13- Heaven's Waiting..

“Mikey!” Gerard called, searching the house for his brother.
“Fuck off.” Mikey shouted back, clearly not wanting his brother’s company.
Gerard sighed, sitting down outside Mikey’s door, resting his head against the wood.
“Look, I know I didn‘t mean what I said, and you know I didn‘t mean what I said. Why can‘t you just forgive me? I know, I was being a royal prick in Frank‘s room, but…”
“Gerard,” Mikey said quietly.
“Yes, Mikey?”
“Fuck off. I don‘t want to see you or hear you right now.”
“But, M--”
“I said fuck off!” Mikey roared, kicking the door and making Gerard leap forward. The elder sighed walking down towards the living room again. He picked up the phone and dialled a few quick numbers.


Mikey sat down on his bed, running a hand through his hair. He knew he should forgive his brother, but he didn’t think he was ready to yet. But, what if he leaves it too late, and when he forgives Gerard, he doesn’t accept it? Mikey started fretting, scratching his head before standing up and hesitantly walking towards the door. He laid a hand on the door handle and sighed.
“Gerard, listen. I‘m really sorry for getting so…worked up. I know we‘ve barely fought before, and I hope that it‘ll stay like that. It‘s just…I‘ll forgive you…if you forgive me?”
…Silence.
SLAM.
“G-Gee?” Mikey beckoned, opening the door, “Gee!” he roared, running to the front door, to see the back of a taxi, speeding off into the distance.
“Gerard…” Mikey murmured with a cracked voice, “What are you doing?”


“So, where ya‘ goin’, kid?” the taxi man asked, chewing harshly on a piece of gum.
“Um, Belleville hospital, please.”
“What, are you sick or something?”
Gerard didn’t answer. The taxi man looked back, but didn’t bother repeating his question. After a few minutes of awkward silence, the vehicle arrived at the hospital.
“Three-fifty, please.” he smiled, sticking his hand back where Gerard was sitting. The teen dropped the money into the man’s hand before opening the door.
“And yes, I am sick.” Gerard croaked, “But…my boyfriend‘s dying in there.” he sighed and got out of the car, making his way to the automatic hospital doors. The taxi man sat wide eyed, staring at the boy walking through the big, clear doors.
“Hey, Frank..” Gerard cooed, sitting down beside the boy, holding his hand and putting his head on his shoulder, “How are you? You‘re not looking too good. I miss you, Frankie. Please come back.” Tears rolled down the boy’s cheeks, staining the bed as they hit it. Gerard managed a few uneven gasps, before bursting into tears, “Frank, please. I need you here. Come back to us. Come back to me.” the boy repeated these two sentences every day he went to see his ‘sleeping’ boyfriend.

“Gerard?” a man called from the door.
“What do you want?” he moaned, sniffing.
“Gerard, I‘m Nathan O‘Hagan. I‘m the head of this ward. I…I need to talk to you about Frank‘s…future.” he smiled. Gerard stared at him. He knew that smile. It was the kind of smile that says, “I might be smiling, but I have horrible news for you.”
Gerard nodded, following the doctor into his office. He sat down on the metal chair, not taking his eyes off the doctor.
Dr. O‘Hagan rustled a few papers, clearing his throat and sniffing before retrieving a page that seemed to interest him very much, “Now, since you are the closest thing Frank has to family, I would like to review his progress with you. He has gained his ability to speak, although he needs more lessons to help him talk more fluently again. He has learned basic reading and writing, and can walk. But, since his seizure, he‘s been in a deep coma, and the chances of him waking up are…next to nothing.”
“Can you tell me something I don‘t know?” Gerard snapped.
“Sorry,” the man murmured, continuing, “Well, I don‘t think we can keep Frank in that bed any longer. He‘s been in that room for many, many months, and frankly, we need it for other patients. We can keep him for another two or three weeks, but after that…you will have to move him to a home…or…” the doctor trailed off.
“Or?” Gerard echoed, wanting the doctor to say those frightful three words.
“Pull the plug, Gerard.”
Gerard flinched at the words, staring at his feet, “Well, Frank has always told me…if he is ever in a position where he‘s wasting space or is stuck in such a state, to…‘pull the plug’. He always says it‘s better to give a bed to someone who can be saved, rather than to someone who can‘t be saved. I‘ll do what he wants me to do, even if it kills me by doing so.” sadness ran down his face, falling silently onto his jacket.
“I understand,” the man replied, “Well, maybe if you want to gather his friends…for a proper goodbye?”
“Tomorrow,” Gerard nodded, standing up and heading home.



“Gee!” Mikey exclaimed, jumping off the sofa at the sight of his brother walking through the front door, “Oh, Gee, where have you been? I was so worried that you w--”
“Shut up, Mikey,” Gerard grunted, “I‘m pulling the plug on Frank tomorrow. Gather the guys and tell them to be there after school tomorrow.” Mikey nodded slowly, falling back onto the sofa, staring into the air.
Gerard walked off into his room, where he lay down on his bed, squeezing a pillow between his arms and his chest. He brought the pillow up to his nose and inhaled the smell. It smelt like Frank. He always slept on that pillow when he was over. The boy closed his eyes, trying not to cry.
Three slow knocks on the door, and Mikey poked his head through, “Gee,” the younger Way mumbled. Gerard sat up, wiping his eyes as Mikey walked over. Gerard stood up, wrapping his arms around his brothers neck, “Mikey,” he wailed, “Why did I let this happen?”
“Shh. Gerard, even if it wasn‘t your fault, this still would have happened.” Mikey croaked, choosing his words carefully.
“I know, but…Fuck. I‘m going to miss him so much.”
“We all are, Gee.”
“But I loved him…”
“I know, Gee. We‘re gonna be here for you. Don‘t worry. There will always be a shoulder for you to cry on.”

Bob and Ray were sitting in Ray’s living room, working on late homework. Ray jumped at the feeling of his phone vibrating in his pocket. His mouth dropped when he read the name.
“It‘s Mikey,” he mouthed to Bob as he flipped open the phone, “Hey, Mikey.”
Bob started at Ray as his expression changed, “O-Okay…I‘ll tell Bob. Tell Gee we‘re thinking of him…bye.” Ray sat the phone on the table, staring blankly at it.
“Ray..?” Bob said, putting a hand on the teen’s arm.
“Gee‘s pulling the plug on Frank tomorrow and he wants us to be there after school. Mikey said he was phoning the principal. He’s gonna announce it in the assembly tomorrow, and that we should go in late.”
Bob gulped, blinking furiously, “It‘s what Frank would‘ve wanted, right?”
“You know he always tells us to pull the plug if he‘s ever left like that.” Ray responded, closing his books, “I don‘t feel like doing homework anymore, Bob.”
“Neither do I. C-Can I stay here tonight, Ray?”
“Yeah, you can sleep in the spare room.” Ray nodded, “I’m going to be now, though, okay?”
“I‘m right behind you, man.”

The next day, Ray and Bob arrived at school at 10 am, to find every teenager turning around from their lockers to look at Ray and Bob. Some bowed their heads, not wanted to look at them, some nodded at them. Some even murmured, “Sorry”, or “Tell the Way‘s we‘re thinking of them.”
Both boys nodded, continuing on to class. Neither of them wanted to think of the Way brothers, or Frank. It was too upsetting.
At the end of the day, many groups of people rushed over to them, handing them cards. Altogether, there was over 50 cards to take from school to Frank’s bedside.
“I never knew they cared so much,” Bob muttered, putting some of the cards into a plastic bag he had in his school bag.
“Well, people are hypocrites and very two faced. Just accept that they care, Bob.”
Bob nodded, jumping into Ray’s car and headed up to the hospital.

*  *  *

In the hygienic, white room, stood four boys: Gerard Way, Mikey Way, Ray Toro and Bob Bryar. Two nurses stood in the corner, and in the bed, was a small, fragile, pale looking boy: Frank Iero. The mood in the room was depressing as each boy stood forward and said their goodbyes to their friend.
“Frank,” Gerard sighed, “I loved you so much. I still do. I‘m so sorry I lead you to this. I don’t regret a second we spent together. This hurts me…more than…I can stand to say, Frank.”
Bob sat the cards on the beside cabinets, as Ray turned to Frank, “We got over fifty cards from the school. Everyone loved you Frank. You were very likeable, and it clearly shows. Everyone in school is praying for you, man.”
Mikey stood forward, putting a hand on his brother’s shoulder, “Are you sure your ready?”Gerard nodded, sniffing.
Ray and Bob stood to one side of the bed, both grabbing a hold of Frank’s left hand, while the Way brothers stood at the right hand side of the bed. Gerard leant down and switched the plug from on…to off. All the machines huddled around Frank slowly turned off. The room was completely silent, except for the sound of Frank’s light breathing. Mikey was holding Frank’s right hand, and Gerard was on his knees, breathing on Frank’s cheek.
“You can let go, babe. You can leave us. We‘ll manage, don‘t worry about us. We all will miss you, but…you need to rest, now.” Gerard sighed, resting his head on Frank’s. The boy’s breathing became lighter.
“Heaven‘s Waiting, Frankie…Heaven‘s Waiting…” Gerard whispered in his ear. Frank’s breathing lowered and lowered before it stopped. Frank’s chest stopped moving, as his lungs had stopped heaving in air, and his heart had stopped pumping. Gerard bit his lip, trying to hold back tears. One by one, the boys left the room…Bob, then Ray…Mikey, and finally…Gerard. He looked back at Frank’s peaceful face before the nurses pulled the white blanket over his angelic face, “Sleep the sleep of the angels, Frankie.” he smiled, accepting his love’s death, “Heaven‘s Waiting, Frankie.”


HEAVEN’S WAITING.. MAY 18TH 2009- JULY 05TH 2009.