Categories > Celebrities > My Chemical Romance > Twenty-One Letters Ending in T
Chapter 9.
3 reviews“To MCR,” Escher said calmly, proferring her beer, “The band that saves lives” She continued, starting only when she caught Frank’s eyes from across the bar.
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Had anybody been in the room at the moment that her eyelids first began to flutter, betraying that she was alive at all, they wouldn’t even have noticed; the movement was so tiny, so vulnerable, not at all like Escher Drake. She clenched the fingers of her right hand and winced as the light from the white room began to seep into her consciousness.
Finally her eyelids opened, she felt tired, groggy, dehydrated but most of all, disoriented. She hated feeling disoriented, it reminded her of the bad times. It reminded her of all those days that she and Johnny would wake up completely out of their minds, barely recognizing each other on the futon in her dorm room.
She winced, her headache still there behind her eyes. Slowly, she sat up, taking stop of the IV drip in her arm and the fact that the room was empty. She wasn’t vulnerable, she knew that, just like she knew that all she wanted was for the door to open and for Frank to walk through.
She remembered being in the bar with him, the dizziness, her headache and the look of horror on his face as she fell. He must have brought her here, so where was he? She reached for the button that would summon a nurse.
A young girl, she must have still been a resident, came in soon after, smiling cheerfully.
“Mrs. Drake, how are you?”
Escher groaned but summoned her voice.
“Fine, what happened?”
“I’m afraid you had an episode”
“An episode?” Escher mocked, “what is this? 1952? I fainted?”
The nurse’s smile faltered for a moment.
“Yes, er, the doctor has diagnosed a simple case of exhaustion, but she thought it best to keep you in for observation and keep you hydrated, that’s what the IV is for”
“Did anyone come in with me?”
The nurse smiled conspiratorially.
“Oh yes, Mr. Iero accompanied you here in the ambulance but he left soon after. I suppose he wouldn’t want anyone to spot him here so soon after…well…”
Escher glared at her.
“I’m his employee, I work for the band”
“Oh I’m sorry….”
“That’s fine,” Escher snapped, “Now what do I have to sign to get the fuck out of here”
“Dr. Haner has suggested that you…”
“Please bring me my check-out forms and take this damn needle out of my arm”
The nurse nodded swiftly and left.
Escher had signed her paperwork, ignoring the concerned mutterings of the nurses and Dr. Haner. She quickly changed back into the clothes she had presented in and was walking out the front door of the hospital when she collided with someone. Stepping back, swearing violently, she
recognized Sarah.
“Oh Jesus Christ, what are you doing here?” She snapped.
Sarah stared at her.
“Why are you leaving?”
“It’s getting late and I have a gala to attend”
“E nobody expects you to…”
“I expect myself to, now are you going to take me home to change, or not?”
“How did you even know I was at the hospital?” Escher called from her room where she was setting her hair in kiss curls.
“Frank came back to The Canary to find Laszlow…he said he couldn’t stay, he…”
“I don’t care” Escher snapped. She was rewarded with a disbelieving glance from Sarah who was leaning in her doorway.
“You know I hate it when you do that Sarah” Escher sighed.
“I know”
“And you’re already very unpopular with me”
Sarah sputtered indignantly.
“What? What the hell did I do now?”
Escher turned to stare at her calmly as she inserted her marcasite earrings.
“You left the bar, during your shift, on a day when we were preparing for a huge party” She replied.
“But…but you were in hospital!” Sarah exclaimed.
“I was fine, the bar wasn’t”
“Why are you being such a bitch?” Sarah snapped.
“I realize that you and Laz live with me Sarah but don’t let that cloud your memory. I am still your boss”
Sarah’s eyes widened in hurt.
“Well, you couldn’t make that any fucking clearer Escher”
She turned on her heel and Escher rolled her eyes.
A minute later, as she was stepping into her shoes she noticed Sarah standing in the doorway again.
“I just realized,” She said quietly, not meeting Escher’s eyes.
“Realised what?” Escher asked exasperatedly.
“That’s it’s just been a year”
Escher squeezed her eyes shut.
“I’m sorry E, that I didn’t realize”
“That’s not your job”
“It is, the biggest part of my job is being your friend. Now the car’s waiting downstairs if you’re ready”
Escher nodded, draping a fur stole she’d bought for the evening around her shoulders, not noticing the medical bracelet still attached to her left wrist.
“To keeping it real” Warren Greyfern said, causing everyone to role their eyes.
“To ending our days in a hail of bullets” Gerard cried with a blush, raising his coke.
Escher leaned back in her seat, holding her own beer. The boys had shown up for the gala, all except for Frank.
“To MCR,” Escher said calmly, proferring her beer, “The band that saves lives” She continued, starting only when she caught Frank’s eyes from across the bar.
“Cheers to fucking that” Bob said quickly and suddenly at least fifteen beer mugs clinked together.
Escher half-turned when she heard the store-room door of The Canary open, unsurprised to see Frank enter.
“Are you feeling better?” He asked quietly.
“I’m fine” She replied coolly.
“Oh” Frank stared hard at the ground before glancing up. “I’m a little drunk” He said quietly.
Escher laughed despite herself.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah…I’m sorry I couldn’t stay with you today I…”
“It’s fine,” She interrupted, “I look after myself”
“Yeah I kind of got that,” His eyes fell to her medical bracelet. He picked up her wrist to read it.
“They made a mistake, Mrs. E. Drake…I’ve been meaning to ask you though, why do you call yourself Escher Drake? At high school your surname was Green”
Escher seemed to take a deep breath as she fell into one of the chairs in the storeroom and lit a cigarette. Exhaling heavily she finally answered.
“Drake isn’t my surname”
Frank quirked his eyebrow.
“It’s…my husband’s surname”
Finally her eyelids opened, she felt tired, groggy, dehydrated but most of all, disoriented. She hated feeling disoriented, it reminded her of the bad times. It reminded her of all those days that she and Johnny would wake up completely out of their minds, barely recognizing each other on the futon in her dorm room.
She winced, her headache still there behind her eyes. Slowly, she sat up, taking stop of the IV drip in her arm and the fact that the room was empty. She wasn’t vulnerable, she knew that, just like she knew that all she wanted was for the door to open and for Frank to walk through.
She remembered being in the bar with him, the dizziness, her headache and the look of horror on his face as she fell. He must have brought her here, so where was he? She reached for the button that would summon a nurse.
A young girl, she must have still been a resident, came in soon after, smiling cheerfully.
“Mrs. Drake, how are you?”
Escher groaned but summoned her voice.
“Fine, what happened?”
“I’m afraid you had an episode”
“An episode?” Escher mocked, “what is this? 1952? I fainted?”
The nurse’s smile faltered for a moment.
“Yes, er, the doctor has diagnosed a simple case of exhaustion, but she thought it best to keep you in for observation and keep you hydrated, that’s what the IV is for”
“Did anyone come in with me?”
The nurse smiled conspiratorially.
“Oh yes, Mr. Iero accompanied you here in the ambulance but he left soon after. I suppose he wouldn’t want anyone to spot him here so soon after…well…”
Escher glared at her.
“I’m his employee, I work for the band”
“Oh I’m sorry….”
“That’s fine,” Escher snapped, “Now what do I have to sign to get the fuck out of here”
“Dr. Haner has suggested that you…”
“Please bring me my check-out forms and take this damn needle out of my arm”
The nurse nodded swiftly and left.
Escher had signed her paperwork, ignoring the concerned mutterings of the nurses and Dr. Haner. She quickly changed back into the clothes she had presented in and was walking out the front door of the hospital when she collided with someone. Stepping back, swearing violently, she
recognized Sarah.
“Oh Jesus Christ, what are you doing here?” She snapped.
Sarah stared at her.
“Why are you leaving?”
“It’s getting late and I have a gala to attend”
“E nobody expects you to…”
“I expect myself to, now are you going to take me home to change, or not?”
“How did you even know I was at the hospital?” Escher called from her room where she was setting her hair in kiss curls.
“Frank came back to The Canary to find Laszlow…he said he couldn’t stay, he…”
“I don’t care” Escher snapped. She was rewarded with a disbelieving glance from Sarah who was leaning in her doorway.
“You know I hate it when you do that Sarah” Escher sighed.
“I know”
“And you’re already very unpopular with me”
Sarah sputtered indignantly.
“What? What the hell did I do now?”
Escher turned to stare at her calmly as she inserted her marcasite earrings.
“You left the bar, during your shift, on a day when we were preparing for a huge party” She replied.
“But…but you were in hospital!” Sarah exclaimed.
“I was fine, the bar wasn’t”
“Why are you being such a bitch?” Sarah snapped.
“I realize that you and Laz live with me Sarah but don’t let that cloud your memory. I am still your boss”
Sarah’s eyes widened in hurt.
“Well, you couldn’t make that any fucking clearer Escher”
She turned on her heel and Escher rolled her eyes.
A minute later, as she was stepping into her shoes she noticed Sarah standing in the doorway again.
“I just realized,” She said quietly, not meeting Escher’s eyes.
“Realised what?” Escher asked exasperatedly.
“That’s it’s just been a year”
Escher squeezed her eyes shut.
“I’m sorry E, that I didn’t realize”
“That’s not your job”
“It is, the biggest part of my job is being your friend. Now the car’s waiting downstairs if you’re ready”
Escher nodded, draping a fur stole she’d bought for the evening around her shoulders, not noticing the medical bracelet still attached to her left wrist.
“To keeping it real” Warren Greyfern said, causing everyone to role their eyes.
“To ending our days in a hail of bullets” Gerard cried with a blush, raising his coke.
Escher leaned back in her seat, holding her own beer. The boys had shown up for the gala, all except for Frank.
“To MCR,” Escher said calmly, proferring her beer, “The band that saves lives” She continued, starting only when she caught Frank’s eyes from across the bar.
“Cheers to fucking that” Bob said quickly and suddenly at least fifteen beer mugs clinked together.
Escher half-turned when she heard the store-room door of The Canary open, unsurprised to see Frank enter.
“Are you feeling better?” He asked quietly.
“I’m fine” She replied coolly.
“Oh” Frank stared hard at the ground before glancing up. “I’m a little drunk” He said quietly.
Escher laughed despite herself.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah…I’m sorry I couldn’t stay with you today I…”
“It’s fine,” She interrupted, “I look after myself”
“Yeah I kind of got that,” His eyes fell to her medical bracelet. He picked up her wrist to read it.
“They made a mistake, Mrs. E. Drake…I’ve been meaning to ask you though, why do you call yourself Escher Drake? At high school your surname was Green”
Escher seemed to take a deep breath as she fell into one of the chairs in the storeroom and lit a cigarette. Exhaling heavily she finally answered.
“Drake isn’t my surname”
Frank quirked his eyebrow.
“It’s…my husband’s surname”
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