Biblical - Sequel to TMIAA (Frerard)

29: Devotion Reaps Its Rewards

It had been three days since the battle, at least, Gerard thought that was how much time had passed, he couldn't be sure though. Everything was blurring together into a haze of pain, and healing sessions, and slight moments of panic during which Frank's condition would worsen before eventually stabilizing again.

Gerard had hardly slept, or done anything really besides watch over Frank since their return to Heaven. They had been rushed to the medical ward as soon as they arrived, the healers who still had some strength left following them so they could use their magic on Frank, but their attempts had been relatively unsuccessfully as well.

Frank hadn't reacted as negatively as he did when Billie had tried healing him, he hadn't awoken at least, or cried out in pain, but he wasn't mending properly either. His smaller wounds seemed to respond to the holy fire, and his hair continued to grow back with each session he underwent, but the vicious burns littering his arms and torso remained every time, and his injuries were beginning to take a toll on him, leaving him unconscious most days with very brief periods of lucidity in between.

Gerard had finally given in to his friend's demands to take care of his wounds as well, subjecting himself to the agony of holy fire only after Frank was sleeping soundly with Mikey keeping an eye on him the entire time. Gerard had ended up passing out just like he knew he would, and when he woke up to find that his burns had not fully healed either, he wished he had never agreed to put himself through the entire process in the first place.

Billie Joe was confounded by the oddity of their injuries, spending all of his time researching it once he had recovered from the exhaustion that came with using so much magic on Frank, but he unearthed no answers in his books. He told Gerard that he assumed his original hypothesis was correct, and either the wounds created by the Leviathan's blood were resistant to angel healing, or the prophecy was twisting events to meet its demand for a sacrifice.

Whatever the case might be, everyone was at a loss for what to do, and really, there wasn't anything for it but to wait and hope for the best, which wasn't good enough for Gerard. He refused to leave Frank's fate up to chance, but he didn't know how to save him, so he continued his constant vigil by his bedside, praying harder than he ever had before, desperation staining his mental pleas with shades of garish red and blue matching his need and his despair.

Gerard felt like he was dying every time Frank whimpered softly in his sleep, his mangled hands stretching out for some form of comfort that Gerard was too scared to give him in fear of exacerbating his pain. Seeing Frank in such a state was killing Gerard, and once Frank began to run a high fever that left him weaker than before, Gerard lost all control of his emotions, breaking down in sobs even though the action hurt his damaged chest.

Dallon had just left Gerard alone with Frank once again after doing everything he could to make Frank comfortable, telling Gerard to call for him if his condition worsened, which it would eventually, Gerard knew that now, even though he was loath to accept that fact, but it was becoming impossible to keep his faith intact when he could feel Frank slipping away from him with every passing moment.

And even if Frank did somehow survive, Gerard didn't want it to be like this. Frank was horribly scarred, his face twisted and blackened, his eye on his left side carrying a faint sheen the few times it opened which was a sign of blindness, and although Gerard didn't give a shit what Frank looked like, he knew Frank would hate his limitations, especially since his wings were all but ruined, his once beautiful feathers half gone while the rest had seared away to small nubs that wouldn't be capable of flight.

These thoughts only made Gerard cry even harder, the hopelessness of their situation hitting him full force as he curled around Frank's still frame, trying his best not to disturb his husband in the process. Gerard was aware that they had done a great thing by defeating the Leviathan, but the price they were paying was too high, and a part of Gerard wished that Brendon had never come to Frank, even though they would have mostly likely perished either way.