Weeping Wall

Yves. Several phonecalls after we left the house, we're outside the hospital. We walk up the sweeping driveway littered with people smoking, people crying, people talking, people waiting, people looking generally dreadful and I'm really quite glad that we're not planning to be here for an extended time period.
Hanne has been told that we have to meet at the hospital- I told her. It was a particularly nasty telephone conversation to have to make, explaining on the day she planned to leave us all behind that the reason none of us were there to say goodbye was because her best friend has been attacked and another of us has had someone attempt to blow them up, inside Gabriel's studio. It's all very weird and I have to put my voice on auto-pilot as I reel off key information to the questions she's firing at me sharply, pausing like she's taking notes, her tone, as usual, betraying no emotion. I don't want to think about what I've seen today so I make my replies as dead-sounding as possible, making sure I get everything across without underemphasising or overemphasising anything. This is why I like Hanne, she's practical and reasonable. Two traits that I definitely lack.
I take a deep breath as we approach the automatic doors, because on the other side lies that inevitable rush of chemical-scented air that will bring a nausea unparalleled by the effects of any other space in which to enter. I'm the one who's now grateful for the company, grateful for Gabriel to be still holding my hand because I'm pretty sure that the hospital feeling is universal. The way in which it reminds me of my old town's hospital is probably only so offensive because this is the first time I've been reminded of any aspect of my old life. I quiet my thoughts with remembering that I'm only here to visit, which makes me luckier than most people here.
We're soon pointed down a shiny corridor in pastel teal and aluminium grey to where Cassie and Anton should be waiting.
When we get there, Anton is sitting on a chair outside a door drinking something from a polystyrene cup. He grins at us happily, a scratch on his cheek and his hair dreadfully out of its usual obsessively-coiffeured place, but other than that, not too much worse for wear.
-Oh Anton, it's wonderful to see you. How are you?
-Never better.
He reaches his arms out to hug Gabriel which is when I notice the white bandages around his wrists.
-Was there any damage to you? Were you okay?
-Just the scratch...I couldn't speak for a while because of all the smoke but I was barely even burned, which was pretty amazing as far as I'm concerned.
-Your arms...
-Oh yeah, that. Er...a bit sore, but I'll survive.
-Well what happened to them?
-You didn't know? Your darling Christopher-
Gabriel winces slightly even though Anton's not being serious. I kind of understand when his grip on my hand becomes slightly painful.
-...felt the urge to tie me up.
He holds up his wrists in example.
-Tell me, Gabe, did he ever tend to do that when he was with you?
Anton looks expectantly at him as Gabriel's expression becomes a little more pained and the back of his hand flies to his open mouth.
-I'm so sorry, Anton...
-No, don't worry, I'm joking. No lasting damage here. And if there was, don't you dare think it's your fault. Although I know you well enough to be sure that's already ingrained itself in your stupid brain...for god's sake, he's a psycho and no-one knew. What can we do? He's gone now. And we all know what happened. So we can leave it alone.
This is where I cut in.
-Well actually, Anton, we were sort of helping you could help us there. I don't know exactly what happened. Why did he tie you up, why was there an explosion and is Cassie in there?
-Cassie's in there.
-Yeah. Okay, why? Why is Cassie in there?
He coughs.
-I promise I'm not avoiding the question-
He splutters in between chokes. He laughs, I'm pretty glad someone is trying to make light of the situation.
-He tied me up because I knew. Well. I also tried to stop him. I was with Cassie when he came for her at some unholy hour, I was hiding in her wardrobe because I- I'm actually not going to continue that thought, forget I said that, anyway- I followed him because he was so fast I didn't realise what was going on, so he dragged her down there to that building- it's yours, isn't it, Gabe?
Gabriel nods slowly, his eyes wide, neither of us working at the same pace Anton appears to be.
-Yeah, so he took her there, took her upstairs and pushed this guy I didn't know in. The guy started attacking her and I went in to stop him-
He coughs, but I don't think it's from the smoke. When he continues his voice is much quieter, slower, to take everything in.
-It was just completely fucking awful. I just heard her fall over, so I ran in. I ran in and tried to get at the guy, I was picking up the broken glass and kind of charging at him with it, I didn't know what to do. He just ran off, shouting something at Christie about him saying that people wouldn't know...god knows what was going on there. But that's when Christie comes in, walking towards me like he does, saying nothing, all cool and everything- and the next thing I know I'm awake in the downstairs room with my hands tied up. On that broken wooden chair, I felt like some ridiculous scene from a mafia movie or something. So there I was, tied up...and this was actually not that long before you all came along and the commotion started.
He leans back in his chair, looking innapropriately relaxed in the way he clearly wants to very much. He instantly reclaims his filmstar glance, eyes sweeping from the floor to our faces as he considers what to say next.
-The explosion...
-I didn't know what was going on. I'm still not sure if that was actually Christie. In some ways it seems like too much of a coincidence but in others I don't know how he did it if he did. It was kind of lucky, I don't know how long I'd have been in there for otherwise...
-A gas explosion, lucky. Right then.
I decide to abandon logical reasoning at this point because it's not adequate in this particular situation. Anton is most definitely seeing the funny side of things but Gabriel's sense of the absurd has left him pretty speechless currently. He sits down beside Anton, looking iller than he does, and I'm not sure who to be more worried about. Fortunately, a distraction arrives in the form of Sally-Ann, closely followed by Shirley and the girl who had been there earlier...the girl. The girl who lied. I start towards her but the anger must have shown on my face because Shirley holds me back.
-Don't, it wasn't her fault.
-Why would she lie?
-Well, I'd have hoped you out of anyone would be able to empathise with someone else manipulated by a certain friend of ours.
I feel guilty, I should have guessed that. Sally-Ann approaches instead with a piece of paper.
-Everyone, there's been some kind of development.
-Oh?
Anton stands up, Gabriel continues to look stare at the floor. I'm not sure he heard.
-It's...a note. From Hanne.
-Yeah, where is Hanne?
-That's the thing. Hanne's gone.
-Gone?
Anton's blank tone is the voice to everyone's expression.
-She left, yes. It says so on this note, she's gone. It's not that that's worrying me, though.
-Okay...well, it's a shame we missed her. Where is she?
-She went back to Germany. Not that far away...and she left an address.
-What did you say about something worrying?
I don't quite see how everyone dismissed the fact that there was some kind of news mentioned, I wonder what life would be like here without a person present to keep score of the important things.
-Oh yeah...she's with Christie.
-Wait, what? Is she insane? Does she know? Didn't you speak to her, Shirley? You told her, didn't you?
-I thought she was meeting us here.
Shirley looks as surprised as all of us.
-I did, I told her everything that I knew, she was so angry about it...she said she'd be here, when did you find that?
-She left a message on my phone to go to her house, that's where this was. But look, she explains everything here.