Chapter Text
Gerard felt the car spin and his lunch tumble in his belly then a crash and a weird ringing in his head finally sweet quiet dark.
“He's going into shock!! We need to operate to relieve intracranial pressure!!”
Intracranial pressure!? Operate!? What the hell was going on?
Gerard woke up slowly and groaned.
“Oh. Oh. My head and stomach…”
Gerard felt his surroundings sharpen as he took in the world.
“Gerard!!!! Oh, honey!! You're alive!!!”
Why was this tattooed woman hugging him?? He was tired and wanted to sleep.
He moaned. God, everything hurt and was too much.
“Oh!! Gerard!! You're awake!!!”
“Gerard, do you know what day it is?”
Gerard nodded.
“September 11th 2001.” He confirmed.
The woman and doctor gasped. They looked concerned. Why? He just told them he knew what day it was- they should be happy he remembers something.
Then it all came back. The wires. Sirens. Surgery. The explosion. He began to cry.
“Gerard!! Honey!! It's okay!!”
“Why did the planes hit?! I can see bodies falling and I can smell jet fuel!!”
“Gee, honey. It's 2025. 9/11 happened almost 25 years ago,” she said sadly.
Gerard went ghostly white and vomited.
No. They're lying. It's 2001!!!
Gerard finally looked at her blearily.
“Who are you?”
He has amnesia. That's why he's so confused.
The woman began crying.
“Gee, honey. It'll be okay. We can get through it.”
“Where's Frank?”
“At home sweetheart. We've all been so worried about you. We thought you wouldn't wake up.”
“I want to go home!!!”
“We will, sweetheart. It takes time.”
“What state is this?”
“California.”
“No, no, no!! I should be in Jersey!!!!!” Gerard sobbed.
“I shouldn't be in California!! I'm too far from mom and Mikey!!!”
Gerard cried and cried for hours. His head ached horribly. His bones ached. He was such a mess. Why and how did he get to California?
And why did he not have his cartoon network schedule? What the hell was that glass box by his bed??
He wanted to find out more. For now he was exhausted.
Later, Gerard woke up and saw a girl with the tattooed woman who looked like him.
“Gerard, honey. This is Bandit. Our daughter.”
“I have a kid?!”
“Yup. You're the most amazing dad ever!!” The girl grinned.
Gerard’s features crumbled suddenly.
“What's wrong, Gee?”
His head was aching and making him feel nauseous. He covered his mouth and belched.
“I'm going to vomit…” he gasped.
“Okay, hon. Get it out of your system.”
The girl looked at him worriedly as she rubbed his back.
“Why, why is this happening?!” He sobbed.
Gerard didn't like vomiting, it hurt and made him confused.
He whined.
“My tummy hurts!!” He cried and hugged his gurgling belly.
A low grumble came from his middle and Gerard moaned in pain.
His gut felt funny. And it hurt a lot. He hasn't remembered feeling so sick to his stomach in his entire life.
He rubbed his sore belly and fell asleep again.
Having no memory made him tired.
So, he slept.
“Why doesn't Gerard remember us?” Lindsey asked tearfully.
“Gerard had a traumatic brain injury and it set his memory back 25 years. He will have to get re-acclimated to the world. He thinks he's 25 years younger as well. So in his mind he's 24. He will act differently, we don't know how long it'll persist. But he's lucky he's not in a wheelchair for life. The crash scrambled his head up good.” Dr. Shechter explained.
“Will my dad ever recognize me again?”
“It's hard to say, Bandit. It takes time. Just be patient with him. Gerard's gone through unimaginable trauma. Both physical and mental.”
Lindsey felt like the world was ending. She sat down with Bandit and cried.
Hadn't Gerard been through enough??