Tell Me Angel, Where Are You

"Adele?"
Fuzzy images. Restlessness and fear filled the room to the brim. The slap of shoes pacing the floor. Creaky chairs squealing as they're sat in.The scent of hospital disgusted me and made me sick.

"Adele, baby?"
I rubbed my eyes but when I raised my arms I felt a stabbing pain. I groaned as I put my arms back down.
"Adele, baby, please answer me." He sounded so scared and desperate.
"Frankie? Where am I?"
"You're ay Bayonne Medical Center. You passed out at the scene of the car crash. You hadda get stiches because you landed on glass," said Frankie, holding both of my hands in his.
Gerard was in the room as well. He was biting his nails and still pacing around. He flashed a grave stare towards Frankie who had turned to look over at him. He nodded his head slightly.
"Frank? What?" I questioned. The pit of my stomach knew as well as I did that something wasn't right. He didn't look right and I wanted to know why.
"Frankie?"
I didn't recognize that voice that had erupted from my throat. It was deperate, it was sad, it was needing. However, most of all it, it sounded frightened. This didn't sound like me. It sounded like the seven year old ,that I had once been, who felt she had lost everything, had taken over.
Frankie closed his eyes and sighed.
"Adele, they...took a DNA sample from you and that woman. They heard you say 'mom' right before you passed out...and I told them that your mom was...was dead..."
I continued to stair at him face. He opened his eyes and looked at me.

"Adele, that woman...Adie, that's your mom."

I felt tears immediately invade my eyes and my throat had formed a lodge in itself. Despite the pain, I rubbed my eyes furiously. I could not believe it. How was this possible? She died in a car crash. I started to sob uncontrollably. She was here and she was real.
"Adie, please, you're making this so hard babe."
"What?"
"I hate telling you this, baby, I don't want to be the one to...God...alright....your mom's condition aren't looking so great. She lost a lot of blood and got pretty banged up in that wreck. They don't know how she's gunna pull through."
My chest tightened and I just lost it.
I looked up Frankie and he looked so broken and his eyes weren't strong anymore. I've never seen his eyes so sad.
He climbed onto the bed and just held me. I couldn't breath and tears rushed down my face like a downpour of rain. I held onto his shirt and he held me tighter. Gerard had left the room and I hadn't noticed. I've never heard Frankie cry before. He was always the strong one, my anchor, my rock, the one wiping away my tears.

I woke up in Frankie's arms with tried tears stained down my face. He had placed brown sweatshirt over. My arms were still in pain as well as my back.
"Hey."
I had been startled by a gentle whispering.
"Hey," I groggily whispered back. Sleep had cast a spell on me but I felt like I was coming out of a trance.
"I'm sorry. I left...before. The sight of you...just...god it killed me," said Gerard as he moved his chair next to the side of my bed.
"S'okay. It's fine," I said as I reached up to rub my face.
"Nnnnno, here."
He gently pushed down my hands and stroked my cheeks clean of tears. He ran his rough hands through my hair and wiped away the rest of the residue.
"I hate seeing you like this, Adele. You know, no matter what, I'm always here, always. You're like the little sister I've never had and I love you like one. I'd do anything for you, anything at all. God, I hate seeing you so hurt, Love."
He stroked my cheeks with his thumb. His hazel eyes were strong but barely holding on.
"Thanks, Gerard. I love you like an older brother. You're my best friend," I sniffled as I reached out for a hug. He lightly put his arms around me, careful not to touch the stiching. I felt like a rag doll with all with all the string attached to me.
In a way, I really was a rag doll. I was torn apart and the stiching was the only thing keeping me together. I was the ragdoll nobody wanted. The one who went through patches of turmoil, who had been ripped apart. My friends were like the stiching they kept me together through so much. They were the misfits that loved the ragdoll. Best off all, they were my misfits.

Frankie was still resting. I wiped away the dried tears. His long, dark eyelashes clung together. I continued to stare at him.
"So you finally told him you loved him?"
I smiled and said, "Wait wait....how'd you..."
"He told me but I've known way before that. You could tell from the way you look at him."
I let up a small smirk.
I just continued to look over at him. I took his limp arm and put myself underneath it. I snuggled closer in and sighed.
"Gerard, how could this happen? How could she still be here? How did I not know?"
"No, Adele, you can't blame yourself. Hey..hey,"
He grabbed my wrists tightly.
"Say you don't blame yourself."
"Gerard, I can't help but feel guilty. I listened to a drunk man that loves his beer more then me."
"You were a child, Adele. Say it."
"I ca--"
"I'm not letting go."
"Ger--"
"Say it."
"But I can't lie," I whimpered as he refused to release.
"Then say it honestly."
"I don't blame myself."
"Adele, you were a kid, you had no idea. That's not your fault. I was shocked when I heard the news too. Nobody knew."

There was a subtle knock on the door.
"Hello, Miss Armstrong. You're free to go after I take a look at those stiches--"
"Um Doctor..."
"Rosenbaum."
"Doctor Rosenbaum....would I be able to stay with my...mom?"

Oh God, it felt weird saying that.

"Of course."
Gerard stayed in the room as the doctor raised my shirt and took a look. Frankie woke up a few minutes later.
"Alright, you're free to go, Miss Armstrong. Those stiches will have to be taken out in two weeks. We have a cream that will dull the scars."
"Wait, exactly how many stiches do I have?"
He took his clipboard and glanced down at it.
"One hundred and fifty-three."
"Holy crap,I'm glad I was passed out," I sighed.
"Ready?"
Frankie had asked as he slid his sweatshirt around himself.
"Yeah but where I do and pay?" I asked.
"Don't worry, took care of it all," said Gerard.
"Wait, you paid? How much?"
"Gerard. I can't let you do that I have to p--"
"No, you don't. I won't take it Munchkin."
"But--"
"Ah, hey, what'd I say?"
I grinned and silently surrendered.
"She's in room three thirteen," said FRankie as he pushed the elevator botton.
"Um...stairs, those are nice."

Why eleavtors?
Both Frankie and Gerard stared down at me in 'ha--stairs you're funny' kind of way.
"What? You know I hate them."
"I'm here. I wouldn't let anything happen to you. You have nothing to worry about. Besides it's only two floors, baby, you'll be fin," said Frankie as he tightly clasped my hand.

Ding.

"Come on."
I was dragged onto the claustrophobic moving device, literally. The metal doors slid together and Gerard pushed the botton. I dug myself into Frankie's arms and sweatshirt and he held my waist.
"Can I see your stiches?"
"That would require moving my face and realizing that we're still in an elevator."
I felt him pull my waist from him and I turned and I was in Gerard's arms.
"I swear I'll be fast."
Frankie lifted up my shirt and I heard him whisper 'Ooh'. I hadn't opened my eyes yet.

Ding

"Thank God."
I ran out as fast as my little legs would carry me. A hand clasped mine and led me in the right direction. Finally, we were right outside the door.
"Adele. baby, you're sure you wanna do this?"
I closed my eyes, sighed, and slowly nodded. I heard the doorknob twist and the door itself open. I tightened my grip around Frankie's hand.