Big Baby (Sequel to Cry Baby) (Frerard)

Gerard nearly leapt out of the car when Pete pulled up into the parking lot of the St. Mary Memorial hospital. Gerard thanked Pete, despite him making him do something he knew he couldn’t forgive himself for, and grabbed his bag out of the trunk of the car. He rushed through the front doors and made his way to the lobby, nearly losing his breath as he ran. The receptionist lady behind the desk eyed the boy skeptically, asking herself why in the hell he brought a big ass suitcase with him. Behind Gerard, Pete walked through the doors and soon vanished after he walked through some doors behind the desk, the man Gerard gave fellatio to not once crossing his mind.
“Can I help you?” the receptionist, named Tara, reluctantly asked.
“I’m h-here to s-see F-frankie,” Gerard replied frantically. “H-he’s my s-special friend!”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t know who you’re talking about. Do you know his last name?” Tara replied, her mind already asking itself what in the hell this crazy guy is doing here, and what mental asylum he came from. The boy looked very unstable and shaken, like something happened to him.
“I-I d-don’t know h-his l-last name! I h-have to see him, th-though! He’s m-my s-special friend! P-please!” Gerard continued, his whole body on edge and shaking with anxiety. Beside him in the waiting room, a somewhat young couple watched Gerard as they sat in a set of chairs near the t.v. They both eyed him in utter shock, not because of the boy’s erratic behavior, but because of something else...they knew who he is. The wife, named Linda, whispered into her husband’s ear as she stared at Gerard. The husband, named Frank, whispered back to her briefly. Linda sighed and shook her head, then sat there staring at the floor for a while until she shook her head and whispered some more in Frank’s ear. They both soon nodded and got up from their seats, walking up to the frazzled boy screaming at the receptionist.
“Excuse me,” Linda said, tapping Gerard on the shoulder. He turned around and looked at her in a shocked manner, like she just teleported to him right before his eyes.
“Wh-who are y-you?” Gerard asked, eyeing the woman up and down.
“I’m Frank’s mother, Linda...and this is my husband, Frank Sr.,” Linda said, nudging to Frank Sr. “Gerard...we know who you’ve come to see,”
“Y-you’re F-frank’s parents? P-please t-take me t-to him!” Gerard pleaded, jumping up and down where he stood. “P-pretty please, pretty p-please!”
“Gerard, before we do...there’s some things we need to talk about,” Linda said, holding out her hand to the unstable Gerard. “You gotta calm down, please,”
“Oh...I’m s-sorry,” Gerard replied, stopping. “B-but why c-can’t I see F-frankie right away? Wh-what do w-we gotta t-talk about?”“We’ll explain it. Come with us, we’ll all sit down here in the lobby,” Linda said as she followed her husband to the area of sofa chairs they were sitting at earlier. Gerard walked with them and they all sat down in silence. Gerard briefly looked down at the stack of magazines on the end table next to him, then back up at Linda and Frank Sr.. They whispered to each other for a little bit as they stared at Gerard. Linda’s face contorted to a look of genuine sadness and covered her tearful eyes.
“Wh-what’s wrong?” Gerard asked the couple. “Why is Frank’s mommy crying?”
“Gerard...it’s a lot to explain. Frank did some...things to you. Awful things,” Frank Sr. said firmly, holding his wife as she cried.
“L-like wh-what?”
“Before we go into detail about that...we want to make sure you know a couple things,” Frank Sr. replied.
“L-like wh-what?” Gerard asked again.
“You remember when he came into your life?” Frank Sr. asked. Gerard looked down and tried to look back, but his mind that was once affected with amnesia couldn’t recall that specific time.
“N-no, I don’t,”
“Well, it was about six years ago, if we remember correctly. Your mom was looking for someone to watch after you while she was away at work, and we encouraged Frank to take up the opportunity. Do you remember those times he would come over to your house?”
“Oh, y-yeah. I d-do,” Gerard nodded. “H-he would c-come over and p-play games w-with me,”
“Well...do you know what kind of…games he would play with you?” Linda asked reluctantly.
“Y-yeah! H-he would p-play Candyland w-with me, and--”
“No, Gerard. Not those kind of games,” Frank Sr. interrupted. “We mean...different kind of games, games where he would get...uh, personal with you,”
“Wh-what do you m-mean?” Gerard asked.
“Gerard...you remember when Frank would make you...get naked, right?” Linda asked, her voice faltering at the mention of Gerard being molested by her one and only son.
“Oh y-yeah, I do,” Gerard said, remembering a very murky part of his past. “F-frank would t-take off m-my clothes and m-make me p-play one of h-his g-games. S-sometimes he w-would make m-me suck his p-pee-pee, other t-times he would d-dress me up, and s-sometimes he w-would tie m-me to the b-bed and...f-fuck me,”
There was a silence that seemed to have gathered within the room. Gerard looked back and forth between Frank Sr. and Linda, who both shifted awkwardly in their seats as they looked away from Gerard and at their feet. After what seemed like a long time, they both refocused their gaze at Gerard.
“You do realize those things he did to you were wrong, right?” Linda asked, breaking the silence.
“H-how?” Gerard asked, confused. “M-mikey and Dr. M-martinez tell m-me th-that, b-but...wh-what’s wrong w-with F-frankie p-playing g-games with m-me?”
“Gerard, do you know what sexual abuse is?” Frank Sr. asked, his eyes staring firmly through his glasses at Gerard. Gerard looked down, trying to pinpoint the words in his mind, the phrase bouncing around in his head. He knew he’s heard the term before, usually from Dr. Martinez, but didn’t know exactly what it meant.
“Uh...I’ve h-heard of th-that, b-but I d-don’t know wh-what it m-means,” Gerard said.
“It’s when someone forces sex on you, or any sexual acts. Frank hurt you. He...abused you, Gerard,” Linda replied, stumbling over her words.
“That wasn’t all that he did to you though,” Frank Sr. added, his voice equally as somber and lacking life as his wife’s. “Do you remember when he kidnapped you, Gerard?”
“K-kidnapped?” Gerard repeated. “N-no, I d-don’t,”
“About a few days after you guys first met, Frank decided to kidnap you. He took you with him to a hotel far from home, so he could keep doing what he was doing to you. He also tried to do something else to you after he injured you badly…,”
“Wh-what?”
“He...he tried to…,” Linda said shakily.
“He tried to murder you,” Frank Sr. said, finishing Linda’s sentence.
“Wh-what? R-really?” Gerard gasped. He couldn’t even begin to imagine his special friend doing such a thing to him, or hurt him like the way he did. He didn’t even think Frank was trying to hurt him. He thought he was just playing one of his games with him. Hearing all this new information about the truth hit Gerard like a freight train. He didn’t know what to think of Frank now. He couldn’t even confront the voice of Frank that he hears in his head, because it seems to have vanished.
“Yes, Gerard. I know it’s shocking to you, but it’s true. After he hurt you badly, he tried to cover up what he did and….rid of you,” Frank Sr. continued.
“B-but I s-survived, didn’t I? I’m s-still alive,” Gerard said, pointing a finger to his chest.
“Yes, and we glad you did. You were very lucky, but for Frank…,” Linda said, her voice trailing off. She grimaced again, trying and failing to hold back tears. She buried her face into her hands as her husband held her, supporting her.
“Wh-what about F-frank?” Gerard asked, looking at the couple for more answers. Frank Sr. slowly sighed and shook his head before he recollected himself as he held his wife.
“As for our son, he wasn’t so lucky. He made a decision...one that changed him forever,” Frank Sr. answered. “And that decision is part of the reason why he’s here,”
“Wh-what do you m-mean?”
“After Frank tried to...off you, he attempted suicide. He got in his car and ran himself into a semi truck,” Frank Sr. said, the words he uttered sending shivers down his spine.
“Wh-what?” Gerard stuttered, gasping as his eyes grew wide with shock. “Is h-he okay?”
“Well...he survived, but...he’s not the same anymore,” Frank Sr. replied, his tone of voice somber and vacant, as well as his eyes.
“H-how so?” Gerard asked.
“He was in a coma for several weeks. He lost both his legs from the accident and was left blind in one eye. We never thought he was gonna wake up, but when he did...it was like the mind of a toddler replaced the one of our son’s. He couldn’t walk because his legs were gone and he suffered from a lot of seizures due to the trauma to his head, and he also has to be tube-fed due to the damage to his organs from the crash. He was totally dependent on us to care for him, like a baby. He’s here because his condition is deteriorating rapidly. He doesn’t have very long left to live, Gerard,”
Gerard didn’t know what to think of all he’s been told. He was shocked, above all else. He was also confused. How could Frank be talking to Gerard in his head with the condition he’s in? None of it made sense to him. It was like something straight out of a nightmare what happened to Frank, and Gerard didn’t know how to comprehend this news.
“B-but...how c-can F-frank be t-talking to m-me if h-he’s d-dying?” Gerard asked. “I h-hear F-frank’s v-voice in my m-mind, and he s-sent me here--”
“That’s not Frank,” Frank Sr. said bluntly, cutting off Gerard. “That’s a delusion. It boggles my mind that it sent you here out of all places, but you need to seek professional help if you’re hearing voices in your head. Our son didn’t bring you here. I’m sorry to say this to you Gerard, but a delusion brought you here,”
“Wh-what?” Gerard nearly exclaimed. “Are y-you serious? H-how is th-that possible?”
“We really can’t tell you that, but...please, heed our words and get help,” Linda said. Gerard looked down at his hands, as if he were questioning his own existence in this cruel world. What Mikey and Dr. Martinez have been telling him was true. He believed in a lie fabricated by his own imagination. He couldn’t even address the voice in his head to confront him. What was the point anyway? All he’d be doing is arguing with himself. He also couldn’t believe that what Frank has done to him were all under malicious intentions. He thought he was his special friend. Betrayed, Gerard felt the tears run from his eyes as he stared down at his hands. There was a part of him that resented Frank for all he’s done to him, but there was another part of him that was willing to give one thing to Frank--forgiveness. He just wanted all this to be over, and to move on with his life knowing that he was able to acquit his enemy in disguise.
“I...I w-want to f-forgive F-frankie,” Gerard finally said, looking up at Frank’s parents with his honest and tearful eyes. “M-mikey and mommy t-taught me th-that it’s b-best to f-forgive people and t-to not h-hold grudges. I w-want to s-see Frankie and t-tell him I f-forgive him,”
“You do? I see,” Frank Sr. said, looking down and taking in Gerard’s request with deep consideration. He turned to his wife. “Honey, should we let Gerard see Frank? It would be a waste if he came all the way here for nothing,”
“Well...I don’t see why not. Frank likes to have visitors. I mean, we already told Gerard about Frank’s condition, so I guess he knows what he’s getting into,” Linda added.
“You’re right,” Frank Sr. said, turning back to Gerard. “Gerard, we already told you about the state Frank’s in, so if you want to see him...don’t be shocked, even though it might be hard not to. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Y-yes, I do,” Gerard said, standing up. “J-just please t-tell me wh-where he is so I c-can see h-him,”
Frank Sr. and Linda both looked down as they took in Gerard’s words. After what seemed like several minutes, and both nodded at each other. They looked up at Gerard smiled bittersweetly.
“Okay. You can see him,” Frank Sr. said. Gerard smiled back and nodded.
“Wh-where’s his r-room at?” Gerard asked.
“We’ll take you there. We’ll tell Frank that he has a visitor. He doesn’t like to be alarmed without notice,” Linda said, standing up with her husband. “Isn’t that right, hun?”
“Yes, it is,” Frank Sr. nodded. “Come on, Gerard. We’ll take you up the elevator and to Frank’s room,”
“O-okay,” Gerard said, following Frank’s parents out of the lobby and to an elevator. As he did, he felt a pang in his chest as his heart in his chest began to race. He was unsure if he was ready for what he’s about to come face to face with.

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