"Sorry, Gee I gotta gotta go; patients here." Mikey told his brother before hanging up. He put his phone in his desk drawer and waited for his next patient and their guardian.

Mikey was a licensed child psychologist. He absolutely loved his job. Even his brother knew helping others was his true calling. As a child Mikey was always the one to sort out potential fights and have long helpful talks with his friends. Even if the talks were only explaining to a young Gerard why running away from home was not the best reaction to the fact that their mom didn't pick up goldfish from the shops. Still, Mikey thought he was helping and that's all that mattered.

"Frank!" Mikey greeted kindly. "How nice to see you."

Frank chewed on his lip and didn't look up. It didn't offend Mikey of course, he was used to Frank's silence.

"Ms. Iero." Mikey greeted with a warming smile.

"Good afternoon Mr. Way, I'm so sorry that we missed yesterday's appointment. Thank you so much for rescheduling us so soon."

Mikey waved a dismissive hand. "No need to thank me."

Ms. Iero smiled. "Hopefully Frank will open up about why we missed out on yesterday." She said obviously trying to send her son a hint.

Frank looked up for the first time, at Mr. Way then to his mom. Yet the look directed at his mom was more of a scowl than anything.

Ms. Iero continued as if she didn't see it.

"Well, I'll return at five as usual." She smiled, "I love you." She said while placing a hand on her son's shoulder, so quietly that he wouldn't have been able to tell what shes said if he hadn't been watching her lips.

"Good luck Mr. Way."

Then she left.

She always wished Mr. Way "good luck."
It was routine. Frank knew why. It was because he never cooperated. At some points he felt bad for Mr. Way. He knew his name was Mikey, due to some quick snooping while he was in the bathroom.

"Okay" Mikey sighed adjusting himself in his seat ghen smiling lightly at Frank. Frank kept a straight face.

"So how about we start with what happened yesterday, hm?" Mr. Way proposed.

Silence.

"Okay, lets do that then. Was it another attack?"

He was referring to Frank's panic attacks. They were always big, violent and scary. Frank shuddered and shook his head quickly.

"Okay, thank you." Mikey said.

"Thank you for what?" Frank spoke.

Mikey looked almost surprised as he quickly jotted something down. He didn't do that often, because he knew how much Frank hatted it.

"Thank you for answering me. It only seems to happen once in a blue moon."

Frank nodded.

"Can you tell me why, it only happens once in a blue moon?" Mikey asked hoping to drag this speaking thing out as long as possible.

Frank shrugged.

Mikey nodded understandingly.

"So, if it wasn't another attack then. . ." Mikey trailed off looking at Frank.

He nodded once as a response.

Mikey wrote something down. Frank understood why so it didn't bother him.

"Can you tell me what happened during this episode?" Mikey asked

Frank huffed and complimented lying. Saying that he just heard a loud bang of shattering glass or a non-existent intruder. Because, frankly what had happened was bad. Much worse than what was considered the norm for him and that's what upset him the most. He would be forced to up his medication again and he has barely just adjusted to the one he was on right now.

Frank leaned back in his chair stroking the arm rest. The chairs next to him were an ugly green color with yellow details lining the little raised areas. The fabric was scratchy and uncomfortable. It simply made Frank sick. So on his first meeting with Mr. Way thats exactly what he told him.

He sat down, still nervous and even more nauseous. The chairs made him gag even more.

"These chairs are gross." He had told him that day.

Mr. Way looked at him confused at first. Not offended, just confused.

"Oh- oh yeah I-I'm sorry uh," he still stammered like that at times when Frank would talk he'd always try and not say the wrong thing so Frank would perhaps talk more. He never did.

Frank stopped zoning out by the third time his name had been called.

He looked up as a response.

"What exactly were the voices saying this time, Frank?"

Loads of lies played through Frank's head. Though, in the end he decided to tell Mr. Way the truth. That's what was best he assumed.

"There weren't really any comprehensible words. . ." Frank started to explain what had happened to the best of his ability. The fact that none of it was real made it all so much harder to describe out loud.

His mind was racing. He was wrong, he'd be sure to lie next time. This was much too hard and he'd already spoken way more than he planned to when he sat down.

"Oh" Mr. Way caught on.

Frank exhaled, feeling pressure leave his chest.

Frank nodded and Mr. Way wrote somthing down.

"Frank our time is almost up, but I must say this was a delightfully successful session."

Frank pointed to Mr. Way's watch then looked back to him. Mr. Way remembered that that meant Frank wanted to know how much more time was left within the session.

"Oh um, about fifteen minutes so you can read some books as you usually do."

Frank nodded and stood up to sit near the library area.

"Next week we'll talk about this certain episode and see about upping your prescription." Mr. Way said, stacking his notes nonchalantly.

Frank stoped and turned around suddenly overwhelmed. He should have lied.

"No, please!" Frank stifled a sob.

Mr. Way finally looked up from his papers and noticed what he had done.

"Oh I'm sorry- I don't know exactly that I'll have to do anything to your current medication, Frank don't be upset."

Frank nodded frantically and wiped his red, tear-stained cheeks.

"I'm sorry." Frank apologized; now embarrassed after the adrenaline wore down.

"It's fine, Frank I understand." He smiled and dismissed. "Now go on and find a nice book to entertain yourself with."

--

"Hey, Mikes." Gerard greeted answering his phone.

He was at home now watching some boring, brain numbing T.V. show.

"Sorry I had a patient. An important one too, so you know-"

"It's fine Mikey." Gerard chuckled at his brother's nervous rambling. "Tell me about it."

Mikey sighed though the phone.
Gerard already knew it was the highest rule to not expose your patients personal information, or any information at all really.

"Gee, you know I can't do that."

"C'mon who would I even tell?"

Gerard Put out his cigarette and moved over into his kitchen for a glass of wine. He'd gotten so stressed with his plan for his boy; the break he was taking was much deserved.

"I guess. . ." Mikey debated. "Fuck it" He chucked.

"That's my little bro, breakin' rules and shit. Now spill."

Mikey chuckled, "well there's this kid. Sweet and kind. He doesn't talk much, but he's real smart, pretty too."

"Nice." Gerard chuckled. "Now whats wrong with him?"

"Well hes schizophrenic, so he hears. . . things."

Gerard furrowed his eyebrows. "Like"

"It's hard to explain considering I'm not in his head. He never gets too detailed, It's almost like he's scared of me." Mikey sighs.

"I'm sure he's not. You've got you be the least intimidating person I know if that means anything." Gerard assured him.

"Gee, thanks a whole bunch." Gerard laughed at Mikey's sarcasm.

"That has to be a lot on a kid, yeah?"

"Most of his days are good days, his bad days though, are really bad. His current mental state is trauma related, his father was abusive."

Gerard actually felt for this nameless kid.

"Is he okay?" Gerard asked sincerely.

"I don't know to be honest. It's hard to get him to open up most of the time. I'm lucky to get five words.

Gerard frowned. "Damn."

"Yeah" Mikey replied. "Oh- gotta go Gee; patient's here."

"Oh okay, bye Mike's!"

After Mikey hung up Gerard took one more sip of the dark liquid and pulled out his leather notebook. He had gotten it as a gift from his Grandma, Elena. She was always Gerard's favorite person, so when she passed Gerard was understandably devastated.

That's when it all started. The simple need for another human to love. He had Mikey and his mom, it just wasn't enough. The one he loved the most had left him with no explanation. She was gone and he was so broken he could barely grieve. And when he did it was completely draining. Depression set in quickly in place of his beloved. A deep, dark, terrifying and never ending sadness had set itself into Gerard's heart and honestly, it never left. He craved for something to replace this dreadful feeling. Something to numb the pain of his loss. . .

Frank.

Frank had the same routine that Gerard knew by heart. No it wasn't always perfectly but it almost never failed him.

Frank walks himself to school everyday and on every Monday he stops by the gas station near his house before going. he always buys cigarettes, lights one and smokes it on his journey. Unfortunately, for Frank, he won't be making it to school Monday.

Gerard would be there at 7:00 waiting on Frank to get there and exit the store forty minuets later. Then Gerard would take action. The store was on a more rough side of Belleville. Belleville itself was no place for someone like Frank.

Everything was going to change, and soon.