Wounds That Won't Heal
Chapter five
*TIME ELAPSE*
Gerard sighed as he watched Mikey and Ray. They had done well talking to each other over the past few weeks but the distance was creeping back. Gerard could see that when to two got close all the emotion they had shared came to the surface. It was hurting both men and the aura of hurt hung around them both. So much so that the ever sensitive Bob had picked up on it.
“What’s with those two?” he asked Gerard, “I mean, they want to be friends but it’s like there is a barrier there,” he shook his head as they watched Mikey give an awkward looking nod and scurry away. Ray looked after him, his shoulders drooping before he turned back to his work. “I just wish I could help somehow but I don’t know how.”
Gerard’s gaze flicked to Bob and he shook his head sadly. Oh, how he wished he could share this with Bob but neither Ray nor Mikey had given permission. Besides, neither of the girls knew and if it leaked or got overheard it would destroy the relationships, “this is something they have to do by themselves and we just have to watch.”
“I guess,” Bob replied, “but it is hurting them both.”
“I know,” Gerard said as he watched his brother look towards Ray with sadness etched on his face, “I know it is hurting them and it is so hard to stand on the side lines but what else can we do?”
“True,” there was silence for a while before Bob let out a giggle, “don’t suppose knocking their heads together would work, right?”
Gerard smiled, “maybe you should try that,” he turned to Bob, “seriously they just need to do this on their own.”
Bob realised that Gerard knew something about the pair that he didn’t and rather than feel jealous he just shrugged, “I hope thy can, I hate seeing them like this,” he walked away to carry on with whatever it was he had been doing.
Gerard let out a breath, “so do I Bob; so do I.”
He walked towards Ray and smiled at him, “hi there, got a minute?”
Ray looked up but he didn’t return the smile, “I know what this is about Gee so… um… is there somewhere we can go?”
“I am sure we can find somewhere,” Gerard replied with a nod. He walked with Ray until they found an empty room which they entered. Gerard closed the door behind them before he turned to Ray, “you know what I am about to say?”
Ray nodded, “this is about Mikey, right?” Gerard nodded and Ray heaved a sigh, “I am trying to be his friend but it’s just… I don’t even know… I can’t be that close to him,” he sat down heavily on a chair. He should have let me go or I should have never listened to him and gone. Now this is just one big mess isn’t it?”
“It wouldn’t have been better if you had left.”
“No but it would have been easier,” Ray sighed again, “now I just don’t know what to do.”
“I’ll tell you what you are going to do Ray,” Gerard said as he sat on a chair opposite Ray, “You are going to talk to me. Maybe talking will help you? Come on, why can’t you be close to Mikey?”
Gerard sighed as he watched Mikey and Ray. They had done well talking to each other over the past few weeks but the distance was creeping back. Gerard could see that when to two got close all the emotion they had shared came to the surface. It was hurting both men and the aura of hurt hung around them both. So much so that the ever sensitive Bob had picked up on it.
“What’s with those two?” he asked Gerard, “I mean, they want to be friends but it’s like there is a barrier there,” he shook his head as they watched Mikey give an awkward looking nod and scurry away. Ray looked after him, his shoulders drooping before he turned back to his work. “I just wish I could help somehow but I don’t know how.”
Gerard’s gaze flicked to Bob and he shook his head sadly. Oh, how he wished he could share this with Bob but neither Ray nor Mikey had given permission. Besides, neither of the girls knew and if it leaked or got overheard it would destroy the relationships, “this is something they have to do by themselves and we just have to watch.”
“I guess,” Bob replied, “but it is hurting them both.”
“I know,” Gerard said as he watched his brother look towards Ray with sadness etched on his face, “I know it is hurting them and it is so hard to stand on the side lines but what else can we do?”
“True,” there was silence for a while before Bob let out a giggle, “don’t suppose knocking their heads together would work, right?”
Gerard smiled, “maybe you should try that,” he turned to Bob, “seriously they just need to do this on their own.”
Bob realised that Gerard knew something about the pair that he didn’t and rather than feel jealous he just shrugged, “I hope thy can, I hate seeing them like this,” he walked away to carry on with whatever it was he had been doing.
Gerard let out a breath, “so do I Bob; so do I.”
He walked towards Ray and smiled at him, “hi there, got a minute?”
Ray looked up but he didn’t return the smile, “I know what this is about Gee so… um… is there somewhere we can go?”
“I am sure we can find somewhere,” Gerard replied with a nod. He walked with Ray until they found an empty room which they entered. Gerard closed the door behind them before he turned to Ray, “you know what I am about to say?”
Ray nodded, “this is about Mikey, right?” Gerard nodded and Ray heaved a sigh, “I am trying to be his friend but it’s just… I don’t even know… I can’t be that close to him,” he sat down heavily on a chair. He should have let me go or I should have never listened to him and gone. Now this is just one big mess isn’t it?”
“It wouldn’t have been better if you had left.”
“No but it would have been easier,” Ray sighed again, “now I just don’t know what to do.”
“I’ll tell you what you are going to do Ray,” Gerard said as he sat on a chair opposite Ray, “You are going to talk to me. Maybe talking will help you? Come on, why can’t you be close to Mikey?”