Am I More Than You Bargained for Yet?

General POV

A girl screamed and ran toward the nurse's station, abandoning all the clothing she had been carrying.

"Help! Blood! There's someone covered in blood in the showers!" Was all she could shriek, causing nurses to run toward her and patients to sleepily poke their heads outside their doors.

"Settle down, Mariah! Everyone, there's nothing to worry about, go back to sleep." The head nurse began giving out orders, which everyone obeyed without question.

"Another sleepless night caused by Black Mariah." A patient spoke before retreating into the bedroom assigned to her. "I'm gonna read a book, if you don't mind."

"You will go back to bed and sleep, Aliana." A nurse stated firmly.

"I can't help it that I'm an insomniac and the first time I even start to doze off, Black Mariah wakes me up." The girl turned on a slipper-clad foot and walked further into the room, slamming the door shut.

"Mariah, did you have another dream?"

"No, no, I was taking a shower." Mariah began babbling. "I'd chosen out my daisy shirt, such a pretty one, and I walked in the shower and...oh, so much blood, I can't even believe it came from one person..."

"It sounds like she had another dream, I'll record it." The head nurse retreated toward the station. "Nicole, take care of Mariah for the time being whilst I inform the doctor."

"Shh Mariah, it's okay...everything's fine..." Nicole cooed while rocking her back and forth.

"No, it's not. That girl's still in the shower." Mariah said, her eyes nearly glazed over.

"You had a dream, that's all."

"Go check the damn shower yourself, the thing's full of blood." Mariah spoke harshly, looking Nicole directly in the eyes. That chilling gaze got to everyone; until someone did what she said, Mariah would keep using it. Slowly Nicole released her grip on the teenager in front of her and proceeded to the shower door.

"All right, Mariah, if I check you have to take the medication without complaint." The nurse began striking a bargain with the patient.

"Just help her."

Nicole opened the wooden door and began screaming herself. "Mary! Oh my God, Mary, she didn't have a dream! There's blood everywhere!"

The head nurse ran to the showers, nearly knocking Mariah in the head with her knee. "Good Lord!" She kneeled in the bloody water, checking to see if the girl was alright. She still had a faint pulse, though it wouldn't last much longer. "Call the doctor, NOW!" She called out, shutting off the scalding hot water.

Nicole took off toward a phone, ignoring the patients that were re-emerging from their rooms. "Doctor Sanchez, it's Alexandra Rodruiquez, we don't know what's wrong with her, there's blood everywhere. Yes, I'll call a stretcher and get her over there right away, if you could be ready for her."

Mariah rocked herself back and forth, moving away from the center of the hallway and off toward a wall. "Someone call the doctor, and someone call the nurse. Someone, save my soul tonight, please save my soul."

Gerard's POV

Ray and Mikey were making me practice again. I mean, come on, you can only learn the words to a song so many times and I've sung them more times than any fan has even listened to them...to quote Billie Joe, "If practice makes perfect and nobody's perfect, why practice?"

Nope, they're still not understanding it. So I walk over to the microphone and que Helena.

"Long ago, just like the hearse you died to get in again.
We are so far from you....
Burning on, just like the match you strike to incinerate the lives of everyone you know.
And what's the worst you take from every heart you break.
And like the blade you stain.
Well, I've been holding on tonight.

What's the worst that I can say?
Things are better if I stay.
So long and good night. So long, and good night.

Came a time when every star's fall brought you to tears again.
We are the very hurt you sold.
And what's the worst you take from every heart you break.
And like the blade you stain.
Well, I've been holding on tonight.

What's the worst that I can say?
Things are better if I stay.
So long and good night. So long, and good night.
Well if you carry on this way, things are better if I stay.
So long and good night. So long, and good night."

Frank looked at me as I began to whisper into the microphone. The others had just mistaken it for emotion over my grandmother, or a staged performance. He knew what this song meant now, he'd stumbled upon my journal and seen it.

"Can. You. Hear. Me?
Are. You. Near. Me?"

I related it not only to my grandmother, but also to Alex's stay in the Institution. It had become my new obsession, ruling over death with an iron fist. All I did was write the lyrics repetatively...which is kind of creepy, when I come to think of it.

"Can we pretend. To leave and then. We'll meet again.
When both our cars collide!"

My cell phone began vibrating in the pocket of my jeans. I cut the guys off and reached for it. A number I didn't recognize, but there was no way for an obsessed fan to get my number... "Hello?" I spoke without realizing I'd answered it.

"Mr. Way? This is the New Jersey Mental Institution for Girls, we're afraid that you'll have to come here right away."

"What's wrong with Alex?" I asked. That sure had the band running to set down their instruments...

"We can't inform you over the phone, but Alexandria's current state is stable. There's no need to worry. If you'd come here as soon as possible, we would appreciate that."

"I'll be there in an hour." I said and shut the phone before she could even finish saying goodbye. "Mikey, let's go."

"Hey, we're all going." Frank said.

"Yeah, Alex is pretty much our niece now, we gotta watch out for her too." Bob added.

"Seconded." Ray commented.

"Then all of you, let's go!" I said while running to the garage door. Soon after the guys rushed in and Ray took the driver's seat, being the most sane of us there.

"It'll be okay, Gerard..." Was all Mikey could say. I think he was trying to reassure himself more than he was me, but that was okay in it's own right. It was calming me down, even slightly. Frank was fiddling around with his sleeves and Bob was drumming nervously on the dashboard. I'm just thankful it wasn't the seat, otherwise I'd probably be punching him out right about now...

The drive seemed even longer than when I had first begun driving the distance, sixteen months ago. I began thinking back to when we said goodbye. It was hard for both of us, I know. She had even hesitated before saying my name. If she had said 'dad,' I would have been so happy. I would have hugged her so tight and never let go. Even though I'll never let go anyways, but physically, I wouldn't have.

They said she was stable. We had to come right away, but she was stable. What could have happened to her? They don't let any sharp objects in for her to harm herself, the patients are monitored nearly twenty four seven, and they're required to take medication. They even check their mouths afterward to make sure they've swallowed.

She could have eaten too much or something. As soon as my mind thought it up I disregarded it. Something like a little food poisoning wouldn't require me to go there, would it? It's nothing that's serious...eating too much would be treated with a bucket to throw up in and possibly more medication.

A million more possibilities ran though my head, each one more unbelievable than the next. She fell out of a tree and broke her leg. They don't let her outside, let alone up a tree. Someone broke in and beat the hell out of her. Somehow I think that if that was the case, it'd be on the news. Especially since she's my daughter. The vampires are pissed about me writing about them. GERARD, VAMPIRES AREN'T REAL!!!!

I forced my mind to slow down, and painstakingly, it did. Going in fifty different directions and jumping to conclusions wasn't going to help matters any, we were going to be there soon enough.

Right as I thought that, Ray pulled through to the gates. "Gerard Way, Michael Way, Ray Toro, Frank Iero, and Bob Bryar here to see Alexandra Rodruiqez, we got a call from the receptionist?"

The guard passed a clipboard through the window to Ray. "All of you sign here."

The sheet was handed through the van with lightning speed, even though it wasn't quick enough for me anyways. Mikey scribbled his autograph rather than the legal signature and shoved it back at Ray, who passed it through to the guard. He looked at it, then pressed a button for the gates to open. Slowly, they did, and Ray continued on at the 10 MPH speed limit.

"Ugh, go faster, go faster..." I began to whisper to myself.

"Gerard, we can't go faster. I'm worried about Alex too, but we have to be rational about this. Barging in won't help matters any." Was Ray's only response. He was our brains throughout every situation, thinking everything through carefully and always coming up with the best solution. I nodded; I had no choice, we always trusted Ray in our times of hardship.

"She'll be all right, Gerard, she'll be all right..." Mikey muttered again, still encouraging himself.

"Let's hope so."