FicWad

Ray sat in a private waiting room at the hospital. It wasn’t standard treatment, but shortly after a large group of teenage girls started to gather in the corridors, pointing and giggling, Ray was bundled into a room on his own by the hospital’s own security team. He checked his watch again. The doctor had been in Bob’s room for over twenty minutes and Ray was getting restless at the lack of information. Opening the door, Ray stepped into the corridor only to feel a hand placed firmly on his chest.
“It would be best if you stayed in here,” the security guard announced.
“I’m checking on my friend,” Ray replied with a touch of surprise and irritation in his tone.
“I’ve been asked to keep you here,” the guard stated much to Ray’s surprise.
“Well you can’t!” Ray replied angrily. “I can go anywhere I damn well please!”
The guard said nothing, but refused to let Ray pass into the corridor.
“Get out of my way!” Ray yelled frustrated as the guard blocked his exit once again.
“Something wrong, Ray?” a familiar voice called from part way down the corridor.
“T.J.!” Ray cried relieved to see a familiar face. The tall, broad shouldered man approached and eyed the hospital guard on the door.
“Is there a problem?” he asked.
“No, there’s no problem,” the guard replied.
“I’m guessing he wants to leave. Are you stopping him?” T.J. now stood within inches of the guard, towering over him.
“I’m doing my job,” he replied trying not to appear intimidated by the huge man’s presence.
“What you’re doing is illegal,” T.J. pointed out calmly but firmly. “I suggest you stand aside.”
“I…”
“And if you lay another finger on my friend here, I’ll break it.”
Frowning deeply, the guard stepped aside, allowing Ray out of the room. Ray pulled T.J. in the direction of Bob’s room as he spoke.
“Thanks, man, I gotta find out how Bob is.”
“Right with you.”

*

Frank opened the door a few inches and peered into Mikey’s room. The bassist was clearly asleep, but it was a fitful sleep. Frank watched with a furrowed brow as Mikey muttered, occasionally cried out and thrashed in the bed. Whatever his dream, it was clearly unpleasant. Edging his way to the bed, Frank uttered reassuring words in a soft low voice, trying his best to help Mikey calm down and get some proper restful sleep. His voice only seemed to upset Mikey more and it wasn’t long before his incoherent mutterings escalated into full blown shouts and terrified screams.
“Mikey!” Frank shook his arms. Whatever he was suffering through, even just a dream, Frank couldn’t let it go on.
“Gee!” Mikey screamed as he sat bolt upright in the bed. “Let him go! No!”
“Wake up!” Frank shook him again.
Breaking from his hold, Mikey aimed a clenched fist. With a grunt of pain Frank spun off the bed and landed heavily on the floor, his eye feeling as if it had splintered into a thousand pieces.
“Frankie?” came a small apologetic voice from the bed.
“Fuck, Mikey, that’s a hell of a right hook you’ve got,” Frank replied miserably as he pushed himself to his knees and gently fingered the growing bruise and swelling around his left eye.
“It was a dream,” he continued mortified by inflicting such harm on his friend. “I didn’t realise…”
“I know,” Frank turned and offered a conciliatory smile. “How are you feeling?”
“Honestly?” Mikey asked. “Exhausted. Any news?”
Frank sighed. There was so much to tell; he barely knew where to start.
“What?” Mikey picked up on Frank’s tone. “What’s happened?”
“Sam’s here,” Frank started on a positive note. “Remember Sam?”
“Of course I do,” the bassist replied quickly. “Something’s wrong, Frank, I know, I can tell in your voice. Is it Gee?”
“No,” Frank replied reassuringly quickly. “It… it’s Bob.”
Bringing Mikey up to speed with everything that had happened was no mean feat; it was starting to feel to Frank as if things hadn’t stopped happening. Looking at the bed and the warm inviting sheets, Frank began to realise how tired he felt and wished that he could just rest his buzzing head for even a few minutes.
“I’m just waiting for a call from Ray now,” he said, finishing his explanation.
Mikey nodded slowly and pushed the covers away from his legs.
“Where are you going?” asked Frank bewildered by the response.
“Look at you,” Mikey shrugged, “so calm, under control. How am I helping by losing it?”
Frank had to admire Mikey’s courage, but it was unnecessary.
“He’s your brother,” Frank gestured with open palms, “it’s ok to be freaked out!”
“But it’s not helpful,” Mikey nodded, “from now on, I’m as strong as you.”
Frank smiled. He had heard the shake in Mikey’s voice even as he made the bold statement, but he would never let him know that he was aware of it.
“Back to bed, Mikes.”
“No, I’m…”
“Yeah, I know, but unless you want to be awake on your own, you will. As soon as I hear from…”
It was perfect timing. Frank looked down at his ringing cell phone; it was Ray.
“Ray,” Frank answered immediately and asked his next question with an urgent tone. “How’s Bob?”
“He’s fine, Frankie,” the relief in Ray’s voice was palpable. “The doc says no major organs were hit. He’s had stitches and he’ll be fine, really.”
“Really? You’re not lying?”
“Straight up, Frank, he’ll be fine,” Ray laughed. “In fact, this is how fine. The doc said he’d be in hospital for a few days, but he wouldn’t be able to drum for about four weeks. You should have heard him whimper. I swear, I’ve not heard anything like it, it was pathetic!”
“Aww!” Frank laughed in return. “Poor Bob! Separated from his beloved kit!”
“How’s Mikey?” Ray asked, his tone dropping to a sombre pitch once more.
Frank smiled and nodded.
“Mikey’s fine,” he replied smiling at the bassist. “He’s just fine.”
A beeping noise in his ear alerted Frank to an incoming message. It felt as though his heart had stopped ever so briefly. He recalled immediately the desperate message he had sent to Gerard’s phone to try to convince his kidnappers not to hurt him.
“I gotta go, Ray!” Frank spoke with an urgent tone. “I got a message.”
“Okay,” Ray replied, “let me know if you hear anything."
“Will do,” Frank nodded as he spoke.
Perhaps things were picking up? Bob was ok, Mikey was feeling strong, and maybe, just maybe, Gerard’s kidnappers were getting in touch.
Please let everything be okay.
Frank didn’t realise that he actually said the words out loud but it was enough to attract Mikey’s attention. With a slight tremble in his hands, Frank pressed a few buttons and viewed the message.
“Frank!” Mikey cried, his eyes wide in shock as Frank burst from the room covering his mouth.
Scrambling after him, Mikey followed, finding Frank kneeling on the floor of the bathroom, being violently sick into the toilet.
Sam joined the pair only a fraction of a second later.
“What’s wrong?” he asked but received no reply from either musician.
“Frank, what is it? Tell me!” Mikey begged.
Frank allowed the cell phone to slip to the floor and wiped his mouth with a length of tissue. Mikey edged forward, gingerly picked up the phone and gazed in disbelief at the photo of Gerard.
“Oh…” he gasped, unable to form any other words.
Stepping backwards, dazed and numb; Mikey reached for the wall. Still a few feet away, he didn’t even register that it was Sam that stepped forward to offer him support.
“Frank.” Mikey took a deep breath and continued slowly and deliberately. “I’m going to kill them for this.”