The Human Condition / / [Frerard]

3: Lightweight As Fuck But Still Cute

Lindsey Ballato was exactly twelve minutes away from finishing her loathsome shift at Wesinton Community Hospital and, so far today, she had a grand total of four patients coming in. Technically two since Frank was only a friend of a patient and not a patient himself. And, sadly, only one if you don't count the rather creepily cheesy loved-up couple coming in and asking for directions to a place Lindsey had never even heard of, to which she made some directions up instead of awkwardly turning them away. Hopefully luck was on her side and the couple hadn't ended up in the bottom of some dingy lake.

It wasn't as if Wesinton Community Hospital was a business Lindsey ran and the lack of admissions meant a decline in profit: She just worked there and less patients meant less work, but it was just slightly annoying when she worked on eight hour shifts to only have under ten minutes doing something productive. Hell, it was goddamned boring.

And this is why poor little Lindsey started packing her shit together twelve minutes before she was meant to, not like that mattered of course. Kitty (or Jennifer as her name tag and legal birth certificate read) would be here shortly and surely, with a three hour shorter shift and a devoted friendship to Lindsey, she wouldn't mind adding an extra few minutes on top of her regular times just so Lindsey could finally get home and maybe get some sleep.

Lindsey didn't get enough credit for what she deserved; all her friends could agree on the fact that she was the most hardworking person they could ever meet. On top of having university throughout the working week, Lindsey worked at the hospital Saturdays and Sundays and had night shifts at the local 24 hour store, as well as playing bass in a shitty local punk band and raising her younger brother, Bradley, when her single mom stayed out weeks on end doing drugs with her new boyfriend.

And never once did Lindsey complain or moan about her life. She kept a smile on her face and acted a second mother to each one of her many friends, a role that came naturally after replacing her own for her brother.

After all of that, it couldn't hurt to leave work a little early once in a blue moon, right? Dr Iero were close and he, although higher in the hospital worker hierarchy, surely wouldn't mind if she packed up a little earlier than usual.

"What are you doing?"

A sudden voice coming from the other side of the room startled Lindsey and made her jump back, but she was soon reassured when she turned around to see Dr Iero.

"Oh, it's just you," she laughed off her little scare. "I was just getting ready a little early. Kitty should be here soon and she shouldn't mind a few minutes extra. I just really need some sleep, that's all."

She continued shoving some sweets into her bag that she brought to satisfy her hunger, expecting Dr Iero to happily drop the topic but, instead, he continued.

"No you're not."

For a second, Lindsey laughed his words off as a joke before turning around and catching a sight of his deadly serious expression. She cut off her laughter immediately.

"What?"

"You aren't going anywhere, Lindsey Ann Ballato."

She couldn't deny the fact that she was starting to feel a little creep and, dare she say, scared at her boss' unusual behaviour and her theory that he was just playing yet another practical was starting to drift away from her conscience - How did he even know her middle name?

"How do you-?"

"He's been here, hasn't he?" He snapped. "Gerard Way. He's been here."

"Y-Yeah with Frank. You treated him, r-remember? The boy who needed sti-stitches."