Ian whistled as he entered his home, hiding the bag of goods he bought Mickey behind his back. Mickey was talking about some new Van Damme movie for a while and of course, Ian went and bought it on rent for them to watch. He entered the house and glanced at Debbie laying on the couch, reading a magazine.
"Hey," Ian said, smile on his face. "Where's Mickey?"
"Don't know, never came," Debbie replied uninterestedly, humming a tone under her breath.
"Oh," Ian sighed, thinking Mickey must've dropped by the Alibi or a gun shack somewhere. Ian should've known, Mickey never really comes to the Gallagher house unless he has Ian at his side. Ian turned and left the house, heading to the Alibi.
He walked past some ambulances hovering with their sirens on blast around some alleyway but he didn't pay much attention to it, instead kept walking with a shrug.
He entered the Alibi and smiled at Kev but frowned when he saw no Mickey. "Mickey come around?" He asked just for safe measures as he stood by the door.
"Uh, nope," Kev said as he poured a drink. "Not since yesterday. Want a beer?"
"I'm good," Ian said before leaving. He couldn't help but feel anticipation rise in his throat. Mickey's been known to disappear for a few days at a time, but ever since the shit went down with Maria he's been staying around Ian. Ian quickly jogged to the dugouts, a sickening feel sinking in his stomach when Mickey wasn't anywhere around there. He walked by that alley again, this time covered with officers drinking coffee and talking. He didn't pay any mind to the blood on the floor by the officer's feet and instead rushed home.
He busted through the door quickly and went straight to the basement. He bumped into Iggy just as he took the last step.
"Eyes open, Gallagher!" Iggy said loudly through his cigarette. Ian licked his lips and bounced on one leg.
"Listen, I cant find Mickey anywhere," he said, blocking the way for Iggy to go upstairs. He had Iggy's attention though, since Iggy looked at him with wide eyes and flicked his cigarette away. "He was supposed to be coming home and I checked the Alibi and the dugouts, he isn't there. He doesn't usually walk around on his own anymore-"
"Where did you fucking see him last?" Iggy asked in a rush, taking his phone out.
"Leaving Kash 'N Grab." Ian peeked down at Iggy's phone to see Mandy's name flash across the screen. Iggy answered the call and pressed the phone against his ear, sighing loudly. He didn't speak but Ian heard Mandy's cries from the other side of the phone. Ian felt vomit rise in his throat. Mickey was in trouble. He's probably been hurt. And he cant help but feel its his fault.
-
-
Mickey's eyes blinked open.
Or at least, he tried to open them.
He felt his mouth opening and closing, but nothing came out because of how dry his throat was. He wanted to lift his arm, rub at his stinging eyes, but the moment he tried to lift it he knew it would hurt like a bitch. Instead he settled for clearing his throat and slowly, tentatively blinking his eyes open. He had to adjust to the blinding light above him, and almost choked when he saw his surroundings of a hospital room.
So he lived.
His first intention was to glance down at his stomach, see the hole the knife probably made, but instead came in contact with a crying body near him. He looked up to see Maria and he felt himself about to throw up. He turned his head and put it back down, not wanting to look at her. His hands clenched from where they couldn't move at his sides. Jesus, was he fucking paralyzed or something?
"Micael!" Maria wailed when she noticed Mickey's movements. "Oh, baby, you're awake!"
"What-" Mickey gasped at the sting at his throat when he spoke. Maria quickly picked up the glass of water on the side table and pressed it to Mickey's lips, watching him drink it down. When he finished he cleared his throat again, moving his head away from Maria's touch. "What are you doing here?"
"Baby," Maria whispered, brown eyes red and full of tears. "When a mother finds her son bleeding and unconscious in an alleyway at three in the afternoon, she kind of has to take him to a hospital."
"Y-you found me?"
"Why, yes of course," she laughed, wiping her tears with her hand. She used her other hand to hold Mickey's, and Mickey glanced down at the contrast of Maria's tan skin and his pale as snow one. He looked up at Maria who was watching their hands together. He felt his eyes sting with tears; how was he so rude to her? She saved him, Maria is the reason he is alive right now. He felt a smile pull at his lips. He felt himself lighten up slowly. Guess Maria wasn't so fuckin' useless after all.
His smile left when Maria looked up. That doesn't change anything she's done. Her leaving, her making Mickey and his siblings have to leave, she's the fuck up. Mickey was overwhelmed with emotions. He needed to leave. He needed Maria to leave. He needed someone else. He needed...
Gallagher.
His mood brightened knowing he could see Gallagher again. Guess he wasn't gone after all. He's too tough for this world.
Mickey looked up at the sound of the door opening and pulled his hand away from Maria when he saw a doctor. The doctor smiled and set his clipboard down on a table as he pulled up a chair beside Mickey and Maria. "So, Mickey, how are you feeling?"
Mickey shrugged as best as he could lying down. "Don't feel a lot right now."
The doctor nodded as if he was expecting that answer. "You're body is on a whole lot of different meds to keep the pain down."
"Like what?" Maria asked.
"Well, you're high on a bunch of Naproxen and Ibuprofen medications, so that's why you have no energy right now," the doctor chuckled. "And no, you're not paralyzed. But, when the meds wear off you're going to feel a lot of pain."
"They're not so fuckin' good then, huh?" Mickey scoffed.
"Don't worry, we'll give you some antibiotics to keep you going for the next few weeks. Now, do you remember anything?"
"Nothing," Mickey lied, looking at the ceiling above him. He remembered everything, the shrieking voice. That's for you, Milkovich! It made him sick to his stomach. "I want to be alone."
Maria's eyes widened but nodded when the doctor stood up solemnly and waited for her. She left the room quickly. "A nurse is just outside if you need her."
"Okay," Mickey bit his cheek. "Can I make a call?"
"Sure," the doctor smiled. He called a nurse in who handed Mickey his phone from a ziplock bag. Mickey used all of his energy to take his phone and press it to his ear. He choked when he felt a stinging pain against his abdomen and dropped his phone on the ground. The nurse quickly picked it up and set it to the side table.
"I'm sorry, Mickey. Bur if it's any of your relatives don't worry, they've been contacted. There's no need to call them."
Mickey sighed, feeling pathetic as he closed his eyes and nodded shortly. The nurse turned and left the room, leaving the door half open behind her. Mickey looked towards the small muted TV and watched the black and white version of Tom and Jerry. His eyes slowly began to shut tiredly, but every time his eyes closed the memory of those words and those blazing eyes, that's for you, Milkovich! rang in his ears. It was going to haunt him forever, he knew it.
Mickey sighed, frustrated. He felt tears pick at the corner of his eyes and he whimpered pathetically like a fucking kid when he felt it roll down his cheek, not having the energy to wipe it away.
Mickey glanced up as the door opened and bit the inside of his cheek when he saw Gallagher. He quickly closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side just for special effect. He heard Ian's footsteps approach the bed and soon a hand poke his cheek lightly. Mickey opened his eyes weakly and choked, trying his best to look half dead. He met Ian's eyes seriously and croaked, "I'm paralyzed."
Ian's eyes widened as he freaked for a second, before seeing right through Mickey and smiled bashfully as he swatted Mickey's arm. "Shut up."
Mickey began laughing with Ian until they were out of breath. Ian was more laughing at the relief that Mickey was OK, and Mickey was laughing at the relief of Ian coming back. Not that he thought Ian would leave, he just didn't know if Ian gave enough of a shit to come see him. God, he sounded like a pussy.
"So... What happened?" Ian asked, taking Maria's previous seat.
Mickey decided to ignore the question as he grunted and tried shuffling up. "Where's Iggy? Mandy?"
"Outside, Mandy's talking to the doctor and Iggy's trying to get your mom to leave."
"Which isn't happening."
Mickey and Ian both looked towards the door where Maria stood, arms crossed stubbornly as she glared at Ian. Ian's mouth open and closed, looking back and forth between Mickey and Maria. "Um."
"Who the hell are you?" Maria asked sassily, giving Ian the dirtiest look he'd ever received. Ian scoffed, ignoring his trembles of fear as he stood up.
"Mickey's friend," Ian replied, staring right back at Maria.
Maria snorted as Iggy and Mandy entered the room. "Yeah? Since when?"
Ian's raised his eyebrows at Maria as he chuckled sarcastically. "That's a pretty big question from someone who disappeared for ten years."
"Alright," Iggy intervened before Maria could say- or more likely hit something. "Maria, why the fuck are you even here?"
"I saved him," Maria snapped. "I found him bleeding out in an alley when none of you were around to fucking help!"
"Oh yeah?" Mandy shouted, hands on her hips. "There's no fucking way you were just there! You had something to do with this, didn't you?!"
"Watch your mouth, girl!"
"Don't talk to my goddamn sister like that!"
"Shut the fuck up!" Mickey yelled, startling everyone. "Fuck off! All of you! I have a fucking hole in my stomach right now and you pieces of shit aren't making it any better! Now fucking dip!"
Maria huffed but left the room, Iggy and Mandy following suit. Ian gave one last look to Mickey who had his eyes closed, his heart rate increasing. Ian rubbed Mickey's arm soothingly, before turning and leaving the room.
Mandy came to him as he shut the door behind him. "Well? Anything happened?"
"We're gonna find who did this," Ian said dangerously, yet calmly. He glared at Maria who was talking to a doctor a couple feet away. "And I will fucking kill them."