The Only Hope for Me Is You

As I walked into the building, I turned around one last time, facing everyone, attempting to put a smile on my face; for me, this was always difficult to do. I mean, I smiled, but half the time it wasn’t completely genuine. My past was a rough one, and I somehow managed to overcome it, scars and all, with my brother by my side the entire time. I stared back at the rest of my family, Cyanide comforting my brother as he tried not to loose himself.

Gerard and I had done literally everything together since childhood. He was my best friend, and I was his. We were basically inseparable, and had been through literally everything together. Since we were kids, he was always there for me, to protect me from anything that would harm me, whether it be physically or mentally. I knew he would take a bullet for me, and I would do the same. I loved him more than literally anything else in the world because we had been through a lot of the same shit together.

To be honest, it felt like something was missing whenever he wasn’t right by my side.

“Any time now would be nice,” I heard Exploder say from a few behind me, and that snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned to him, then once more to Gerard, and nodded at him before following Exploder down the blinding white hallway.

“Is she okay? Lauren…” I said, clenching my fists, hearing the leather of my gloves crack as I flexed my hands.

“Relax, she’s already getting treatment,” Exploder said, shrugging as he walked. “Jesus, you care too much, really.”

“There’s no such thing as caring too much,” I responded, biting my lip in frustration. “She’s my fiancée, and I love her too much to have her not get the best treatment possible.”

“That’s right…marriage.” Exploder said, turning around on his heel to face me. “About that. I object.”

“What?”

“I object to your guys’ marriage.”

“Why? It’s not like you can stop us from getting married,” I replied. He just chucked, shaking his head and crossing his arms.

“You idiot. You don’t UNDERSTAND, do you?” He said, suddenly reaching up to grab the collar of my jacket and threw me against the wall, his face inches from mine, hand on my throat. “Lauren is under my control now. One push of a button, and I can kill her. It’s that easy.”

“P-please, don’t—“ I choked, my hands trying to pull his arm off of my throat, wincing. He clenched tighter, causing me to gag.

“Then do as I say, and Lauren won’t get hurt,” He said, releasing my throat. Immediately, I brought both my hands to my neck, coughing as I massaged my throat, trying to get some air into my lungs before I collapsed. I nodded at Exploder, defeated and unable to speak. He just smirked, and continued walking down the hall wish a slight swagger. He knew he was in control, and was basking in the power he had over me. I had no choice but to follow him down the hallway, staring at my feet as I walked in silence.

Eventually we turned a corner and entered a room that was tinted greenish-gray, filled with medical supplies and instruments. In the corner was a giant green curtain, completely drawn out so nobody could see what was behind it.

“I-is she in there?” I asked Exploder, walking over to the curtain. Exploder nodded, following me.

“Yeah, she’s there, she’s alive, blah blah,” he said as he drew the curtain back, revealing Lauren on a blue hospital bed, wires and tubes attached to almost every part of her body. She looked like some sort of science experiment, completely unconscious, breaths even as she slept through her coma.

“Lauren…” I said quietly, walking around to the side of the bed, bending down to stroke her hair out of her face. “Lauren, can you hear me? Babe, please, answer me…”

“She’s still unconscious,” Exploder said. “I’ve tried, believe me, she’s not waking up any time soon.” I lifted my head up from Lauren’s shoulder and turned around to face Exploder, still holding Lauren’s hand in mine.

“She will, that I promise you,” I said, my voice wavering. “Any minute now.”

“Whatever you say,” Exploder said, rolling his eyes. “In the meantime…” he added, pressing a button on the wall. I watched him walk over to the door of the hospital room, my hand still in Lauren’s, and saw that he had called three Dracs into the room, though I had not idea why. I sat there, frozen, as two of them walked over to me, taking me by the arms and pulling me backwards, away from Lauren.

“N-NO!” I yelled, trying to fight them off. “NO! GET THE FUCK OFF ME!” I kicked wildly with my legs, knocking over multiple vials of liquids and tools from the table by the bed, causing them to shatter with a loud crash. “What are you doing?!”

“Your friends gave you up, so now I get to do what I want with you,” Exploder said simply, taking a seat in the chair next to the bed as I get punched in the face by one of the Dracs, causing my glasses to fly off my face and skid across the floor. He just sat there and watched as I was pinned to the wall by one of the Dracs, the other one punching me repeatedly in the face, chest, and stomach. I felt each blow land, crying and yelling out in pain each time his fist connected with my body, each blow harder than the previous one.

“For a scrawny guy, you sure can take a punch,” Exploder said from the chair. “Color me surprised.”

“Fuck you,” I managed to say angrily before being socked in the mouth, immediately tasting blood. I groaned in pain and felt my head begin to throb, along with the rest of my body. I was sore everywhere. Blood was dripping from my mouth, and my hair was getting mixed in it, unkempt and plastered onto my face as I continued receiving blow after blow. One blow was so hard, it turned my head completely around so I was looking directly at Lauren, and noticed something out of the usual. The machine had started beeping uncontrollably, and Lauren suddenly woke up, gasping for air as she leaned forward quickly. I saw in her eyes that she was in pain and suffering, which I knew mine were reflecting. Yet in mine, I knew there was a hint of relief as she stared at me, watching me getting beat up, unable to help.

“LAUREN!” I yelled before getting punched in the face for the last time, this time from the other side. I cried in pain again, clenching my teeth together. The beating stopped, and I was just barely able to raise my head of to see her trying to get out of the bed.

“Mikey!” She gasped as she struggled, her ankles and wrists being restrained by thick leather bounds. She pulled and tugged, trying to get free, but was unsuccessful. “God damn it!”

“Oh ho! Look who’s awake!” Exploder yelled over all the noise in the room. “Hey, sis, glad to see you’re up!” He tried to stroke her face, but she just bit his finger.

“Lauren…” I moaned, my head lolling as I tried to stay conscious. I felt a black eye forming on my right eye from being punched so many times, and could hardly see through it. I tried to shrug off the Drac that was holding me against the wall, but was so weak he didn’t even budge.

“That’s enough, boys,” Exploder said, shaking his hand and frowning at Lauren. “One of you, get over here.” The Drac that dealt the punches nodded, walking over to the bed and took his gun out, putting it to Lauren’s head. Immediately I let out a loud growl, managed to break free of the Drac’s hold when he wasn’t expecting it, and kung-fu kicked him in the stomach, then gave him the one-two punch to the head, causing him to fall backwards. Immediately I took my gun out from my holster and pointed it at Exploder, my face livid with anger.

“Let her go.” I said, holding back tears, motioning with my head to Lauren. “Let her go, or I’ll fucking kill you, Exploder.”

“Do you not remember our little conversation earlier?” Exploder said, taking his gun out as well, pointing it at me. “I’m in control now. One wrong move, MIKEY, and she dies.” He emphasized my name loudly, shaking the gun in his hand as he said it.

“Please, don’t…” I cried, the tears falling as I lowered my gun and holstering it. “Don’t hurt her, please…”

“Mikey, I’ll be fine…” I heard Lauren say, but was immediately shushed by Exploder.

“Shut up sis, the boys are talking right now,” he said cruelly, his eyes still fixated on me. I looked over to Lauren through tear stained eyes, and I saw her looking back with eyes that were similar to mine.

“Exploder, don’t hurt him, please…” Lauren sobbed. “Please, don’t. I’ll do anything, but please…don’t…”

“What do you even see in him anyways, sis?” Exploder said. “He’s emotionless, and completely useless.”

“Please…” Lauren choked out. “No…”

“Look at that face!” Exploder continued. “His face! He just got the shit kicked out of him, and his face is still exactly the same! Expressionless! He’s like fucking stone!”

“Fuck you,” I growled, clenching my fists.

“Is that really the only expression of anger you know?” He asked me. “How lame. Oh and your face still hasn’t changed.”

“Mikey—“

“SHUT. UP!” Exploder yelled, squeezing his eyes closed. Lauren let out a tiny squeal, followed by silent sobs as she hung her head.

“Let her go…” I said quietly, shaking my head, my arms still at my sides. “I’ll do anything to keep her safe, just…please, let her go.” Exploder dropped his gun, narrowing his eyes at me.

“Anything, you say?”

“Anything.”

“Very well then, take him to the cells,” He motioned at the two Dracs, who nodded and took me by the arms, dragging me backwards. I tried to fight them off, thrashing my legs and arms, but I was so sore and hurting everywhere, it was useless.

“LAUREN!” I yelled.

“MIKEY! NO!” I heard her scream as the Dracs dragged me out the door. “MIKEYYYYYYYYY!”

“LAUREN! THE OTHERS ARE COMING!” I yelled. “LAUREN! THEY’LL COME—“

I was cut short by a punch to the throat, followed by another blow to the mouth, hearing my jaw crack. I cried and sobbed out in pain as they continued to pull me backwards, a blood trail forming behind me, and threw me into a cell, slamming me into the wall. I sat there on the ground, half conscious, my head spinning at I saw the two Dracs move aside to reveal Exploder, equipped with a syringe full of a clear liquid. He grinned evilly, and bent down in front of me, putting his face right in front of mine. I was fading in and out of consciousness as he stared into my eyes, and hardly even felt the needle enter the crook of my arm.

“Night night, lover boy,” Exploder smirked as he leaned back, patted my cheek a couple times, and motioned to the Dracs to follow him.

“Lock him up, and watch out for the others,” I heard him say as the door slid shut behind them, leaving me alone in the miniscule cell, being only ten feet wide and long. I felt myself fading even more out of consciousness, and slid sideways, down the wall, slamming my head onto the concrete floor, the only light coming from the small slit under the door.

“L-Lauren…” I groaned. “Lauren…they’re coming…”

After that, it was nothing but darkness.