Life on the Murder Scene

Gerard and Bert are both sitting on the couch when we get back. My older brother’s eyes are glazed over, a very strung out look hanging over his entire body. I glance at the little LED microwave clock. It read 10:00. Sighing I squeeze Frank’s hand before dropping it. Seeing my brother like this makes me want to curl up and cry but I know that I can’t. That wouldn’t help anyone. I need to keep it together.

“You have a nice walk?” Bert questions his eyes moving between Frank and I. Frank, noticing this, scoots me behind him a little.

Mikey answers for us, “It was really nice. Today’s gonna be super hot though.”

“Good thing I’ve got a hotel for all of us then huh,” Bert responds his usual ‘I’ve got three brain cells left’ look plastered across his face. I wonder what other things he’s gotten Gerard into other than just the excessive drinking.

“All hail king Bert,” I answer before walking towards the back of the bus. My pills are starting to kick in and I don’t know how many more sarcastic comments I can come up with.

Sitting down on the floor I pull out a notepad and pen, trying to get everything I need at the store out of my head before I’m unable to remember. A hand on my shoulder causes me to jump. Tilting my head backwards I see that it’s Mikey. He grins down at me before sliding past me and climbing into his bunk. He hangs his head over the edge, watching me struggle to figure out what it is we need.

“Don’t forget a toothbrush for Gerard. He’s complaining about his tooth again.

“Thanks Mikey,” I respond scribbling the word down.

“Those pills really screw you up huh?”

“Yeah. I don’t like taking them at all.”

“It’ll get better,” Mikey answers.

As I start to answer him I hear the ice chest open. I’m not going to sit here and let this happen. Using the bunks I lift myself off the ground and walk the few steps forward to get to the front of the bus. Grabbing the already opened beer out of Gerard’s hand I replace it with a water bottle. “Why don’t we try that?”

“Hey!” A surprised Gerard exclaims, spinning around to face me. “Give me my beer back Makayla.”

“No Gerard. It’s hot out and you need to drink some water.”

My older brother reaches for his beer but I move it out of his reach. “Give it to me. You can’t tell me what I can’t and can’t do. Shit, can and can’t do.”

“Gerard it’s ten in the morning and you’re already shit faced! Just drink some damn water!” I answer back starting to get angry with him. Why the hell does he have to be so stubborn all the time? I’m just trying to help him. If he keeps drinking the way he is in the heat today he’s going to get sick.

“Just give me the fucking beer!” Gerard lunges at me. I lose my footing, falling backwards and smacking my head on the counter. The beer falls out of my hand, spilling all down my front. My brother just shakes his head, reaching into the ice chest to get another silver can.

Mikey, Ray and Frank hurry over to me as my brother sits back down next to Bert. I try not to cry. I don’t want anyone to know how upset I am. My brother has never been violent before, not on purpose. He didn’t even care when I fell. I want to yell at him but the throbbing in my head prevents me.

“Hey, are you okay?” Mikey has my face in his hands forcing me to look at him. “Makayla, are you hurt?”

Reaching around my head to where I hit it my fingers make contact with a sticky wetness. Putting my fingers in front of my face I see that they are covered in blood. Mikey frowns. Frank looks like he’s ready to beat someone up. I reach for him with my non-bloody hand. He needs to calm down.

“Guy, she needs to go to the hospital,” Ray, who is always the practical one, says. “I’m gonna find someone with a car and take her.”

“No I’ll take her,” Frank says but Ray is already gone. The guitarists eyes are still set on Gerard who is sitting on the couch next to Bert as if nothing happened.

“You hate hospitals Frank.” I mumble, trying to keep my thoughts present. My mind is starting to feel foggy and I’m having a hard time remembering what I want or need to say. “I don’t need to go to the hospital...I’ll be fine.”

“Please just let Ray take you to the hospital Mak,” Mikey answers back. I flick my eyes back to his face.

“He’s gonna miss the – ” I can’t seem to remember the word. Just as quickly as it forms it is turned to vapor and lost forever. “The….”

“It’s not important. We’ll let him know when we play.”

“The show,” I mumble unable to remember where I was going with that comment.

“It’s fine,” my brother answers as Ray comes back into the bus.

“I’ve got a car. Can you guys get her out to it?”

Mikey helps me up off the bus floor. I look at Gerard as we pass, his eyes are glassy and I know that he won’t remember any of this in a few hours. For the first time in my life I feel genuine hatred for my older brother.

It’s almost a forty-minute drive to the nearest hospital. I ask Ray where we are going three times. Each time he rolls his eyes a little but answers calmly. I feel bad for being such a burden. He doesn’t even like me.

The doctors look over my head and confirm that I’m totally fine and that it’s just a flesh wound. I guess when you hit your head you just bleed a lot more than usual. I’m kept for an hour for observation. Ray sits with me the whole time reading a comic book with his feet popped up on the end of my bed.

“Sorry I made you take me to the hospital,” I mumble rolling over to face him. I’m tired of this bed and really just want to get back to the bus.

“Not a big deal.”

I swallow. “Maybe I should just go home. I could book a flight and leave tomorrow. I bet the school would give me my job back. I’ve not been gone for too long.”

“I don’t think you should leave,” Ray answers putting his comic book down and scooting his chair closer to me. “I think you’re brother’s gonna sober up a little and feel like shit for what he did.”

I blink back at him not really knowing how to respond to his comment. I’m still angry at Gerard for earlier. I guess I’m going to have to get over that. You can’t be angry at someone for doing something that they don’t remember. Sighing, I sit up, pulling my knees up to my chin.

“You’re supposed to stay lying down.”

“I don’t want to anymore.”

Ray smirks a little, “You’re just a stubborn as your brother.”

I laugh a little realizing that his statement is true. “I just can’t sit and watch him do that to himself. He’s been bad before but never like this.”

“If you leave he’s not going to have anyone to remind him to take his pills or buy him a toothbrush or take his shoes off when he passes out at the end of the day. I think you should give it a few more days and see if you still feel this way.”

“Why? You didn’t even want me to come on this tour with you guys anyway.”

Ray smirks again, “You’re good at reading people. I just didn’t want any extra weight. You haven’t been on tour before. I didn’t know if you could hack it.”

“Well can I?”

“Ehh, I’ve not decided yet.”

“I respect you for that Toro.”

He nods as his phone starts to ring. He flips it open before pressing it to his ear.

“Yellow.”

“Okay. I think she’s got another fifteen minutes or something.”

“Yeah. Okay.”

I give him a quizzical look as he hangs up, shoving the phone into his jeans pocket.

“That was your brother. He was just letting me know when we were playing. I’m gonna make it back in plenty of time. Frank’s worried about you. He’s got the biggest damn crush on you. It’s annoying as all hell if I’m being honest.”

I laugh. “Why be anything else?”

Notes

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