Hospital Bed

As Gerard and Mikey stepped through the doors of the hospital, they were greeted by a nervous looking Ray.

“Gerard, there are a couple of things you should know before I allow you to see Frank,” Ray spoke cautiously. Gerard swallowed the lump in his throat before slowly nodding.

“You will have to be careful of the things you say to Frank. Mikey, I can’t allow you to go in there today, but maybe in a few weeks. We need to be extremely careful with Frank right now.”

“Why?” Mikey asked. Gerard couldn’t bring himself to talk. Waiting beyond that elevator and a few rooms to the left was the person he was willing to spend the rest of his life with, but that was before the accident. He didn’t know what he wanted, and he’d been feeling like that for a while. Sure, he loved Frank with all his being, but five years have come and gone and, without realizing, he’d grown accustomed to the fact that his other half may never open his eyes again.

“For Frank, time stopped on the day of the accident. This is known as anterograde amnesia. He doesn’t remember the events of the accident but is aware that he was in an accident with you, it’s still foggy for him. He does remember his long term memories of his past. He does remember that you and him are engaged, Gerard, so seeing the ring on his finger didn’t scare him. He’s been asking for you since he woke up, so I doubt you can barely contain yourself,” Ray chuckled, but then got serious once more.

“Have you changed a lot within the past five years?” He asked Gerard. Gerard looked down at himself. He’d lost a bit of weighted and grown his hair out quite a bit. While he and Frank were dating, his hair had been a bit shorter than it currently was.

“My hair. I need to cut it a little bit before I see him. He notices things like that. Give me some scissors,” he said. Ray and Mikey looked at each other skeptically. Gerard rolled his eyes.

“I always cut my hair. Just give me the damn things,” he said, offended by their lack of faith in his hair cutting abilities. Ray sighed and pulled out a pair from his doctor’s coat. After rushing to the restroom, Gerard found himself standing right outside of Frank’s hospital room. He couldn’t bring himself to open the door, and even thought about running away back into Mikey’s arms, but he wanted to see Frank. Over the years, he’d almost forgotten what his voice sounded like. It was like your family member was dead for so many years and then coming back because they’d had enough rest; it was terrifying. He stood there for a while longer before feeling someone push the small of his back slightly. He turned to see Mikey giving him an encouraging smile.

“Mikey, I don’t think I can see him,” he confessed. Mikey gave him a small frown.

“You love him,” he said back.

“Do I?” I asked aloud. He cleared his throat.

“What would you do if Frank was asking for someone else rather than you?” He asked.

“My heart would break,” he answered without another thought.

“See? You love him. Once you set your eyes on him and hear his voice, you’ll know then.” Gerard smiled at Mikey’s matureness. He’d grown a whole lot within the past few years and Gerard couldn’t be any more proud. He took a deep breath and slowly opened the door. With the way the room was set up, Gerard wouldn’t see Frank until he was pretty much standing right next to his bed because of the curtain. Upon hearing the door open, Frank’s ears perked up.

“Gee Bear?” He asked hesitantly. His throat still felt a bit scratchy. He heard a gasp and suddenly saw a figure rush to his bedside. Gerard stood in front of Frank. There he was. His eyes were open and looking at him. He heard his voice call him that oh, so adorable nickname he’d been calling him for years, and he couldn’t stop the tears from pouring out of his eyes and down his cheeks. He wasn’t the prettiest crier, which Frank (the lovable jerk) pointed out often, but he didn’t care. All the doubts about his love for him had vanished and he knew right then and there that he loved him more than before. He slowly went to his bedside and dropped to his knees, grabbing Frank’s hand, and sobbing more than he ever imagined he would whenever Frank finally woke up. When Frank held his hand tightly, he gasped.

“Shhh, shhh, it’s okay. I’m okay, Gerard. Sure, I have some cramps, but those’ll pass,” he laughed. Gerard touched his ears and sobbed more at the sound of his laugh. After almost ten minutes, Gerard finally calmed down.

“Feeling better?” Frank asked. Without another moments thought, Gerard pressed his lips against Frank’s. All of those years of frustration, depression, anxiety, and some rare moments of happiness was put into that kiss. Gerard felt Frank’s hands cup his face and he suddenly felt fine again. Everything was okay now, and they could finally start over, and such a thought made Gerard happier than he ever thought he could be.

“Yes. Now that you’re fine, fuck yes.” Frank smiled at him and held him closer.

“We should go to the coffee shop. We’ve definitely missed at least two Monday’s. Sorry, Gee Bear,” Frank mumbled. Gerard had to stop himself from gasping.

“It-it’s okay. We can make it up in no time.” Gerard hadn’t been to that coffee shop in years, and wasn’t entirely positive if it were still there or not. That was something he’d have to check. Frank sighed after a few minutes of silence before he turned to Gerard.

“Why do you look so skinny?” He asked him. Gerard looked down at himself and finally realized exactly what all of his employees and his brother were talking about. He looked almost deathly. He still had some weight to him, but not nearly as much as he used to have. He chuckled nervously.

“I’ve been on this diet and workout training to get more in shape, you know?” He lied. Frank looked at him before rolling his eyes.

“Gee, you’ve always looked amazing. You don’t have to diet or get more muscle. You’re perfect!” Frank exclaimed. Gerard giggled at his childish nature. He was still the same Frank he’d always known.

“When can I leave anyways? I wanna go on a date with you,” he pouted. Gerard thought for a moment.

“Give me a moment, I’ll go ask Ray,” he answered as he stood up. As he was turning away, he felt a hand grab his wrist. It almost scared him because he was so used to turning away from Frank and getting no reaction from him whatsoever. Gerard turned back to look at him.

“Ray?” Frank questioned.

“He’s your doctor,” he answered.

“You called him by his first name though.” Gerard panicked for a moment, before skillfully answering the question.

“He heard me singing to you once and he complimented me and we got to talking. He told me that he played guitar so I mentioned your skills and he’d been wanting to play with you for a while.”

“How long…is a while exactly?” Frank asked nervously. Gerard nearly felt his blood freeze.

“Um, at least a week or so,” he answered. He technically wasn’t lying. Gerard finally relaxed when he saw Frank ease up and give him a smile.

“Sounds awesome! He and I should totally play together!” Gerard laughed and kissed him on the forehead before heading out of the door. Once he walked away to find Ray, his smile was so big that it hurt his cheeks. He knocked on the door to Ray’s office and walked in when he heard him say to come in.

“I love you so much, Ray,” Gerard said as he pulled the doctor into a hug.

“This was all Frank. Sure, it took him quite a while, but he’s good now. So what did you need me for?” He asked Gerard.

“Can you give me a rough estimate on when he can walk out of here?” Ray thought for a moment.

“Well, since he just woke up, he’ll be very tired and open to fevers, so we’ll test him in a few days and then I can give you an estimate then. A much more accurate one than ‘soon.’” Gerard nodded, understanding. He bid Ray bye before practically running back to Frank’s room. Once he opened the door, he noticed that Frank once again had his eyes closed, laying still. His heart began pounding in his chest as he approached the bed and hesitantly. Had he just been imagining the whole thing? He grabbed Frank’s hand tightly. Frank slowly opened his eyes.

“Baby? You’re holding my hand kinda tight,” he said as he chuckled. Gerard sighed in relief, once again letting tears fall from his eyes.

“I’m sorry, dear. Just get some sleep, okay? I talked to Ray and he said that after a few days of rest, they’ll do some tests to see when you can come home.” Frank nodded sleepily, before closing his eyes and his breathing went even. Gerard smiled as he lightly stroked his cheeks. Frank could finally open his eyes and look at him. He could kiss him and say his name and finally, finally hear his laugh once more. He sat by Frank’s bedside for a few more hours until he felt the need to walk around a little bit, because he was feeling a little stiff.

“I’ll be back, Frankie,” he whispered softly as he kissed him on the forehead. Gerard walked out the door and was met with Mikey sitting on the floor next to the door.

“Gee, I missed you!” He yelled as he jumped up from his spot and hugging him tightly. Gerard chuckled, hugging him back just as tight.

“I missed you, too, Mikey.”

“So when can I meet him?” Mikey asked him, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

“It’s hard to say when. Ray is right; it would have to be a few weeks. I could mention getting a new job, and so on, and just go from there,” Gerard explained.

“So, um, will you tell him about, um, us?” Mikey asked, looking away shyly. Gerard was slightly confused.

“What about…us?” He asked, getting nervous.

“Like, how close we are?” He questioned further. Gerard felt relief. For a moment, he thought that maybe he’d accidentally led Mikey on once more, and such a thing made his heart twist in his chest.

“Probably. I mean, he’ll have to understand. He loves me, so, he’ll love you. He loved Dad without knowing.”

“You mean our piece of shit dad?” Mikey asked. They hadn’t seen their dad in years and Mikey didn’t really care to. Gerard shook his head and gave a sad smile.

“I’m talking about my step-dad, Jack. I don’t think I’ve ever told you about him,” he explained. Mikey shook his head and walked forward with his older brother as he began walking down the empty hall.

“What was he like?” Mikey asked. Gerard smiled, thinking that he sounded like a little kid.

“He was a very good dad. He always made sure that I never felt lonely. He filled the emptiness our father would’ve left if it hadn’t been for him. I wish you could have met him. He passed away quite a few years ago. I want to say almost 10 years,” Gerard explained sadly. Thinking about it now, even though he felt terrible for Mikey having horrible parents and also bad for his mom that she was left for a younger woman, he was happy that Mikey was born. He was happy that he had Jack to help him. He was happy that Mikey wanted to live with him despite feeling lonely his whole life. It was selfish, he knew, but he was lonely without Frank as well. Then a thought occurred to him: Frank’s parents. He had to call them. He stopped in his tracks, causing Mikey to stop as well.

“What is it?” Mikey asked.

“I need to call Frank’s parents. I just realized,” he mumbled in response as he pulled his phone out. He looked down at the phone he’d had since his second year with Frank. It was a cheap flip phone, inexpensive, but still worked really well. Mikey walked over to the wall and leaned against it, waiting for Gerard to get the call over with.

It took him a while, but he finally hit call, and waited…. And waited.

“Hello?” His mother answered. Gerard took a deep breath.

“Mrs. Iero. It’s Gerard,” he said. There was a slightly long pause on the other side of the line.

“Did something happen to Frank?” Her voice panicked. Gerard wanted to laugh. They wanted to cut off his respirator, and she’s worried now.

“No. In fact,” his voice shook. It was really weird to say these words, but he still felt the smile slip on his face, “he woke up.” There was another pause before he heard a thud, and screaming. It was almost hysterical, and Gerard had to hold the phone away from his ear.

“We’re on our way!” His mother yelled.

“There’s more to it. So we have to talk before you’re allowed to see him. He’s resting anyways. I’ll see you guys when you get here,” Gerard said before getting an okay and hanging up. He let out a long, exaggerated breath as he looked over at Mikey.

“Sounds like it went well,” Mikey smirked.

“It was easier to say it than I thought it would be,” he laughed. They continued walking for a while, just strolling along the halls of the eerily quiet hospital. Gerard nearly shivered at the thought of the Nurse Ratchet twin appearing, but pushed it away when he realized he hadn’t seen her all day.

“Geraaaaard, I’m huuuungry~!” Mikey whined. Gerard smiled.

“You’re an adult. Go get some food on your own.”

“No, I want you to come with me.”

“Mikey, I need to be here in case Frank wakes up. I don’t want him to be alone.” Mikey remained silent, feeling a bit left out despite Frank barely coming out of his coma. His mind began thinking of different ways Gerard would eventually start cutting his time away from him to spend it with Frank. He was feeling selfish, but it was normal, he knew. He’d spent the last few years with Gerard; the two were inseparable. And, now that Frank was awake, Gerard wouldn’t have time for him anymore and it terrified the younger male. Frank had memories with Gerard that Mikey will never be able to share and it made him feel uncomfortable. More than that, how will he face Frank? Can he hate him? Will Frank hate him especially if he and Gerard are that close? So many thoughts were swirling inside the younger brother’s head. He didn’t even realize that Gerard came out of the restroom, nor did he even realize that he’d gone into the latrine.

“Mikey, are you all right? You’re being pretty quiet?” Gerard asked, as he put his arm around his shoulder.

“Are you saying that I’m normally not?” Mikey asked.

“You talk a lot, but that’s why I love you,” Gerard laughed.=, causing Mikey to pout.

“So, does that mean that Frank talks a lot, too?” Gerard thought for a moment before shaking his head.

“He’s very outgoing and isn’t afraid to talk to new people or start the conversation, but he likes the bonding silence between he and other people,” Gerard explained. Mikey looked in Gerard’s eyes as he spoke, and knew that, no matter how much he doubted in the past or maybe even now, he loved that man sitting in that hospital bed unaware that six years had past. More than that, Gerard didn’t care. He’d basically stopped his life and everything in his future to provide for someone who was asleep.

Just as Mikey opened his mouth, Gerard’s cell rang, echoing loudly throughout the hall, causing both of them to jump. Mikey watched as Gerard fumbled for his phone, quickly answering it as he put it to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Hello. I’m looking for Gerard Way,” a female voice asked. Gerard was confused, especially since he didn’t recognize the number.

“Yes. This is him.”

“Hello, Mr. Way. How are you doing this evening?”

“I’m doing very well. How about yourself?” He asked unsurely.

“I’m doing great. Thank you for asking. I apologize for calling at such a late hour, but I am very excited to inform you that Dark Horse Comics would like to sign you on for your independent comic Umbrella Academy!” They lady informed him. Gerard’s heart stopped for a moment, before he grabbed Mikey’s arm tightly and tugged on it excitedly.

“Really? That sounds great! I’m very honored!” The lady on the line laughed.

“No, no, we’re very honored. I’m aware that you are in the area, and we would love if you could come down to the office tomorrow so we could go over everything with you personally. What do you say tomorrow around 1 o clock? Right after lunch.”

“That sounds amazing. Thank you so much,” Gerard said as tears collected in his eyes. His dream was coming true.

“You’re very welcome. We’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Way!” She said. Gerard responded before hanging up the phone.

“What’s gotten you so excited you had to nearly dislocate my arm?” Mikey asked, still rubbing his shoulder.

“That was… Dark Horse Comics! They want to sign me, Mikey!” Gerard said bouncing on the balls off his feet. Mikey’s face lit up. He knew it had always been Gerard’s dream to be signed by them specifically. That was a long conversation during one of their movie nights a few years ago.

“That’s great, Gerard!” Mikey yelled happily as he hugged Gerard.

“I’ve gotta tell Fra-…” Gerard paused before letting go of Mikey and giving him a bittersweet smile.

“He doesn’t know I’ve made it this far into the comic. I mean, I suppose I could tell him that they liked what I’ve had so far, but he liked to read them when they published in this independent magazine,” Gerard mumbled. He wasn’t making any sense. Mikey felt bad for his brother. He wanted to share his dream come true with his fiancé, but couldn’t. Until he remembered the magazines he found under Gerard’s bed thinking they were dirty and slightly disappointed when they weren’t.

“Wait, what are those magazines under your bed?” Mikey asked. Gerard broke out in a smile.

“That’s right! I’ve bought every issue of it since Frank stopped so he wouldn’t miss out on it!” Gerard then thought for a moment.

“And I’m not even going to get into how you know about those,” He added, causing Mikey to smile smugly. They walked back to Frank’s room, talking about the small road trip they were going to make tomorrow. Gerard sent Brian a message about Frank being awake and then about his comic book being signed, also adding that he and Mikey wouldn’t make it tomorrow.

“So, like, are we gonna get snacks for the road?” Mikey asked.

“You’re always hungry, aren’t you?” Mikey blushed, hiding his flat stomach.

“Oh, stop. You aren’t even close to fat. And it wouldn’t even be a road trip without junk food,” Gerard added before hugging his younger brother into his side. Mikey was about to answer when they heard a crash coming from Frank’s room. Quicker than Mikey could even turned to look at Gerard, he felt himself being pushed slightly and seeing Gerard run into his fiancé’s room.

“Frank?” Gerard called out as he ran inside. He saw Frank on the ground, the IV on the floor next to him. He rushed over to him, hugging him closely.

“G-Gerard, I can’t move my legs,” Frank said, his voice shaking. He was terrified.

“It’s okay, Frankie. It’s normal. You were asleep for a few weeks, so it’s completely understandable,” Gerard explained. Ray mentioned something like this to him a few months ago. Because he was lying down and in a constant state of not moving, his legs wouldn’t be used to moving. It was he same with his arms, but Gerard could tell Frank that it wasn’t because of how long he was in the coma, but instead tell him that it was because he was tired.

“Gee, Gerard, move away! Move away!” Frank said as he tried pushing Gerard away.

“What’s wrong?” He asked Frank. He kept trying to push Gerard away until he fell onto him, crying. It was then that Gerard felt something soaking through his pants.

“I’m so sorry, Gerard… I-I tried pushing you away. I couldn’t hold it anymore…” Frank mumbled against his chest. Frank had urinated on him. Gerard only hugged him tighter, slightly rocking him back and forth.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. I’m not mad. I love you, okay?”

“I love you, too, Gee,” Frank responded as he looked up at his fiancé. It was then that he noticed the change in Gerard’s face. His face and the look he had in his eyes made him seem more mature. It made Frank feel an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach and tired at the same time.

“All right, Frankie. I’m going to call someone in here. He’s my brother and he and I will explain everything together, okay?”

“You don’t have a brother though.”

“That’s what we’re going to explain. Mikey!!” Gerard called from inside the room. He knew it was probably too soon to introduce them, but he didn’t want to leave Frank here. He need Mikey to help him. The door opened and he and Frank turned to see a nervous looking Mikey standing by the curtain.

“You called?” He asked shyly. Gerard smiled apologetically while Mikey stared hard at him, taking in exactly how much they did and didn’t look alike.

“Come here. Mikey, this is the love of my life, Frank. Frank, this is my brother, Mikey,” he introduced them. Mikey waved.

“Hey, Frank. Gerard always talks about you.” Frank blushed a little, slightly elbowing Gerard playfully.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Mikey, can you go get me a bucket of water and soap and a rag? Don’t ask questions.” Mikey only nodded noticing the puddle around Frank and the wetness on Gerard’s pants. He left the room in a rush.

“When did that happen?” Frank asked as Mikey left.

“It’s been about a week. I’d gotten a new job, and then he started and we trained together. A lot of people, and I mean, a lot, said we looked alike. Even Ray, so he tested us one day. Turns out his dad is mine and I met him, Frankie… I met my real dad…” He explained as he picked up Frank and took him into the restroom in his room. Gerard never liked using it because it was too big and it felt weird. He sat the smaller male on the counter, and thinking about how thankful he was that there wasn’t a mirror in there.

“Hold onto me, okay?” Frank nodded and wrapped his arms around Gerard’s neck. Gerard pulled off the wet hospital gown and tossed it in the trash bin. He then picked Frank up again, smiling at the way his arms felt around him. He sat Frank in the chair installed in the tub to guarantee that he wouldn’t fall. He turned on the water, setting it to a very warm temperature, just the way Frank liked it. He grabbed a rag from under the sink and wet it, putting some soap on it before scrubbing down Frank’s body.

Frank stared at Gerard cleaning his body and suddenly felt small. He couldn’t quite place it, but something was different about him that Frank couldn’t quite place. He body was slimmer, his face and the way he held himself now seemed more mature and adult like. He looked down at Gerard’s hands and noticed how long and slender his fingers were despite them being shorter and a little chunky a few weeks ago. Something was wrong and Frank couldn’t place it and it was making his head hurt.

Gerard scrubbed every inch of Frank’s body. This time was spent in silence, but it was obvious that there was an elephant in the room; he just couldn’t place what it was. He looked up into Frank’s eyes and noticed he seemed to be deep in thought, and it caused him to panic.

“What are you thinking about?” He asked Frank.

“About why you seem so different,” he said quietly. Gerard tensed before laughing it off.

“What are you talking about, dear? Is it the diet thing?” Frank shook his head.

“No, nevermind. It’s nothing. I guess I’m just tired. My head hurts a little bit,” Frank said, laughing nervously. Gerard washed him off before getting a towel and wrapping him up. He turned the heat in the restroom up after noticing how much Frank was shivering.

“I’ll be right back, okay?” He kissed his forehead before Frank nodded to him. He left the restroom and Frank stared at the wet areas in his pants, guessing that he was going to change. He snuggled more into the fluffy white towel Gerard wrapped around him and sighed contently about how warm him was. He slumped down in his chair, letting his eyes close.

Gerard walked out of the restroom and was greeted with Mikey and Frank’s parents. He panicked about the little mess Frank made, but found that the curtain was pulled just enough to shield it from his parents, causing him to relax. He shot Mikey a grateful smile before focusing on his mother, who began talking.

“Gerard! Is he in there? Oh, I need to see him,” his mother said as she attempted to move past Gerard.

“Wait. He’s getting dried off. Before I allow you to see him-“ his father interrupted him.

“Allow us?” His father said defensively.

“Yes. Since you both were so focused on killing him a couple of years ago, I’m allowing you to see him. I didn’t have to call you here. I could’ve just let you continue on thinking he was still asleep. So shut up and let me finish.” He always got so angry dealing with Frank’s parents that he saw that as scum.

“Anyway, like I was saying, his doctor informed me that he has what’s called anterograde amnesia. He doesn’t know that it’s been six years. He remembers that he and I are engaged, and that he was in an accident, but nothing else. Since there’s such a huge time gap, if he were too try and take in more information than he could handle all at once, there will be a huge chance of him slipping into a coma again. So, if I decide to let you see him more after this, you can’t say anything about what’s happened in the world and your little lives since he’s been asleep,” he explained.

“Let me get him dressed and put him back in bed. Also, he can’t walk, but don’t bring it up. He was really upset.” They nodded and he put his hand back on the door to walk back in, but before he did so, he murmured, “assholes.” Mikey snorted a laugh before covering his mouth and turning to look away when they glared at him.

“Frank?” Gerard asked as he walked inside. He noticed the smile on his face as he was snuggled into the oversized towel. He was asleep, Gerard concluded. He smiled and pulled out another clean hospital gown from under the sink and put it over Frank’s figure after removing the towel and holding him steady in his arms. After he was all settled in, Gerard picked him up and opened the door with the smuggest look in his face.

His parents were going to have to wait. This thought caused him to chuckle.

Notes

Okay, so I know this took a very long time. I wanted it to be perfect, but I still find that I feel that this chapter was not worth the wait. For those of you expecting an amazing chapter, I'm sorry. I hope you enjoy this.
Comment and let me know if you did or didn't. That would be so awesome, because it'll probably make me wanna update faster!

-OAIF <3