It was several hours after midday, the sky was turning grey and the sun was beggining to set. The four men that were left behind were all sat together in the lounge of their home, the TV was on but neither of them were paying attention. Their minds were elsewhere, thinking about the terrible situation that had happened earlier, remembering the unconcious Gerard being lifted into the medic's van and taken away. Bob, Ray and Frank were worried not only for Gerard but also for Mikey. His brother had a mental breakdown and was taken to a mental institution, they couldn't even begin to imagine how he was taking it all. "Mikey...you okay? Do you want a coffee or anything?" Frank asked, scooting across the couch a little closer to Mikey and put his arm around him. "No...I'm okay..." came Mikey's dull reply. "You sure? Do you want us to do anything for you?" Ray offered. "No but thanks Ray..." Mikey replied again. "Mikes, it's all gonna be okay...you watch, he'll be fine in no time...you sure you don't want anything?" Bob added. "Guys I'm fine...don't worry about me..." They all sat in silence once again until Mikey stood up. "I'm gonna go to bed...it's...been a long day..." he stated. Frank, Bob and Ray stood up too and walked to where the bedrooms were with Mikey. "Okay...you get some sleep..." Bob told Mikey as he went into his room. "If you need anything just come tell us!" Frank reminded him. "Yeah...'night..." Ray added. "Thanks...goodnight guys..." Mikey entered his room and sighed in remorse, so distraught over the day's outcome. He fell onto the bed and buried his face into his pillow, and soon he succombed to the power of sleep...
*****
BOOM!
"AH!!" Mikey yelled in terror. He shot up from his bed and looked out the window.
There was a storm going on, and lightning was taking over the sky. He looked around his room and realized that it was different. The walls weren't the same color as they were when he had fallen asleep. They were blue now, and he saw a small TV with a little video game sitting in the corner of the room. He looked down and saw that he had PJs on. They had an army pattern on the arms and legs.
This was back in his childhood.
CRASH!
"NO! AH!" he screamed again, not having control over what he was saying. This was a memory more than anything. He was just reliving it again. Suddenly a branch fell off from the tree near the window and slammed into the window itself, and for child-Mikey, that was the last straw. He threw the covers off and ran out the door, and he ran down the hall into a room in which he immediately felt safer...Gerard's bedroom.
He jumped into bed with his older brother and pulled the covers over himself, tears streaming down his face. Gerard immediately turned to face his brother, and he saw the terror in young Mikey's eyes. He felt sympathy, pity, and most of all, affection for his sibling. He hugged him closer to his body and sighed.
"Mikey Mikey Mikey...you silly, pathetic kid..." He said, smiling as he dozed off to his slumber once again. Mikey never responded, for he had fallen asleep that much sooner. It had continued to rain, thunder, and send lightning throughout the night, but Mikey never noticed...
*****
Mikey suddenly awoke to the familiar sound he unfortunately knew all too well. It made him jump and fall out of bed, fortunately he didn't make too much of a noise because he'd landed on the cover that he'd pulled down along with him. He glanced around the room, looking at the walls and the patterns of flashing light that fell upon them, until he realised what it was and he stood up quickly.
"Ugh," he muttered to himself as he placed the cover back on the bed and walked over to his bedroom door.
He pushed the handle down as slowly as he could to stop it from making a sound, and opened the door. He tip-toed into the hallway and towards the door of his brother's bedroom. He opened the door silently, stepped into the room and closed it softly behind him. As he walked towards Gerard's bed, tears started to form in his eyes and he soon found himself wrapped in between the bed covers, clutching one of the pillows tightly and breathing in the smell of his abscent brother.
"Gerard..." he whispered as the tears rolled down his cheeks. He wished that it was his brother that he was holding and not the lifeless pillow.
Once again thinking about what had happened, and slowly shaking from the sounds of the thunder and lightning outside, Mikey fell into an uneasy and troubled sleep.
*****
Mikey opened his eyes and shut them quickly, feeling the sun's bright beams attack his eyes. He rolled out of bed and groaned, seeing his reflection in the door mirror. His skin was paler than normal and his hair was a mess. He ran to the bathroom to make himself look more presentable...or more specifically, more alive...
After he had accomplished his self-assigned makeover, he went downstairs to get breakfast. He walked into the kitchen and saw Bob drinking coffee. He smiled at the drummer and continued on his mission. Just then Ray walked in and sighed.
"Well, I guess everyone's hungry, today..." he said, seeing that everyone was in the kitchen. Mikey smirked but then look over his shoulder, seeing that Ray was in fact wrong.
"Ray, we're technically missing one person..." he said with a smile, but still tired. Just then Frank slid into the room, twirling around and shaking everyone's shoulder as he passed them. He got to Mikey and took the coffee pot in front of him, smiling away.
"Frank, are you okay?" Bob asked, his coffee in hand and in the air, his whole body motionless from shock.
"Yup, yup, yup, yup, yup..." he said quickly, pouring himself a cup of coffee. Just then ray ran upstairs, and soon he was back down, but with a disappointed expression. Mikey turned his head in confusion.
"Raaaayyy?" he drug out, scared at what Ray was hiding in his face. He looked down and sniffled.
"Frank has succombed to the deadly Skittle and Mountain Dew Midnght Combo..." he muttered, and soon everyone was laughing their heads off, finding humor when their lives were in complete dispair. Soon everyone settled down, even Frank, and they all stood in the kitchen, each with a cup of coffee.
"Mikey, were you planning on visiting Gerard?" Frank asked, talking a sip of coffee. Mikey tensed up, his fingers gripping the edge of the counter that he was leaning on.
He wanted to avoid this subject for at least half the day. Now he just had to stick with it, and hope he would be able to handle it all.
"Not necessarily..." He mumbled, looking down. Frank put his cup down and rushed over to Mikey, still in a hyperish state.
"Listen...he's your brother...the least you could do is go and see how he's doing..."
"I know, but..."
"But what?"
"Um...nevermind, I'll go..."
"Are you sure? What made you change your mind?"
"I'll go! Just let me get ready..."
"Mikey, don't get so tense...we only want to make peace around here..." Ray added, trying to, in fact, make peace.
"Then let me go without all of you venting at me about it..." Mikey replied harshly. The others sighed in unison and continued their coffees, hoping that this sudden fit of anger was just because of the situation.
