Chapter Text
June 2018
Thomas looked over at his bandmates as he noticed them beginning to get a bit nervous, just like himself. He looked down at his hands as he bit his lip lightly. "Have you tried calling her?" he asked as he looked over at Victoria. He knew that Coraline sometimes preferred Victorias voice over the others. It never really bothered him nor any of the other boys. They understood that, would never question it. Especially not the times when her episodes had brought her to a state where she needed physical assistance, removing soaked clothes and get the numb girl into a shower. This was something that Victoria was a pure natural at, mostly considering she and Coraline had the most in common regarding those moments.
Victoria just nodded her head as she bit her lip, looking up at Damiano as he ran his hands over his face.
"We should go there. Now" the older boy said as he nodded a little, as if he was trying to convince himself. He grabs his keys as they all make their way towards the door and out to the car. Their beloved friend did not live far away from them, yet the ride there felt like the longest ever taken by a human being. Thomas tried to not think of the worst but it was hard when they all knew how this day would end. They all knew what they would find as soon as they parked the car and entered the small apartment with teal wallpaper and chipped wooden floor. They all knew that Damiano would insist on going first, saying how he is best suited, being oldest and all. Ethan would call for an ambulance as Thomas and Victoria would hold onto eachother before Damiano would call out for them. If things were really bad in there, like they had been many times, Damiano would call for them to help him get Coraline down. Or he would call for assistance in getting her out of the small bathtub that really did not fit in that bathroom. If things were not as bad, he would call for Victoria specifically, so the basist could help the girl into a cold or hot shower as the demons made her body shake violently. And now they did not know what to expect. But they knew that they would not be greeted by freshly baked brownies and a kettle of tea.
Ethan parked the car outside the small building and looked around at them, feeling the tension rise. "I'll go in first, and then I will let you know okay? Ethan come with me so you can call an ambulance if we need" Damiano said, just like he had said so many times before. "I'll go in first" he repeated as he nodded to himself, mentally preparing for what was to come. He opened the car door and got out, fetching the spare key in the process. He unlocked the front door and out of instinct his heart began to race.
"Coraline?" he called out as he walked into the apartment, Ethan following him into the hallway where he stayed as the singer proceeded into the apartment, slowly making his way into the bathroom.
"Et-Ethan" he breathed out as he grabbed a hold of the doorframe, before the adrenaline kicked in and he rushed towards the girl laying on the bathroom floor. "Call an ambulance" he added before he picked up the girl into his arms, trying to make out if she was still with them or not.
"Coraline, piccola, please. Please don't leave us, please." Damianos voice was hoarse, almost weak as he pleaded the girl in his arms to stay with him, wherever she was. Maybe she was already gone and he had just begged an empty shell of a body to stay with him. He didn't know and the uncertainity was making his heart ache in advance.
The sirens from the saving vehicle could be heard as it was coming closer. His eyes was filled with tears as he stood up, her in his arms as he walked out of the bathroom with her. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as carried her away from what she had imagined to be her site of passing, but her four friends had other plans for her. Always had and always would, never giving up on her. Damiano could have sworn that he was walking through thick liquids, everything around him moving at a horribly slow speed as he brought the girl out of the apartment and into the ambulance, swiftly placing her down on the gurney that was waiting for her.
"We'll meet you at the hospital, tesoro" he whispered as he just looked at her delicate, yet pain-struck face. Then the paramedics rolled her into the back of the ambulance as he was brought back to reality by a hand on his shoulder and a round of pained sobs that escaped his bandmates as they all watched the ambulance leave. None of them knowing what she would be like, look like, when they met again at the hospital.