When Both Our Cars Collide (Frerard)

30: Let me be the one to save you

*trigger warning for a seizure*

I awoke in the middle of the night, the intense pressure on my bladder refusing to let me stay comfortably cocooned in my bed for a moment longer, and no matter how much I didn't want to move, I had to - unless I was willing to use my bed as a toilet - which I wasn't. I may be lazy, but I wasn't that bad.

With an over exaggerated groan, I dragged myself out of bed and headed toward the bathroom, glancing at the couch to see Frank still sleeping peacefully, much to my relief. I had offered him the bed, but he refused, and as much as I wanted to sleep with him - just sleep - not do anything else, I didn't want to push him into something he wasn't ready for, and he hadn't mentioned it either.

I was washing my hands when I heard a loud thump coming from the living room. Leaving the water running in my haste, I bolted out of the bathroom, only to be met with the sight of Frank seizing on the living room floor, his head dangerously close to hitting the leg of the coffee table as his body convulsed.

"Frankie!" I cried out as I rushed to his side. I realized that I might scare him when he awoke to an unfamiliar pair of arms around him, but I was much more worried about the possibility of him hurting himself than anything else right now.

Remembering Pete's advice, I clamped his shaking body against mine, holding his arms and legs as still as I could so he wouldn't hit them against anything.

I checked the time on the wall, needing to judge how long the seizure lasted so I would know when it was time to call Pete, but luckily Frank's tremors ceased after only two minutes.

When his limbs lay completely still, I began brushing his hair back, searching for any injuries that might have been obtained when he fell off the couch, but he appeared unscathed. No bruises or cuts marred his face, and the fall had been a short one - thank god.

"Baby?" I whispered softly.

He hadn't stirred in over a minute, it appeared that he had simply fallen back asleep, if he was ever awake that is, but I had to make sure he was okay. I wracked my brain, trying to remember if he had taken his medicine before bed, but I couldn't recall seeing him down the pills. I cursed myself silently, I should have made sure he had before I fell asleep, but today had been so overwhelming that it had slipped my mind.

"Frankie - can you wake up for me?" I spoke a little louder, shaking him slightly in an attempt to get a reaction out of him.

"Gee...?" Frank's groggy voice was music to my ears, and I was ecstatic that he hadn't panicked at my presence.

"Yeah baby, it's me."

"Why am I on the floor?" he asked, sounding more awake now than he had a second earlier.

"You had a seizure and you fell off the couch, I just wanted to make sure you were okay, so I woke you up," I explained to him.

"Oh shit...I didn't take my pills," Frank groaned, burying his head in my chest.

"Come on sugar, let's get them now before you go back to bed."

I led him into the kitchen, where we had left the bag of medicine earlier and then promptly forgotten about it. After pouring a glass of water and making sure Frank took the appropriate dose, I finally relaxed. He seemed fine now, he hadn't even been aware of the seizure, and it didn't seem to have any lasting side effects.

"Gee?" Frank questioned softly, rinsing his glass in the sink with his back turned to me.

"What's up?"

"Can I sleep in your bed instead?" he asked nervously.

"Yeah of course you can, I have slept on the couch more often than not, and it's actually pretty comfy."