Hidden From Reality

19

Frank

I sat up the next morning and looked down at Gerard. He wasn't a wolf anymore, but he was still adorable. He sneezed in his sleep, then began a series of hacking coughs. His whole body shuddered and he drifted back into sleep. Whatever sickness he had caught was doing a number on him. I left my room and walked out into the kitchen. My dad was talking to Mikey while my mom cooked breakfast. I sat down at the table next to Mikey and nodded towards my dad. My thoughts went back to when Gerard had gotten beaten up by one of Bert's old friends. Seeing him like that during the day had freaked me out, even if I hadn't said anything at the time. The way his teeth, no, fangs, had glimmered with the blood from his lip. I swallowed back bile as Mom started handing out food. I ate quickly, wanting to surprise Gerard before he woke up. I heard him coughing as I finished eating. My dad looked up at me, then back towards my room.

"He doesn't sound too great."

"He'll pull through. Right?"

"Of course." My dad reached over the table and gently pat my hand reassuringly. I put my empty plate in the sink and quietly went back to my room. Gerard was still coughing as I dug around in his backpack, looking for his sketchbook. Finding it, I took it with me back out into the kitchen. I sat at the table and flipped to one of the empty pages. Mikey looked over at me and asked what I was doing.

"Surprising him."

"How're you gonna do that?"

"Just wait. You'll see." A few minutes later, a knock sounded from the door. I got up and answered it, accepting the package from the mailman. Mikey hovered over my shoulder as I opened the box. I pulled out various art supplies before getting to the real gift. I pulled out a black hoodie, a picture of a werewolf printed on it.

"Isn't that..."

"Gerard's art style? You know it."

"Dude, you didn't really get that for him, did you?"

"Oh, I did."

"Wait, if this is his gift, why do you have his sketchbook?" I looked down at the book sitting next to me.

"When he wakes up, he always looks through his sketchbook. It's just how I'm gonna get him to leave the room." Sure enough, Gerard appeared at the end of the hall, mumbling something about his sketchbook. His eyes drifted to the collection of art supplies, along with the hoodie I was still holding. I smiled at him as he came over, taking the empty seat next to me. He smiled as he started picking up all the different art supplies. He started testing them on the empty page I had turned his sketchbook to. After a few minutes, he finally looked up at me, smiling. His eyes drifted to the hoodie. He reached for it and held it out in front of him.

"Did you get my art printed on a hoodie?"

"Oh, yeah. I thought you would like it."

"How much did it cost?"

"That doesn't matter. But, do you like it?" Gerard nodded and hugged me, while still trying to keep his distance.

"I won't care if you get me sick, Gerard." He laughed as he struggled to pull the hoodie over his head. He eventually got it, his head popping out in a mess of black hair. He started gathering up all his new art supplies and shoved them into the pocket of his hoodie. He disappeared back down the hall. I heard him begin to cough again, and I cringed at how bad it sounded. My dad stood up and watched Gerard close the door to my room.

"He needs to go to the doctor." Mikey's head shot up and he looked up at my dad.

"He'll be fine."

"Why can't we take him?"

"He hates the doctor. He'll just freak out."

"Why doesn't he like the doctor?"

"Well, for one, he's afraid of needles. Among...other things."

"What...other things?"

"It's nothing. Just know that he'll be fine." My dad gave up on trying to talk to Mikey and instead went back down the hall to my room. I heard a yelp, then my dad walked back into the living room, cradling a confused Gerard in his arms.

"Dad..?"

"What are you doing?" I glanced over at Gerard's brother. I had never seen his this serious.

"I'm taking him to the doctor."

"Aren't you a doctor? Just do it here." Gerard began to squirm in my dad's arms, like he was trying to get away.

"I don't have the right tools. I can't."

"Then get the tools and come back."

"We don't have time. He's gotten pretty sick." Mikey looked from Gerard's pale, skinny body, then back up to my dad.

"Fine. But if anything happens, it's your fault." My dad nodded as Gerard and I locked eyes. I ran back to my room and dug my shoes out of my closet. I sat down on the couch as my dad tried to get Gerard ready to leave the house. I followed him out, Gerard leaning heavily on my shoulder. He fell asleep in the back of the car on the way to the doctor's office. I reached over and undid his seat belt as Dad took the car out of gear. The drive to the doctor's had been incredibly short, which surprised me. I slid Gerard out of the back seat and carried him into the lobby. I sat next to him in the lobby as Dad checked him in. A little girl of around five walked up to me. She looked Gerard over before starting a conversation.

"Is he your friend?"

"Yes, he is."

"Is he okay?"

"Well, he got very sick, but he didn't tell anyone. We're here to help him."

"I'm sorry. I hope he gets better." It was at that moment that Gerard began coughing again, and this round was so much worse than the others. So much so that he woke himself up, curling in on himself, coughing into his hand. The little girl's eyes widened in terror and worry as her mom got up and pulled her back to the other side of the room. Dad looked over his shoulder and the receptionist followed his lead, staring at Gerard. She picked up the phone, and I could just barely hear her over the tortured, broken sounds coming from Gerard.

"Send emergency medical. It's important."