"This can't be right! There must be a mistake! You can't have…" Gerard drifted off. Tears stung in his eyes, threatening to flow over. Is hands clinched the horrible letter, from the hospital. In front of him, Frank sat on the couch, his knees brought up under his chin, under his chin. Now that Gerard knew, he could see the effects that the cancer had, already, had on him. Frank's eyes were dark, he had lost a lot of weight, and he had seemed quite tired lately.
"There's no mistake. The doctor said it was from smoking." Frank told Gerard quietly. He too, had tears threatening to trickle down his cheeks.
"So…what does this mean?" Gerard asked reluctantly.
"You're going to need to find a new rhythm guitarist," Frank chuckled without any humour.
"Don't talk like that! You have to fight this, Frankie!"
"I can't do much, can I? I made the decision to smoke. I knew the risks. Now, I'm going to face the consequences!"
"Dying is not a consequence, Frank!" Gerard had moved, and was now sitting beside Frank. They sat silently for a few minutes. They were in Gerard's basement, and his parents were out, so it really was silent, except for the rare passing car. Finally Gerard asked the question, burning on his tongue.
"How long?" He whispered.
"About two months," Frank answered. The tears flowed over, and ran down his face. "You said yourself," Frank continued, "We're all gonna die." He smiled at Gerard, through his tears.
"Frank!" Gerard was starting to get really pissed off at his suicidal attitude, "You're only 27! You're too young to die!" Gerard started to cry as well.
"Death isn't the end of the story, it's the start of a new chapter."
"Frank, you're acting insane! This is suicide!" He paused, then continued more solemnly, "How are we supposed to on, Frankie? You're like my step-brother."
"Do you think I want to die?" Frank roared, leaping to his feet. Gerard wasn't surprised by his outburst, so much as the fact, that he had the energy to leap to his feet. He had seemed so frail lately. Gerard stood and placed his hand on Frank's upper arm, gently.
"You could at least try to fight this!"
-- 2 ½ months later --
"To me, Frank was my step-brother in a way. He wasn't just a friend and band mate, he was much more. He will never really be gone. He will always be with us. And so will I," As Gerard spoke these words, a quiet murmur broke out across the pews of mourners. "I have made a decision," He continued, slowly withdrawing a silver blade, from his pocket, "I love you all, but I need the man I love most." With those final words, Gerard stabbed the knife into his heart. People screamed in shock and horror. Others ran around, stupidly. Gerard's wife, Lindsey, ran up to his corpse, and broke down, right there. His younger brother, Mikey, stared at his lifeless brother, while his parents tried to drag him away.
What about everything he 'believed' in? Mikey thought, what happened to 'never resort to violence'? Mikey couldn't believe his brother would do something so rash, just for Frank. Something about what he said at the end, there, struck a chord in Mikey's mind. 'I love you all, but I need to be with the man I love.' He's in love with Frank! Mikey realised with a start. He also noticed that he thought as if they were still alive.
"Mikey, baby! Are you okay?" His wife, Alicia, cried, emerging from the chapel, and embracing him.
"Where's Lindsey?" He asked suddenly.
"She's still in there. She won't move. Poor girl's absolutely beside herself. Dealing with her husband committing suicide and finding out he was gay…! Oh, Mikey, this is horrible." Alicia sobbed into Mikey's chest.
"Tick-or-treat?" A group of little kids asked a near by house. Halloween.
"Happy Birthday, Frank." Mikey whispered, "You finally got the prefect birthday present: Gee for eternity."
"I miss you, but now I've got some company. Please join us only when you're ready…" The wind seemed to whisper in Mikey's ear.
"We'll always be together," Mikey confirmed, "Just like Gerard said."
