“Come on, Frankie, wake up.” Gerard sat in the padded chair beside the hospital bed, pleading into the comatose Frank’s ear. “Please wake up.”

“Would you stop it already?” The sixteen year old spirit was covering his ears with his hands from where he was pacing around the room near the foot of the bed, restless. “I hear you here, and I hear you in my head. It’s weird, and it’s not working so just stop it.” Frank sounded angry.

“Calm down, okay? I’m just trying everything I can.”

“Yeah well, everything you tried didn’t do anything,” Frank frowned. “Maybe we should just give up.”

“Don’t you say anything like that,” Gerard scolded, yet in a soft tone. It was true Gerard tried all the few desperate things he could think of. Making Frank get into bed with his own body, only resulted in more crude wise cracks from Frank, and trying to physically push Frank to somehow meld and return into his body only made Frank grunt out in pain and protest. There was the Sleeping Beauty and Snow White attempt where Gerard kissed the sleeping Frank’s lips, but with no effect. Gerard tried getting the spirit Frank to fall asleep in the thought that he would disappear like usual but maybe, just maybe because he was close to his body this time he would truly awaken in the hospital bed. No such luck, though. Frank had become more and more hopeless, and Gerard more and more desperate. Gerard had even got on his knees and prayed, and down to his last try of pleading with Frank’s unconscious form. He didn’t know what else to do. This wasn’t exactly a normal dilemma with an easy ready-known solution. Gerard sighed. “We’ll figure out something, okay? But maybe we should just take a break for the rest of the day. I can research this or something, maybe even track down someone that can help. I’m not going to give up on you, you understand? Not ever.” Gerard looked straight into Frank’s eyes as he spoke with nothing but sincerity behind his words. He wanted Frank to really know he meant it.

“Okay,” Frank said quietly, showing Gerard the tiniest of smiles.

“At least now you can come places with me. You don’t have to be alone.”

“I guess..” Frank had frowned when he said it, and Gerard didn’t understand why. He thought Frank would at least be a little happy about that prospect. “You’ll let me stay in your apartment when you get it and everything too, huh? Well, what if we can’t ever figure out how to wake me up? What happens when my mom finally loses all hope and gives up on me?” Frank spoke in a shaky soft tone, his eyes becoming tear-filled. “I’ll die.. and then what happens? I’m scared, Gerard.”

Those last few words were barely a whisper, and Gerard didn’t think his heart could break any more for Frank, but he could almost hear it shattering at Frank’s fearful admission. “We’ll figure out something, Frank,” was all Gerard could find to say. “Maybe we should head home for now.”

“Can we even really go back to your house? You convinced your dad you’re a nutcase, remember?”

“Shit..” Gerard uttered under his breath. He had been so overwhelmed with trying to help Frank that Gerard had forgotten about confessing the truth to his father. He couldn’t very well go home without some kind of ‘son you’re not mentally well intervention’ happening and being taken to some psychiatric hospital. He could try to lie his way out of it again, but Gerard had a feeling that nothing short of bringing the real alive and well Frank back to his house with hospital documents and Frank’s confirming story would convince his parents otherwise about his sanity. And Gerard had to admit, even with that his parents still may not believe him. This situation was a lot to swallow. He didn’t care at the time, but telling his father the truth certainly made things even more complicated than they already were. He didn’t regret telling his father, though. What mattered was Frank. Gerard just supposed he’d have to stay in a hotel room until he could help Frank wake up or figure out a way to convince his parents he wasn’t crazy.

“Well, we don’t have to go right now, do we?” Frank’s question broke through Gerard’s thoughts. “Maybe we can stay until someone says you have to leave or something? I just.. My mom might visit, right? I wanna see her. I really miss her.”

Gerard’s lips curled into a sad smile. “Of course we can stay. Why don’t you come sit down with me.” Gerard pulled the other padded chair closer to his own and patted the seat in invitation.

Frank walked over and took a seat, and Gerard noticed how Frank avoided looking down at his body and just kept his glance locked on the doorway, his eyes hopeful and eager to see his mother walk through. The sad smile stayed on Gerard’s face as he took hold of Frank’s hand comfortingly. “We’ll figure out something,” he murmured again quietly. Frank just nodded dully, eyes still glued to the door. Gerard sighed and reached his free hand out, letting his fingers lightly grip around Frank’s in the hospital bed. As soon as his fingers made contact with the hand, Frank jolted in the seat beside him.

“Gerard..” he voiced warily, scared.

“What’s wrong?” Gerard asked with concern, immediately shifting to hug Frank in his arms.

“I don’t know. It went away.. I just.. I felt weird. Like numb and.. I.. I don’t know.”

“Just now? When I touched your hand on the bed?” Gerard loosened his grip on Frank, his mind racing. “I was holding both your hands when you jumped. Well, on to yours and.. yours,” Gerard nodded his head at Frank and then to his corporal self. “This could mean something Frankie. This could be it. Holding onto both of you at once.”

“Gerard it was weird..” Frank bit his lip worriedly. “It.. it didn’t feel right.”

“Just let me try again. We have to try. Please, Frankie, trust me.” Gerard pleaded.

“..Okay,” Frank said softly, nodded his head. He held his hand out for Gerard to hold and Gerard took it in his own with an encouraging smile.

Gerard held his breath as he let his fingers gripped on to the hand of Frank’s bodily self, and immediately Frank jerked beside him once again. Gerard tightened his holds on both hands. “You okay, Frankie?”

“I- I don’t know…” Frank answered, his eyes squeezed tightly shut. “Weird… N-numb.. I.. I want it to stop now.”

Gerard was worried. He didn’t know what Frank should be feeling as a sign if this was working or if Frank should be feeling anything at all. The way Frank shakily spoke and how he trembled slightly in his chair made Gerard rethink this idea. What if it was just hurting him? Gerard couldn’t release his hold on either hand though. He couldn’t move his fingers to loosen the grips. It was like their hands had become locked together, and all too quickly Gerard felt a sensation tingling in his hands. It traveled up his arms and through his chest, and then spread throughout his whole body. Gerard couldn’t describe it. It was a numbness, but not really. An ache, but not really. It had to be what Frank was feeling.

“L-let go,” Frank pleaded. “I want it to stop. It’s scaring me.”

“I can’t Frankie. I feel it too.”

“You do?”

“I do. We’re connected you and me. Don’t be scared and stop fighting it,” Gerard said, though he was scared himself. He didn’t know if this was right, but he had to believe that gut feeling in the pit of his stomach and the feeling in his heart that he was Frank’s connection back to his body. They really were joined together in a far deeper sense than just holding hands. It was their hearts, their spirits intertwined, and Gerard was the path now for Frank’s spirit to find its way back home to his body. “I’m right here holding your hand. And when you wake up I’m still gonna be here. Trust me.” Gerard felt the tight grasp Frank had on his hand tighten even more, and Frank finally pried his eyes open to look at him, the distressed expression on his face softening.

“You’re supposed to save me,” Frank whispered, and with those words Gerard felt that numbing ache sensation begin to be replaced with a warm feeling. Frank wasn’t scared anymore. “And.. and you’re the only one that can make me whole again, I think ..I know. I told you before and I meant it, I trust you,” Frank smiled and leaned up in his seat, his lips placing a feathery light kiss to Gerard’s cheek. “It feels right now,” Frank murmured and his smile widened.

Gerard suddenly felt the warm feeling explode into a cool tingling rush through his body when Frank smiled. It was in no way painful, but the feeling was so overwhelming that Gerard had to close his eyes and collapse back heavily in his chair. But just as quickly as the feeling came, it was gone within a flash. Before Gerard even opened his eyes he noticed he no longer felt the grip of Frank’s hand around his. The chair beside him was now empty, and Gerard’s eyes frantically darted around the room to see if Frank was there. The only Frank Gerard could see though, was the one lying in the hospital bed. Gerard still held his hand, and looked hopefully to Frank’s face for a sign of him waking up. That had to have worked just now. Gerard wouldn’t let himself believe otherwise. But as Frank still remained lying there eyes closed and motionless, Gerard felt doubt’s ice cold crawls grip around his heart. Gerard bowed his head to rest against the side of the bed, squeezing onto Frank’s hand a little tighter.

“Please awake up,” he whispered desperately. And Gerard gasped after he uttered those words, feeling Frank’s limp fingers lightly clasp back around his own. He shot upright in his chair and gazed with hopeful, tearful eyes at Frank’s face. Frank let out small whimpering groan, and then Gerard held his breath as he watched Frank’s eyelids slowly flutter open. “God.. Frankie..” Gerard breath hitched, and joyful tears slid down his cheeks.

Frank blinked a lot and squinted like he was having trouble seeing, but at last his eyes focus as they landed on Gerard. “W-where... am… I?” Frank’s voice was deeper, and hoarse from lack of use, and it appeared like it was a bit of a struggle for Frank to get the words out.

Gerard felt his world crash around him with that question. Frank didn’t remember where he was? Everything that they had gone through? The time they spent together? Didn’t remember him at all? Gerard held back his sadness the best he could. This wasn’t a time to wallow about not being remembered. Frank was awake, and that’s what mattered. “You’re in the hospital,” Gerard answered softly.

“H-hospital,” Frank echoed back hoarsely. “R-right..”

“Let me go find a doctor or nurse for you okay,” Gerard stood up. “I’ll be right back, I promise.”

“No,” Frank croaked. “Don’t... don’t leave... me alone. ..G-gerard..”

“You know who I am?” Gerard’s jaw dropped a little as he mentally beamed in his hope that it was true.

“I.. I dreamed... about you,” Frank kept talking quietly and with pauses in his speech, his brows furrowed like it was taking all of his concentration to be able to piece his sentences together and to get out the right words he wanted to use. “It was a.. a nightmare, but then... you came and.. and I wasn’t alone... a-anymore and.. and you saved me.” A drowsy smile curled at Frank’s lips, his tired eyes glued with Gerard’s, and his fingers tightening around Gerard’s hand as much as they could in Frank’s weakened state. “It was... real, wasn’t it? It... was real. I re.. remember. You saved me, Gerard.” Frank’s eyes held a tearful happiness, and Gerard couldn’t help but let more tears of his own flow freely down his cheeks.

“It was real, Frankie..” Gerard was just about able to whisper, too choked up to be able to utter anything else.

“..I’m telling you Dr. Mills the readout has never looked so active, and.. Oh lord, sunshine.” Gerard’s eyes looked up upon hearing the voice. He knew before seeing her that it belonged to that nurse, Vickie. There she stood now, her hands over her heart in a shocked joy over seeing Frank awake. A male doctor stood beside her, with a dark tan complexion and short graying black hair, donning the typical white coat of a doctor and a stethoscope around his neck.

Gerard found himself suddenly getting questioned about what had happened, and he wasn’t about to tell the truth this time around. Saying that he reconnected Frank’s lost spirit with his comatose body didn’t really seem like an option, not with his parents already surely thinking he was a nut. No, he had just said he had been visiting for a while, holding Frank’s hand and talking to him when he suddenly just woke up. Gerard was then ‘politely banished’ to the corner of the room as more doctors and nurses gathered around Frank’s bed. He hated being pushed away. He wanted to be right at Frank’s side, but Gerard knew the doctors had a job to do. To question and examine Frank to make sure he really was okay.

It really wasn’t long after that a short middle-aged woman burst into the room, wearing a black waitress apron. Her long wavy brown hair was a windswept mess, and her makeup smudged and running from the tears rolling down her face. Gerard only got a look at her face for a second, but he could easily tell that she had to be Frank’s mother. They shared the same eyes and button nose. Someone had to have contacted her. Jennifer broke out into sobs when she laid eyes on Frank, propped up in bed and his eyes open.

“M-mama..” Frank choked out, beginning to cry too.

And that was it for Gerard being able to hold back his own tears. It was far too emotional a sight to witness without it not pulling at his heart enough to make his eyes well up and overflow. Gerard was a mess and mix of emotions. He was a bit worried with how it seemed to be so taxing for Frank to talk, but really he was so relieved and so happy for Frank to finally be awake and reunited with his mother. Gerard also felt a bit out of the loop and unimportant right now too, being cast off to the corner and just being an onlooker. The doctors and nurses had slowly filed out, only leaving Dr. Mills, and Gerard thought it be best if he just slipped out of the room for now and let mother and son have their time together.

“Ger-rard..”

He heard Frank call his name out as he was walking passed the bed to the door. Gerard stopped in mid step when he heard Frank’s voice, and he turned to look at him, his mother clinging onto his hand and pausing in constantly leaning in to kiss over Frank’s cheek and forehead to look at Gerard curiously.

“Don’t... go.”

There was no way Gerard was going to deny Frank’s request, and he made his way to stand beside Jennifer with a soft smile. He didn’t know what Frank had been telling the doctors and nurses exactly, but whether Frank wanted to tell the truth or not about what happened, Gerard would go along with what Frank wanted either way. Gerard let his hand rest over Frank’s blanket covered thigh, just happy to have some sort of contact with him again. He was about to introduce himself to Jennifer as Frank’s friend, but Frank spoke first.

“Mama, this... is Gerard,” Frank introduced with a tired smile. “I.. I could h-hear... his voice. H-he woke... me up.”

Technically it was kind of the truth. It just left a whole lot out. And they kept that truth simple and skimmed down accompanied with the fib that they had been old friends before when Frank was sixteen. And if you technically looked at, that could in a way be considered the truth too. Frank’s spirit was his sixteen year old self after all. Jennifer had become a mess of tears again. She didn’t know exactly what happened, and Dr. Mills couldn’t explain it, but she was thankful to Gerard. She planted a few kisses over his cheeks and wrapped him in a grateful hug with a strength Gerard never would have expected from such a petite woman. She had basically welcomed him with open arms into the family, which Gerard was ecstatic over because he wanted nothing more now than to just stay apart of Frank’s life for as long as he lived.

Notes

giving up with this tbf