FicWad

Wrote this a long time ago, but it's always been one of my favourites. I've edited it and so on. Inspired by the autobiography by Slash.

There comes a time in life when things get old, when they die down and that’s what happened to us I guess, well we didn’t get old but defiantly died down. We didn’t think that we’d end like this, We’d like to think we would do it until the end of our time. But It didn’t end like that, No not at all. But it happened and we can’t change time unfortunately, it all happened to fast.

I remember when I was younger, if I hadn’t touched that guitar I don’t know we’re I’d be now, if it wasn’t for my brother I don’t think I’d even play guitar now. I turned obsessed, I was obsessed. I was a total hermit, I didn’t have much of a social life anyway, I mean I did - But we don’t need to go back there.

I remember when Frank used to jump on Bob and just annoy the crap out of him, even the times when Frank use to jump and fall into Bob’s drum kit - Bob got mad, but not at him. Then there was Frank’s laugh, oh god Frank’s laugh, We were all convinced it was a pot laugh, and then when Frank and Gerard use to make-out on stage, well that was a bit strange at first but that was just them.

Bob . Bob was an awesome drummer. You could always have a laugh with him, he took no shit, especially not from us. He is secretly soft inside, he cries! I know he does. I’ll always remember when he beat me at guitar hero, that was a long time ago but I just can’t believe a drummer whipped my ass at guitar hero! I’m the guitarist! It’s shameful.

Mikey. The one who kept us calm, slightly, he was one of those guys who was always there for you. All the guys were always there but Mikey knew what to say, what to do. He was a funny type of guy, well saying funny I mean he had a good sense of humour and was a bit weird sometimes, I think all the Ways are…but you gotta love ‘em.

Mikey liked his coffee, Him and his coffee needs. You got to pick your poisons! Him and Gerard were close brothers, The closest I knew well I was close to my brothers too but Gerard and Mikey were like a guitar and its strings, They’re never apart well unless you break them apart…That sounded so cheesy .

Then came the accident.
It all happened to fast, It all started on the 27th August 2008 all the guys were flying out to see me and Christa after our honeymoon, it was good to have a break but I couldn’t wait to see them again. Christa was just pregnant with out first son Laz who is now 12 years old, time flies.
Anyway I just couldn’t wait to tell them I was going to be the first Dad. I was just so happy, everything was just going so well, me married, going to be a dad, it all seemed surreal. Our next album was going to be out too a year or two. It was all just going brilliantly. Mikey phoned me before they got on the plane, he couldn’t wait to see me, he knew of course about Christa being pregnant, Christa told Alicia who told Mikey, I think Lindsey, Katelyn And Jamia knew also, anyway I was sitting talking to Christa about baby names, as far as I can remember.
She was 5 months gone, we were both so overwhelmed, I got a phone call, it was from Brian Schecter - My Chemical Romance’s manger. He told me that Plane 776 has crashed and they don’t know if they’ve found any survivors, Plane 776 was the plane the guys got on apparently as Mikey told me before. I prayed, I prayed that the four best people that I knew had lived, that they’re out there somewhere waiting to be found and that they were going to be found.

I shouted for Christa to turn on the news quickly when she did so I saw a news reporter at the location that the plane crashed;

‘It has been reported that Plane 776 has crashed in New York City. Witnesses say they saw thick, choking smoke. Plane 776, coming from Los Angeles to land in Newark International Airport, carried as many as 106 people on board, apparently the crash was due to engine failure. There has been no survivors so far.’
The reporter finished, it showed live footage of people in yellow suits trying to find survivors. I just froze I couldn’t believe what I heard, it was unbelievable, I remember just standing there staring at the T.V. in complete disbelief.


“Ray, do you think they’ll make it, Katelyn, Lindsey…” Christa trailed off,
I came up and hugged her and little Laz started kicking it was the sweetest thing, but I then remembered how the guys wouldn’t be able to see this - him.

That whole night I stayed up while Christa slept, she needed it. I didn’t know what to do, I just stayed at the phone until hours on end waiting for a phone call, just to reassure me that they would be okay and that I needn’t worry. But no such luck, still I didn’t give up, I couldn’t. I rang The Way’s to see if there was any news on Mikey And Gerard. None. I rang the Bryar’s. None, I rang the Iero’s And again none, No one had a clue what was happening.

The next day I had all of them come to Christa’s and I’s house, we discussed about Bob, Frank, Gerard and Mikey hoping they would still be alive. We called Jersey’s Hospitals, NY’s Hospitals, Police Stations, anything and still we got nothing.
Brian came over that very day, he got a phone call asking for relatives of the guy’s to come to New York’s City Hospital, of course, we all went, relative or not. We had no idea why until we got there. We got brought to the Morgue to identify two bodies. I didn’t want to go in, no one else would go in, so me and Brian went in and came back out unrelieved, it wasn’t any of the guys but those people had to belong to some family.

It was haunting. Two months we had to wait to find out if they had been dead, because people were burnt and the investigators couldn’t identify who was who, all in all it was pretty messed up. It was a Friday afternoon and it was just me and Christa sitting in our living-room and there was a knock on the door, we thought obviously it was probably just some kids, because it was Halloween – coincidently, Frank‘s birthday, I got up and answered the door. It was certainly no kids and certainly no costume, it was the New York Police.

“Hello sir” A tall dark man said.

“Hello, come in” I said, sounding impatient.

“The Plane Crash 77-“ said a smaller blonde guy.

“I know, I know, please I can’t hear anymore of it”

“I am sorry sir but it has been found that a man stated Michael Way, who’s phone has been found and that you sir have been the very last caller” the taller man bellowed.

“And? What has that got to do with anything? Yes, he called me before he got on the plane” I said, I found it very confusing wondering what it had got to do with the plane crash.

“Yes, well we have contacted the man’s family to say he is currently stable at City Hospital, we got the information from the cell phone and had to confirm of the call.” They said their good bye’s and left.


I remember that day like yesterday, me and Christa rushed to the hospital, I remember me thinking all the way over to the hospital, how did one mans phone not get crushed when many other people did? That’s one thing that will never have an answer.

I stayed at the hospital that night, Christa stayed at home. Mikey looked like a terrible rack, his face was half burnt and they had to amputate his left hand off, there was no chance of him ever to play bass again. I didn’t half expect him to either, I just wanted him to live.

There was never any news on Bob, Frank or Gerard. Ever.
Most people think they just got burnt to death – I just can’t get that mental picture out of my head. Why couldn’t they get on that plane a day before?

Mikey had to get both of his legs amputated and he didn‘t talk much either, he’d try to write with his right hand but apparently the pain when he did was unbearable.

I couldn’t go on seeing my best friend like this, I was sitting there one night just thinking of all the good times I’ve had with Mikey and the rest of the guys of course, I watched Life On The Murder Scene And The Black Parade Is Dead! with my eldest son, telling him about the old times. Just watching us rock out and talking about the past, it just makes me laugh.

Another month passed, Mikey was still settled in hospital. Christa gave birth to little Laz supporting 7 and a half pounds, he was just the size of my hand, but he was a healthy baby and that’s all we wanted, We made Mikey Laz’s Godfather, he was so pleased.

As crazy as it sounds we use to leave little Laz with Mikey in the hospital so Mikey could mind him, Laz never cried in the presence of Mikey, it was like a miracle, the little guy cried non-stop with everyone else but Mikey loved minding him when Christa and I went out to get something or another.

Laz Ali Oritz-Toro got christened on 28th November 2008. We got Mikey for leave for 5 days to be there and to give him a break from the hospital. It was amazing, there was Christa and I’s family and friends, if only Bob, Frank and Gerard was there ,but I just had a strong feeling they were there.

I remember Mikey telling me that night, that he could of swore he saw them faintly, and I told him I could of swore the same thing.

I thought we were both going crazy! It was an experience I’ll never forget. It was some time later on about maybe 6 months later, Mikey got terribly ill. I’ll never forget that night I was sitting at Mikey’s bedside writing down a song that Mikey had mentally wrote inside of his head, it was pretty good and he started to talk a lot more.

When he said he was done there was this look in his eye, it was weird. It was a mixture between sadness, anger and confusion. He said he didn’t feel well and said he felt dizzy so I called a nurse and then she called a doctor, I hadn’t got a clue what was happening. The next morning Me, Christa and Laz had gone to the hospital, I knew what was coming next. I came up and hugged Donna Way and had a few words with Donald, I guess we all knew what the doctor had to say we were just waiting for it, but never wanting it to come.

It was when we were told that Mikey had slowly passed away, it finally hit me, I was only 31 and I had planned to rock out with these guys ‘til I’m 50! Mikey painfully and slowly died apparently, they wouldn’t tell me full details about it considering I wasn’t family.

I’m now 43, yes I can’t believe it either. I now have 3 children, all boys. I think Christa wants a baby girl but it’s a bit to late for that. My three son’s names are Laz the eldest who is twelve, Mikey who is nine and little Joseph who is just four. Now that everything has passed and now that I’m now one of the greatest guitarist in the hall of fame (which Mikey points out every so often.) I have gold records and sure I’m big-ass famous but I will never forget being on stage being My Chemical Romance.