FicWad

Title from "Here Without You" - Three Doors Down

Almost 2 weeks later, Frank was lying on the floor staring at the ceiling blankly, while Cody sat at the table drinking juice and watching Frank watch the wall, when Gerard stumbled in, a frail, bloody, pale boy in his arms. They were both covered in gashes. Frank jumped up and balanced Gerard as he set the kid on the couch, then dragged him to his bed and took off his shirt. There were cuts all up his chest and arms. His face was littered with bloody welts and bruises.

"Oh god, what happened to him?"

"Frank look, what are those?"

Cody pointed to Gerard's hand. Frank had forgotten completely forgotten about the day they'd met and he'd seen the strange marks. They were little signs and symbols etched into his skin.

"I... don't know. I'll ask later..."

Frank put a damp cloth on both of the boys' foreheads. He went out to the sofa to look at the kid Gerard had brought in. He was extremely skinny and covered in welts and bruises. His leg was bleeding and horribly infected, bringing Frank's thoughts back to the memory of the image in the graveyard. His hair was light brown. He looked a lot like Gerard. His hair was down to his chin in some places, clinging to the sides of his face with an almost layered look.

"What do we do now Frank?"

"I dunno... we wait, I guess..."

And wait they did, for 4 days, and finally Gerard was able to move.

"Gee?"

"Frank..."

"You okay?"

"What does it look like? Mikey, is he okay?"

"I don't know! I've been treating your fevers and stuff, but you need blood!"

Gerard got up slowly and staggered into the living room, kneeling beside his brother.

"Yeah, blood, he needs blood..."

"How do we get blood?!"

"We can't... He needs fresh blood, or it won't help much. There's no one close enough."

"What about me?"

Gerard looked at Cody, surprised.

"That would work... But we have to clean off his fangs first... who knows what could be on them..."

Gerard wiped Mikey's teeth with a tissue, making sure to clean off whatever could be his blood, so Cody wouldn't be turned on accident.

"Okay, you have to be certain that no other part of his mouth touches your hand, got it?"

"Yeah."

Gerard guided Cody's hand and pressed it against Mikey's top teeth. Blood trickled into his mouth as Cody let out a soft whimper. Mikey swallowed the blood involuntarily, still unconscious. Frank could see Mikey's face gain a little color. Gerard leaned against the side of the couch. He shuddered, pain wracking his body.

"Gerard? Are you sick?"

"No Frankie, I'll get over it."

"O-okay..."

Frank felt Gerard's forehead. It was burning. For the next week, he and Cody pent most of their time taking care of Gerard and Mikey. Gerard could get up and do most of what he needed to do, but still had sudden violent waves of pain pass over him every now and then.

"Will Mikey wake up?"

"Eventually..."

"Are you mad I brought Cody over?"

"No, I hoped you would. You would've been lonely here by yourself. Anyway, this house is as much yours as it is mine."

"Yeah I'd be lonely! It's been three months!"

"Heh, sorry."

"Well at least you got Mikey."

"Just barely."

"Where was he?"

"Uhh... Someplace dark... But I don't really remember, that dude beat us up pretty bad in the heads before we got away I think."

It took 2 weeks, but Mikey moved one morning, rolling onto his side to face away from the back of the couch. Frank found him like that one morning after waking up. He'd been sleeping on the floor since Mikey was occupying the sofa.

"He's getting closer to consciousness."

"Will he still feel pain because of that guy?"

"No... I dealt with him..."

Frank smirked, knowing Gerard meant he killed the man. Cody had left after Gerard got better, but came back to give blood for Mikey every few days. One day, Gerard left Frank in charge of watching Mikey while he went out to get "some stuff". Frank didn't question him. He sat on a chair for a while, before getting up and looking glumly at the stuff on the refrigerator door. He didn't notice Mikey's eyes flutter open and look over at him.

"Who the hell are you?"

"I-I'm... uhh..."

Mikey winced got up and came closer to Frank, glaring, his eyes red and fangs bared.

"Who are you and where am I?"

Mikey shoved Frank, who was beginning to get angry himself, against the wall, snapping his jaws at the sight of the blood oozing from Frank's arms where Mikey had dug his nails in.

"No, you don't understand, I-"

"I've spent I don't even know how many years being tortured relentlessly by some monster. I'm not gonna let another filthy human keep me here."

He shoved Frank hard in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. Frank hissed, his teeth sticking out of the corners of his lips. He got up and shoved Mikey back, looking him in the eye and feeling his own eyes burning as human and animal blood mixed dangerously.

"I'm not a human, and I'm not going to keep you prisoner. Gerard's back in a while so shut up and wait."

Frank pushed roughly past Mikey and slumped angrily in the chair he'd sat in a few minutes before. Mikey jumped as the door opened next to him, almost hissing.

"Mikey?"

"Gerard!"

"You woke up!"

Gerard hugged Mikey tightly.

"Where am I?"

"The house."

"It's so different!"

"Yeah... You've been gone for 50 years Mikes."

Gerard noticed Frank, who was still looking pissed. His eyes hadn't calmed down yet. Gerard approached him.

"What's wrong F?"

"Nothing..."

Frank knew he couldn't lie because of his eyes. Mikey scratched his head, ashamed.

"I... sorta attacked him."

"Sheesh Mikey, you made him bleed! He's one of us."

"You found one?"

"No. I turned him..."

"So, he's your mate? Huuuuuh... Gerard, Gerard, Gerard..."

Gerard looked away, obviously embarrassed.

"Um... Just to... you know, reform..."

"If that were the case, youd've picked a girl. But anyways, I don't care much about your queerness."

"Are you strong enough to move?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you should come with me and Frank to feed."

"Alright."

Frank sniffed them out a kindergarten teacher, but decided to let Mikey and Gerard drink first.

"I'll get a different person. We'll kill her if we all drink from her."

"You sure? I'll wait if you want."

"No, go ahead and drink Gee."

"Okay..."