MIKEY POV

"Gerard, where are you?" I whispered to myself. 18 rings. 19. Please, Gerard, pick up. 20--
"Sorry, I can't answer the phone right now," the recording of him said. "Please call back later or leave a message after the beep."
BEEP.
"Gerard, please, where are you? My and the guys are at the hospital still. You ran off and vanished. Please call back." I hung up and sighed.
"No luck?" Frank asked. I shook my head no. I plopped down in the plastic hospital chair next to Rose's bed. Her breathing was still shallow and her pulse slow. I took her hand and ran my fingers over her knuckles. I couldn't believe this was happening. The girl I had come to consider a sister was lying here, in a coma, and the asshole who caused it drove off. Tears began to sting my eyes but I wiped them away. Ray yawned.
"I think..." he started, "I think we should go home. Maybe Gee's there." I nodded in response and forced my trembling body to stand. We walked outside in silence.
"Wait, where's the car?" Frankie asked.
"Gee probably took it," I told him, sighing. Looks like we're walking home.

---

As we approached our door, we could hear maniacal laughing coming from our room. I looked at Frank with worry. Either 1. a crazed murderer was in our room, or 2. Gerard was drunk. I would have preferred the former more than anything. I sighed once more and slowly turned the key in the lock. Just as slowly, I opened the door.

Gerard was lying on the velvet carpet, laughing to himself. Surrounding him were bottles of alcohol, from beer to vodka. He was babbling incoherently between chuckles. "Gerard?" I said, louder than my usual level so he could hear me over his laughs. He stopped mid-snicker and slowly turned his head to me. He smiled a toothy grin that would make me laugh if it wasn't for the stench of liquor filling my nostrils. I ran over to him, kneeling next to his side. "Gerard, are you drunk?" I asked.
He laughed. "W-Whadya thiiiink, 'lil bro?"
"I didn't want to do this, but--"
"Do what?"
I slapped him across the cheek, immediately leaving a ruby red handprint on his face. He gasped and slowly brought his hand to the mark, gingerly touching it and hissing. I felt that might have been a bit harsh, but I was furious. He was doing so, so fucking well. "Gerard," I started, my voice cracking, "you were doing so well."
"M-Mikey..." He gulped before continuing. "M-My girlfr-friend, is... is-is in a coma. And, and, and, she's n-not gon-gonna wake up-p." He began to sob, his glossy eyes full of sorrow. He sat upright and pulled me into a hug. Obviously, I returned the embrace, running my hands through his hair with one hand and rubbing his back with the others.
"There's still a chance she'll wake up, Gee."
"A s-slim one." Sobs wracked through his thin body once more.
"Guys," I said to the two others still standing in the doorway, "can you please clean up these bottles?" I heard footsteps and Frankie and Ray came into view, picking up the empty glasses. I smiled weakly at them to say thanks. My direction was directed back to my wailing brother. "Gee, how 'bout we go to sleep?"
"I-I'd... yeah."

---

GERARD POV

I woke up the next morning with a splitting migraine. Makes sense, considering I had about 15 bottles of beer last night. Some vodka, too. I forced myself to sit up, immediately regretting it. My back ached. I clenched my teeth to muffle any hisses of pain I might make. I rubbed my tired eyes and shuffled over to the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror and winced. My skin was more pale than usual, my under-eye circles even darker, and my eyes bloodshot and glassy. I grabbed a bottle of Advil and downed a few tablets. Suddenly, I felt extremely nauseous. I grabbed my stomach as I ran over to the toilet, hanging my head over the bowl. Then came the puking.
I woke up Mikey, apparently, as I heard him groan and shuffle into the bathroom. He gagged at the sight of me throwing up and covered his mouth, looking away. A few seconds later, he walked over to me and pulled my bangs back, so I wouldn't get vomit in my hair. After I finally finished emptying the contents of my stomach, I pulled away from the toilet bowl and smiled at Mikey. "Gerard," he told me, "you should take shower. You smell terrible." I chuckled and complied, ushering him outside the bathroom, slamming the door, and turning on the shower.
I let the water wash over me and my greasy hair and sighed. I had tried my best to keep Rose off my mind, but seeing her bottle of shampoo put her beautiful face back into my mind. I felt tears sting my eyes, but I quickly wiped them away. It's too early to cry. Much too early.

ROSE POV

I could see and hear everything. I could see Gerard breaking down and running away, Mikey's frantic calls to him, the other guys sobbing. But I couldn't move or speak or anything. It was terrible. All I wanted to do was call out to them, tell them I'm here. But I couldn't. Even worse, pain was coursing throughout my entire body. I had an absolutely terrible migraine, and my back absolutely ached. As the guys left to go back to the hotel, I felt a tear slip down my face. If there's a god out there, please, put me out of my misery. It's all I want.

Notes

I JU S T SAW THE FAULT IN OUR STARS AND IM CRYIGN