Mikey's POV

Mum stays the night with me and Ray then leaves the following morning.
"I'll come back down in three days to visit Gerard," she says tearfully through the car window.
"Okay, mum," I say, patting her hand and standing back.
Ray comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. "I've organised Gerard's room," he says and I nod.

Gerard was living with mum but he often came down to stay with Ray and I when she got fed up of him. She never really loved him enough to be a full time carer for him so she didn't always know what was best. Usually, she would call me whenever he was having an episode and put him on the phone so I could calm him down.
When he was round ours he was just like an overgrown child. I own a record label and a major music branch so most of my time is spent working however, this means that Ray doesn't actually need a job because I have enough to support us both. He does have one though because he claims he'd go insane if he didn't, so he works four days a week in a comic book shop down the road.
He'd take time off work to look after Gerard when he stayed though and I'd quite often find them playing board games on the living room floor when I came home. He got really good at looking after him as well and when Gerard's imagination played up Ray would hold his hand and talk to him until he felt better. Just like I do. Did. God, I hate this.

Ray's gentle hand in mine pulls me back to the present and I smile at him. "Thanks for sorting that out, Ray-Ray," I say as we wander back into the house.
He just shrugs and goes into the kitchen. I drift into my study and automatically start working just for something to do. A couple of minutes later Ray knocks on the door and walks in carrying a mug of coffee. He sets it down on a coaster and boosts himself onto the desk beside me.
I sigh and lean my head against his side, breathing in his scent of guitar polish and comic ink.
"I know, baby," he says comfortingly. "It's gonna get easier, I promise. And like you said, he needs this. You know we can't help him any more."
"I know," I moan, sitting back and taking a sip of scalding black coffee. I laugh suddenly.
"What?"
"He's gonna miss coffee," I chuckle.


Gerard's POV

"That's it, gently does it. Watch his head."
I feel movement, somebody tugging on my limbs and a hand supporting my tired head. I try to open my eyes but it's difficult, it feels like that time I took sleeping pills to stop the nightmares. A cool breeze brushes my back as I'm lifted off my bed and then laid back down gently on another soft surface. Pressure on my ankles which feels like the cuffs Doctor Green used yesterday wakes me up a little bit more.
"What...?"
"Shh, it's okay, it's Bob. We're just moving you to another bed."

Bob, the nice nurse from yesterday. I relax a little bit and blink up at him. He smiles at me and takes my wrists, pulling them up level with my shoulders. I feel straps being buckled around them as well and I frown.
"Why are you strapping me down?" I test my restraints - they're tight.
"Don't you remember? You attacked Doctor Green."
I shook my head, my eyes wide. "No, I didn't, I couldn't. He strapped me down onto my bed and shocked me with electricity them he-"
"Gerard," Bob cut in. "I know you don't remember but you gave the doctor some bruises. We have to restrain you for all of our safety. If you behave we can consider letting you up again. Just so you think about your behaviour, Doctor Green has also revoked your visitation rights for the time being."

What's happening? Did I actually hurt Doctor Green? Have I got it wrong, did I imagine it? My sore tummy answers for me. No, I didn't imagine it.
"Quite a turn of events, isn't it?" The purple man is back and standing at the foot of my new bed, somehow he's acquired a silver tipped walking cane. He looks kind of like a circus ringmaster and I giggle.
Bob looks at me pityingly and reaches down for a set of buttons on the side of my bed. There is a whir and I am pushed into a semi reclining position; another whir comes from the end of the bed and my legs fold up, bending a little at the knees like there's a pillow underneath them.
"You should be comfortable like that," Bob says to me, standing up and hooking the controls on the headboard out of my reach. "I'll check in on you every half hour."

He makes to leave the room but I call him back.
"Bob?"
"Yes?"
"Um, is Doctor Green coming back?"
"Yes, Gerard, he is."
I whimper and shrink into my mattress. "I don't want him to."
"I do," the purple man puts in. "I like him, he's fun."
"Shut up," I spit at him before turning back to Bob. "When can Mikey visit?"
"Who were you talking to?"
I stare at him in silence.
"Two days," Bob says in exasperation. "Now who were you talking to?"
"The purple man. I don't like to talk to him because then he thinks he's real and he starts getting cocky."
"Is he here now?"
"In the corner playing with that peeling bit of paint," I say, pointing with my chin.
Bob looks over into the corner just slightly to the left of the purple man, who waves at him.
"I think he's pretty, anyway," the purple man says and I make a small sound of disgust in my throat.
"He's calling you pretty," I say, my distaste evident in my voice.
Bob blinks. "Okay, well you can tell him I'm taken but I've got a pet rock that might not take offence to him."
I look at the purple man's astonished expression and burst out laughing. Bob grins at me.
"Okay, I'll be off now but I'll be back in thirty."
He leaves the room while I'm still laughing at the purple man.

Notes

I just wanted to mention an amazing fic I was introduced to called All Dead Now by Pinchetta. I think it's possibly the best one I've ever read but it has so few subscribers so please check it out :)

I hope you're liking this so far, please be gentle :)
xxx Ghost