Mass Hysteria!

***Time Stamp: one week later***

Frank groaned as he woke up to his alarm, hitting at it with the palm of his hand til it finally stopped making noise. He cracked an eye open and looked blearily at the clock.

"Fuck..."

He muttered, letting his eye close again.

"How can it *cough* be morning already?"

His voice was croaky and he knew right away that the little cold he’d thought he had a couple of days ago, was developing into something altogether more horrible and dangerous. Damn his shitty immune system!

Grumbling and wincing at the pain in his head, he forced himself up out of bed. Most people would call in sick if they felt like this, but Frank was unfortunately used to it, and besides, he had animals to take care of that wouldn’t be too happy at being left unattended while he lay in bed feeling like death warmed up.

The room spun slightly when he stood up, but Frank gritted his teeth and staggered through to the bathroom. He didn’t bother looking in the mirror above his sink, cause he knew he looked like shit...instead, he turned on the shower as hot as he could stand it, stripped off leaving his shorts and shirt on the floor, then stepped under the fierce flow. He whimpered slightly at the heat, but maybe the steam would help clear his head a bit...if he was lucky.

Ten minutes later, feeling hot and looking like a boiled lobster, he stepped out of the shower and dried off before returning to his bedroom to get dressed for work. Once he was dressed, nearly exhausted from the minimal exertion, he sluggishly made his way through his home, feeding and checking on each of his menagerie of animals along the way. By the time he’d finished that, he felt like he could do with about ten more hours sleep, but unfortunately, his day was just getting started.

He couldn’t face breakfast himself, but then he had been moving so slowly getting ready that he no longer had the time anyway. Grabbing his keys, he left his apartment, making sure to lock the door after himself, then headed out. Luckily he didn’t have very far to drive, cause he wasn’t completely certain he was fit to drive in his current condition.

Pulling into the parking lot, he was happy to see Mikey was already there, sat on the bench outside with a cup of coffee in his hand and a comic on his lap. Frank smiled weakly as he climbed out of his car, leaning heavily against it as he locked the door before turning to greet his friend.

"Hey Mikey..."

He waved.

"What ya *cough cough* reading?"

"Hey Frankie, I..."

Mikey stopped short of his sentence. Frank looked terrible. He had been working hard to help out in Ray's absence and he was still cleaning up after Gerard. Plus now he was caring for someone's cat. In short he was burning himself out. Frank slumped down onto the bench as far from Mikey as he could get...no point in them both being sick.

"Frank are you alright?"

Frank lifted a hand to scrub tiredly down his face, sighing heavily and falling into a short coughing fit afterward.

"Yeah *cough cough*...I’m great..."

He said a little sarcastically, smirking.

"It’s just a *cough* cold."

"My ass. You need to go rest. I am sending you home right now. I'll deal with Gerard. Go on."

Frank shook his head.

"But...the kitties."

It was a weak-ass argument, but it was all he had.

"No, the Frankies are more important, especially since there is only one. Now that is an order from your boss."

Frank huffed, he really didn’t have an answer for that...but he tried anyway.

"I could stay till *cough* Gerard gets here."

"Frank, don't make me carry you to the car."

Frank frowned, then fell into another coughing fit, one hand clutching his stomach, the other his head. When he recovered, he looked at Mikey reproachfully.

"Fine, I’ll go. Have fun with my kitties and *cough* your brother."

Mikey watched as Frank staggered back to his car. He was genuinely concerned for the younger man. He hoped that a day of bed rest would make things better for him. Mikey finished his food and then headed in to open both sections of the animal shelter.

(time passes)

Frank didn’t make it home, half way there he fell into such a bad coughing fit that he had to pull over before he crashed. He coughed painfully into his hands for about three minutes, then noticed the blood.

"Well...fuck."

He muttered, wiping his mouth and trying to catch his breath before putting his car back in gear and adjusting his destination from home, to the hospital. Ten minutes later he was in the E.R, and two hours after that he was being settled into a room in the ICU...right next door to Ray's room. Once he was finally left alone to rest for a short time, he pulled out his cellphone and typed out a text message.

From FRNKXO

To MilkyWay

Hey dude, good thing you sent me home, just settled in bed...IN HOSPITAL! :(

I’m in the room next to Ray.

You couldn’t do me a favour and take care of my animals at home, could you?

Then he pressed send and put the phone on his nightstand, just as a nurse came in to check his obs...again.

(time passes)

"This is bullshit!"

Gerard was pissed. He had been unable to get a hold of Frank. He didn't want to ask Mikey anything so he did what he does best, he brooded. He sat there getting more and more pissed till after a week, he was done. Gerard sat at his lap top and pulled up his email.

To Mr. Frank Iero,

This is to inform you that you are no longer employed at Paws and Purrs. Your final check will be deposited two weeks from today. There is no need for further contact.

Gerard A. Way.

Gerard proofread the email again and pressed send. Then he went to put the ad back in to find a new employee, but this time he was going to make sure they were his employee and Mikey would have no say.

(time passes)

Frank smiled weakly as Mikey poked his head around the door, he’d visited him every day for the last two weeks after work and he’d been taking care of Frank’s animals too...even Cripes the parrot who hated everyone and had a bad habit of shouting "CUNT" every time anyone got within three feet of him. Frank owed Mikey big time.

"Hey Mikey, how’s things?...how are the furries?"

"They miss you like I do. Any word on getting out of here?"

Mikey knew that Frank would still need time at home even after this to convalesce. Frank shook his head.

"Not yet. I’m dying to get out...no pun intended."

Mikey chuckled at Frank's dark humor.

"Well Ray gets out tomorrow. He said he will be back at work by the end of the week. Your friend on the first floor will be going into a home so he said keep the cat."

Mikey tried to think of anything else he forgot. Frank sighed...another cat for his collection, good thing he liked cats.

"How’s your brother been?"

He asked with a raised brow, wondering if the brothers were even talking right now.

"Who knows and who cares."

Mikey turned to get the treat out of the bag he brought for Frank. Frank frowned, he had a lot of work to do when he got out if he was going to get those two to be brothers again...he’d decided to make it his personal mission.

"What you got there?"

He asked, changing the subject...for now.

"Something sweet for a sweetheart."

Mikey handed Frank a small white box with writing he knew Frank would recognise. Frank grinned.

"You didn’t..."

He opened the box with the words The Chocolate Covered Company and a stylised strawberry dipped in chocolate on the lid and grinned even wider.

"You did!...you wonderful wonderful man..."

He picked up one large strawberry encased in smooth dark chocolate at took a bite.

"Mmmm...did you really order these from Florida?...you didn’t have to you know. But thank you."

Frank remembered telling Mikey about these amazing chocolate strawberries he’d had last year when he visited his cousin in Miami, and that he’d never found any as good anywhere else. It hadn’t been a hint...honest.

"You really deserve them Frankie."

Frank shook his head no, but took another bite anyway, smiling as he held out the box to his friend. They talked for a little longer, but Mikey could see Frank getting tired after a bit. He was still not recovered fully and it took a lot of energy out of him to engage in conversation.

"Alright Frankie, I'm going to get going now."

Frank smiled tiredly.

"Ok, but would you do me a favour?"

"Of course Frankie, anything."

"Anything?...promise?"

"Yes anything."

Frank took a breath.

"Talk to your brother."

"Frankie...you know that is not what I mean."

Frank sighed, he thought it was worth a try.

"Ok then. Well when you go to feed my furries, could you check my email for me?...My phone's shit for internet. My laptop's under my bed. There’s no password."

"Jeeze Frankie, don't you want to protect your porn at least?..."

Mikey watched Frank go red.

"And I have already been feeding your furry babies since I got your text about being in the hospital silly."

"Me and my furries thank you. Look, I still don’t know when I’m getting out, so could you just bring my laptop in to me?...just so I can see if there’s anything important that needs answers."

"Yeah I can do that."

Mikey spent a few more minutes and then he was gone. He headed back to work to finish out his day and made a note to stop at Frank's place afterwards. Coming back from lunch he saw a young man coming out of Paws with Gerard. They shook hands and Mikey thought he saw an employment packet in the young man's arm, but he dismissed it. If Gerard wanted to hire someone else he could care less as long as it was coming out of his pocket and not the shelter's. Besides, maybe he could keep Frankie now. He had become more fond of him in the last few months anyway. Mikey went into Pocket Pets first and assured all the animals that Ray would be back soon. Then he went to Purrs to put a few adoption files together so he could leave.

(time passes)

"Hey Frankie, sorry it took so long. You know we have that big adoption day coming up so we are scrambling to get everything done."

Mikey handed Frank the laptop. It was nice that he was in a room now. It had been a few days since he had last visited his brother's employee. Frank shook his head, smiling.

"No worries. Thanks for bringing this."

"See you later Frankie."

Mikey wanted to stay longer, but he was having several deliveries to the shelter and he needed to sign for them. Mikey slid into the elevator at the last minute and was out of the hospital doors and into his car in a few minutes before driving off.

Frank opened the ageing laptop and logged into his email account. After a moment looking through a couple dozen spam emails and one from his dentist asking him to reschedule his check up, he saw a message from Mr. Way.

"What the...I’m fired?!"

Frank felt tears prick his eyes. He loved that job. Suddenly he felt the need to be somewhere else. Climbing out of bed, he pulled his clothes out of the bottom drawer of the nightstand and changed into them quickly. There was a cannula in the back of his hand, but it wasn’t attached to anything so he pulled it out, wincing slightly, before grabbing up all of his stuff and slipping out of the room. There were no nurses at the desk, so he walked quickly to the elevator and left the ward. Once he was finally outside in the fresh air, he took a deep lung full, then went to find his car.

Soon he was on the road and headed to his mom's house.

When he arrived at his mom's, he sat in the car for a minute and shot Mikey a quick text.

From FRNKXO

To MilkyWay

Hey man, please take care of my furries...see you.

He pressed send then turned his phone off, shoving it in his pocket and climbing out of the car.

Notes

Hi there chipmunks, how’s you?

So i know you’ve been waiting a while for this and I’m sorry about that, that’s my fault entirely...I forgot to post the chapter, but here it is.

Until next time...PLEASE COMMENT and peace out babies!
<3