Sequel: Did You Get What You Deserve? ›
If your heart stops beating
Chapter 2
~*Gerard’s point of view*~
I sat in the spotless white room listening to the steady beep of the machine monitoring Frank’s heart. Could the machine possibly make a more annoying noise? No wonder hospital patients sleep a lot; I don’t think I could stand that noise 24/7. Mind you, I don’t know how I could sleep either. As I sat, alone except for the unconscious Frank, a line popped into my head.
Have you heard the news that you’re dead?
I shook my head. I have no idea where that came from. I looked up. Frank’s eyes were open, and he was smiling at me as if trying to remember who I was.
“Hey.”
He opened his mouth, tried to speak, then cleared his throat and said hoarsely, “Hi.”
He moved as though to sit up, then put his hand to his stomach and sank back onto his pillows, groaning.
“How long have I been here?”
“Two days.”
He nodded.
“Y’know...” he hesitated, then went on.
“There was a moment, when you... um, you know, when I... well, I knew I was going to die, and it suddenly didn’t matter how I died, or who killed me, but all that mattered was that I didn’t die angry. I couldn’t die mad at you.”
“You’re not angry?”
“Angry? Of course I’m FUCKING angry! But there was that moment where I wasn’t.”
I looked down at my fingers.
“We thought we’d lost you.”
“I know. Everything went kind of black and fuzzy, and then there was this brilliant white light and this voice said ‘Don’t be afraid,’ and I was walking towards it when everything went black again and I was being picked up and jolted around, and then next thing I knew I was here.”
“White light? Really?”
“No, you idiot, I just passed out for a while.”
“Oh.”
He laughed, then stopped abruptly.
“I’m not going to sue you or anything, Gerard. But I want you to promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“Stop drinking so much. Don’t get pissed every night.”
“Sure.”
He smiled, then after a moment’s hesitation, held out his arms.
“C’mere.”
I lent forward and hugged him. It wasn’t the One-armed-hug-and-a-pat-on-the-back kind of thing that guys are supposed to do, it was a real, friendly hug.
I sat in the spotless white room listening to the steady beep of the machine monitoring Frank’s heart. Could the machine possibly make a more annoying noise? No wonder hospital patients sleep a lot; I don’t think I could stand that noise 24/7. Mind you, I don’t know how I could sleep either. As I sat, alone except for the unconscious Frank, a line popped into my head.
Have you heard the news that you’re dead?
I shook my head. I have no idea where that came from. I looked up. Frank’s eyes were open, and he was smiling at me as if trying to remember who I was.
“Hey.”
He opened his mouth, tried to speak, then cleared his throat and said hoarsely, “Hi.”
He moved as though to sit up, then put his hand to his stomach and sank back onto his pillows, groaning.
“How long have I been here?”
“Two days.”
He nodded.
“Y’know...” he hesitated, then went on.
“There was a moment, when you... um, you know, when I... well, I knew I was going to die, and it suddenly didn’t matter how I died, or who killed me, but all that mattered was that I didn’t die angry. I couldn’t die mad at you.”
“You’re not angry?”
“Angry? Of course I’m FUCKING angry! But there was that moment where I wasn’t.”
I looked down at my fingers.
“We thought we’d lost you.”
“I know. Everything went kind of black and fuzzy, and then there was this brilliant white light and this voice said ‘Don’t be afraid,’ and I was walking towards it when everything went black again and I was being picked up and jolted around, and then next thing I knew I was here.”
“White light? Really?”
“No, you idiot, I just passed out for a while.”
“Oh.”
He laughed, then stopped abruptly.
“I’m not going to sue you or anything, Gerard. But I want you to promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“Stop drinking so much. Don’t get pissed every night.”
“Sure.”
He smiled, then after a moment’s hesitation, held out his arms.
“C’mere.”
I lent forward and hugged him. It wasn’t the One-armed-hug-and-a-pat-on-the-back kind of thing that guys are supposed to do, it was a real, friendly hug.