Chapter 39

"What are the two of you arguing about now?" they hear from behind them, both quite startled.  "And do you have to do it now?"

Olivia quickly turns on her heal, "Hey baby, sorry.  Did we wake you?" she moves over toward Jon, with Richie right behind her.

"Hey man, how do you feel?"  Richie asks in the next second, "Are you feeling better?"

Jon sits up, planting his feet firmly on the floor.  Olivia sits next to him, kissing his temple.  "I'm serious, what are the two of you arguing about?"

"It's nothing babe, it's done, don't worry about it."  Jon looks over at her and then up at Richie.  

Richie gives him a shoulder shrugg and a wink, "She's very protective of you."

"That's what you were arguing about?  Her being my doctor?" Jon knows better and when you add irritation to the fact that he feels less than par, he gets even more irritated.  

Richie shakes his head no, "I want to hit the road and she says that you're off for a few days and then it all went to shit after that."

"You don't need to go back to work yet.  We" she looks up at Richie with a smart ass smile, "We, the people that care the most about you think that you need a few more days of down time."

"We?  Who the hell are WE?"  Jon slides to the end of the couch, giving himself a few seconds before he stands up, "Who is trying to decide what's best for me?" he asks with even more irritation.

"Me.  I think you need a few more days, honey." Olivia starts her plea.  "You agreed with the doctor so he would release you, Jon."

"Liv, relax.  I'm not going back to work today." Jon starts to tell her, but Richie feels the need to jump in.

"We've already had to reschedule a few dates Jon, don'e make us reschedule many more.  You know what a pain in the ass that is."

"Richie, you guys have people in place for that.  How much work can it be for you?" with a long draw on you, Olivia reminds Richie that he does nothing unless he's paid to do it, "So please don't pretend that it's a problem for you."

"Olivia, stay out of it." Richie snaps back at her.

"RICH!"  Jon stands up, putting Richie in place, "Don't speak to her in that tone.  She's only trying to protect me and do what she thinks is best."

"Rescheduling isn't the best thing to do, Jon.  You look fine to me."

"I am better, but I wouldn't say that I'm fine.  Not yet."

"Do we really need to schedule more dates?  You know they are a pain in the ass, specially when they all are at the end of a tour."

"They can be."  Jon walks over to the end table and grabs his pack of Marlboro Light.  Tapping one out of the pack and putting it in his mouth, "It all depends on where they fall."  He lights the cigarette and inhales deeply, "But if that's what we have to do, then that's what we have to do."

Richie finally takes a seat, feeling like he had been defeated in a battle that he didn't even want to be in, "How long until you think that you're ready?  We should really give Sunshine and them some notice, as opposed to telling them on the day of."

Jon takes a seat next to Olivia and continues the band talk with Richie.  "Well, we have the next two days off, so maybe I'll be feeling better before we head to the Midwest, but if I have to decide right now, I'd reschedule the Utah, Idaho and the Montana dates."

"We can't do that!  We never go there.  Those shows are heavily publicized and the fans are ready."

"That's why I'm not cancelling them now.  We can wait a day or two and see how I feel."

Olivia finally chimes in, after watching the two of them in a tennis match of banter back and forth, "how are you feeling honey?" she leans over and rests her head on his shoulder.  "Are you feeling better?"

Jon kisses the top of her head, "I was feeling better until the two of you woke me up."

"Sorry."  Olivia whispers, "Richie made me do it.  He wouldn't stop."  Olivia laughs, winking at Richie.  

"That's bullshit and you know it, Olivia."  Richie barks at her, not seeing the white flag that she was waving.  "You're trying to play his keeper when you have NO fucking idea how much money is at stake here."  He says without taking a breath, "We're talking millions of dollars."

"Rich, she's well aware of the money that's at stake, I keep nothing from her."  Jon explains to his partner, his brother, "And she also knows how sick I was and how exhausted I have become."

"Yeah!!"  Olivia jabs at Richie, "I know a lot more than you think I do."

"Both of you stop!"  Jon orders them, "This isn't helping anyone in anyway."  Jon looks over at Olivia and then he look at Richie.  He knows that they both are concerned for him and about him.  Their intentions are great and they have only his physical well being in mind.  But now he's starting to stress about the money. 

Olivia glares at Richie, he glares back at her.  Jon can still feel the tension between the both of them and decides that he needs to end the cat fight and he needs to end it now.  "Both of you need to stop with this.  I can't have you two fighting, about anything.  So whatever bullshit you have still harboring, you need to put it to rest right now."  He has to stand, he has to pace, he's getting pissed off.  "It was me that was in the hospital for exhaustion, not either one of you.  And for you to do this hear and now - goes way beyond wrong.  It dances on selfish and I have heard enough."  

Jon walks behind the sofa and looks out the hotel room window.  He can see their reflections in the glass.  Olivia sticks her tongue out at Richie and Richie flips her off.  With one deep breath, he turns around, "Richie excuse us please.  This shit has gone on long enough."