FicWad

Gerard looked up at the man he believed to be a doctor and briefly pondered his next words.
“I want to talk to Mikey.”
“That won’t be possible,” Phillips returned flatly. “You’re here, partly to recover and partly to find out what prompted the violence. Talking to any member of your band, particularly your brother, is just not advisable right now.”
“Why particularly not Mikey?” Gerard cocked his head uncertain if he wanted to hear the response.
“Let’s move on, shall we?” Phillips replied, knowing it would only torment him further.
“What happened?”
“If you don’t remember, then it’s probably too soon…”
“What happened?!” Gerard yelled.
“Your brother is recovering from a vicious beating,” he replied with a cruel twist of honesty that he knew could only distress the young singer.
“No!” Gerard shook his head and rose to his feet, his eyes wide with shock. “I… I wouldn’t… I couldn’t!”
“Sit down, Mister Way.”
“You’re telling me I hit him?” Gerard waved his hands in front of himself. “No, that’s not possible! I could never do that!”
“Are you suggesting that I’m lying to you?” Phillips made a note on the chart he held.
“W..wait! What are you writing there?” Gerard pointed to the chart. “I’m saying you’re wrong, or someone is…”
“Perhaps Mikey’s lying?”
“He said… I…” Gerard slumped back into the chair. Resting his elbow on the padded arm of the chair, he placed his fingers on his lips and tried to remember. His eyes’ focus fell away into the middle distance as he considered everything he had been told. Lost in his thoughts, Gerard barely noticed Phillips get up and leave the room.

*

“Okay,” Bob reasoned. “We have to discuss this with Brian.”
Ray gravely nodded his agreement; it was their only choice.
“What if I can’t raise that much?” Mikey asked with uncertainty.
Frankie smiled at his innocence. “Mikey, don’t you mean we?”
“I can’t ask…” the young bassist’s voice cracked as he was fixed with six sympathetic eyes.
“You didn’t.” Bob spoke for them all. “You didn’t have to.”
“What if Brian wants to go to the police?”
“He won’t do that,” Ray comforted him. “Why would he do anything to put Gerard at risk?”
Mikey nodded. He wanted to believe what they were telling him but the nagging doubt just wouldn’t subside. There was only one way to be certain.
“Let’s call Brian.”

*

“Did he go for it?” Kay Beddoe, Gerard's supposed nurse, asked her partner in crime as he entered the room and took a seat.
Marty shrugged, unconvinced. “For now. He’s not stupid though, he’s going to see through this sooner or later.”
“Well, then,” Kay stubbed out her cigarette, “let’s hope it’s later.”
“Mmm,” Marty agreed, his thoughts elsewhere. “And when he realises?”
“He’s locked up, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, he’s locked up, which may just give the game away. He’s bound to think that’s odd too.”
Marty leaned back in the chair. They were both determined to get what they wanted, and Kay was just as ruthless as he was, but he couldn’t help but worry that she was too dismissive of the young singer’s intelligence and reasoning.
“Not if he believes he was violent,” Kay argued. “You’ll just have to be more convincing.”
“Why don’t you take some food into him?” Marty snapped as he settled back and placed his legs on the table.
Kay laughed, rising from the table.
“Yeah,” she nodded, “he must be hungry by now.”

*

Picking up the telephone, Bob dialled Brian’s direct line and waited.
“It’ll be okay,” Frank reassured him once more with a pat on his shoulder and as cheery a smile as he could muster.
“Brian,” Bob began, “we’ve got a serious problem.”
Perched on the arm of a chair, Mikey looked up and listened to one side of the conversation.
“It’s Gerard, he’s…”
Pause
“No, worse, he’s been kidnapped
Longer pause.
“No, we can’t…” Bob listened briefly before interrupting. “No, they said they’d kill him… no, we… of course we believe they would!”
Mikey snatched the phone from Bob.
“Mikey, it’s not how it sounds!” Bob tried to explain.
“What are you suggesting?” Mikey cried. “Some bastard’s got my brother! How can you even…”
“Mikey, calm down!” Brian cut in. “I was making sure from Bob that no one was playing the hero, I didn’t suggest it wasn’t a genuine threat!”
“I… oh… I’m sorry. I should have…” Mikey fell silent and Bob eased the telephone from his grasp.
“Brian?” Bob paused again as Brian took charge of the situation and discussed arrangements for the protection of the remaining band members and ransom payment.
By the end of the call, all eyes were on Bob who, during the conversation, had taken on an air of calm.
“Well?” asked Ray, eager for the news.
“We wait,” Bob explained. “For security and more news from the kidnappers.”
“I don’t like waiting,” Ray grumbled with a frown. “While we wait… anything…”
Mikey turned a wide-eyed expression to Ray who immediate regretted his choice of words.
“You just want him home.” Frank clarified.
“Yeah,” Ray nodded, grateful for the assistance. “That’s it, that’s all.”