You Can Run Away With Me Anytime You Want

Somehow we got into the car, and Frank told his mom to drive as fast as she could. I laid my head on Frank’s lap and he stroked my hair. My back swirled with pain, then I thought I’d been stabbed in my spine.

“ARGH!” I screamed, suddenly crying uncontrollably.

“Gee!” Frank winced, looking down to see if I was OK.

“Frankie, it hurts” I cried.

“You’re gonna be OK, I promise” Frank swore, kissing my head. I hoped he was right, because right now, I thought I would pass out from the pain.

We got to the hospital, and I was taken immediately to a bed and a doctor. They phoned my mom, and I tried to control my screams as the doctors talked to me.

“Hello, Gerard, I’m Dr. Dorian” He said.

Me and Frank looked at each other. Despite the pain, I burst out laughing, as did Frank.

Dr, Dorian! Like J.D. on Scrubs! I was almost happy. How amazing is that?!

Frank squeezed my hand tight.

“I get that a lot. Anyway, I think you’ve fractured your coccyx. Now I can’t know for sure until we do an X-Ray, but from your symptoms and pain, that’s what I’m guessing. it's only a minor fracture, but none the less it's important we get you fixed. Coccyx are hard to crack, have you had any previous problems with your spine?” He asked.

I still couldn’t take him seriously, but I tried to answer him.

“Um, yeah, I get back ache a lot and it gets really bad” I told him. The rush of endorphins had worn off, and I was back in full pain.

“Anything else?” He asked. He was scribbling on a clipboard just like J.D. did.

“Nope” I said. I looked over to Frank and he was just looking at awe at Dorian.

“OK, so now we know why your pain is so bad, and why it’s a fracture. I’m going to need you to have an X-Ray and I’m afraid you’re going to have to stay here ‘til we’ve got you fixed” He said.

“OK. Is there anything you can do for the pain?” I struggled. The pain was so bad it was intruding my brain; it hurt and I was too tired to string up a thought.

“I’m afraid we don’t. Just try and lay still” He said. He gave me a limp smile and walked off.

J.D. would have been nicer than that. He would have had a flashback and had me waiting for him to come back to earth, say something random that was related to his flashback, then continue as usual.

I threw my head against the pillow and sighed in pain, trying to breath around it.

Frank stood up and went around the other side of the bed. He pulled his tiny leg over the railing and shuffled in next to me.

He was warm next to me. I was bursting with happiness as well as pain, which is a numbing cocktail.

Frank reached for my hand.

“When you feel any pain, squeeze my hand, OK?” Frank said, his head turning to me.

“OK”

“It hurts so bad” I said. Dwelling on it made it even worse somehow.

“Shh, baby, try and breath through the pain” Frank whispered, kissing the back of my neck.

“it's hard” I sighed.

“Is that what she said?”

I laughed, my shoulders bouncing up and down, feeling Frank’s do the same. His soft giggle reverberated through my skin, sending shivers through me.

“Thank you for making me laugh. I appreciate it.” I said, squeezing his hand. He flinched, then realised why I’d squeezed him.

“It’s the least I can do for my fiancée” Frank giggled. He waited for my response.

“That’s so weird!” I shrieked, excited.

“I know” Frank sighed.

I tried to turn around but it hurt way too much.

“Babe, be careful” Frank warned.

“I just wanna see you” I moaned.

Frank got out of the bed and walked over to my side.

“Hey” He smiled.

“Hey”

He held my back in one hand and placed his other hand under my shoulder that was laid on the bed. Frank almost picked me up off the bed, but instead he shuffled me across the bed. It wasn’t painful, not at all. How did he do that?
Frank climbed over the railing again and moulded himself around my position. I looked at his eyes and the pain lessened.

“Come here” I whispered. I pulled his shirt and kissed his lips. Everything was slowed down by the pain, so my moves weren’t as quick as they would have been if I could actually move properly.

Frank smiled and kissed me back. It was so gentle and loving. The agony almost subsided.

Frank groaned into my mouth and I smiled in response.

Frank’s mom made another repulsed sound, and after a few seconds, she threw her magazine down on the chair and stormed out of the room.

Frank broke the kiss first. His face was sad.

“What’s up?” I asked, stroking his cheek with my thumb.

“I just….I can’t stand seeing you in pain. I shouldn’t have snuck downstairs, I should have stayed in bed with you… This is my fault” Frank snarled, he was incredibly angry at himself.

“it's not your fault, don’t be ridiculous… Fiancée” I said. I knew that would make him smile.

As I predicted, a little smile spread across Frank’s face. He giggled just a little, too.

--

“So when we getting married?” Frank asked, twirling a piece of my hair between his fingers.

His mom had left hours ago, as soon as we found out I had to stay all night, she left without saying anything to us. Frank stopped me from saying thank you.

My mom phoned the hospital and a nurse put me on the phone. I told her I was OK and that I was feeling better, which was only a quarter true. She didn’t really seem to care, to be honest, she still seemed drunk.
Mikey was acting like an overprotective parent. He kept asking if I was OK and if I was on the right meds, whether I was laying in the right position and I long I was gonna have to stay in the hospital. I could just imagine him gripping the phone so tight it could break and his brow burrowed in worry and concern. At least someone cared.

Frank had been kicked out hours ago, but he pretended to leave then rushed back in and hid under the bed when the nurse checked on me.
“I don’t know. We’ll have to like, runaway and do it” I said, smiling at the potential memory.

“Like Romeo and Juliet”

“Romeo and Juliet didn’t run away” I said.

“I know, but, still. So, is it just gonna be me and you?” He asked, stroking my face.

“Yeah…” I said, looking into his dreamy eyes. I evidently became a cliche in pain.

“I meant the wedding! I know like, our fucking life’s gonna be just you and me” He laughed sweetly.

“Of course. I don’t want us to be one of those couples who get engaged but never actually get married. I wanna marry you. And soon!” I pleaded.

“I know. And I wanna marry you, but how are we gonna get away?” Frank asked, stroking my face.

“I dunno. But if I stay like this we may have to get married lying fucking down” I laughed, even though the pain was creeping back.

“That’s fine with me” He smiled naughtily, and rolled on top of me as much as he could and kissed my willing lips.
His hand rubbed the small of my back and the pain just…Dissolved. I kissed him back and he moaned in my mouth.

“Gerard, I love you”

“I love you, Frank”

I don’t know what inspired the sudden declaration of love, but I appreciated it and it made me happy. As happy as I always was with him.