The Life and Times of Valor

Valor’s POV

I heard beeping and muffled talking. I went to crack open my eyes and it was too bright so I closed them again.
“Valor?” I heard a rough, hoarse voice say quietly.
I tried to open my eyes again this time with more success.
“Nurse! She’s awake!” I heard Ann call down the hallway.
“Hold on Valor they have to check your vitals.” Austin said grabbing my hand.
“Valor look at me.” The nurse said flashing a light into my eyes.
She checked my heart beat and temperature and any other vitals you could think of before leaving the room. I sat up and looked around at Ann and Austin.
“What happened?” I asked I rubbed the side of my head.
“Oh my god. The side of my head is shaved. What the hell?!” I was freaking out when a throbbing pain in my ribs started. I winced and my breath got short.
“Breath slowly baby.” Austin tried to calm me down.
“Someone want to fill me in.” I stared at them confused.
“We were hoping you’d fill us in..” Ann trailed off.
I tried to remember how I ended up here. I looked down at my hands and my arms and they were bruised. I lifted the blanket up and my legs were covered. My mind flashed back to Ronnie and the bus. He kept hitting me before he..
“Valor it’s okay we’re here now.” Austin started whipping my tears away.
He looked tired and stressed. His voice was hoarse and strained.
“How many days have I been out?” I sobbed.
“Two.” Ann answered grabbing my hand sitting on the other side of me.
“Listen the police have been waiting to ask you questions. Do you want to talk to them?” Austin asked.
“Yeah, can you tell them to come in?” He kissed me on the forehead nodding.
Him and Ann left the room and two officers came in. They asked me what I remember and what happened. It appears Ronnie has been missing since the incident and no one knows where he is. All I could do was thank God that I was alive. They told me that I had a strong case and they were going to do their best to find him.
Austin came back into the room looking tired, stressed and sick with worry.
“Come here baby.” I cooed.
“You don’t need to comfort me.” He whispered.
“Where did Ann go?” I asked grabbing Austin’s hand.
“She went to get you some soup. They said you’ll have to eat light.” He was rubbing my knuckles.
“Oh, what about Warped?” I didn’t even realize that we were missing the tour.
“Your band is off for now, you won’t be able to perform. Shayley is doing guest vocals for my band right now. When you get discharged we can catch back up with the tour, okay?” He already had a game plan, but I still couldn’t perform.
“I still can’t perform though.” I muttered.
“Don’t be angry, but Tay is filling in for you right now.” I was enraged.
“Fucking cunt.” I tried to move but sharp pain spread through my rib cage.
“Babe, relax.” Austin was steadying me so I wouldn’t move.
“She’s so fucking lucky I can’t get out of this hospital bed.” I said through gritted teeth.
“Babe.” Austin was trying to calm me down.
“I can’t believe this even happened..” I trailed off.
“What do you remember exactly?” He asked cautiously.
“Well, I went to my bus to change and Ronnie was already there, I don’t know how, but he was on the bus. I hit him, hard and his nose was bleeding, then he hit me. I was knocked out for a few minutes when I woke up on the back room floor. He…. I remember him hitting me and pulling my hair and slamming my face down.” I paused looking at Austin who looked mortified.
“Then he ripped my clothes off..” I choked, recalling the rape.
“It’s okay, you don-“ I cut him off.
“I don’t want to keep anything from you. Do you want to hear this?” I asked.
“Yes and no.” I understood how he was feeling.
“He ripped my clothes off and raped me. Telling me how I was a dirty slut, that I liked it. He made me tell him he was better than you. That I had been craving this for awhile. Then he spat on me when he was finished and told me I should’ve killed myself. He slapped me around a little more. That’s when he kicked me in my ribs a few times and left. Then I blacked out.” I was gripping Austin’s hands so tight.
“I’m going to kill that fucking piece of shit excuse for a human being.” Ann was in the door way sobbing.
“Ann.” I said relieved and she came over and hugged me.
“I am so happy you’re alive.” She wouldn’t let go till I whimpered in pain.
“Here, I brought you some food.” She pulled out a bowl of soup and some bread.
“Thank you.” I was grateful I wouldn’t have to eat awful hospital food.
“Valor Vitali?” A doctor walked in.
“Yes.” I stammered out.
“Your vitals are strong and your cracked ribs are healing nicely, we should be able to discharge you tomorrow evening. I have to stress the importance of you not performing as your ribs will need a lot of time to heal and the contusion to your head is still healing. The stitches are dissolvable and should be gone in a weeks time.” She finished.
“I can leave tomorrow?” I asked eagerly.
“If your ribs and head are looking good, yes.” She smiled.
“Thank you, doctor.” I smiled back at her.
“Did you hear that guys, I get to leave!” I was excited to get out of here.
“Valor, are you sure you want to go back on tour?” Austin was worried again, I could only imagine his level of anxiety.
“I can work merch for my band and what if I promise to stay with you on your bus and whenever you’re not around Ann and the guys will be with me?” I was pleading I wanted to finish out Warped.
“Okay, but you’ll sleep in my bunk and I’ll sleep on couch I don’t want to crush your ribs.” He was stern.
“But, I wanna sleep next to you.” I gave him a puppy dog face.
“Well at least you got a new hair cut out of this.” Ann laughed.
“I fucking look like Skrillex, embarrassing.” I shook my head in disappointment.
“Alright guys. I’m going to the hotel to tell the guys you woke up, but I’ll make sure they stop by tomorrow so they don’t stress you out tonight. Focus on recovery.” Ann hugged me, kissing my cheek then hugging Austin before leaving.
“Stay with me?” I pleaded with Austin.
“I’ll be over on this bench, okay?” He pointed to it.
“But there’s a perfectly good, uncomfortable bed, right here.” I stated.
“Valor, I told you.” He went all dad mode on me.
“Babe, I need you. I was… I need you to hold me and love me right now.” I was begging.
“Scoot over.” He sighed.
“Winning.” I smiled as I scooted over, letting him in.
“How you maintain your humor in this, amazes me.” He half smiled.
“I don’t want to dwell on this while I have so many other wonderful things in my life. We all are enduring this together. My little family.” I rested my head on his chest.
“Are you comfortable?” He asked.
“Yeah are you?” I yawned.
“Yes sleepy head, I am.” He kissed my forehead.
“Thank you for being so amazing.” I was dosing off.
“I just wish I could have prevented this.” He muttered.
“This isn’t your fault. It’s no one’s but Ronnie’s. I have been thanking God you’re right here next to me though.” I held him tighter.
“I am going to protect you from now on Valor, you won’t be out of mine or anyone else’s sight, okay?” He was completely serious.
“I love you.” I said before falling asleep.
“I love you.” He replied and we both were out.

The bus was spotless, but also filled with flowers and a ton of stuffed animal moose and presents.
“You guys!” I threw my hands up exasperated.
“This is all super unnecessary!” I grabbed a moose guy and hugged it.
“Why do you have a sick obsession with moose?” Jay laughed.
“I don’t know but they’re all named Gunther.” I stated as I tried to find a couch in the mist of the floral forest.
“We’re all just glad you’re here.” Scott hugged me.
“I missed you guys.” I felt a few tears roll down my cheek.
“Okay well we have to get going so we can catch back up, there’s not much more left to go on this tour.” This brought me some relieve, but also some disappointment.
“Can we move to California?” I begged.
“Actually.” Hunter started.
“That’s the other part of the surprise, we managed to find a house for rent with enough room for the band and Ann to live. They allow cats and we all decided that Cali is where all the other bands mostly reside along with our record label, so it only made sense.” Hunter shrugged.
“I fucking love you guys.” I smiled.
“Here’s your medications.” Ann said as she placed pills in my hand.
“Thanks mom.” I said sarcastically.
“You have to take them, so you can get better, so you can perform. Otherwise Tay is going to fill in for the rest of the month.” She stated as she grabbed a pillow and blanket and handed it to me.
“I’m not a child.” I said sourly.
“And fuck Tay, seriously. I don’t even understand why you guys asked HER. Of all the people.” I was bitter as fuck.
“She volunteered and she wanted to help dude. Jenna and Hayley have too much going on and we can’t go on without a lead.” Landon pointed out.
“You have a mad crush on her so your opinion is biased.” I grabbed the pillow and blanket and made myself comfortable on the couch.
“Where’s Austin?” Scott asked.
“He’s coming, he went to pick up a few things and then we can leave.” Jay put my feet in his lap and was rubbing them.
“Can everyone not baby me.” I pulled my feet away and scooted to the end of the couch.
“You’re so hostile. What did they do to you in that hospital?” Hunter was laughing.
“I will end you all, I swear it.” I had enough of this nonsense.
“You love us, you just said it, punk.” Jay punched my leg gently and walked to the front of the bus with the rest of them, leaving me in peace.
“Success.” I whispered to myself.
I got my computer and myself a little bed on the floor and put in the movie Chicago. I was good for the first twenty minutes when all my pain medicines hit at once, I was out like a light.

Notes

Felt like another update before bed. Please vote/rate and as always feel free to comment [:

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