7

Bleep.
Bleep.
The noise was annoyingly consistent and repetitive. I managed to peel my eyes open to see white. Everything that surrounded me, the soft cotton bed sheets that itched against my skin were white. The ceiling that seemed to be moving closer to the floor each second was white. The glossy floors were white. A blinding light that made me squint and beg for darkness.

It was then that I saw him walk towards me. At first he appeared far off and distant, his voice unfamiliar to my ears until he grew closer. His red hair fell down in front of his face, his pink lips were parted and his skin pale as he waved gently at me. He wore tight black skinny jeans and an oversized hoodie like he always had done and some old worn greying converse clung to his feet.

"Gerard!" I yelled in shock, ripping the covers from my bed and jumping around excitedly, I fell to the floor in pain and grabbed my right leg which began to throb. I always thought that you wouldn't be able to feel pain when you were dead.
"Hey, little brother." He spoke quietly, helping me back to my feet and guiding me gently back to my bed. A huge smile spread itself across his face as he took a seat next to me. He looked back and there I saw my mum and dad walking hand in hand towards me, my mother smiling but my dad had the look of worry plastered all over his face.
"I'm so glad to be with you." I smiled, "even if I had to die to see you again."

I wrapped my arms around my brother and hugged him tightly as if I was never going to let go. Gerard hugged back, ignoring the tears that were dripping from my face and onto his back and he ignored the non-sensical words that were tumbling from my tongue.

"What?" He asked sounding highly confused.
"I'm just so happy that I get to see my brother again, even if I had to die to see you, I don't care though because I've missed you too much. I'm so sorry I couldn't save you." I broke down, tears racing each other down my cheeks and creating slip hazards on the floor.
"Mikey!" Gerard shouted at me sounding surprised as he peeled me away from him, "Mikey you're not dead!"
"What?"
"You're not dead!"
"Who the fuck are you then?!" I cried, throwing Gerard to the floor and scrambling over the bed. I fell to the floor with shooting pains running through my right leg but crawled quickly into the nearest corner, grabbing my bed sheets on the way and pulling them over my head. My heavy breaths bounced off the fabric and I sat as still as humanly possible.

"Hey, Mikey. It's okay," I heard the voice of who was supposedly Gerard speak softly. I heard the squeak of trainers on the glossed floor as he made his way over towards me. The covers over my head rustled as he removed them gently and stared at me with tear-ridden eyes.
"What's wrong Mikey?" He asked, sitting down cross-legged in front of me.
"I can't be alive!" I cried, pulling the cover up to my chin whilst trembling.
"You are Mikey, you are alive."
"But if I'm alive, how can you be here?" I stuttered.
"What do you mean Mikes?"
"You're all dead! Vince killed you so why are you here?!"
"Mikey, Vince didn-"
"Where's JJ?!" I shouted, still clutching the white cotton cloth.
"Um..."
"JJ! My friend! Vince hurt him, is he okay?! Is he alive?!"
"Mikey calm dow-"
"This is all just a stupid dream isn't it?! Nothing is real! You're all dead really!" I cried, standing to my feet and limping away from Gerard and my parents. "You're all dead and I just can't handle it! My brain...it's tricking me! You're not alive! I'm just...where am I?!"

I looked towards the cardiac monitoring system to my left and realised that it had in fact been making the consistent beeping sound to signify that the person next to me's heart was beating correctly. I saw other patients too, asleep in beds, nurses busy as they gave out meds and food.

"Great!" I yelled, "I'm in a hospital having a fucking hallucination about my DEAD family! Nothing is real! I want to be fucking dead! I hate this earth! I'll see you soon Gerard, give about ten minutes and I'll be as dead as you because I'm not letting my mind give me false hope when I know for certain that none of you are fucking alive!"

I tried to run from them, but I guess I looked slightly strange with tears running down my face, my fists clenched as I limped down the corridor and towards the huge double doors which would lead me outside.

"Mikey come back!" Gerard cried, not sure wether he should run after me or not.
"You're not really here!" I shouted, covering my ears as I continued to limp on, "I can't hear you! I'm not going t-"

"Mikey stop!" The figure in front of me pleaded. "Mikey, please...."
The figure was balancing on crutches, one leg lifted from the floor, his curly black hair hidden under his trademark beanie. Dark circles enveloped his sparkling blue eyes as he stared straight into my eyes.
"JJ?" I asked, "you're alive?!"
"Of course I'm alive!" He laughed. I stumbled towards him and hugged him tightly, and for the second time that day tears fell from my eyes and fell onto someone's back.
"B-but how?"
"I think we'd better sit down." He smiled weakly.
"I'm not sitting over there." I said pointing to where my 'family' sat huddled around my empty bed.
"Mikey, trust me." JJ grabbed me by the hand and led me over to where my supposed family sat murmuring between them. I sat down on my bed, thankful that I could take the weight from my leg.

"Mikey," JJ began as he sat down next to me, "Mikey, you're family they ar-"
"Dead! I know they a-"
"No Mikey! You're family are alive, your brother and parents are alive. This is them I promise. Vince...he t-tricked you."
"B-but why?" I asked, looking down to my shoes to avoid any awkward eye contact with my family.
"Because he is cruel Mikes. He wanted to think you were alone so that you'd want to die."
"So you guys...." I said looking up to Gerard and then moving my gaze to my mum and dad, "are alive?"
All three nodded in return.
"Um, well this is kind of awkwar-"

I was cut off as Gerard wrapped his arms around me tightly, then JJ hugged me with both parents joining in with the heap of messy limbs. This was it, this is how I would have liked this story to have ended (preferably with me being able to walk better) with me, my brother, parents and my best friend all alive, well and at my side.

"Where's Vince?" I asked, fearing the reply.
"Probably in a cell awaiting a hearing." JJ replied with a smile.
"They got him?!"
"Yes!"
"But how did he find us?"
"Called his brother who picked him up in his car, they then followed us directly to the airport."
"Don't wanna hear about!" I cried, covering my ears with my hands, "don't wanna talk about what happened just yet!"
"Yeah that's fine Mikes." JJ smiled, removing Mikey's hands from over his ears, "everything will be fine."

Notes

Hola again! I'm back again with a long chapter that kinda cleans up the mess that happens and kinda doesn't! Yay! All should be clear how they both survived in the next chapter when Mikes feels as though he can talk about it. Anyhoo! That's two updates in one day yay! I think there is about 2 chapters of this story left. Also thanks for all the views! Thank ya for reading and hope you have a nice day. :)
-lou