Are We Demented Or Am I Disturbed
Disassembled
Blood. Blood everywhere. On the walls, on skin, soaked through fabric, staining the ceiling, in her hair...
Blood. So bright red it didn't look real. Blood was all he could see.
Someone was screaming, but Joey couldn't place who it was...
"Holy fucking shit!" Mikey said as he skidded into the room. "Oh my fucking god, GERARD!" he screamed. Joey was frozen, unable to move. So much blood...
Mikey ran to Jaelyn, burying her face in his shoulder. Blood transferring onto his clothes, seeping onto his skin...
Joey didn't hear anything else, just a high ringing in his ears as he passed out.
***
"Is she okay? What happened? What's wrong with Joey?" Linz screeched, and Joey opened his eyes. A team of nurses was holding Jaelyn's group of friends outside of the room. He was lying on a couch, a cold compress on his forehead. He looked up to see his mom holding it there.
"Hi, honey," she whispered, trying to smile. Joey didn't even try. After what he'd seen, it would be a while before he smiled again.
"Where's Jaelyn? Is she okay?" he asked quietly as the nurses managed to shut and lock the door. Adie pressed cold hands to his cheeks.
"She's right here." Joey looked up to see her unfocused eyes staring at the ceiling.
"Jaelyn!" Joey shot up and ran to the girl's bedside, pressing his hand to her cheek. Her eyes flickered to his face, and their appearance scared him. They seemed so... dead.
"He's gone, Joey. He... I... It's my fault. He's gone," she rambled, and he pulled her frail body up to his, holding her close.
"It's okay, Jaci. He can't hurt you now," Joey assured her. She shook her head.
"He's gone... My fault... Tom. He... I need him..." Her eyes were back on the ceiling.
"No! Jaelyn, don't you see? You're so much better off now! Jaci, please. You'll be okay! You don't have to be afraid anymore."
"No, Joey. He... Tom is gone... I... I killed him-"
"Don't even say that. He did that to himself." She shook her head vigorously.
"No! It's my fault!" She sobbed, pushing the boy away from her. Gerard took her frail form out of Joey's arms, and she buried her face in his shoulder, screaming between sobs.
"You are better off, Jaelyn! Why can't you see that he was killing you! He shot you, for fuck's sake! He would have killed-"
"Joey, I think it's best if you leave," Gerard said calmly as Jaelyn's screams grew louder. The boy sighed and left, smacking his hand into the white-painted concrete wall as he went through the doorway. Linz caught up to him, grabbing his arm and spinning him around.
"What's wrong, Joey?" she demanded. "What happened?" He pushed her away, and she stumbled.
"Fuck off," he grumbled angrily. Linz ran up to him and gripped his arm, digging her nails into the flesh.
"What the fuck happened, Joseph? You're not the only one who cares about Jaelyn-" he shoved her, and this time, she fell.
"Oh, nice, Joey! You're just like him, aren't you?" Linz spat, and Joey wheeled around. "That's right, just smack them around, don't you-" Joey lunged at her, and they fought until Theron pulled Linz off him.
"What the fuck?" Theron said, struggling to hold the girl back. Joey raised a hand to his split lip, looking at the blood that had transferred onto his hand.
"You asshole!" Linz screamed, furiously trying to get out of Theron's grasp. "You are just like him-"
"Linz! Come on, we're taking a walk." He steered her down another hall, leaving Joey to himself. He slid down the wall, trying to block out his own thoughts, trying not to remember the incident...
***
Jaelyn screamed into Gerard's shoulder until she ran out of breath and strength, when he lay her on the bed. Tears still streamed from her eyes, soaking the pillowcase. Her hair was still matted and sticky from Tom's blood, and her arms itched with the remnants.
It was all that was left of him, the blood on her body. Her body and Joey's... That was all that remained of Tom. She closed her eyes to block out the memory, the vision of Tom pulling the trigger, of his blood everywhere...
She screamed again, burying her face in the pillow.
"Honey, we're going to get you cleaned up," a nurse said kindly, and Jaelyn screamed at her.
"No! No, you can't!"
"We have to get this blood off you, honey-"
"NO! This is all that's left-" The nurse tried to help her up, but Jaelyn smacked her. Seconds later, her arms and legs were held down by restraints, and an IV was pumping a sedative into her veins. She stared at the ceiling, sobbing until the medicine made it impossible to keep her eyes open.
Blood. So bright red it didn't look real. Blood was all he could see.
Someone was screaming, but Joey couldn't place who it was...
"Holy fucking shit!" Mikey said as he skidded into the room. "Oh my fucking god, GERARD!" he screamed. Joey was frozen, unable to move. So much blood...
Mikey ran to Jaelyn, burying her face in his shoulder. Blood transferring onto his clothes, seeping onto his skin...
Joey didn't hear anything else, just a high ringing in his ears as he passed out.
***
"Is she okay? What happened? What's wrong with Joey?" Linz screeched, and Joey opened his eyes. A team of nurses was holding Jaelyn's group of friends outside of the room. He was lying on a couch, a cold compress on his forehead. He looked up to see his mom holding it there.
"Hi, honey," she whispered, trying to smile. Joey didn't even try. After what he'd seen, it would be a while before he smiled again.
"Where's Jaelyn? Is she okay?" he asked quietly as the nurses managed to shut and lock the door. Adie pressed cold hands to his cheeks.
"She's right here." Joey looked up to see her unfocused eyes staring at the ceiling.
"Jaelyn!" Joey shot up and ran to the girl's bedside, pressing his hand to her cheek. Her eyes flickered to his face, and their appearance scared him. They seemed so... dead.
"He's gone, Joey. He... I... It's my fault. He's gone," she rambled, and he pulled her frail body up to his, holding her close.
"It's okay, Jaci. He can't hurt you now," Joey assured her. She shook her head.
"He's gone... My fault... Tom. He... I need him..." Her eyes were back on the ceiling.
"No! Jaelyn, don't you see? You're so much better off now! Jaci, please. You'll be okay! You don't have to be afraid anymore."
"No, Joey. He... Tom is gone... I... I killed him-"
"Don't even say that. He did that to himself." She shook her head vigorously.
"No! It's my fault!" She sobbed, pushing the boy away from her. Gerard took her frail form out of Joey's arms, and she buried her face in his shoulder, screaming between sobs.
"You are better off, Jaelyn! Why can't you see that he was killing you! He shot you, for fuck's sake! He would have killed-"
"Joey, I think it's best if you leave," Gerard said calmly as Jaelyn's screams grew louder. The boy sighed and left, smacking his hand into the white-painted concrete wall as he went through the doorway. Linz caught up to him, grabbing his arm and spinning him around.
"What's wrong, Joey?" she demanded. "What happened?" He pushed her away, and she stumbled.
"Fuck off," he grumbled angrily. Linz ran up to him and gripped his arm, digging her nails into the flesh.
"What the fuck happened, Joseph? You're not the only one who cares about Jaelyn-" he shoved her, and this time, she fell.
"Oh, nice, Joey! You're just like him, aren't you?" Linz spat, and Joey wheeled around. "That's right, just smack them around, don't you-" Joey lunged at her, and they fought until Theron pulled Linz off him.
"What the fuck?" Theron said, struggling to hold the girl back. Joey raised a hand to his split lip, looking at the blood that had transferred onto his hand.
"You asshole!" Linz screamed, furiously trying to get out of Theron's grasp. "You are just like him-"
"Linz! Come on, we're taking a walk." He steered her down another hall, leaving Joey to himself. He slid down the wall, trying to block out his own thoughts, trying not to remember the incident...
***
Jaelyn screamed into Gerard's shoulder until she ran out of breath and strength, when he lay her on the bed. Tears still streamed from her eyes, soaking the pillowcase. Her hair was still matted and sticky from Tom's blood, and her arms itched with the remnants.
It was all that was left of him, the blood on her body. Her body and Joey's... That was all that remained of Tom. She closed her eyes to block out the memory, the vision of Tom pulling the trigger, of his blood everywhere...
She screamed again, burying her face in the pillow.
"Honey, we're going to get you cleaned up," a nurse said kindly, and Jaelyn screamed at her.
"No! No, you can't!"
"We have to get this blood off you, honey-"
"NO! This is all that's left-" The nurse tried to help her up, but Jaelyn smacked her. Seconds later, her arms and legs were held down by restraints, and an IV was pumping a sedative into her veins. She stared at the ceiling, sobbing until the medicine made it impossible to keep her eyes open.