Bring Me to Life
Checkmate
Frank’s POV:
I rushed up the steps to the institution; I had failed to remember to set my alarm and had woken up extremely late. I quickly signed in and ran to Dr. Bryant’s office. I knocked twice and heard Dr. Bryant telling me to come in. “I’m sorry I am so late!” I huffed.
Dr. Bryant laughed, “No worries Frank, Michael is a little late himself. He had a bit of trouble last night.” I was about to ask what had happened when there was another knock on the door. I stepped out of the way and allowed the person to step inside. He saw me and gave me a confused glance. Dr. Bryant saw this and stated, “Michael this is Mr. Frank Iero. He will be my intern for the next six months. I invited him to our sessions; if that is okay with you of course.”
Michael looked at me for a few moments and shrugged, “I guess its fine.” Dr. Bryant nodded and motioned for both of us to sit down. I took out my notebook and a pen and began to write down some simple observations.
“I understand you had a rough night last night?” Dr. Bryant started; I could tell Michael was uncomfortable because he immediately began to mess with the hem of his shirt and wouldn’t look at Dr. Bryant.
“They touched me. Y-you know I don’t like it.” Michael muttered.
Dr. Bryant nodded, “I heard about that. I have spoken to both of those men, it won’t happen again Michael. The nurse also told me that you were having a nightmare, would you like to talk about that?”
Michael looked at me, then at Dr. Bryant and shook his head violently. Dr. Bryant sighed and removed his glasses, “I would suggest…” Dr. Bryant was cut off when the door opened and a nurse rushed in.
“Charlene is having another episode doctor.” Dr. Bryant nodded and excused himself. The door closed with a soft thud.
“I want to thank you for allowing me to sit-in.” I stated. Michael looked at me and shrugged his shoulders.
“It’s not like I talk much anyway. All they want me to do is talk about what happened. They keep telling me I can’t leave until I accept what happened to me.” Mikey said; his voice quiet. I couldn’t help but stare at his eyes, they were a light hazel, they were searching me for something; I just couldn’t determine what. Mikey lowered his gaze and I redirected mine, I saw on his arms that there were multiple small circular scars; they looked like the ends of cigarettes. The door opened again and Dr. Bryant walked in and sat down behind his desk.
“Sorry about that, now what I was about to say was that you really need to be open with me Michael. I’m here to help; the nightmares won’t stop unless you begin to accept what happened.” Dr. Bryant stated; it wasn’t right that he was pressuring Michael to talk, that isn’t how things work. At least that’s what I thought.
“I’ve already told you and Dr. Miller that I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to forget about it, that’s it. You keep telling me that talking will be the cure to everything. That’s bullshit and you know it! You know what talking will do…it’ll make me relive every single second! It will make the nightmares worse! It will make me hear his voice more clearly, see his face as he taunts me! When I came here you said that I would be better in no time and that I would be home with Gerard. You are a liar! You don’t care about me…why would you?” Mikey was shouting, and I was caught off guard with how fast his demeanor had changed. He shot up out of his seat and stormed out of the office. I was sitting, dazed, when Dr. Bryant spoke up.
“He’s the reason why I accepted you as my intern.”
“What?” I asked.
“You’re closer to his age. A lot closer. Maybe you can make a connection with him. Dr. Miller and myself can’t seem to help him. He’s getting worse; he has nightmares every single night. I think if he doesn’t start to open up to someone that we may lose him forever.” Dr. Bryant explained.
“I didn’t come here to become a friend to someone. I came here to gain knowledge from you; you are my last internship before I can open my own practice.” I stated.
“Trust me when I say that you will learn a hell of a lot more from Michael then you will from me. He needs someone Mr. Iero. And I think that you could be that someone. You have a lot of experience for being so young. Please I need your help, Michael needs your help.”
I sighed and nodded, “Alright, I will see what I can do. I’m not sure if he will even open up to me.”
“Don’t under-estimate yourself Mr. Iero.” Dr. Bryant smiled; I left the room in search of Michael.
It didn’t take too long, I found him in the recreational room, playing chess by himself. I walked over and analyzed the game that he was playing. “Checkmate in nine moves.” I smiled.
Michael looked up at me incredulously, “No way.”
“Yep,” I grinned and sat down across from Michael. We began to play, and as I said I had him at checkmate in nine moves. Michael shook his head in disbelief.
“Are you some type of genius or something?” He asked.
“Well I did graduate high school at sixteen and I’m almost done with all my schooling and I’m only 22.” I reported, “So I guess I’m pretty smart.”
Michael looked at me like I had grown a second head. I suddenly felt embarrassed and felt heat rise in my cheeks. I cleared my throat, Michael still hadn’t said anything and I really wished he would quit looking at me like that.
“So Michael…”
“It’s Mikey actually…my full name is Michael but I like to be called Mikey.” He stated shyly.
“Well why doesn’t Dr. Bryant call you Mikey?” I questioned.
Mikey shrugged, “I don’t know…I’ve told him to call me Mikey but he said that he wanted to keep our relationship strictly formal.” No wonder Dr. Bryant wasn’t getting through to Mikey, he was going about it the completely wrong way.
“Well I like Mikey, I think it suits you.” I smiled; I even saw a small smile creep its way onto his lips. But as soon as it was there it was gone, it was as if he were afraid to smile.
I wanted to help him, but first I needed to figure out what had happened to him. Why he was afraid of people touching him? Who had put those scars on his arms? I was determined to figure it out and I think I knew just who would help me.
I rushed up the steps to the institution; I had failed to remember to set my alarm and had woken up extremely late. I quickly signed in and ran to Dr. Bryant’s office. I knocked twice and heard Dr. Bryant telling me to come in. “I’m sorry I am so late!” I huffed.
Dr. Bryant laughed, “No worries Frank, Michael is a little late himself. He had a bit of trouble last night.” I was about to ask what had happened when there was another knock on the door. I stepped out of the way and allowed the person to step inside. He saw me and gave me a confused glance. Dr. Bryant saw this and stated, “Michael this is Mr. Frank Iero. He will be my intern for the next six months. I invited him to our sessions; if that is okay with you of course.”
Michael looked at me for a few moments and shrugged, “I guess its fine.” Dr. Bryant nodded and motioned for both of us to sit down. I took out my notebook and a pen and began to write down some simple observations.
“I understand you had a rough night last night?” Dr. Bryant started; I could tell Michael was uncomfortable because he immediately began to mess with the hem of his shirt and wouldn’t look at Dr. Bryant.
“They touched me. Y-you know I don’t like it.” Michael muttered.
Dr. Bryant nodded, “I heard about that. I have spoken to both of those men, it won’t happen again Michael. The nurse also told me that you were having a nightmare, would you like to talk about that?”
Michael looked at me, then at Dr. Bryant and shook his head violently. Dr. Bryant sighed and removed his glasses, “I would suggest…” Dr. Bryant was cut off when the door opened and a nurse rushed in.
“Charlene is having another episode doctor.” Dr. Bryant nodded and excused himself. The door closed with a soft thud.
“I want to thank you for allowing me to sit-in.” I stated. Michael looked at me and shrugged his shoulders.
“It’s not like I talk much anyway. All they want me to do is talk about what happened. They keep telling me I can’t leave until I accept what happened to me.” Mikey said; his voice quiet. I couldn’t help but stare at his eyes, they were a light hazel, they were searching me for something; I just couldn’t determine what. Mikey lowered his gaze and I redirected mine, I saw on his arms that there were multiple small circular scars; they looked like the ends of cigarettes. The door opened again and Dr. Bryant walked in and sat down behind his desk.
“Sorry about that, now what I was about to say was that you really need to be open with me Michael. I’m here to help; the nightmares won’t stop unless you begin to accept what happened.” Dr. Bryant stated; it wasn’t right that he was pressuring Michael to talk, that isn’t how things work. At least that’s what I thought.
“I’ve already told you and Dr. Miller that I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to forget about it, that’s it. You keep telling me that talking will be the cure to everything. That’s bullshit and you know it! You know what talking will do…it’ll make me relive every single second! It will make the nightmares worse! It will make me hear his voice more clearly, see his face as he taunts me! When I came here you said that I would be better in no time and that I would be home with Gerard. You are a liar! You don’t care about me…why would you?” Mikey was shouting, and I was caught off guard with how fast his demeanor had changed. He shot up out of his seat and stormed out of the office. I was sitting, dazed, when Dr. Bryant spoke up.
“He’s the reason why I accepted you as my intern.”
“What?” I asked.
“You’re closer to his age. A lot closer. Maybe you can make a connection with him. Dr. Miller and myself can’t seem to help him. He’s getting worse; he has nightmares every single night. I think if he doesn’t start to open up to someone that we may lose him forever.” Dr. Bryant explained.
“I didn’t come here to become a friend to someone. I came here to gain knowledge from you; you are my last internship before I can open my own practice.” I stated.
“Trust me when I say that you will learn a hell of a lot more from Michael then you will from me. He needs someone Mr. Iero. And I think that you could be that someone. You have a lot of experience for being so young. Please I need your help, Michael needs your help.”
I sighed and nodded, “Alright, I will see what I can do. I’m not sure if he will even open up to me.”
“Don’t under-estimate yourself Mr. Iero.” Dr. Bryant smiled; I left the room in search of Michael.
It didn’t take too long, I found him in the recreational room, playing chess by himself. I walked over and analyzed the game that he was playing. “Checkmate in nine moves.” I smiled.
Michael looked up at me incredulously, “No way.”
“Yep,” I grinned and sat down across from Michael. We began to play, and as I said I had him at checkmate in nine moves. Michael shook his head in disbelief.
“Are you some type of genius or something?” He asked.
“Well I did graduate high school at sixteen and I’m almost done with all my schooling and I’m only 22.” I reported, “So I guess I’m pretty smart.”
Michael looked at me like I had grown a second head. I suddenly felt embarrassed and felt heat rise in my cheeks. I cleared my throat, Michael still hadn’t said anything and I really wished he would quit looking at me like that.
“So Michael…”
“It’s Mikey actually…my full name is Michael but I like to be called Mikey.” He stated shyly.
“Well why doesn’t Dr. Bryant call you Mikey?” I questioned.
Mikey shrugged, “I don’t know…I’ve told him to call me Mikey but he said that he wanted to keep our relationship strictly formal.” No wonder Dr. Bryant wasn’t getting through to Mikey, he was going about it the completely wrong way.
“Well I like Mikey, I think it suits you.” I smiled; I even saw a small smile creep its way onto his lips. But as soon as it was there it was gone, it was as if he were afraid to smile.
I wanted to help him, but first I needed to figure out what had happened to him. Why he was afraid of people touching him? Who had put those scars on his arms? I was determined to figure it out and I think I knew just who would help me.
Too cute. Sweet ending.
2/2/15