We're Just Two Men As God Had Made Us
Chapter Thirty Three
Mikey's POV
I ran to the hospital. 6 blocks away, but I felt no pain, or fatigue. I needed to see Gerard, now. Barging through the swinging doors, I ran to the information counter, and screamed at the startled receptionist between gasps.
"Gerard... Way.. Me... Brother!!!!" She recovered and told me, "Ward 13, second floor" in an unaturally calm voice. She must've met with many panic-stricken people like me before, everyday of her life. I bolted up the stairs, not waiting for the lift. With every step I took, my mind screamed at me.
Why'd you let him leave??
I ran to the room, and burst in, not caring for all the startled glances I was receiving. To my utmost joy, Gerard was sitting up in bed, though curled up in a fetal position, rocking left and right. My face lit up with joy and I ran to him, pulling him into a tight hug. He smiled slightly and accomodated me, but pulled away quickly. What was wrong...?
"I'm so glad you're fine, Gee..." my breath came back to me, the toll of running six blocks straight and two flights of stairs came back and punched me in the face, and lungs, and quads. Collapsing into a chair, I smiled.
"I got here as quick as I could." Looking up into Gerard's face, I saw beyond the sad smile, and I knew something was wrong.
"Gee, what is it? Is everything okay?" I hovered over him cautiously, worry gathering in the lines of my frown.
"I'm fine. It's just that, Mikey..." He looked up at me. "I crashed into another car, and..." He faltered.
"Go on..." I urged, though not liking where this was going.
"The other driver, she didn't make it." He looked down, not able to meet my eyes.
Oh my god. I collapsed into my seat. Just because of him, another person died tonight, right in our city, adding to the toll of hundreds around the world. Though I didn't even know the person, I'm sure, it was still a big blow. And I couldn't calm myself down by telling myself it wasn't Gerard's fault, because it was. I looked sadly into his eyes.
"I never should've let you go out there..." I trailed off. He took a stern look onto his face.
"No Mikey. NEVER blame yourself. It was my fault, my responsibility. I chose to go out there, despite you telling me to." I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off. "And DON'T say you could've made me, because that won't do any good, not all the "could've"s and "would've"s in the world could fix this."
I looked at him. Since when did he become so responsible? He was a changed man... As if reading my thoughts, he smiled at me.
"You changed me, Mikes."
I smiled slightly. Feeling better, I took his hand and kissed it.
"I love you Gerard." A silent forgiveness passed between us, and his face, though tired and burdened with what he did today, looked as though cobwebs came off it, and he looked radiant.
"I love you too Mikey." And he pulled me in to kiss me. Just as our lips were about to meet, my cell phone rang again. What now? I sighed irritatedly and eyed it. It delievered nothing but bad news tonight. Dreadingly, I picked it up and put it to my ear.
"Michael?" The caller on the other end sounded tearful, choked even. It was Lilly's mother.
"Mrs Layne?"
I ran to the hospital. 6 blocks away, but I felt no pain, or fatigue. I needed to see Gerard, now. Barging through the swinging doors, I ran to the information counter, and screamed at the startled receptionist between gasps.
"Gerard... Way.. Me... Brother!!!!" She recovered and told me, "Ward 13, second floor" in an unaturally calm voice. She must've met with many panic-stricken people like me before, everyday of her life. I bolted up the stairs, not waiting for the lift. With every step I took, my mind screamed at me.
Why'd you let him leave??
I ran to the room, and burst in, not caring for all the startled glances I was receiving. To my utmost joy, Gerard was sitting up in bed, though curled up in a fetal position, rocking left and right. My face lit up with joy and I ran to him, pulling him into a tight hug. He smiled slightly and accomodated me, but pulled away quickly. What was wrong...?
"I'm so glad you're fine, Gee..." my breath came back to me, the toll of running six blocks straight and two flights of stairs came back and punched me in the face, and lungs, and quads. Collapsing into a chair, I smiled.
"I got here as quick as I could." Looking up into Gerard's face, I saw beyond the sad smile, and I knew something was wrong.
"Gee, what is it? Is everything okay?" I hovered over him cautiously, worry gathering in the lines of my frown.
"I'm fine. It's just that, Mikey..." He looked up at me. "I crashed into another car, and..." He faltered.
"Go on..." I urged, though not liking where this was going.
"The other driver, she didn't make it." He looked down, not able to meet my eyes.
Oh my god. I collapsed into my seat. Just because of him, another person died tonight, right in our city, adding to the toll of hundreds around the world. Though I didn't even know the person, I'm sure, it was still a big blow. And I couldn't calm myself down by telling myself it wasn't Gerard's fault, because it was. I looked sadly into his eyes.
"I never should've let you go out there..." I trailed off. He took a stern look onto his face.
"No Mikey. NEVER blame yourself. It was my fault, my responsibility. I chose to go out there, despite you telling me to." I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off. "And DON'T say you could've made me, because that won't do any good, not all the "could've"s and "would've"s in the world could fix this."
I looked at him. Since when did he become so responsible? He was a changed man... As if reading my thoughts, he smiled at me.
"You changed me, Mikes."
I smiled slightly. Feeling better, I took his hand and kissed it.
"I love you Gerard." A silent forgiveness passed between us, and his face, though tired and burdened with what he did today, looked as though cobwebs came off it, and he looked radiant.
"I love you too Mikey." And he pulled me in to kiss me. Just as our lips were about to meet, my cell phone rang again. What now? I sighed irritatedly and eyed it. It delievered nothing but bad news tonight. Dreadingly, I picked it up and put it to my ear.
"Michael?" The caller on the other end sounded tearful, choked even. It was Lilly's mother.
"Mrs Layne?"