I'll Be Better Tomorrow (frerard)

Blood and Visitors

A/N Should I do trigger warnings? Because this entire book involves a lot of talk of death and puking so.....

Frank couldn't take it, didn't know what to do about Gerard—why he'd been vomiting blood, Frank didn't know. After his heart slowed down when he felt Gerard breathing, Frank carefully pulled Gerard into his arms. Gerard's eyelids fluttered, and he gagged with his head lolling back on the way down the stairs. Frank tipped Gerard's head up and sat him on a stair. Gerard puked down his front, flecked with blood, still not fully conscious. Frank bit the inside of his cheek, and caught Gerard from falling back against the stairs behind him. He removed Gerard's shirt, and ran back upstairs to throw it in the bathroom sink. It was more awkward picking Gerard up off the stairs.

Frank drove him to the emergency room, where they hooked him up to an IV until he regained consciousness. They cleaned him up, put him in a hospital gown, and had Frank explain that Gerard was basically dying of leukemia. They called in the same doctor who had given him the diagnosis, and she was willing to speak with Frank.

"He's stable right now, he's okay. I've had them put him on some pain medication before he wakes up."

"He's going to wake up?" Frank asked weakly. "He's not in a coma or anything?"

She pressed her lips together. "Yes, he'll wake up. No, he's not in a coma. He was in a significant amount of pain, and it was more or less too much, that he...lost consciousness."

"He is bruising more, bleeding really easily. What...what about the blood? He was puking blood."

"It's probably just from his throat," she said, shaking her head. "What has he been eating?"

Frank gave her a breakdown of the past couple days, and she didn't seem surprised that Gerard's body was rejecting the food. Frank had some peace of mind, knowing Gerard was okay, when he was left alone in the hospital room with him. That didn't stop Frank from beating himself up over all of it.

He looked at Gerard in bed, sitting next to him, and buried his face in his hands, lost in thought. Gerard had been in a significant amount of pain , and Frank hadn't known; he'd even passed out from it. How could he have been so stupid to not pay attention? He should have known to check on Gerard, as soon as he woke up. He should have woken up earlier; he knew Gerard was in pain. He'd just let Gerard be so sick, helpless, and he could've done something for him, provided some form of comfort.

"Frank?" Gerard said, and Frank's head snapped up at his voice.

Frank couldn't help but let a smile take hold of him, with the relief of Gerard waking up. "Hey, sweetheart." Gerard was still waking up, blearily glancing down at the IV in his arm. He blinked down at himself and up at the light of the hospital room.

"Wh-what happened?" Gerard asked.

"You fainted again, and I got scared, so I brought you in. You were throwing up a bunch," Frank explained.

Gerard crinkled his nose. "How long was I out?"

"You passed out sometime before the morning, and it's... one. So only a few hours." Frank moved forward to put a hand over Gerard's. "How're you feeling now?"

"I'm sleepy," Gerard whined, "and kind of dizzy." He reached out for Frank, turning on his side to face him. "I want you."

"I'm right here," Frank soothed, feeling useless.

Gerard hummed, and opened his eyes, face close to Frank's. "Can I have a kiss?"

Frank laughed softly and let go of one of Gerard's hands to cup his face. "Of course," he complied, and leaned in to press their lips together. Gerard nuzzled into Frank's touch. "Are you in pain?" Frank asked, pulling away from him.