FicWad

Gerard's back was stiff from sleeping in the waiting room chair. 'Why hadn't I slept on the couch?' he thought. Oh well, he wouldn't have slept well anyways. His thoughts were elsewhere, on Avenue. Her track scholarship would be gone, along with her ability to walk again. It tore him up inside, knowing that she could never walk down the isle with the father that she would never have. The realization brought him to tears.
It was early in the morning, about 5:15 he read on th clock across from him. The sun would not rise now for another 2 hours or so. He glanced at the news on the television. It was a weather report. "Weather news for lower Kansas include high winds, up to 60 mph and 8-10 inches of snow to come about 2 a.m. tomorrow morning," 'What is wrong with this place?' he asked himself. 'All this place is full of is snow and sorrow.'
Gerard sighed and turned away from the t.v. He decided that any more sleep was impossible at this point. He couldn't see Avenue until around 10 and again for only 15 minutes. He didn't understand, but a nurse had told him that was the way that the ICU unit worked.
He made his way downstairs, to get coffee. There was a coffee pot sitting on a counter next t a sink. And a little farther down the hall he could see pay phones. 'I should call Mikey,' he thought to himself. That would be wise. He reached over for a Styrofoam cup and poured himself so of the coffee. It tasted bitter and old, not refreshing as coffee should. he shrugged it away. Anything would do at this point.
Gerard tried to entertain himself until he could see Avenue. He watched t.v., but nothing good was on. He read parenting magazines, decorating magazines, floral magazines. They were all boring, how ever. 'Don't the keep a copy of Kerang anywhere?' He asked himself. It didn't matter. He looked up again and noticed the pay phones. 'call Mikey,' he told himself. 'You will feel better.' Gerard stood up and walked across the hall to the pay phones. After inserting 8 quarters into the slot, he called his brother's cell phone.
"Hello?" Said a familiar voice.
"Mikey?"
"Gerard! Hey, how was surgery?"
Why did he have to ask that? He remained silent.
"Gee? Are you there?"
"Yeah," he whispered. "I am."
"So, how was it?"
"They..." he paused a moment, trying to find the words. "Messed up."
"Messed up? How the hell.... What the fuck are you talking about?"
"They slipped. The scalpel... the doctor... he slipped."
"Gerard! Tell me!"
"They cut her artery open. They had to sew it back together..." He was quiet again. "Mikey, will you please come back?"
Mikey waited a moment before answering. He was torn up by the news. Probably just as much as Gerard. "Of course. I will be back tonight. Frank and I will. Bob is back in Chicago and Ray is heading down to Florida with some family. But Frank and I are there. We are always there."
Gerard was trying to hold back his tears, but it hurt his head and his eyes, so he let them fall. "I don't want to be alone anymore," he whispered into the receiver. "it hurts too bad when I can only see her for 15 minutes at a time. That's all the time we have together. She's lost her scholarship, Mikey!"
"How does she feel about that?"
"She doesn't know. She's still asleep or unconscience or whatever. God, Mikey! I miss her so much!" He couldn't fight off the feelings he was having. His face was red, he could feel it and his hazel eyes were swollen from the tears.
"Gerard, Frank and I will pack and take a plane down there as soon as possible, trust me."
"Okay," Gerard said. "Thanks Mikey. Goodbye, I love you."
"Love you too."
Mikey hung up the phone as Frank walked into the Way family kitchen. "Micheal got a girlfriend, does he?" He began digging through the refrigerator.
"No, that was Gerard. He needs us to come back."
"Does he miss me already?" Frank joked, shoving random items into his mouth, little crumbs falling out onto the floor.
"No, it's about Avenue. There were problems in the surgery and he needs us to return."
"Oh?" he asked, peeking his head over the fridge door.
"Yeah, I'm afraid he's goign to slip back into the old Gerard if we don't get down there soon enough."
"Yeah." Frank said, walking over to Mikey's side, who was presently leaning against the kitchen sink. "We will fly out there tonight. Everything will go just fine."
"Of course," Mikey agreed reluctantly, "he'll be just fine."

----------------------

"Avenue, it's Gerard. I've come to see how you were doing today." She lay there, asleep, her hand in Gerard's.
"Gerard..." she whispered.
"Yes, I'm here sweetheart."
"I've missed you. I feel like i haven't seen you in years."
"The same goes for me," he said, squeezing her hand gently.
"Baby, will you itch my leg. It really itches and i don't think I can reach it."
Gerard automatically reached for her right leg. "No, my left one. My left one itches."
Gerard remained silent. "I can't itch your left leg."
"Why not?"
"Avenue, it's not there."
"What do you mean it's not there?"
Gerard sighed as he told her about her operation. "But the good news is that I can take you back to Jersey with me tomorrow. Won't that be great? We can stay with my family until we can get a place. Together. Me and you."
She remained silent. "My leg... isn't there? Are you sure? It itches so bad!"
"I know Avenue, I know, but..."
"Mr. Way, time is up," said a nurse, entering the room.
"Okay, baby, listen, I have to leave now, but Mikey and Frank will be here soon, so you can see them too. Aren't you excited for Jersey?" Avenue could see the longing look in his hazel eyes, the need for something happy in his life through all of his tragedy. "Okay," she said, faking a smile. "See you later honey." And as she walked away, he couldn't help but feeling she was the reason for all his despair, all his pain.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

----------

When Frank and Mikey walked into the waiting room, Gerard was asleep in one of the chairs. “Gerard, wake up,” Mikey said, shaking him.
“Huh? What?” He was just waking up.
“Gerard, how is she?” Frank asked sitting next to Gee.
“She’s awake now,” Gerard replied.
“How did she take the news?” Mikey sat on the other side of Gerard.
“She didn’t take it to well.”
“Yeah, well if someone told me that I couldn’t play guitar anymore, I would get pretty upset too,” Frankie stated simply.
“Yeah, me too,” Mikey agreed.
“So, when do we get to play again? I mean, Brian said that you would cancel any show until she got better, but what if she doesn’t get better?” Frank asked.
“I get to take her to Jersey tomorrow. I know you guys just flew down here today ad I now you won’t want to go again tomorrow, but I just didn’t want to be alone.”
“Yeah, we understand,” Mikey said.
“Really? Do you think it’s a good idea?”
“Definitely,” Frank said.
“Hey,” Gerard said, looking at the clock. It was 8 even. “It is time to see Avenue again. Do you guys want to come with?”
They both nodded their heads and followed him out of the waiting room and down the hall.


“Avenue, baby, we’re back!” Gerard said, bounding into her room. She was sitting up in her bed, watching TV.
“Hey sweetie!” She exclaimed, opening her arms for an embrace. Gerard hugged her and kissed her forehead.
“Look,” he said. “You are sitting up! I’m so happy!”
“Yeah, the doctors said that the rod was better adjusted in my back now, so I can bend more.”
“That’s fantastic! But hey, look, I’ve brought Mikey and Frank to see you!”
Avenue held out her hand, but they both pushed it away and gave her a hug. “So, you’re packin’ up and finally leaving this dreadful place? Not much different in New Jersey,” Frank joked.
“Oh, shut up, Frank. You are going to love my family,” Gerard said, taking her hand. “They are great. This is going to be the best Christmas ever! Trust me!”