If your heart stops beating

~*Gerard’s Point of view*~

When Mikey and I got to the hospital, I saw Frank sitting in the waiting room. He was staring straight ahead and looked as though he was struggling not to cry. I walked over and sat down beside him.
“Hey.”
He jumped.
“H- Hi.”
His eyes were bright with tears.
“I haven’t spoken to any doctors yet.”
I reached out and took his hand.
“Alec will get through this, he’s a fighter. He’ll be fine.”
A small tear slid down Frank’s face. Mikey sat down on the other side of him.
“Frank, it’s going to be okay.”
Frank shook his head, releasing more tears.
“I knew I shouldn’t have let him walk home by himself. Jersey’s a dangerous place, especially for an eleven-year-old.”
“If you’re being attacked like that, it doesn’t matter how old you are. You’ll still get hurt. Do you think Alec would forgive himself if he’d saved himself while you took the blows for him?”
A nurse came into the waiting room.
“Is there a Frank Iero in here?”
Frank stood up.
“That’s me.”
The Nurse smiled.
“Your son is in surgery. He should be out in about an hour.”
Frank nodded.
“Thanks.”
We sat and waited for what seemed like an eternity until the nurse came back and told us Alec was out of surgery.
“He’s not awake yet, but you can still see him.”
She led us down the hallway until we reached Alec’s room.
“Family first.”
She let Frank in and walked away while Mikey and I sat down to wait on one of the benches dotted around the corridors.

~*Frank’s Point of view*~

I walked into Alec’s room and sat down beside his bed. His right arm was in a cast and so was his left leg, judging by the way his bed sheets were heaped. His head was bandaged and there were numerous stitches in his face.
I sat there watching him for the next ten minutes. Finally his eyelids flickered, then opened, and after a moment he focused on my face.
“Frank?”
He spoke with a little difficulty.
“My god, Alec. I was so scared. What happened?”
He looked down.
“I don’t really remember why I stayed after school. What I do remember is that two big guys came into the playground. There was no-one else there, just me and them. I started to walk away, but one of them grabbed me from behind. I tried to get away but he grabbed my arm, and I think he broke it. Then the other one started hitting me with something. It was long and rusty, and it had a hook or something on the end. I screamed a lot, so he hit me on the head, and I don’t remember much after that. Just a lot of pain...”
A doctor came in.
“Are you Frank Iero?”
I nodded.
“Your son has endured some nasty injuries. He’s lucky to be alive. Broken arm, broken leg, fractured skull, several cracked ribs, collarbone, not to mention his face. It will take quite a long time for him to fully recover.”
I nodded again. The doctor smiled at Alec.
“You seem to have a knack for getting yourself into hospital.”
Alec grinned, then gasped in pain.
“I need to remember not to do that.”
The doctor chuckled.
“Quite up-beat, aren’t you? Oh well, there’s nothing to be done now except to rest, not rip your stitches, and try to stay out of trouble.”
Alec nodded.
“I don’t rip my stitches any more, doctor. I have Frank now.”
The doctor smiled.
“That’s good.”
He glanced at his watch.
“Oh, Mr Iero, visiting hours are over.”
“Okay. Bye Alec. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Bye Frank.”
The doctor turned on his way to the door.
“Oh, and Alec, you’ll be pleased to know that as soon as you’re stable enough you’re being moved to a ward where the nurse in charge is none other than Rhonda.”
Alec smiled as widely as his stitches would permit.
“Thanks.”
The doctor winked and left, hurrying down the hallway as I waved one last time and walked out of Alec’s room.