I Measure My Self-Worth by the Numbers on the Scales
Prologue-Part 2
At the same time as this, the ambulance pulled up outside the house not far from the mall. A teenage boy had collapsed in his bathroom from heart failure. Gerard Way had been halfway through forcing his fingers down his throat when his heart gave in. Fortunately for him, his parents heard the small thud as his tiny body hit the floor and went to investigate. It was a miracle that he could make a sound loud enough to be heard.
In the ambulance, Donna Way gripped her son’s bony hand in her own. His eyes were closed and his skeletal face was half-concealed by an oxygen mask. He looked so tiny and weak, lying there with a frightening mask and people surrounding him. She sighed heavily and began to cry silently as she spoke to him.
“Why did it have to come to this, Gerard?” She questioned “Why did it have to go this far? You should’ve listened to us.”
There was no answer from him, just laboured breathing. Donna sighed again as she recalled their argument mere moments before her eldest son had gone upstairs to ‘do his homework’. They’d argued over what she called his sickness. It was obvious that Gerard was sick and not listening to sense. Which begged the question; was he ever thinking straight?
Like Frank, Gerard had shrugged off his parent’s words. What did they know? They didn’t understand. They weren’t the ones who’d taken abuse, both physically and verbally, in the locker rooms because they were a bit bigger than the others their age. Gerard was never a fat kid. Just a little podgy in the face and the stomach. It was most likely puppy fat that he would have shed naturally but he decided naturally wasn’t fast enough and took matters into his own hands.
The two teenagers were very similar; neither would listen to anything anyone had to say. They were both intent on having the perfect bodies. They ached to be like all those other guys; skinny but well-toned. The guys with the bodies that all the girls wanted. The two boys had themselves convinced one hundred percent that this would achieve them ultimate happiness.
“Will he be ok?” Donna asked one of the paramedics that was looking over Gerard’s small and fragile body.
“We can’t say for sure,” He replied, shaking his head “It was most likely caused by his state-“
“What do you mean by ‘state’?!”
“Look at him, he’s obviously severely anorexic! Even I can see that and I’m no doctor.”
“I know,” Donna said sadly, shaking her head “Everyone can see it except him.”…
…Fortunately, with some fluids and a feeding tube, Gerard regained his consciousness. He frowned at his parents and brother, who were sitting worriedly around his bed, and turned his attention to the tube sticking out of him.
“What is it?” He demanded, prodding at it.
“It’s a feeding tube.” His father replied.
Gerard’s brother knew him well enough to predict his next move and shot forward in time to restrain his older brother from doing anything.
“Stop it, Gee.” He begged, struggling to keep his brother from touching the tube.
“I don’t want it!” Gerard cried, attempting to flail his hands around “I don’t need a feeding tube! I’m fine-“
“Don’t say that!” His mother ordered “You’re not fine, Gerard. If you were fine, you wouldn’t have collapsed. If you were fine, you wouldn’t be a skeleton right now.”
“I’m not a skeleton!” He spat hatefully, clawing at the fat clinging to his wrist “I wish.” He added under his breath.
No one said anything for a few moments. The family just watched the eldest son trying to tear imaginary lumps of lard from his wasted, gaunt body. As she watched him picking at his blotchy skin, Donna realised that she needed to get her beloved son some help. She finally realised it was beyond her power now.
“You’re not well, Gerard,” She said sadly, shaking her head “You need help.”
“I’m fine!” He argued “I don’t need help, Mom. Why can’t you people just leave me alone? It’s my body! It’s my business. It’s got jack all to do with you!”
But Donna was walking away with a determined look on her face. The doctor treating Gerard gave her a warm smile as he saw her approaching.
“Is there a problem?” He asked, setting his clipboard aside.
“That clinic you were telling me about,” She replied “What was it called again?”
What do you guys think? Should I continue? Feedback would be nice at this point
In the ambulance, Donna Way gripped her son’s bony hand in her own. His eyes were closed and his skeletal face was half-concealed by an oxygen mask. He looked so tiny and weak, lying there with a frightening mask and people surrounding him. She sighed heavily and began to cry silently as she spoke to him.
“Why did it have to come to this, Gerard?” She questioned “Why did it have to go this far? You should’ve listened to us.”
There was no answer from him, just laboured breathing. Donna sighed again as she recalled their argument mere moments before her eldest son had gone upstairs to ‘do his homework’. They’d argued over what she called his sickness. It was obvious that Gerard was sick and not listening to sense. Which begged the question; was he ever thinking straight?
Like Frank, Gerard had shrugged off his parent’s words. What did they know? They didn’t understand. They weren’t the ones who’d taken abuse, both physically and verbally, in the locker rooms because they were a bit bigger than the others their age. Gerard was never a fat kid. Just a little podgy in the face and the stomach. It was most likely puppy fat that he would have shed naturally but he decided naturally wasn’t fast enough and took matters into his own hands.
The two teenagers were very similar; neither would listen to anything anyone had to say. They were both intent on having the perfect bodies. They ached to be like all those other guys; skinny but well-toned. The guys with the bodies that all the girls wanted. The two boys had themselves convinced one hundred percent that this would achieve them ultimate happiness.
“Will he be ok?” Donna asked one of the paramedics that was looking over Gerard’s small and fragile body.
“We can’t say for sure,” He replied, shaking his head “It was most likely caused by his state-“
“What do you mean by ‘state’?!”
“Look at him, he’s obviously severely anorexic! Even I can see that and I’m no doctor.”
“I know,” Donna said sadly, shaking her head “Everyone can see it except him.”…
…Fortunately, with some fluids and a feeding tube, Gerard regained his consciousness. He frowned at his parents and brother, who were sitting worriedly around his bed, and turned his attention to the tube sticking out of him.
“What is it?” He demanded, prodding at it.
“It’s a feeding tube.” His father replied.
Gerard’s brother knew him well enough to predict his next move and shot forward in time to restrain his older brother from doing anything.
“Stop it, Gee.” He begged, struggling to keep his brother from touching the tube.
“I don’t want it!” Gerard cried, attempting to flail his hands around “I don’t need a feeding tube! I’m fine-“
“Don’t say that!” His mother ordered “You’re not fine, Gerard. If you were fine, you wouldn’t have collapsed. If you were fine, you wouldn’t be a skeleton right now.”
“I’m not a skeleton!” He spat hatefully, clawing at the fat clinging to his wrist “I wish.” He added under his breath.
No one said anything for a few moments. The family just watched the eldest son trying to tear imaginary lumps of lard from his wasted, gaunt body. As she watched him picking at his blotchy skin, Donna realised that she needed to get her beloved son some help. She finally realised it was beyond her power now.
“You’re not well, Gerard,” She said sadly, shaking her head “You need help.”
“I’m fine!” He argued “I don’t need help, Mom. Why can’t you people just leave me alone? It’s my body! It’s my business. It’s got jack all to do with you!”
But Donna was walking away with a determined look on her face. The doctor treating Gerard gave her a warm smile as he saw her approaching.
“Is there a problem?” He asked, setting his clipboard aside.
“That clinic you were telling me about,” She replied “What was it called again?”
What do you guys think? Should I continue? Feedback would be nice at this point