If your heart stops beating

~*Frank’s Point of view*~

I visited Alec about twice every week. About a week and a half after his mother’s death, he told me his father was coming over from Oregon.
He sighed and looked out the window.
“He used to take me to the Christmas Parade every year. We didn’t go last year though. The divorce was still going through. He probably won’t take me this year either.”
“How about... How about I take you this year?”
He looked at me, his blue eyes sparkling.
“Really? You would do that?”
“Of course.”
“Wow... Thanks.”
After a moment I said,
“Tell me about your family.”
He looked back at the window.
“When my dad moved to Oregon, he met this lady. Her name was Cheryl. My little sister Katie lives with them. Katie loves Cheryl and Cheryl loves Katie... they’re perfect together.”
His eyes glazed slightly.
“Katie’s the picture of perfectness. She has these masses of blonde hair, which she got from Mum. Yeah, she got my mum’s hair and my dad’s eyes, and I got my dad’s hair and my mum’s eyes. Anyway, Katie’s eight. She’s so innocent; she didn’t really understand when Mum and Dad divorced. She thought she and Dad were going on holiday. And now there’s Cheryl. I don’t like Cheryl. Well, she’s not a bad person, but she keeps trying to be my mum, and she keeps trying to understand me. She’s... what’s the word... patronizing? Yeah. She’s a bit patronizing. But when she forgets that she’s supposed to be our new mother, she’s really nice. Katie’s her favourite.”
He stared for a minute, and I could almost see the cogs working in his brain.
“It’s what she represents that I don’t like. The fact that she’s kind of a replacement for Mum.”
“Yeah...”
He sniffed.
“I used to have a big brother, but he died in the car crash. He was my half brother, he had a different Dad. I don't really want to talk about it.”

A few weeks later, I was talking to Alec when the door banged open. Alec stared at the man who had walked in.
“Dad?”
“Hello Alec. Oh, my boy, I’m so sorry I couldn’t be here sooner.”
He was completely ignoring me, so I stood up.
“Hi. I’m Frank. Frank Iero.” I offered him my hand.
He eyed my tattoos distastefully.
“I’m Carson Marshall. Alec’s father.”
He didn’t shake my hand and after a moment I let it drop. Mr Marshall turned his attention back to Alec.
“There is so much I need to talk to you about, Alec. There are the plans for your mother’s funeral, although I don’t think you’ll be very involved in that, there’s the matter of your hospitalization, I hear you’ve been injuring yourself, and then there’s the most important matter: you coming to Oregon.”
Alec shook his head firmly.
“I don’t want to go to Oregon, Dad.”
“Alec. This is exactly the argument we had when your mother and I separated. The only difference here is that now you have no choice. You have nowhere to stay here, and if you’re about to tell me the hospital is somewhere, well, I’m having you transferred to Oregon anyway.”
“Dad, please. Jersey is where my life is. I don’t want to go to Oregon, I hate Oregon, holidays are bad enough.”
“Now, Alec-”
“No, Dad...”
I stood up.
“I think I’ll leave. See ya, Alec. Goodbye, Mr Marshall.”
Alec turned to me.
“No, wait, Frank. Dad, you know I’m going to be really unhappy in Oregon. Please, Dad... Can I stay here with Frank?”
I froze. This was new to me. Mr Marshall turned around in his seat, looking me up and down, his eyes lingering on my many tattoos.
“Absolutely NOT! If you think for one moment I would let you live with this- this- PERSON, then my boy, you’ve gone soft in the head. This is not the kind of man I want to take care of my child. Your rightful place is with your family.”
Alec’s pent-up frustration broke loose in a raging torrent.
“I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! YOU DIDN’T WANT ME TO STAY WITH MUM AND NOW YOU WON’T LET ME STAY WITH FRANK! I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL!”
Mr Marshall stepped forward and slapped Alec across the face. I let out an angry gasp and Mr Marshall turned, anger written all over his face.
“Last I checked, Mr Iero, it was my child we were dealing with here. I shall deal with his disobedience however I want.”
“YOU NEVER USED TO BE LIKE THIS! YOU USED TO BE NICE! I HATE YOU!”
Mr Marshall turned back to Alec and the boy whimpered.
“Um, excuse me sirs...”
I turned around. A nurse was standing in the doorway.
“I’m sorry, but this is a hospital. I must ask you to be quiet; you are disturbing the other children.”
Mr Marshall took advantage of the authority the nurse displayed.
“This man has been visiting my child without my permission.”
Alec leant forward, pointing to his father.
“He hit me! He hit me, and he won’t let me see Frank!”
The nurse looked from one face to another.
“Oh dear.”
Mr Marshall snarled.
“There’s nothing ‘Oh dear’ about it. Just remove this man from the vicinity and I shall be satisfied.”
The nurse sighed.
“I’m going to have to ask you both to leave. The boy needs rest.”
She chivvied us both out the door, shutting it after us with a loud click.