Are We Demented Or Am I Disturbed
Wasteland
Everyone stood outside Jaelyn's room, peering inside. Billie and Adie both had an arm around Joey, who had his palm pressed against the glass. He looked a mess; there were dark circles underneath his bloodshot eyes, and his hair was messy and unkempt.
Gerard stood by Billie, his brown eyes distant and unfocused. Kiri, Cizz, and Linz stood in a circle, their arms around each other's shoulders, almost like a prayer circle. Theron leaned against the wall, tears staining his cheeks.
It had been a week, and Jaelyn had shown no improvement.
Suddenly Gerard began to sing, softly at first.
"We hold in our hearts the sword and the faith..."
Joey's head snapped towards him, and Billie joined in.
"Swelled up from the rain, clouds move like a wraith,"
Soon everyone joined in, singing for Jaelyn.
"Well after all, we'll lie another day
And through it all
We'll find some other way
To carry on through cartilage and fluid
And did you come to stare, or wash away the blood?
Well tonight, well tonight
Will it ever come?
Spend the rest of your days
Rocking out just for the dead
Well tonight
Will it ever come?
I can see you awake anytime, in my head
Did we all fall down?
Did we all fall down?
Did we all fall down?
Did we all fall down?
From the lights to the pavement
From the van to the floor
From backstage to the doctor
From the Earth to the morgue
Morgue, morgue, morgue
Well tonight
Will it ever come?
Spend the rest of your days
Rocking out just for the dead
Well tonight
Will it ever come?
I can see you awake anytime in my head
All fall down
Well after all..."
At the end, Gerard, Joey, and Theron were all crying shamelessly. The rest made a circle, embracing the three in a hug.
"That's her favorite song," Joey whispered. "Her favorite..." Linz wrapped her arms around him, and he cried into her shoulder.
***
Joey sat at her bedside. Technically, Jaelyn wasn't allowed visitors, but Lisa the nurse always let him in secretly, late at night.
He sat beside her, holding her frail hand. She had lost twenty pounds, leaving her at eighty. She looked like she might break if he wasn't careful. He caressed her cheek and kissed her forehead.
"Jaelyn, I don't know if you can hear me, but... You have to get better. Please. I love you so much..." He felt her fingers tighten around his. He smiled faintly.
"Just... try, okay?" He could have sworn he saw her nod. "We hold in our hearts the sword and the faith..." he sang. She smiled. He kissed her forehead again.
"Let the doctors help you, okay?" His eyes widened as she made a choking sound.
"Shit, shit, shit," he said, rushing out the door. "DOCTOR!" he screamed, and a team came running in her room. One of them smiled when he saw her and pulled her breathing tube out.
"Congratulations, she's breathing on her own," Lisa the nurse said with relief. She smiled at Joey, who ran back to Jaelyn's side, holding her hand.
"Good job, babe. That's a really good start. I'm so proud of you," he whispered. A smile flickered across her lips.
"Miss? Lisa?" Joey said, turning to the nurse. "Will you go to the Way Waiting room and tell them?" She smiled and nodded.
"Of course, Mr. Armstrong."
"Joey," he prompted. Her blue eyes shined kindness at him.
"Joey," she said as she left.
Joey pushed Jaelyn's brown hair away from her thin face.
"That was so good, Jaelyn, you don't even know. I love you." He jumped as Gerard burst in the room, sprinting to Jaelyn's side.
"Is she awake?" Gerard asked, breathless. Joey shook his head.
"No, but she's breathing on her own. She doesn't need the tube anymore." Gerard smiled with relief.
"She'll be okay," he said, smiling down at his niece. Joey nodded.
"Yeah. She'll be okay," Joey said with complete confidence. A tear of happiness fell down his cheek.
"You love her," Gerard said, more of a statement than a question. His eyes flicked up to Joey, who nodded.
"Yeah. More than anything." Gerard smiled, reaching over to clap Joey's shoulder.
"You'll take care of her. She deserves a guy like you. You're a good kid, Joey." Joey smiled, not taking his eyes off Jaelyn.
"No, she deserves a lot better. I'm just lucky to have her," Joey said. Gerard smiled fondly at him.
"Aren't we all..."
Gerard stood by Billie, his brown eyes distant and unfocused. Kiri, Cizz, and Linz stood in a circle, their arms around each other's shoulders, almost like a prayer circle. Theron leaned against the wall, tears staining his cheeks.
It had been a week, and Jaelyn had shown no improvement.
Suddenly Gerard began to sing, softly at first.
"We hold in our hearts the sword and the faith..."
Joey's head snapped towards him, and Billie joined in.
"Swelled up from the rain, clouds move like a wraith,"
Soon everyone joined in, singing for Jaelyn.
"Well after all, we'll lie another day
And through it all
We'll find some other way
To carry on through cartilage and fluid
And did you come to stare, or wash away the blood?
Well tonight, well tonight
Will it ever come?
Spend the rest of your days
Rocking out just for the dead
Well tonight
Will it ever come?
I can see you awake anytime, in my head
Did we all fall down?
Did we all fall down?
Did we all fall down?
Did we all fall down?
From the lights to the pavement
From the van to the floor
From backstage to the doctor
From the Earth to the morgue
Morgue, morgue, morgue
Well tonight
Will it ever come?
Spend the rest of your days
Rocking out just for the dead
Well tonight
Will it ever come?
I can see you awake anytime in my head
All fall down
Well after all..."
At the end, Gerard, Joey, and Theron were all crying shamelessly. The rest made a circle, embracing the three in a hug.
"That's her favorite song," Joey whispered. "Her favorite..." Linz wrapped her arms around him, and he cried into her shoulder.
***
Joey sat at her bedside. Technically, Jaelyn wasn't allowed visitors, but Lisa the nurse always let him in secretly, late at night.
He sat beside her, holding her frail hand. She had lost twenty pounds, leaving her at eighty. She looked like she might break if he wasn't careful. He caressed her cheek and kissed her forehead.
"Jaelyn, I don't know if you can hear me, but... You have to get better. Please. I love you so much..." He felt her fingers tighten around his. He smiled faintly.
"Just... try, okay?" He could have sworn he saw her nod. "We hold in our hearts the sword and the faith..." he sang. She smiled. He kissed her forehead again.
"Let the doctors help you, okay?" His eyes widened as she made a choking sound.
"Shit, shit, shit," he said, rushing out the door. "DOCTOR!" he screamed, and a team came running in her room. One of them smiled when he saw her and pulled her breathing tube out.
"Congratulations, she's breathing on her own," Lisa the nurse said with relief. She smiled at Joey, who ran back to Jaelyn's side, holding her hand.
"Good job, babe. That's a really good start. I'm so proud of you," he whispered. A smile flickered across her lips.
"Miss? Lisa?" Joey said, turning to the nurse. "Will you go to the Way Waiting room and tell them?" She smiled and nodded.
"Of course, Mr. Armstrong."
"Joey," he prompted. Her blue eyes shined kindness at him.
"Joey," she said as she left.
Joey pushed Jaelyn's brown hair away from her thin face.
"That was so good, Jaelyn, you don't even know. I love you." He jumped as Gerard burst in the room, sprinting to Jaelyn's side.
"Is she awake?" Gerard asked, breathless. Joey shook his head.
"No, but she's breathing on her own. She doesn't need the tube anymore." Gerard smiled with relief.
"She'll be okay," he said, smiling down at his niece. Joey nodded.
"Yeah. She'll be okay," Joey said with complete confidence. A tear of happiness fell down his cheek.
"You love her," Gerard said, more of a statement than a question. His eyes flicked up to Joey, who nodded.
"Yeah. More than anything." Gerard smiled, reaching over to clap Joey's shoulder.
"You'll take care of her. She deserves a guy like you. You're a good kid, Joey." Joey smiled, not taking his eyes off Jaelyn.
"No, she deserves a lot better. I'm just lucky to have her," Joey said. Gerard smiled fondly at him.
"Aren't we all..."