Chapter Fourteen.

Gerard ate half of the sandwich and had a few sips of his coffee; he wasn't very hungry and he wasn't in the mood for conversation either. After thanking his brother he went to bed. Mikey tidied up the kitchen and rang Pete.

"Hey Mikes, you okay?" came the familiar voice.

"Um no, not really."

"Why what's up?"

"It's Gerard." Mikey replied, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.

"What's happened? Do you want me to come over?" asked Pete, sounding concerned.

"Yeah please."

Mikey sat on the couch in silence, waiting for Pete to arrive. The knock startled him. When he opened the door, Pete lent forwards and hugged him tightly before walking inside.

"Right, tell me what's happened." said Pete, pulling Mikey towards the living room.

"Frank's been in a bad accident and he's in hospital. Gerard was with him all day yesterday and today until I brought him home. I know he's depressed and I don't know what to do."

"Aw Mikes, the most you can do is be there for him. Keep him sane, visit Frank with him and just make sure he stays off alcohol. It's gonna be hard for him but Frank's gonna be okay, you know what he's like." Pete smiled. Mikey turned around to lie on the couch; he rested his head on Pete's lap and shut his eyes. Pete sighed and started twirling his fingers through Mikey's hair.

"I've been so strong for him," Mikey's voice was stalling, "I don't know how long I can keep it up." that was it, Mikey started crying. The lump in his throat couldn't be swallowed down any longer. Pete lifted Mikey's head off his lap and layed down next to him; he cradled his chest with his arm and used his other hand to stroke Mikey's head.

"When I think of people giving up, you are the last person on this planet I'd even consider. You're stronger than anyone I know, Gerard needs you don't give up on him, once Frank's better you can relax a bit but not now." said Pete, hoping it would make Mikey feel better, it seemed to work because Mikey had stopped crying.

"Okay. Thank you." Mikey turned to smile at Pete, who returned it with a kiss.

"You want me to stay here tonight?" Pete asked.

"Yeah, I'd like that." Mikey whispered back.

"Come on, it's only seven but you look absolutely drained. Let's go to bed." said Pete, getting off the couch and standing up, he took Mikey's hand and led him upstairs.

For Mikey, going to sleep in Pete's arms wasn't hard however Gerard wasn't doing very well at all. He had managed to fall asleep but this time, instead of the blackness he was expecting, his mind flooded with images and played tricks that made his sleep restless and scary. He was having a nightmare.

The phone was ringing and Mikey answered, the person on the other end must have told him something horrific because he ran upstairs and shook Gerard's shoulders feverishly. He told Gerard that Frank's condition had deteriorated over night and they had to go to the hospital straight away. In blind panic, Gerard and Mikey got in the car and sped off. However, the car wasn't fast enough and they were slowing down. Gerard heard Frank screaming in agony. It was like torture. He saw Frank layed in the hospital bed, writhing in pain, screaming, his face twisted. Gerard couldn't reach Frank; he could only see him and hear him begging for help.

Gerard woke suddenly, he was breathing rapidly. Beads of cold, horror induced sweat were rolling off his fore head, his back, and his chest. His eyes were wide open and his pupils were dilated. He took a few deep breaths and sat at the edge of his bed, head in hands and tears forming in his eyes. After calming down, he checked his cell, nothing. Gerard then walked down the stairs quietly and looked at the phone, no missed calls, no messages, thank god. He went to the wine cooler in the back room and grabbed a couple of bottles, opening them both; he walked to the living room and sat on the couch.

You promised him Gerard, you promised you wouldn't drink while he was in hospital. Don't fucking do this to him. However his thoughts weren't enough to stop the bottle reaching his lips. Gerard downed half of the bottle in four large gulps. He looked at it, You love Frank, put it down. Gerard felt the lump forming in his throat and swollowed it down. There's no point, i've already broken my promise.

The bottle was soon at his lips again, this time he finished it and started on the next one without any thought in between. The second bottle of wine was soon empty and Gerard was wobbling to the cooler for a third.

"Gerard?" someone was behind him. "Put the bottle down, yeah?" It was Pete, who'd come downstairs for some water and heard the sound of clinking bottles.

"I can't." Gerard hiccupped, he wanted more. He wanted to drown his feelings in waves of mind-numbing alcohol, two bottles wasn't enough for him to forget.

"You can, I know you think you need it but you really don't. Frank needs you to stop drinking, Mikey does too. We're all worried about you." said Pete rationally.

"That's because I do need it... and I don't fucking care! Worrying about me isn't gonna change anything! Why can't people leave me the fuck alone to get on with my life? Frank isn't here; he's in hospital he doesn't need to know I'm drinking." The alcohol had made Gerard angry; everything in his mind had been blown out of proportion.

Everyone seemed to be on his back or trying to hurt him on purpose. He threw a glass that was on the table in Pete's direction, it narrowly missed. Pete shielded his eyes and waited a few seconds, when he looked again, Gerard was curled up in the floor; knees drawn to his chest and arms wrapped around them. He was sobbing softly.

Pete ran to the stairs to get Mikey however he was already stood at the top of them with a worried look on his face.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing Mikey, I swear. I caught him drinking and told him to stop and he threw a glass at me. I don't know what to do." Pete said hurriedly. Mikey ran down the stairs, quickly followed by Pete, and down the corridor into the backroom. Gerard was in the same place as he was when Pete left.

"Could you wait upstairs please?" Mikey asked.

"Yeah sure." Pete replied.

Mikey quietly and slowly walked up to Gerard. He knelt down next to him and waited.