october challenge | frerard | ✔️

twenty six - hospital

twenty-six: hold me close

Yet another scream came from behind the red door, and the crowd of tired and unfed people shuddered, huddling closer together. Just three more hours until the next one.

None of them knew why they were brought here, but all of them knew one thing. You talk, and you're the Next One. It hadn't ever been said. Not by the guards, not by the head watchman. Not even by the strong man who had dried blood covering stocky his arms that seemed to be the one doing all the damage.

The room was big, square, and white, its bright fluorescent lights promising no sleep for the ones who stayed silent. The floor was tile, the walls plaster, and there was a single bathroom stall in the back corner, the dilapidated door closing just enough to get the privacy one would expect from a bathroom stall. So, very little. Straight across from it was a platform with a cage surrounding it, and a door leading out of the cage; one that no one could get in or out of, save for the people inside, which were the head watchman and one guard. And directly above that there stood a sign that read "The White Room."

There was a large clock on the wall which ticked furiously, its noise a constant striking beat. One tick after another. One after another. Here, time seemed to move like honey during winter.

It practically stood still.

And this was where Gerard woke up. He woke up in his boyfriend, Frank's arms, the both of them sitting in a corner of the White Room, surrounded by many other people doing exactly the same— trying to sleep. Judging by the clock on the wall, they'd been there around four days with minimal food and water and no place to sleep save for the ground.

Gerard snuggled farther into Frank's chest and closed his eyes once again, feeling the protective arms tighten around him. But as he closed his eyes, the white light filtered through them and he couldn't fall back asleep.

He looked up at Frank and smiled sombrely, his eyes tearful and wildly emotive. But Frank just frowned. His shoulders hung forwards, his head low, his eyes— if not on Gerard— were cast to the floor, his whole face sagging into a frown.

Gerard took Frank's hand and wove their fingers together; the feeling of home overwhelming him. And yet, he could not close his eyes. He brought Frank's hand up to his lips, kissing the back of it, and looked at Frank again, whose eyes lit up a little this time, smiling a little hesitantly. He kissed Gerard's forehead and pulled him closer, pulled him onto his lap as they sat up and leant against the wall. They huddled together, much like many other of the couples here.

Frank looked around. No one had talked for quite a bit. Here, everyone seemed jumpy, everyone seemed anxious, and everyone seemed queer in some way or another. And united by this one thing they were locked up in a room only to hear the screams of their peers as they died a slow and painful death for something they could not change. Gerard rubbed his swollen eyes and bit his lip, eyebrows pointing upwards as he glanced at a trembling gender queer person sitting a few feet away from them. But then he looked back up at Frank, and he knew that as long as they didn't talk, everything would be alright.

Two hours.

The screams had turned into whimpers, and Gerard and Frank had switched positions, Frank on Gerard's lap, his face buried in his boyfriend's chest. When his head came back up, his eyes were red and puffy, and tears covered his face. But he dared not make a sound. Gerard hugged him to his chest again and whispered comforting things into his ears just under his breath.

One hour.

Frank was crying harder, somehow silently. They hadn't heard screams for a while, and the silence was truly unnerving. Gerard was tense, his shoulders hiked up nearly to his ears, his arms trembling around Frank. Who was to be chosen next?

Two minutes.

Frank started crying harder and hugged Gerard closer.

One minute.

Frank kissed Gerard, his cheeks, his hand, just like Gerard had earlier.

Thirty seconds.

Gerard looked confused as to why his boyfriend was showing so much affection, why he was running his hands through his hair like they used to do in the summertime when no one was watching.

The clock went off, one startling buzz that vibrated throughout the crowd, and the big stocky man came bustling out, and the crowd parted for him. Frank gave Gerard one last kiss, and then squeezed him tightly and bit his tongue, resisting the urge to confess his love one last time as his boyfriend was ripped from his arms and dragged away from him while the crowds held him back. He sobbed violently, crumbling to the floor.

Four more hours.