8.

A few hours later:
Bill has been gone for over two hours now, and I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing.
Can it really take that long? What are they doing? And why doesn't anyone come and tell us anything?

Tom keeps walking from one side of the waiting room to the other. He hasn't been able to reach his mother yet, nor his stepfather.

A sigh leaves my mouth.
"Why is it taking so long?" Tom asks with a weakness in his voice.
"Tom, sit down for a moment, they'll let us know when they know more."

I don't know if I'm doing the right thing saying this, it's his brother, his twin brother.
Maybe he's going to be furious because I'm saying this and I immediately regret saying anything at all.

But then Tom sits down next to me.
I've never seen him like this, he doesn't show his feelings that often, but he's just like Bill.
Except Bill shows it more.

"Tom Kaulitz?" We hear a man's voice say and at the same time Tom and I look in his direction. Tom jumps up from his chair. He looks at the man with worried eyes.
"Are your mom and dad here?"

Tom shakes his head and I can feel Tom getting even more scared after the doctor says these words.
"Okay, I'll need to speak with your parents, but the operation went well. He had internal bleeding and a fracture in his skull. He will have to remain in intensive care for a few more days, but we believe he will fully recover." The doctor says in all seriousness.

"But he's okay?" Tom's voice sounds scared and hopeful at the same time.
"Yes, he just needs to rest right now and will have to recuperate for a while."
A sigh of relief leaves Tom's mouth.
"Can we see him?"

"Not at the moment. Tomorrow only family can visit him." Tom nods and the doctor walks away.
I take Tom's hand.
"It's going to be okay, Tom. Bill is going to be okay!" A little smile appears on my face and Tom looks at me.

"Yes, he will be okay. Bill will be okay."
A tear runs down his cheek and I put my arms around him.
I never thought I would ever see Tom cry.
"Let's go home." I say softly.
"But Bill-"

"I know Tom, but you can't do anything here right now, we'll be back first thing in the morning. He needs to rest and they won't let us see him." Tom nods and a big sigh leaves his mouth.

We walk through the hallways of the hospital, towards the exit when Tom's phone starts ringing.
"It's Mom." Tom says as he answers his phone.

"Mom?" My heart starts raising. How should he tell her this?
"Mom, it's Bill, he's in the hospital, they had to do surgery on him, he's in intensive care now and no one is allowed to see him." Tom rattles.

"Okay, yes, we'll wait here."
Tom hangs up his phone. "She's coming here."
"Tom.."
"Uhu?"
"Shouldn't we report this to the police? We can't just leave it like this.."
I look at him questioningly. Tom shrugs his shoulders.

"What's the point?" A sigh leaves his mouth.
"It's been like this for years, and no one has ever done anything to stop it. I don't see why it would be any different now."
"Has anything like this ever happened before? This extreme?" Tom shakes his head.

"Well, then it's time for them to do something now!"
"I don't know..."
"Tom, we have to work together, we will get through this together, but we can't just let this go."
Tom nods. "You're right."

"Tom!" Simone comes over hysterically and immediately throws her arms around him.
"What happened?!"
A tear runs down Tom's cheek, not able to say anything.

"Daniel and his friends." I say carefully.
"Who is Daniel?"
"Daniel and his friends have been after us for a while now, but never this bad. They go to our school."

"Why didn't you say anything, Tom?"
Tom looks at the ground.
"I didn't want you to worry, mom."
A sigh leaves Simone's mouth.
"I'm going to find someone who can tell me more, okay? Wait here."