Frank’s POV
We sit in the sterile, still waiting room of the emergency sector in the hospital. Gerard is slumped in the grey plastic chair next to me, his head resting in my lap and tiny little snores sounding out in the otherwise quiet room. He cried for about half an hour when we got here and I guess he exhausted himself.

My mother sits one chair over from me with her head in her hands. She showed up about ten minutes ago after they called her from work. I think she doesn’t know that I can see the tear drops dampening her pants as they fall from her face. Every so often she’ll mutter the start of a phrase like “if only I had been there…” and then trail away and run her hands through her hair, distressed.

I lean my head against the yellowish plaster, absentmindedly twirling locks of Gerard’s hair and sigh. I close my eyes, trying to find some peace.
The next thing I know I'm being shaken awake by my Mum; I guess I must have fallen asleep. I take a moment to gather where I am, and then it all comes flooding back to me. I sit up alertly, almost taking out Gerard who was hovering over me nervously.
“How long did we sleep for?” I ask.
“A couple hours.” Mum answers me.
“We’re allowed in to see Mikey,” Gerard says tentatively.


Mikey is lying on the hospital bed, almost deathly pale and completely dependent on a machine that seems to be pumping air into his lungs. The doctor who led us to his room explains that when Mikey was shot, the bullet fractured a rib and punctured the left side of his lung which promptly collapsed - meaning that they had to go into emergency surgery to re-inflate it and remove the bullet. He goes on to clarify the sucking sound that we heard occurred because air was being drawn in through the wound and into his lungs. I wince at that and sit down on one of the cushioned chairs by Mikey’s bed.

The doctor leaves us, instructing us to alert the staff immediately if anything goes wrong or seems odd. Gerard leans over the side of Mikey’s bed and hugs him, placing a kiss on his forehead and brushing away hair that was plastered to his brow.
“I thought he was going to die.” Gerard says and plummets into the chair adjacent to the bed. His head thumps against the plastic side of the bed heavily.

Mikey stirs a bit at the noise and then slowly his eyelids flutter open.
“H-hi,” he croaks.
Gerard’s head shoots up, eyes widen in disbelief.
“Mikey!” he shrieks and launches himself onto him.

Mum slips silently out the door, whispering to me that she doesn’t want to interrupt.

Mikey groans but manages to lift an arm to wrap around Gerard.
“Is he locked up?” Mikey asks breathlessly.
“Yes Mikey, he’s been taken away and he can’t hurt any of us anymore. Not you, not Frank, not me.”
Mikey smiles at that. “Good.” He says and then coughs. He turns and crinkles his eyes at me. “Thank you, Frank.”
I frown. “I didn’t do anything though?”
“You did lots.” Mikey answers and begins coughing again.
“Do you want the nurse?” I ask him concernedly.
“Nah, I think I’ll just have a little nap.” Mikey says sleepily and closes his eyes.

Within moments he is snoring softly just like Gerard was earlier. Gerard smiles at me and gestures for me to come over. I sit on his lap while he strokes my hair. I’m practically small enough to curl up on him so I do, resting my chin in the crook of his neck and pressing little butterfly kisses into his skin.

Mum returns soon after Mikey has fallen asleep with hot drinks for us all. We stay by Mikey’s bed for hours, sitting and watching him. The door jiggles a little and then a nurse comes in to check on him.
“Oh!” she exclaims. “I’m sorry, visiting hours closed an hour ago so I’ll have to ask to leave.”
“Its fine,” Gerard says. “We should probably get going anyways.”


When we get home we have to walk past Mikey’s dried blood covering the ground which obviously anguishes Gerard. Upstairs both Gerard and I get ready for bed. I spot Gerard’s phone and tangled headphones lying in a pile of laundry.
“Gee, do you want this?” I say, tossing it to him, knowing how sometimes he likes to listen to music till he falls asleep.

He thanks me and clicks the phone on. Immediately it starts blowing up with missed calls and text notifications.
“Who’s that?” I ask. Gerard turns the screen to me to reveal ‘unknown number’ and shrugs his shoulders. He hits call and presses the phone to his ear. Whoever answers does so very enthusiastically, because I can hear them from here.
Gerard makes a face of recognition and holds up one finger to me then steps out of the room.
Gerard’s POV
“Gerard!” a boy yelps down the line. “Gerard! Oh my gosh I was so worried about you I turned on the TV and you were on the news, with your brother and boyfriend and your dad’s going to jail and your brother’s in hospital!”
I realise its Brendon and leave the room to talk to him.
“They said that your brother was shot! Is he okay?” Brendon continues.
“Yeah,” I sigh. “Mikey’s alright. He’s going to be alright.”
“Oh thank god,” Brendon exhales.
“Are you alright, Brendon?” I ask.
“Well other than living with parents who hate my guts, yeah. I’m pretty okay.” He answers. “I mean, they tell me I repulse them every day but I'm used to it so…”
“I turn eighteen soon, so as soon as I get an apartment I will pick you up immediately, alright?”
Brendon squeals a ‘yay!’ into the phone. “You’re the best, Gerard.”
I laugh. “It’s the least I could do.”
I finish the call and walk back into the room with a big smile plastered on my face. That kid is going to be so happy and safe with us. Frank glances up from the comic he’s reading and looks at me questioningly. I sit down and tell him all about Brendon. Frank flings his arms around me and starts kissing me everywhere.
“I love you Gerard!” he yelps. I laugh as he continues kissing all over my face.

“I love you too, Frankie baby.”

Notes

Gosh darn I accidently logged out and then couldn't log back in because I forgot my password and then it wouldn't let me in and now it's not letting me format it and arghhhhhhhhhhhhh I'M SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG OMG