FicWad

Wet asphalt was slick against Frank's cheek, blood dripped into his eyes tinting the edges of his blurred vision with pink. Footsteps echoed against the brick walls as the street lamps from the main road backlit an approaching figure. Blue eyes pierced the darkness.

"Look at the pansy. Too weak to fight. It's pathetic."

He bent down to get clear look at the barely conscious man sprawled across the grimy alley floor, before bringing his heel down onto Frank's temple.

Frank's eyes snapped open, his breathing laboured.

After calming down Frank sat in the early morning silence of his hospital room.

By midday, Ray had returned and given Frank a final check over before giving him the all clear to go and booking him an appointment to get his stitches out. Both men were uncomfortable and there was no small talk. Words were only said if it were necessary and out of politeness. Frank found some clothes and his wallet which he assumed Mikey must have brought when he first came in. Even with his sides heavily strapped and all the painkillers, trying to put on his tight black tee-shirt was impossible. Settling for just a jacket, and stuffing the shirt in the back of his jeans he shuffled out to the waiting room.

At 2pm Frank's sides were burning with every breath as the hospital meds wore off.

There was no way Mikey was 2 hours late. Frank accepted that he had been forgotten, and ambled outside to get a cab.

Grabbing the spare key tacked under the fire alarm, Frank entered the apartment to find deathly silence. Mikey must have cleaned as it was spotless. Ignoring the answer machine he headed for the kitchen. After downing a glass of water, along with more than double the recommended dose of painkillers, Frank went into his room, locking the door behind him. Unable to reach his shoes without wincing in agony, he removed the jacket and sprawled across his bed, before drifting into another uneasy slumber.

X

Mikey woke up at just gone 3pm. His head feeling a thousand times better. After brushing the taste of stale alcohol, and what he really hoped wasn't vomit away, he pulled on some clothes and went to get some food. As he finished off his third piece of chicken the phone began to ring.

"Hello?" Mikey mumbled over a mouth full of the colonel's secret coating.

"Mikey, it's Mia."

"Hey, Mia. Thanks for last night. I don't remember much after the first bottle, which is not a good thing. I'm so sorry you had to sort me out."

"It's fine. Look everyone slips up. Just don't let me catch you like that again, ok?"

"Thanks Mia. So why'd you ring? Has Dave finally realised you spend all day on the net and fired your lovely ass?"

Jamia revolved in her chair, checking no-one was within ear shout before she answered.
"No, and even if he did find out, like he's ever going to fire the only piece of eye-candy on his floor? You know he's a total pervert and how the entire female staff all work on second in Admin bar me. Anyways I rang to see how Frank is...."

"Oh yeah, just out of friendly curiosity I bet. I'm going to go see him once I finish my chicken." Said Mikey rolling his eyes, though the action was clearly lost on a phone call.

"You were supposed to pick him up at 12 you tard!" Mia said holding her head in her hands at Mikey's ineptness to remember anything.

"Oh shit. Bye"

Mikey threw his plate down on the counter top, grabbed his keys and dashed down the stairs out the door. He was at the nurse's station in record time having missed the majority of traffic.

X

"Hi, I'm looking for Frank Iero."

A young female nurse looked up and gave Mikey a polite nod of acknowledgement, before typing something into a computer and studying the screen.

"Iero, I'm afraid he left over an hour ago."

Cursing under his breath, Mikey bolted through the doors and ran straight into Ray. Mikey landed on the floor as Ray stumbled into the railings, loosing his lunch in the process.

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry I didn't see you." Mikey apologised as he got to his feet. Dusting himself down he straightened his glasses and turned to see who it was he ran into.

"How can you NOT see me, you....Mikey?" Ray stopped trying to pick the cheese out of his hair as he saw who ran into him.

"Nurse Toro." Mikey, clearly uncomfortable facing the man he needlessly insulted, rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Frank left, like, hours ago."

"Yeah so I heard. I kinda forgot. Look erm Ray, I wasn't myself yesterday. What I said was totally uncalled for and you were just trying to be helpful. I'm sorry I was such a jerk." Mikey had gone from rubbing his neck to twirling a stray whisp of hair around his fingers, a nervous habit from his childhood.

"It's alright Mikey. Trust me, in my job I've had a lot worse. Once this guy smashed a tray over my head because I suggested he go get coffee whilst his kid was in surgery."

"Really? Whoa." Ray could see Mikey was visibly more at ease, if not still a little tense.

"Yeah. Luckily the fro is mighty and the only damage done could be fixed with a quick trip to my locker to grab some moose."

"Hey thanks for everything. And I'm sorry about yesterday and for ruining your lunch."

Mikey glanced down at a ham and cheese toastie, splattered all over the concrete floor.

"I already had a burger; I probably shouldn't have bought it anyways."

"Look, I have to go. Frank and all. But how bouts next time Gee's home you come round for dinner?" Mikey gradually began to edge backwards towards the car.

"That'd be good. I'll see you round." Ray gave a small wave as Mikey fished his keys from the pocket of his tight jeans.

"Bye Ray."

Ray smiled to himself at the use of his first name, as he made his way back into the hospital. Mikey turned on his heel and briskly walked to his car, before tearing out of the lot back to the apartment.

X

Silence greeted Mikey as he entered the apartment. Maybe Frank had called. The new message light flashed on the answer machine.

"Mikes, where are you? Pick up you douche."

Mikey pressed delete before grabbing his phone and dialing Jamia.

Jamia's mobile began to migrate across her desk as it began to buzz. She picked it up, checking the caller id, before letting out a quiet snicker.

"Hello, Jamia speaking. How may I help you?"

"Oh very cute. I can't find Frank, he's not at the hospital, and he's not here. Where else would he be? He can barely walk ten feet!"

Mikey was pacing by the door, not noticing the key sat on the table by it...

"Erm. I don't know. Are you sure he's not there?"

"Look! I'm not stupid" Mikey walked toward Frank's closed door "He's not in his..."

Mikey stopped mid rant as he was met with a locked door. He jangled the lock several times before resting his forehead on the door.

"Well?" Jamie heard the rattling on the line stop and Mikey sigh down the line.

"His door is locked." Mikey's voice was a sheepish whisper, slightly muffled due his proximity to the wooden door.

"God Mikey. Didn't you check his room before you went to the hospital? Did you really think he would wait...well it must be 4 hours now, for you to show up? God Gee didn't leave any brains in the Way gene pool for you did he?" For the second time that day Jamia had her head in her hands at Mikey.

"Shurrup." Mikey muttered as he shuffled away from Frank's door so as not to wake him, face red with embarrassment.

"Actually surely Gerard would have had the brains to check in his room before you left?"

"Well I didn't phone Gerard as I had more important things to do than listen to that douche lecture me on why I was too drunk from last night to go get Frank in the first place."

"Phone Gee? Oh. My. God." Jamia flung herself back in her chair, scrunching her eyes up in frustration.

"What now?" Mikey asked as he walked back to the couch and slumped into the soft cushions.

"I totally forgot! Gee is coming home today. I was going to tell you but I got distracted....and then last night. And then I had to get to work. He was going to ring when he got to the station."

"Oh this day just gets better and better doesn't it?! And distracted by ogling Frank's tattoos I bet. There was a message from Gee on the machine saying something about where am I but he always says that when he rings. I'd better go find him. He's probably sat in the coffee house by the station doodling on napkins by now."

"Sowie"

"Don't sowie me. Stop by later." Mikey went to hang up before adding "And bring more chicken."

Mikey grab his keys heading on the second mercy mission of the day.

X


An old Nissan Sunny pulled up in front of Gerard, piercing blue eyes staring at him through the grimy glass. Bob leaned across and opened the door.

"Gee, man you look so different."

"Ha-ha thanks."

"The hair. Man. It's shorter than mine! Get in, it's freezing."

Gerard threw his bag onto the back seat before hopping in and shutting out the cold winter breeze. He immediately got back up, finding a CD corner jabbed into his lower back. Pulling them out, he couldn't help but laugh at the batter Rush and Avril Lavigne CD cases. Sparing Bob's humiliation, he threw them into the back without passing comment.

"Thanks Bob, I thought I was going to die in that station. What's the point of technology bringing people together if the other douche doesn't turn on the phone?"

"I assume Mikey forgot." Bob said as he adjusted the car heaters to maximum after noticing that Gerard was still shivering.

"Yeah the little shit." Gerard replied as he smiled to himself, noticing Bob's adjustment of the heater and sighing as he felt a stream of warm air around his feet.

"Do you want to grab a drink and some food or do you want to get to Mikes?" Bob asked as he checked his mirrors after putting the Sunny in gear.

"No food would be great! We need a good catch up."

Bob put on the blinker before pulling out into the busy street.

X

Ten minutes later the Nissan was parked neatly in the lot of an old bar the two men used to frequent.

"Let me guess, double jack and coke?" Bob said as they approach the bar of the dimly lit club. Despite it being early afternoon, a cloud of smoke was gathering in the bar and settling lazily around them.

"Um, no. I don't drink anymore. Just a coke for me." Gerard replied nonchalantly.

"Oh ok, sure." Bob replied surprised. Glancing across at Gerard he noticed his eyes darting around the bar, trying to look anywhere but at the alcohol. If he had known, he would never have come here.

X

The old friends were sat at a table in the corner, each sipping at glasses of coke.

"Art school, so all those days doodling on your math assignments weren't a total loss then."

"Ha-ha funny. So what you up to?" Gerard was folding the napkin into an elaborate design as he spoke, tongue hanging out the corner of his mouth in deep concentration. Bob had to chuckle at his creative friend.

"Not a lot to be honest. I was working at the club on fifth as a technician, but it went under about 5 months ago. There aren't the jobs around as every band has their own techs now. So I just do a few odd jobs here and here to get by"

When Gerard looked up form his paper masterpiece, Bob was sat with his chin resting on folded hands, clearly trying to organize conflicting thoughts.