Behavioural Crises

It took Mikey Way and Mark James a whole month to convince Frank Iero that Gerard Way and Bob Bryar are actually not lovers, at all. At all. Even though Mikey seemed to be quite keen on the idea.

“What a shame,” Mikey looked up from his patient’s file and frowned at Frank.

“What is?”

“That your elder brother doesn’t date coworkers.” Frank finished his coffee and threw it into the nearest trashcan. “Bingo!”

Mikey peered at his coworker and scoffed. “He told you that, didn’t he?”

“Yeah,” Frank leaned on to the control desk. “I mean, he and Bob aren’t lovers, and he seems to have kept quite a distance with others, so…”

“You know Mark James? Your boss?”

“What about that arrogant arsehole?”

Mikey laughed and shrugged.

*

“My breast hurts and I think I can feel a lump in here.” The young lady pointed at the left side of her left breast. “Does that mean I have breast cancer? Can you tell what stage am I in?” The desperateness in the lady’s voice was thick.

Mark crossed his arms and concentrated on staring at her breast. “Is the pain cyclical?”

“Well, yes.” The lady fidgeted on the examination bed.

“Once a month?”

“Yeah, but it usually last pretty long. Like a few days or even a week.” The lady put on a sad face as if she was gonna cry at the next second. “Aren’t you gonna give me a breast exam? Am I gonna die?”

Mark wasn’t sure why the lady seemed to be so sure that she had breast cancer but of course he was gonna give her a breast exam. He picked up the intercom and kept eye contact with those plumped breasts.

“This is Dr. James in exam room one. Please send Dr. G. Way in, thank you.”

Gerard came in a couple of minutes later. He glanced at the young lady and then gave Mark an odd look. “What seems to be the problem here?”

“Ms…” Mark frowned at the file. “Hayes here thinks that she has breast cancer and wants someone to give her a breast exam.”

Gerard scowled at Mark disapprovingly and walked towards the patient. “Did you do a self-examination at home, Ms. Hayes?” He asked as he placed his hands on the sides of her breasts.

“Yes, I did. And I think I felt a lump in here.” Hayes showed Gerard where she felt the lump like she did minutes ago to Mark.

“Felt any pain or so?”

“Yes. Cyclical, once a month and usually last for a few days.” Hayes told Gerard exactly what her doctor told her to.

Gerard stopped and pulled his hands away. He turned around and glared at Mark. “Well, you don’t have breast cancer Ms. Hayes.” He smiled at her.

“Really? But I really felt a lump – ”

“Yes, I know. But what you have is mastalgia.” Hayes tilted her head and waited for Gerard to further explain.

“Mastalgia is usually a benign disorder in young women like you, due to hormonal imbalance during their menstrual cycle. During menstrual cycle, the breasts swell and become lumpy and tender. So there’s really nothing to worry about, but if you want to make sure nothing is hidden, we can schedule a breast ultrasound for you.” Gerard smiled.

The young lady seemed much more relieved than she was before. After telling her about the non-medical treatments she can get to make her feel better, Gerard and Mark were free to get out of the clinic area.

“Asshole.” Gerard mumbled just loud enough for Mark to heard.

“Why the hate? I gave you the opportunity to legally grab a flaming chick’s boobs. Is there anything hotter than a half naked dumb blonde?”

“Not funny.”

“What? Are you not aroused?” Mark teased as he pressed the lift.

“No, Mark James. For the record, that does not arouse me. What was that? A gay rate test? I can’t believe you even did that in front of a patient.” Gerard said to Mark furiously.

“Oh come on, she’d probably feel better being examined by a gay doctor anyway.”

Gerard slammed Mark on to the wall of the lift as soon as the door was closed. “For one last time, Mark. Do not put my sexual preference in everyday conversation. Don’t even think of mentioning it. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir. Very clear, sir.” Mark grinned.

Gerard let go of Mark and adjust his tie before he sees anyone.

*

“What?!” Frank almost yelled.

“Can’t believe it, huh?” Mikey thought he wasn’t any less staggered when he first heard of the news a few years ago.

“Mark James was Gerard’s ex-boyfriend?”

As the younger brother of Gerard, Mikey had never been more devastated when his brother shyly informed him about the relationship he was having with the elder doctor. Mark James was a well-known arsehole in the hospital. But despite his generally distasted personality and outrageous behaviors, his sharp observation, very quick plus accurate diagnosis and his post of the head of cancer center, proved his everything. Mikey thought maybe that was why his brother fell in love with him in the first place. And it was nice to know that Mark actually treated Gerard fairly well when they were still dating, even if it ended ugly at the end.

“Did your brother broke up with him because of his…” Frank did a little hand movement, “character?”

“No, Mark was pretty head over heals for Gerard at that time, and still is if I dare to say, but of course the both of them are going to disagree with me.”

“Then why did they break up?”

Mikey wasn’t sure if he was ready to bring that up again or not. Only the vague memory of that dark period of time was giving him a headache.

“I’m not sure. I don’t think anyone really knows.” He didn’t suggest Frank to ask the two like most people would have, because he knew no one was willing to talk about that in the near future, not to mention not to a newbie. Mikey didn’t think even Bob or Cazifield would ever want to hear about it.

Like Frank, everyone in the hospital thought Gerard wasn’t gonna stick around long enough because Mark’s personality was too hard to bear, but the two survived well, nonetheless. Mostly because Mark was a totally different person when it comes to Gerard Way. Not that Mark would fake to be the Mr. Nice Guy in front of Gerard because Gerard knew what he was, but he did his best to treat Gerard well, well enough to actually make Mikey and Bob think they can finally let some else to care about Gerard.

Mark and Gerard had been together for three years when the ‘crisis’ broke out. There had been a nurse, Katherine, who was staged in the second floor who was completely in love with Mark. Gerard had sensed it and wasn’t happy about Mark often letting her hang around him. Mark meant no harm at first, but quarrels between the two lovers had left Mark no choice but to keep a distance between him and Katherine. Katherine felt that it was time to kick Gerard out of her fantasy, so she lured Mark into her house and had sex with him one day after work. The next day, she told all her friends about the night and soon the news was spread over the hospital.

Mikey tried to keep the news away from Gerard at first and send Bob, who volunteered, to beat to shit out of Mark, and more importantly, to ask him about what really happened. Because he and Bob didn’t believe Mark would do such a thing to Gerard, they thought it was just some shit that bitch pulled. But when Mark told no otherwise, Bob seriously beat the shit out of Mark and the news was no longer at Mikey’s hold. Gerard heard the news that evening, and the worst part was Katherine told him in person.

The rest of it Mikey wouldn’t want to talk about. What made all the above important was that now Mark and Katherine were engaged and Katherine was always dropping impertinent, harsh words here and there in front of Gerard.

Somehow, Mikey was sure his brother’s break down a year ago, had to have something to do with the break up with Mark and Katherine’s nasty behavior.

*

“Wanna hang out tonight?” Mark followed Gerard to his office.

“No.”

“Bryar and your brother are coming.”

“They’re going out with you without me?” Gerard leaned on his office door and crossed his arms.

“No, sadly, they aren’t. They said they’d come only if you’re coming too.”

“Ah.” Gerard picked his nails and acted like he didn’t care.

“Please don’t spoil the fun for me, Gee. It’s hard enough to be under Katherine’s control. I just want a night out with my friends. Please say yes?” Mark mirrored Gerard posture and put on a little sad face.

“I just don’t quite understand. If you don’t want to be with Katherine, why don’t you just break up with her? Call off the bloody engagement?” Gerard stopped picking his nails and started chewing on them.

Mark brush his hand away, Gerard always chewed on his nails when it comes to this kind of subject. “You know why. My family, her family and the responsibility thing. I don’t even remember why I fell for that, but I did so can we please not talk about this?”

“She’s bad for you, you know that?”

“Yes, Gee. Believe me, I know. Hopefully I’ll settle with her for a couple of years just for her family’s satisfaction and then I’ll get us a divorce to prove that we were never meant to be together. Ok?” Mark observed and saw Gerard’s pout did not go away.

“Uncle Mark will buy you an ice cream, kay?” Gerard’s face broke into a smile and he pushed Mark a little. “Screw you, you sound like a pervert.”

They both smiled and Gerard looked down on the floor. “You know I’m never gonna take you back, right?”

“Yes, I know.” Mark’s head dropped and so had his voice.

“So you should just do what your heart tells you to.” Gerard retained his eye contact with Mark. “ I don’t need that place anymore.” He pointed at Mark’s left chest, where his heart laid.

“But I know what I’m doing is right.” Mark brushed off Gerard’s hand again.

Gerard smiled. “Good for you.”

“Mikey and Bob are really coming, right?” teased Gerard.

“Of course they are. They’d freak out if they knew I’m going out with you alone, anyway.”

Gerard scoffed. “Is your new kid coming?” Mark arched an eyebrow. “What, Iero?”

“Yeah, Iero.”

“No, I didn’t even ask Keith.”

“Ok.”

“It’s meant to be just four old guys hanging out and get drunk.”

“We’re not that old.”

“Oh yes, we are.”

*

“So, do you think I have a chance?” Frank watched Mikey fill in the papers and asked.

“To what?”

“To date your brother.”

Mikey looked up to give him an odd look. He never thought Frank would have the hots for his brother. And it’s only been three months since Frank came to their hospital, wouldn’t that be too fast? Plus, it’s only been a year since Gerard’s break up with Mark. Mikey was pretty sure Gerard wasn’t completely over him, even if he, evidently, was getting there. Also, even if Frank seems like a nice guy, he would not want to risk what happen with Mark to happen again.

He caught eye of Bob talking to a child on the wheelchair behind Frank and thought of what happened to him when the break up thing came around. Bob cared, maybe even a bit too much as a friend. But whether it had been too much or not, Mikey appreciated it. Mikey trust Bob like no other. If he was ever gonna have to place his brother’s safety under anyone’s care, it would have to be Bob. He trusted every single promise Bob made, especially the ones he laid down for Gerard.

It had always been the two of them, always. He once thought there might be someone else who was capable of taking up this responsibility of taking care of Gerard and be good at it as well, but history told him that there wasn’t. If you ask Mikey, he would say Mark was a more responsible guy than Frank, so if Mark failed, he wasn’t ready to trust another.

“I…” Mikey didn’t know what to say. There had been so much that happened in Frank’s absence, he wouldn’t understand. Frank was a fairly nice guy, but Gerard just wasn’t one of the things he could get his hands on.

“I don’ know, man. But I think it’s better to lay off until he starts showing signs that he likes you.” Mikey hoped he was giving the most neutral answer. He would have to give in if his brother really liked someone anyway. But it would be a shame if it wasn’t whom he had in mind.

“You know, Mikey. I actually know your brother before I got hired in here.” Frank’s grin was wicked.

“What do you mean?” Silently, Frank told Mikey about the things happened in the coffee shop, and that Gerard had once walked up to him.

“You serious?”

“Yep.” Frank’s face was technically glowing.

“Then maybe he does like you for something or maybe not.”

“Why?” Frank’s smile dropped.

“Gerard’s actions are unpredictable and sometimes unthinkable. So he might not be doing what you think he is doing.”

Frank made a confused face. “Oh.”

Mikey felt sorry for making Frank all confused and somehow rejected, so he decided to throw the ball to an expert.

“Why don’t you ask your boss, Mark James? He’s gotta be the one who knows better than I do.”

Mikey smiled and walked away.