other disconcerting thought.

"You k-know I don't l-like doctors! How could y-you?" he whined as he began to sob due to the immense pain and fear.

"Well, Paul, you need medical attention! There's no telling what happened to your head and we haven't a clue about your other injuries!" John chided him, complete and utter worry gripping him as he pondered that final sentence.

"What's wrong w-with me head?" Paul grimaced as he reached a shaky hand to the back of his crown.

Once he felt the lump, he brought his hand back into eye view and was shocked to see bright, red blood covering his fingertips.

"Oh, Paulie!" Jackie cried as she hugged his small frame. "I'm so sorry!"

Still ignoring her, Paul looked up at John with misty eyes and muttered the words he meant most.

"I'm scared, John."

That was just about the breaking point for Lennon. He was three seconds away from letting his guard down and crying straight into Paul's shoulder, but, being the man that he was, he held himself together and answered gruffly:

"I know, Macca. I know."

"Just rest for a minute, Paulie," Ringo suggested as he patted Paul's shaking shoulder, trying his best to calm him down.

"Just d-don't leave me," Paul whimpered as he allowed his head to fall limply onto Jackie's lap, causing her to wrap her arm around his shoulders in order to keep him from falling off her lap.

"We won't, Paul. We'll be right here," George reassured him.

"T-thank you," Paul smiled before finally relaxing. Seconds later, he closed his heavy eyes and drifted off to sleep, leaving the others to wait apprehensively for the ambulance.

"Gosh, I hope he's not as bad off as he seems," Ringo sighed, sirens ringing in the distance.

"Well, Rings, we're about to find out," John said as the ambulance drew nearer.

"Thank goodness."

Okay, are you guys liking the writing style, or do you want something different? I mean, is it coming off real? Or is it falling very flat and unreal? Just curious! I never want to disappoint! Thanks! :-)